Eternity is a very long time to be wrong
Hey Everybody,
I couldn't come up with a clever subject line for this week, so I
decided to use a line from Elder Southwick from District Meeting a
couple of weeks ago. He is such a funny Elder and always has great one
liners like that. We spent pretty much all of Preparation Day last
week with them and Winter's Run, which was a ton of fun. Winter's Run
took us to the a Asian place for lunch and it was amazing! We were
going to go hiking, but it looked like it might rain and we didn't
want to take the risk of getting soaked, because the rainstorms out
here are crazy, and they come out of no where. It didn't rain during
Preparation Day, but as soon as we had dinner with the Koncurat's and
left, it started pouring for the rest of the night.
Tuesday we had Exchanges, which is 3.5 for Elder Livermore and I
together. We were laughing about that as we were driving back to my
apartment. We got some good work done, mostly going by members that no
one has any idea who they are, especially the ones out in the
boondocks of the area because we had a ton of left over miles so we
needed to use them. We talked with a few really nice people who were
busy, but asked us to come back another time, one because his grandson
was sick and the other because he was leaving for a trip for a couple
weeks. We also stopped by a member who was on Elder Livermore's ward
list, but not mine even though she lived deep in my area. We found out
that she doesn't want contact and we found out later why she kept her
records, or rather, her parents pulled her records, back into Elder
Livermore's ward.
Friday was an interesting day because we had Zone Conference. Elder
Lape and I got there early and the conference started. At about 8:30am
though, Elder Funk, one of my Zone Leaders, called us out to the
hallway to tell us that we needed to go give a blessing back in our
area. So we excused ourselves and drove up to Havre de Grace, only to
get a text from the member we needed to meet, telling us that we
needed to meet an hour later than arranged. So rather than drive all
the way back to the stake center, we just stopped at our apartment and
waited until we got the go ahead from the member, and we met him at
the hospital. We met him there around 9:45 and helped him give the
blessing to a lady from his ward, across the river, which is also
outside the mission. She explained to us how she had come to be in a
hospital in our area, and we visited with her and the member for a few
minutes. I forgot to mention, we all had to suit up for this blessing.
I'm not sure what disease she had, but we had to put on gloves, masks,
and hospital gowns over our normal clothes in order to go into her
room. First time I've had to do that, so it was interesting. Then we
drove back down to the stake center and got back to Zone Conference
around 11:00. We missed President's instruction, but I was able to talk
to him for a minute in the afternoon and he said it was mostly about
how we need to use Family History more in our work, which includes
becoming more invested in our personal family history. But the part
that we were there for we learned about asking the right kinds of
questions and being directed by the Spirit while we're talking to
people. In the afternoon, we talked about how we can work with members
better. Elder Patterson, one of the Assistants to the President, said
something that I really liked. He talked about seeing the bigger
picture when it comes to members. We live in a world of instant
gratification and that is not a reality in most of the dealings we
have with members. Working with members should be geared towards
helping them show love and friendship towards their friends and
neighbors, specifically through the gospel. That doesn't make a lot of
sense, but it makes sense, I'm just bad at explaining it. Pretty much,
be everyone's friend and it will all work out.
Saturday we helped a young family move into their house, yesterday we
taught Gospel Principles with about 1 minute of prep time, and I think
that's about it for this week.
Love you all,
Elder Howell
P.S. Since coming out on the mission, I've become much more familiar
of the hymns than I previously was, and one of my new favorites is one
that I feel isn't sung as often is Hymn #127: Does the Journey Seem
Long? This hymn was written by Joseph Fielding Smith while he was on
one of his many assignments for the church. He wrote this as a poem to
his wife and young children whom he had not seen in quite a long time.
I especially love verses 1&3, although 2&4 are incredible as well.
1. Does the journey seem long,
The path rugged and steep?
Are there briars and thorns on the way?
Do sharp stones cut your feet
As you struggle to rise
To the heights thru the heat of the day?
2. Is your heart faint and sad,
Your soul weary within,
As you toil ’neath your burden of care?
Does the load heavy seem
You are forced now to lift?
Is there no one your burden to share?
3. Let your heart be not faint
Now the journey’s begun;
There is One who still beckons to you.
So look upward in joy
And take hold of his hand;
He will lead you to heights that are new—
4. A land holy and pure,
Where all trouble doth end,
And your life shall be free from all sin,
Where no tears shall be shed,
For no sorrows remain.
Take his hand and with him enter in.
I couldn't come up with a clever subject line for this week, so I
decided to use a line from Elder Southwick from District Meeting a
couple of weeks ago. He is such a funny Elder and always has great one
liners like that. We spent pretty much all of Preparation Day last
week with them and Winter's Run, which was a ton of fun. Winter's Run
took us to the a Asian place for lunch and it was amazing! We were
going to go hiking, but it looked like it might rain and we didn't
want to take the risk of getting soaked, because the rainstorms out
here are crazy, and they come out of no where. It didn't rain during
Preparation Day, but as soon as we had dinner with the Koncurat's and
left, it started pouring for the rest of the night.
Tuesday we had Exchanges, which is 3.5 for Elder Livermore and I
together. We were laughing about that as we were driving back to my
apartment. We got some good work done, mostly going by members that no
one has any idea who they are, especially the ones out in the
boondocks of the area because we had a ton of left over miles so we
needed to use them. We talked with a few really nice people who were
busy, but asked us to come back another time, one because his grandson
was sick and the other because he was leaving for a trip for a couple
weeks. We also stopped by a member who was on Elder Livermore's ward
list, but not mine even though she lived deep in my area. We found out
that she doesn't want contact and we found out later why she kept her
records, or rather, her parents pulled her records, back into Elder
Livermore's ward.
Friday was an interesting day because we had Zone Conference. Elder
Lape and I got there early and the conference started. At about 8:30am
though, Elder Funk, one of my Zone Leaders, called us out to the
hallway to tell us that we needed to go give a blessing back in our
area. So we excused ourselves and drove up to Havre de Grace, only to
get a text from the member we needed to meet, telling us that we
needed to meet an hour later than arranged. So rather than drive all
the way back to the stake center, we just stopped at our apartment and
waited until we got the go ahead from the member, and we met him at
the hospital. We met him there around 9:45 and helped him give the
blessing to a lady from his ward, across the river, which is also
outside the mission. She explained to us how she had come to be in a
hospital in our area, and we visited with her and the member for a few
minutes. I forgot to mention, we all had to suit up for this blessing.
I'm not sure what disease she had, but we had to put on gloves, masks,
and hospital gowns over our normal clothes in order to go into her
room. First time I've had to do that, so it was interesting. Then we
drove back down to the stake center and got back to Zone Conference
around 11:00. We missed President's instruction, but I was able to talk
to him for a minute in the afternoon and he said it was mostly about
how we need to use Family History more in our work, which includes
becoming more invested in our personal family history. But the part
that we were there for we learned about asking the right kinds of
questions and being directed by the Spirit while we're talking to
people. In the afternoon, we talked about how we can work with members
better. Elder Patterson, one of the Assistants to the President, said
something that I really liked. He talked about seeing the bigger
picture when it comes to members. We live in a world of instant
gratification and that is not a reality in most of the dealings we
have with members. Working with members should be geared towards
helping them show love and friendship towards their friends and
neighbors, specifically through the gospel. That doesn't make a lot of
sense, but it makes sense, I'm just bad at explaining it. Pretty much,
be everyone's friend and it will all work out.
Saturday we helped a young family move into their house, yesterday we
taught Gospel Principles with about 1 minute of prep time, and I think
that's about it for this week.
Love you all,
Elder Howell
P.S. Since coming out on the mission, I've become much more familiar
of the hymns than I previously was, and one of my new favorites is one
that I feel isn't sung as often is Hymn #127: Does the Journey Seem
Long? This hymn was written by Joseph Fielding Smith while he was on
one of his many assignments for the church. He wrote this as a poem to
his wife and young children whom he had not seen in quite a long time.
I especially love verses 1&3, although 2&4 are incredible as well.
1. Does the journey seem long,
The path rugged and steep?
Are there briars and thorns on the way?
Do sharp stones cut your feet
As you struggle to rise
To the heights thru the heat of the day?
2. Is your heart faint and sad,
Your soul weary within,
As you toil ’neath your burden of care?
Does the load heavy seem
You are forced now to lift?
Is there no one your burden to share?
3. Let your heart be not faint
Now the journey’s begun;
There is One who still beckons to you.
So look upward in joy
And take hold of his hand;
He will lead you to heights that are new—
4. A land holy and pure,
Where all trouble doth end,
And your life shall be free from all sin,
Where no tears shall be shed,
For no sorrows remain.
Take his hand and with him enter in.
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