Fire Alarm & Chicken Feet Soup

Our District at Lighthouse Inn

Fire Alarm at our Apartment

Me and Brother Tuttle

Plymouth Exchanges

Duck Pond

Chicken Feet Soup

Week 47  Sep 9, 2019


     Monday, today was my first P-day in Plymouth. The first thing I did was sleep in because we keep pretty busy here. After I woke up and got ready for the day, I started to write up my past two weeks of emails because I needed to catch up. After I finished the first one we started our wash and went shopping. After we finished getting groceries for the week, we came home and put our cloths in the dryer and got our personal debits then went back out. I had to get a new pair of shoes because I felt like I was walking on steel blocks! Elder James got some protein powder for his morning workouts. We then came home to relax for the most of the P-day. I was still writing my emails to catch up. After I finished and actually relaxed we went out to Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream Parlor, and IT WAS BUSY! With it being Labor Day, Plymouth is a pretty good tourist town, so lots of people were in the area. We came home for dinner then went out for the night. We went to this place nicknamed "The Projects". A lot of people there have been previously taught, so we did some stop byes to see if any were still interested. We did get a few appointments set up for the week. It did start to rain pretty badly so we made a run for the car. We updated all the contacts we did while in the car then made one last stop for the night. We drove to them as they were just a few minutes down the road. They’re an older couple and we plan to meet with them again with in the week. We then made the drive home for the night. As I got home and finished in my journal for the night I started to write letters for the friends I served in my last area.

Tuesday, today was a pretty good day but all four of our appointments ended up not being there. After studies, we met up with Brother Volopetti so we would be able to go into the house to teach a few lady’s. Sadly the two appointments we had needed to reschedule. We then decided to go meet a couple of members. One was an older gentleman who lives in a nursing home but goes to church with his daughter in the Hingham Ward. He was about to have lunch so we let him know we will come another time. With there still being some time before our next appointment he took us out to lunch at Ninos, a little Italian deli. We all got some homemade sausage subs with peppers and onions. After lunch we met with Sister Newcomb, a newer member to the Church. We talked with her to see how she was doing. We also talked about a talk she is preparing to give in Sacrament Meeting. She is super excited because it will be on her year mark of being a member. While there I was sitting on the floor playing with her 3 little shiatsu puppies. After visiting with her, we met a old friend of Brother Volpetti's Luis.  She is a widow and her husband was a member of the ward. After visiting with her we got dropped back off at our car and made it to our next appointment with Sister Gauthier. She is less active but loves family history work. She does it every day in her free time. With the little extra time we had before dinner we walked around downtown to hand out pass along cards. After dinner we went to this place called "The Projects", there is a lot of people there who have been taught in the past so we decided to go revisit. We did get through a lot of them and even had a few return appointments from it! It soon started to rain pretty bad so we ran back to the car to report about the contacts we made. The last thing we did was meet with another older couple close by to check in on them and share a short message. We then got a return appointment with them as well!

Wednesday the first thing we did for the day was go to the Food Bank and help with service there. We stocked the shelves and helped with putting things in date order. After we finished we came home to do studies and have lunch. I started my studies earlier then Elder James, and as I finished and waited I took a nice 20 minute nap. After companion studies we went to visit Al, but was not there so we went to visit with Brother Gould to read the Book of Mormon with him. We had a good lesson then came home to get the car to go tract down settlers road. One of the first houses we visited was a crazy old lady who kept asking what we want and repeating about her kids the same story. She just went on and on and on. She took up most of our time so we could only knock a couple more houses then come home for dinner. We went back to the projects for a couple of lessons we had planned and they didn’t answer, so we then came home to drop off the car. For the last little bit we walked downtown but it was pretty dead and we didn't see anyone.
Thursday was Zone Conference and the Brewster Elders came over so we could drive together. It was about an hour drive and we ended up getting there earlier then expected so we went to eat at McDonald's then come back to the church. While at Zone Conference I was asked to be the Chorister for the music, and yes it wasn’t the best. Luckily I only had to do it for two songs, but it was a really fun experience. President Mavromaitis talked first about becoming more converted to the work and how as we are more converted we can better help others come closer to Christ. Sister Mavromaitis then talked about "The Book of Mormon experience" a display and a global experiment to have random people off the streets read 1 page of the Book of Mormon and highlights references to God and Jesus Christ. While President and her talked, missionaries were taken out of the room a few at a time to get flu shots. No one expected it. After Sister Mavromaitis talked,we then had lunch, and it was Hawaiian Haystacks! They were pretty good. After lunch we came back and did role plays to demonstrate how we would do the Book of Mormon experience. It will be weird because when we do it, we will be in normal clothes, no name tag, and using our first names. Even for us missionaries it will be an experience. We had a more training on urgency, diligence, accountability, and being bold with baptism. It all helped us to ponder how to be a more successful missionary going forward. After Zone Conference we came home to drop off the Brewster Elders, then went straight to the chapel for missionary coordination with Brother Volpetti. We discussed the work we have done and the progress of our friends. We ended up going to Dominos because the Woods ordered a Pizza for us. We had a later dinner but we kept busy for the last hour of the night. Sadly once again downtown was pretty slow. Skip forward a few hours its 11 PM and we both are sleeping, Elder James wakes me up because the complex fire alarm is going off! As we make it outside a Brazilian who speaks no English is trying to explain what happened. We had two fire trucks show up and assist the situation. Turns out he and his friend were cooking and it went off from the smoke.

Friday morning came quick because a member of the Brewster Branch invited the District for Breakfast at the Lighthouse Inn. So we got there about 8:15 and talked to him. We were the first ones there, and while waiting we went to the beach to take some pictures and just walk around. Soon after the other missionaries came and we then sat down to eat. It was an all you can eat buffet, and we had a pretty good time there. After breakfast we got District pictures taken then went to the Cape Cat, it's an apparel store that member owns. He let us all get a shirt for free but I already have one so he let me get a hat instead! After that we went to a library that had a conference room and had District Council. The lesson was on being more converted to the work. The role play was practicing the Book of Mormon experience. From there we started our exchange with the Brewster Elders and I stayed in Brewster with Elder Despain. The first thing we did was drop off my stuff at the apt and call sister Wilde back, because she had a couple questions. We went out to lunch because we both were pretty hungry and did a stop by with a man they are teaching, but he wasn’t there. On the bright side we talked to his neighbor and he was the one we set up a time to come back next week.  We decided to head to Mashpee area to meet a couple referrals. Both were not there and one seemed to have been on the process of moving. With the extra time before dinner we decided to meet less active members in the area. We then met and talked to Mark. He always loves to talk to missionaries and loves the family values the Church teaches but sadly isn’t active. I know and have faith he will return one day! After him we went to dinner with the Blake Sisters. One made a Jamaican appetizer the other made the meal. The appetizer was chicken feet soup. I was not a fan of it, but luckily the meal was pretty good, it was ground beef, bacon, potatoes and cheese. While cleaning up I was asked to entertain the kids, luckily I know a little bit of magic. We had a little bit of time left so we tried to drop off a Bible one of their members but he wasn't awake. So we decided to walk down Main Street, but no one was around due to the storm from the hurricane. To end the night all we really did was write in our journals and go to bed.

Saturday morning came pretty quick as well. After my shower, Elder Despain was cooking Pancakes for Breakfast. We then got a text asking to meet up at 9 am to end exchanges. I then got packed and ready to head back to Plymouth. We met about half way and when I got back we started to have studies. After I finished studies I passed out on the couch and woke up to Elder James using a shoe shine brush on my nose, oh boy did it feel weird. After I woke up we cleaned the house to prepare for President to come over tomorrow. From there we stopped by Brother Gould to check in on him and read the Book of Mormon with him. He had some really cool insights to share. To save miles we walked for about 2 hours doing stop byes of people with interest to see if we could set up a time to return. A few said no so sadly we wont be returning any time soon, and for a few we will return within a week or so! On the walk back home, we sat by a pond to look at the ducks flying in and swinging around. Elder James really liked it because he was a duck hunter back home. We also had a good conversation with a man who loves life and always wants to learn what others believe. The walk was longer then we expected so we had a late dinner. To end the night we stopped by a few less active members and then street contacted. We then got a call from President saying he wouldn't be able to make it to Sacrament Meeting tomorrow. Him and Sister Mavromaitis were supposed to be giving talks.
Sunday morning we woke up to Bishop calling and asking Elder James to give a talk because President had to cancel last minute for a meeting. When we got to Church we helped bless the Sacrament. With Elder James having a talk he stayed on the stand and I went down and sat by a member. All the talks today were pretty awesome and all focused on member missionary work. Even the second hour (Elders Quorum) was that way too. It was all pretty cool. After Church we were asked by Brother Volpetti if we needed a ride to get to the missionary training conference in Cambridge. Luckily we were aloud to go! We then came home for lunch and studies then we got picked up. The whole meeting was on member missionary work and simply inviting others to come and see, come and help, come and stay. To end the night we had to quickly eat dinner, then the last hour we went to members and 1 family who is interested on our records. We then set up a return appointment for this Thursday! It's been a pretty busy week but it all went well!

1 Nephi 19:9

"9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men."

Christ went through a lot, and he suffered a lot of pain. Not just physically, but also spiritually, mentally and emotionally. He did this out of absolute and pure Love for each and everyone of us. He did this and came down to earth for this reason to suffer the pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. He knows that what ever we go through He is there to help comfort, because He has felt it too. He knows that heart break, he knows that job loss, he knows all of it. All because the Love he has for the children of men. You are never lost, you are never alone, but more importantly you are never to far away from the love He has for you! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen