Another week has already gone by! I've already almost completed my first transfer in the field. And I'm really hoping I get to stay with Elder Alcantara! We did a bunch of splits this week which was lame. I really don't like splits. The elders that I went on splits on aren't bad or anything- I actually really like one of the elders. I just enjoy teaching my own investigators and being in my own area. But it is interesting to see the different ways the elders teach and contact. One of the elders, Elder Grossi, has an area with lots of apartments. So we started at the top of the building and just went down. It was very different because Elder Alcantara doesn't like knocking on doors so we never do it. It was also different because Elder Grossi told me to start knocking on other doors at the same time he was. I didn't like this too much. 1-because I still can't understand what the people here are saying so I need the help of my comp to respond lots of the time. I definitely continued to invite people to church or ask if they wanted us to teach them more after they had already made up an excuse more than once. And 2- because the scriptures pretty much say that it's wrong: "Ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God" (D&C 42Ç6). And the missionary handbook says "...the testimonies of two companions support each other in proclaiming the truth and bearing witness of it". So I feel like we should be making contacts as a companionship.
The big thing this week was when Elder Aidukaitis came. We got to meet with all the other missionaries and hear him speak. He based his talk around the talk "Teach repentance and baptize converts" by Elder Neil L. Anderson and it was really good. He made a list of all the things that we need to do according to the talk and a list of the things we are promised in return by the lord. Because he enuciates his words a lot and speaks more slowly, I could actually understand what he was saying, so that was really nice.
This week has been a bit tougher in terms of investigators. We are really struggling right now trying to find someone who will keep commitments. We are getting, however, very good at getting fake addresses. And the problem is we don't have enough investigators to have very many backup lessons so we are stuck just making more contacts which is lame. I'm gonna have to buy a new set of legs this pday because my legs right now are just about to stop working.
But good news! I finally received my package this week! Thank you for all the stuff in it. Now I can finally wear my black shoes and get even more fat with all the cookies and pringles you sent.
I've been thinking again how important it is to read our scriptures everyday. Like our prophet said, it's important to read every day. It makes a real difference. I know it's sometimes not easy to read (I sure struggled before the mission) but if you manage to not just read, but study the scriptures, I think it will increase our desire to do the things we're ask to. For me, my testimony grows every time I read. And a stronger testimony means a stronger desire. If there is one thing I could change about what I did before my mission, I would change the amount I read each day. There are so many scriptures I never knew and stories I never truly understood until I read with real desire to learn. So just do everything you can to read. Even if it's just a little bit per day.
Anyways that's it for me this week.
Elder Odom Jr.
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