First! P-day was nuts. We had to get so much done (including packing for a week) so that we could get gone by 5:30 to meet up with the Alliance Elders in Hay Springs so that Elder Wilson and I could leave our comps (who are spending the week in Alliance) and head to Chadron to pick up the sisters so that we could get to Rapid City before 9. We stayed the night with the Zone Leaders, then the next morning we had got up at the normal time (thank goodness) and went to the Stake center to prepare to leave to get there in time to be with Bro. Nelson. I drove up (this was really weird for me) with the ZL's and Sister Pohl (yup! She had no comp on the way up.... Weird.). It is a 6 hour drive to Bismarck. We totally destroyed a pheasant because it was stupid and decided to fly strait into our windshield, leaving plenty of feathers and streak marks on it. We arrived after getting lost in Mandan trying to find our way to Bismarck, and finally got there only to find out that we didn't need to get there early to go through with him, so we talked with some of the other missionaries there before we went in. I didn't actually get to go through the Temple with them, but that's okay. I got see him afterwards, and he was just beaming! You could tell just how much he loved being in The House of the Lord.
There were almost 70 missionaries that night in the Temple. Before we went in they had us take our shoes and suit coats off in the entry way which had a bunch of hangers and shoe racks so that we had more room in our lockers (remember this detail. It plays a significant role in a second hehe). I loved it. I have a firm testimony that the Temple truly is the House of God. There is no place that brings more peace to my heart than the Temple does. I've never thought so clear, and I have never felt so.... Well, at peace. Afterwards, while I was in the entry way talked to President and Sister Hess, President leans forward a bit and says "Do you know whats fun to do?" Me and Elder Melville (another missionary with me at the time) shrugged. "See all those suit coats there? I switched all the name tags." Sister Hess's jaw dropped and she smacked him on the arm saying "You are the worst, you know that?!" We died laughing (quietly, of course, since we were still in the Temple haha). Thank goodness we already had ours on! Once we all got outside, I finally got to see Bro. Nelson, and we had a great little reunion there! That night we stayed in the Assistants apartment with 10 or so other missionaries.
Wednesday morning we had MLC (mission leadership council), which was a 6 hour training given by President Hess and (this time) a guest named Brother Donaldson (a man from the Missionary department in Salt Lake). I must say, I have never enjoyed sitting for 6 hours as much as I did that day. I learned so much about the Savior and my role as His representative. Now, you are probably wondering why I was at MLC. Well, so am I. There were a hand full of other missionaries that weren't in leadership positions there, and we don't know why, although we've got our hunches (namely, future roles in leadership), but we don't want to scare ourselves too much haha! After MLC, I got to see so many missionaries I haven't seen in forever! It was probably too much fun, cause I didn't want to leave, I just wanted to stick around a bit longer and keep talking with them! But, alas, it was time. So, we then proceeded to drive another 6 hours back to Rapid City, and luckily didn't hit any deer (althought we had about 6 close calls.... No joke). We did hit 2 wild turkeys though. We dropped Sister Pohl off at the Sisters apartment, then headed back to the ZLs place to crash for the night.
Thursday, I stayed with the ZLs and helped them prepare a training on what we learned at MLC for the ZTM (Zone Training Meeting) the day after. That was pretty much an all day ordeal. But, we worked hard and it turned out pretty good!
Friday, we got up then went to the Stake center to start setting up for ZTM only to find that the carpet cleaners were there, so I about bit the dust when I walked from the wet carpet to the waxed basketball court. We had a great ZTM, then when we were cleaning up, I volunteered to get on the stage (which just so happened to have wet carpet) and put stuff away up there. Once I was done, I hopped down from the stage out of habit. Remember the wet floor experience? Well, if you have ever seen Tom in "Tom and Jerry" when he slips on a banana peal and both of his feet fly up in front of him and his head falls we his feet used to be, than you know EXACTLY what I looked like. When I slipped I heard a couple of squeals from the Sisters, then dead silence. I then gave them the thumbs up, and they all ran to see if I survived. Thankfully, the only thing bruised was my pride. Wish someone had a camera rolling though!
Well, after ZTM, I got to spend even more time with my trainer! It was a blast! We went on exchanges and Elder Wright and I went down to Alliance so that he could interview one of the Elders investigators, than spent the night in their apartment.
On Saturday we drove up early the for a baptism (the Alliance Elders investigator wanted to be baptized in Gordon since that's where most of her family lives). Afterwards, Elder Wright and I went to see M, and she had a cake for me! We had a mini birthday celebration. The cake was great! It was totally unexpected! What a day!
Well, that about sums it all up!! Hope you all had a super good week! I love you and miss you loads!
Elder Carter V
1) This is (from left to right) E. Wright, Bro. Nelson, Me, and Elder Ashby (Elder Wrights trainer. They are the ones that brought Bro. Nelson into the church.) in front of the Bismarck Temple
2)MTC District Reunion! We're all here but 3 (2 of which are no longer in the mission)
3)Elder Wright and I at the "rest stop". They had WIFI!! At least, the sign said they did. We didn't have a way of finding out haha! If you gotta go, you gotta go, yeah?
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