We have had a nosy week

Funny: we ended up with a little extra time this week so we decided to try something different. We decided to walk everywhere we could and talk to everyone we saw. It was remarkably effective but the best part was how many dogs we had following us, I guess they all decided they wanted to go for a walk as well. We had 5 that were up front with us but there were 7-8 more that would follow us at a distance. I'm sure it was quite the sight to see walking down the street.

Spiritual: if you will remember back to a few weeks ago I told of an experience we had where we met a staunch catholic lady and discussed the Plan of Salvation. We finally were able to have a solid return appointment with her this week and it was extraordinary. She told us how she had read a good portion of the Book of Mormon since our last visit and that she felt that both it and Joseph Smith as a prophet are true. We had a very spirit filled lesson about acting on what we know to be true. She told us that she will need some time to pray and ponder about the change because her family has been Catholic for a very very long time. We are very hopeful it will go well!

Where I am at: we are all doing very well here. Elder Hunt and I have found great success and have seen a lot of miracles; but, alas we both feel that our time together is drawing to a close. We both feel that Elder Hunt will be transferred. In other things coming up we have Halloween which should be fun. There are some members who dislike Halloween and so they said that they might come over to the church and we will have a party, it should be fun! Other than that, we are going to be out finishing the transfer strong.

The Great white spirit

Funny: we go on a lot of wood hauls but this week was definitely the most interesting. We got to a spot where we saw a good big tree (5ft. Diameter 100-125 ft tall) they had just started cutting with the chainsaw when the chain fell off. They then realized that all the tools needed to fix it were left back home. So what did we do? We chopped down the tree and sectioned it with our semi dull axes. It took several hours to do what should have taken several minutes, but I have never felt so much like a man.

Spiritual: we met a lot of wonderful people this week. We met a young man who is very elect. He told us that he was looking for truth, specifically for proof that Jesus Christ came and visited the Americas. He had talked with the old Navajo' s and they had told him legends of the great white spirit that visited the Americas. He was convinced that it was Christ but he had never found any proof. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and boldly testified that this was the proof that he was searching for. It consistently amazes me how much God loves all his children and prepares them to find His Gospel.

Where I am at: Fall is here, sadly all the snow has melted away but in its place is the vibrant colors of the autumn season. We are having a great time out here. With all the meetings done we have been able to work and work and work. It has been so nice. Also, my Navajo has improved to the point that I can now read the Naaltsoos Mormon Wolyéhígíí with a good understanding! 😁 sadly my speaking ability is still very pathetic. Mostly when I try to speak it I just get blank stares. But oh well, it's a process.

This little piggy went on a wood haul

Funny: we went on a wood haul with one of the families we were teaching. At one point I was reaching under the truck to grab a log that had rolled under it. The little boy told me that because I was so long that I looked like their pig named huger. So now the nickname for me is Elder huger (pronounced huge + r). Haha, I can't say that I am very flattered to have gotten nicknamed after a very large pig but here we are.

Spiritual: we knocked on a door and a lady opened it and immediately introduced herself as a staunch Catholic. But, she added that she was always willing to listen to people who love Jesus Christ. As we talked we asked her about what she feels God's purpose for her on earth is. She informed us that she hadn't ever really given it much thought. We started to share the Plan of Salvation. Through question asking we learned that she didn't believe in heaven and hell but rather she believed that after you die you go to a place where you learn and still grow then after being judged you go to a place that you will be happy but not to heaven and hell. We told her that those beliefs were not Catholic but that they line up with what we believe and with what the Bible teaches. She was very excited about that. She went out of town for the weekend but we hope to see her in church soon!

Where I am at: we had a great week of wood hauling and chopping. I have decided that either aspen or cedar are my favorite types of wood to cut (although Piñon is up there). We are also looking to maybe get some snow soon up here, that would be exciting. To get prepared for that we have started listening to Christmas music 😀. Life is so good and it just keeps getting better.

Love y'all

Hey there hot dog!

Funny: We got adopted by a dog this week. We heard some whining outside our door Wednesday night and when we stepped outside, there was a dog in the bed of our truck. We are not sure of where it came from or how it got in our truck bed but it will no longer leave. It always disappears in the morning (probably to find food) and it re-appears at night to sleep in our truck bed. To be honest, if I were a dog I would sleep in the missionary’s truck as well. That is probably the safest place out here.

Spiritual: This week was filled with spiritual experiences. A small tender moment for me was during the Sunday morning session of General Conference. We had one of the people we are teaching come. It was his first time in the church and he was very nervous. As Elder Ballard gave his wonderful talk on the Spirit world I observed that the man was crying, he had lost his wife several years earlier and had always wondered where she was and if she was okay. Though he didn't understand most of the words used, he felt the power of what was being said. Though a small miracle, that was one that I know I will never be able to forget.

Where I am at: We are doing really well out here. There are great things coming for the rez. We are interested to see if the 2-hour block will help get people to come back to church. Our ward has slowly been shrinking because a lot of the strong members are moving, looks like we will have to activate the 600 returning members in the ward boundaries. The weather is also cooking down. We had some rain and some of the higher elevations actually got snow! Hopefully this means that we will have a white winter rather than a brown and red one :)

I'm a Lumberjack and I'm Okay

Funny: This week I had my 6th grade math skills put to the test. We went to a house and one of the kids told us that we couldn't teach him unless we answered a math test for him. He then proceeded to grill us with "the hardest of questions" including, "what is 3/4 in decimals" and "what are the names of the 4 quadrants on a graph.” Thankfully we passed and we were able to teach them. I was glad I studied in school 😉

Spiritual: Sometimes when you let people go then that is when God blesses you with the elect. This week we stopped teaching a lot of people. It was kinda scary because we really had no idea of what to do but we felt that this was what God wanted, we were greatly blessed. We were able to focus more on those that are really progressing and we tripled our Sacrament attendance and were able to find some new people who are really prepared for the Gospel. I am so grateful that we have the ability to receive revelation for our area. It is one of the most important things in this work.

Where I am at: this week we went on a lot of wood hauls. We also did a lot of wood splitting and stacking. My calluses are back and my axe is getting dull again. We were also able to go on several exchanges. The Chinle Zone has the most beautiful areas in the world. We are also very excited for conference. It should be amazing. Watch for Elder Pieper in the Saturday Afternoon session, he will be speaking.

Ayóó anishinii nizhoní biliganna
I have no idea what this means. Google translate doesn't even know. Sorry. Traci