August 15, 2011

So this week was really busy. We went on 3 exchanges and elder Harmon wasn't in our area for 2.5 days. It was strange. We had a really successful week and we were happy. We taught a lot of lessons we just felt disappointed because we only found 2 new investigators.

Monday was fun. We played lots and lots of basketball. For the last play of the last game elder Kamalu and I trapped elder Harmon in the corner. Elder harmon always tries to throw the ball at your legs when he is in that situation and we remembered that. When he tried to throw it at my legs I moved my leg at the right time and so it just stopped it. I got the ball and made a rather acrobatic shot. 360 lay up around someone. I was happy I hit it or I would've looked like a retard. We then had dinner with the Jones family. It was really good! Their daughter who is going BYU-I is home for the summer so she cooked dinner and dessert. She did a very good job!

Tuesday we did service at the zoo and we carried lots of dirt in wheel barrows and in buckets into the gorilla cages. It was very very stinky and we had to wear those doctors masks. We had fun though. Afterwards we got to go to one of the elders' member's houses and eat a ton of food cause they wanted to get rid of it and who better to do it than a bunch of poor hungry missionaries, right? We went on exchanges and I was with E. Combs, from Henderson, NV, so it was cool. We saw a sweet miracle. This guy was sitting outside and he is engaged to a LDS lady who is just getting active again. She has told him she was going to send us but she hadn't told us. So for us to run into him I thought it was a miracle.

Wednesday we had a funeral to go to of a 2 year old that passed away. It was sad but a very good funeral. We then had district meeting and that was fun. We didn't have much time before our next appointment so we ate Mickey D's.... not my favorite but its all good. We were able to see a couple of people and then we had to go home and have a conference call with the mission leaders. It is always good to hear how other zones are doing. The Topeka zone is doing very good! We are so happy so see them progressing and being consistant.

Thursday we went on exchanges with Wakarusa Valley. I finally went on exchanges with E. Chidester. I served around him in Kearney and never went on exchanges with him in 4.5 months. This was our first time and he is going home very soon. We saw this car in somebody's driveway and the engine had caught on fire and exploded! It was crazy looking. We were then able to see a miracle. We went to this lady's house, Patricia, and she wasn't there but she pulled up as we were knocking. She invited us in and we were very surprised. We talked for a little bit and then all I could think about was Alma 32 so we shared with her the seed/faith anology and it went over with her very well. She told us she had been praying for God's help to "get right" again. She said she had been a church going girl her whole life she just fell out of the habit and she needs help getting back into it. She was very excited to have us over. MIRACLE!!!!

Friday we had a good day. We had to go to district meeting down in Lawrence. It was fun but got started late. I then went on exchanges with E. Lyon. They went well. We got to eat with a cool new family and to see a investigator that we haven't seen in a long time. We exchanged back on Saturday. We taught lots of lessons that day. We also committed 2 girls to be baptized.

Sunday was good. We had 2 of our 3 with a baptismal date at church and 3 other investigators there. The ward is really supportive of us. We also conferred our recent convert with the preisthood. It was really cool. We had a stake preisthood meeting to go to and that was fun. I got to see a member I knew down in Derby there. He moved to Lawrence because he is going to school I was happy to see him.

Well all in all a great week! I love it out here and I really don't want to come home.... sorry mom.

Your Friend,
Elder Zachary Taylor