Pioneer Children

January 08, 2024

Good Morning!

I feel like nothing has changed this past week. We've seen success and found new friends. We've taught quite a few lessons, and visited a number of members. We're still trying to save miles. We only hit one parked car while drifting in the snow.

Oh yeah, it snowed!

On Saturday we decided to become like the pioneer children, and walk around everywhere, just without the singing. We drove for a bit, so it wasn't 100% walking, but we were on our feet for probably 6 or 7 hours. There was one lesson and a dinner appointment during that time, and a lot of cold weather. Everyone kept telling us to go inside and get warm, it's probably a good thing they care about us enough to tell us to go inside. But also, we can't find people if we sit inside all day so we're doing what we can. I for one am considering actually using my beanie . . .

On Saturday, everybody told us that it was supposed to snow like 6 inches overnight. So we woke up on Sunday and found a solid inch of snow everywhere! It was a wonderful surprise, I've probably thrown more snowballs on Sunday than any other missionary in the mission! I actually don't know that for sure, and now our snow is trying to melt, but it was a good start.

This is the first Sunday I only attended one sacrament meeting during the mission. We were driving (okay, we were really drifting) in Fredonia. Previous missionaries a year ago got the 4-wheel truck stuck in mud. This time, we lost traction and slid into a parked car. Everyone is safe, there's no major damage, and my companion was driving. We've figured most of the situation out, and there were a lot of tender mercies involved. Just for context (I love Elder Dickey, this isn't to throw him under the bus), he's from Wyoming and has driven in snow for his entire life and never caused an accident. So it's just unfortunate that his first one happens on the mission. At least it was the older beater car we hit, (which was already wrecked on the other side) and the owner was a member and didn't care too much. Tender mercies can be found in any situation, no matter how interesting.

Just for kicks, the next time we drove in Fredonia all the snow melted from off the roads. So we literally crashed during the only time it would have gotten us.

Zone Conference this past week was held on the topic "witness". I learned a lot on how I can be a better witness of Christ, and share that witness with the world. It's something I feel I've done a good job at, but I could definitely improve. I'm striving to strengthen my daily study of the Book of Mormon, and I feel this will help in this initiative. I also took the opportunity to take a picture with all the missionaries I've trained, and all the ones they've trained, and so on.

Continue to be a witness of truth! Let your life be a living witness that He lives, and He redeems, even when we feel He can't. I know that faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement is the best source of truth and strength we can find in this life.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

- Elder Williams

Mailing Address:

881 South River Road

St. George, UT 84790

Pictures:

1. Elder Dickey and I, waiting for Kolton to hop on a Zoom call.

2. First snow! Right before a lesson with Amos.

3. Foggy days make for great pictures!

4. Snow on our way to Zone Conference.

5. It's such a beautiful group of missionaries!