A Wonderful Goodbye and My Testimony

The Washington D.C. temple (photograph used with permission), Temples are places where members are taught, make promises and are, in turn, promised blessings.  Ordinances (sacraments) are performed here for time and all eternity for both the living and by proxy for the dead. We believe that those who upon this earth have not received the gospel of Jesus Christ will hear it in the after life and will then have the opportunity to receive it or reject it. In this way all of God's children may know of Christ and his atonement, be judged accordingly and that God wants to save as many of his children as possible. On each temple is written the words "Holiness to the Lord" and "House of the Lord." Psalm 24,
1 Peter chapters 3 and 4

June 29, 2015

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

I was wondering why I did not receive an email last week. I was not sure what was going on. So, I sent you an email; and then, I thought it odd you sent me things in return. And I went on. Then, I received a call from Sister Sopp, explaining the situation. I checked during our mormon.org time; yeah, I still have yet to receive that email. I do not know why. I will read it when I get home.

It has been fun, this last final week. It has been one of greatness. Our progressing investigator entered into the waters of baptism and is now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has entered into the path of discipleship.

Monday, Elder Day and I enjoyed browsing through Staunton, one last time together. We had a baptismal interview for our progressing investigator. It was a bit delayed, because the heavens opened and the floods came rose up. The district leader was in Harrisonburg and got caught in the storm. Which meant we were delayed to dinner. The dinner was with the young couple who loves us. We warned them enough ahead of time and strove to head there as soon as the interview was done. Our progressing investigator did indeed pass the interview.

Dinner was great. It was very emotional for me, because I realized that it would be a while before I would see them again after I leave Virginia. We headed home afterwards, because it was late. 

At this point, I was not looking forward to the rest of the week, except for the baptism and the temple. I talked to Elder Day about all of these feelings, feeling a bit upset. Thank goodness for prayer. I decided that there was nothing I could worry about going home, that it is inevitable and part of the mission experience. I then talked to God about my decision and the rest of the week has not been emotional at all.

Tuesday, we tried to contact a few people before heading to the lesson for our progressing investigator. We saw the man first who is in pain and is struggling a bit. We gave him some encouragement. We, then, had the lesson with the progressing investigator. We covered a majority of laws and ordinances and encouraged her to go to the temple. The temple is a foreign idea to her, but she is trusting and will understand at some point. From there, we made many phone calls for the coming week. We had dinner and tried to see and contact a few people.

Wednesday, Elder Day needed his foot to be checked on; his wart is nearly gone. From there, we used our mormon.org time; then, we visited people in the hospital. The one man we usually visit is finally out of the hospital; the lady who used to belong in the health center also got moved back to the health center. We had dinner and tried to contact a few people. We headed in a bit early, because it was going to be an early morning.

Thursday, I woke up at 3:50 in the morning. I got ready to go to the temple and at 4:45, our ride took us to the Waynesboro Elders' apartment. Elder Day was subsequently dropped off and had his own day with the Waynesboro Elders'. I headed down to Richmond. From there, I joined the departing missionaries. I rode up with the assistants to the president and the majority of my MTC district. I was also with Elder Clifford and others. I got to hear some updates about Tappahannock, which was fantastic. The mentally disabled convert is now driving; I thought that was a bit impressive. The young kid convert is moving. The man who went to hospital-- that convert-- is doing well, other than a few medical bumps in the road. The family I stayed with is doing well, too. Happy to hear all of that.

From Richmond, we headed to Fredericksburg to pick up other missionaries. From Fredericksburg, we headed up to the Washington D.C. temple. The Washington D.C. temple is huge and beautiful. I really do think that I was able to see what heaven was like, in a unique way. President addressed us, that we needed to stay together, and that certain members from our previous areas might be here, such as the second convert from White Oak that was going to be sealed (Matthew 18:18).

(Used with permission Washington, D.C. temple at night fall.)

 I saw some members from White Oak even before I got into the temple. I went inside and met the bishop and the wife of the elders' quorum president from Appomattox. I loved the things that we did in the temple; I got a lot out of it this time around. It was really beautiful. It is really, really beautiful inside the Washington D.C. temple. We headed out about 1:35 pm. I was afraid that I had missed out on seeing the convert from White Oak. I didn't. I was really, really happy to see them.

We had lunch inside the visitors center, then we headed to the Christus statue. 

When were done at the temple we headed into Washington D.C. Man, the traffic. The traffic there is really scary, but it did not mar the experience I had in the temple. We toured a bit by driving past buildings and finally we were able to exit the car to see the Lincoln Memorial. It was really, really cool. From there, we headed to Fredericksburg, back to Richmond. 

Finally, I with a member headed back up to Staunton and got caught in the middle of a storm. It was pouring and pouring more days after. I enjoyed the rain, especially while I could. Then, we picked up Elder Day and made it home about 10:30 pm.

Friday, we got up and went to a meeting. From being condensed in a car for a period of 12 hours in total, I was sore and not looking forward to going back into the car. (I was extremely exhausted. So, do not be surprised if I am extremely tired when I arrive. For the next couple of days after Thursday, I had shadows underneath my eyes.) We had the meeting, had lunch, and headed to a lesson with our progressing investigator. We talked about the temple; still is learning about the function of temples, because it has never been taught before. I said goodbye to a family. We did some planning. Then we had dinner. Dinner was amazing; I had a salad, a really, really amazing tasting salad. We checked up on the man who was baptized when we got into the area. He is doing great; we are trying to encourage the family to continue to progress. 

Saturday, we got up and headed to the building where our investigator was going to be baptized. We began filling it up and cleaning it. Yeah, there were some creatures in there that did not belong. We bravely fought them off. We did some planning. Then, the baptism.

She was so happy to be there. She was happy to be baptized. She said that never in any of her previous baptisms had she been so emotional. (She had cried in the bathroom after being baptized; she was nervous and excited.) I know that she will stay active because she realizes how much this blesses her life. Understanding will come over time for her. She will continue to progress.

After the baptism, we had a lesson with some grandchildren of a member. We reviewed the baptismal interview questions and received understanding on what to teach. It is a complicated situation, making it hard for us to teach frequently. From that lesson, we headed to dinner, which was half an hour away. We had dinner and checked up on the people in the health center, including Dan the Man. I said good bye one semifinal time. He is still plotting his escape.

Sunday, our newest convert was confirmed. She was really happy. She decided to wear something really, really nice. Church was great. I was happy to be there. The Gospel Principles teacher asked us to teach next week... then she realized that I was not going to be there. From church, we did planning, we checked up on a few people and we headed to dinner. Getting to dinner was a task in itself. We decided to be there early, but we hit every single red light. I was tired of it and decided to go around the stoplights by going in a different route. I went the different route and there was an elderly couple in front of us. We were turning left and they were turning right... until they realized that they needed to go left and decided to cut us off completely. Then, we get stuck behind them, slowly going... Oh Virginian drivers. We made it to dinner unscathed. After dinner, we contacted a few people, but nobody was really available. We finished our weekly planning.

So, it is, my final week. I have done a lot. I am actually quite surprised how much I have done. Time has really gone by.

Believe me, I have not been plotting my return. I have been preparing, but that preparation really came over time. You are right; I will no longer be a full-time missionary. I am always a missionary in every other aspect. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ; and part of that means to stay peculiar. There are things I will not watch nor listen to anymore. I realize how happy I am now and what it will take to stay this happy. It is matter of staying spiritual; keeping the Sabbath Day holy, reading the scriptures, going to church and the temple, etc. I will go forward.

What I have to adjust to is, yes, the world. I feel like I understand the principle of living in the world and not of the world by living the commandments, keeping the standards; by those things, do I keep my self consecrated to the Lord. My future involves this, having a tie to God. What I do for a career; I am not sure at this point. I will discover that on my own.

I am Seth Todd, a disciple of Jesus Christ. I will follow in the footsteps of my Savior. I will listen and obey to His counsels, even the counsels given by the prophets and apostles. This declaration is not a pillar to set myself above others; it is a step to help lift others, to serve the Lord, and to continue to progress.

I know that Jesus is the Christ; he suffered for my pains, afflictions and sins, so that I could have faith and to repent. Through the Atonement, I know we and I can be cleansed. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God; God speaks and He loves us for He is our Heavenly Father. I know that because of this love, He gives us prophets today to guide us, so that we can have peace in the midst of our trials. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God; this book teaches us the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, testifies of the truths that are in the Bible, and witnesses that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know it is true, because I prayed to know, yearning for the living waters that I may no more thirst. What a blessing it is to be living in these days to rejoice in the abundance of gospel truths.

All is well for he that trusts in God will not be led astray.

Love,

Elder S. Todd

(Mom was overwhelmed with preparing for his homecoming. She survived and glad he made it safely home. The first one to hug him was his sister Bria on a layover in Salt Lake City where she lives. She met him at the airport. She allowed him to use her phone to call his mother which helped tremendously to calm her nerves. Dad is doing well, too.)

A Hug a Missionary Will Never Forget

Monday, May 11, 2015

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

Good morning. It was so good to Skype the two of you. I am glad that I am looking healthy. I will admit something here; I should have mentioned this yesterday, but it was not too important. I do have healthy meals. I have Greek yogurt for breakfast and salad for lunch. I have been doing that for a while now. I am able to get my protein in and follow the Word of Wisdom (reference to LDS guidance on diet) a bit more. I am still figuring how to follow the Word of Wisdom more fully and I am quite happy with doing this. Of course, one day, I will expand beyond salads. I realize there are more ways to eat meat sparingly. And no, I am not becoming a vegetarian.

I am quite happy that I am looking healthy and that most of my teeth are white. I feel happy about the

changes that have been made physically for me. I feel like I am eating a bit more healthy and I am getting back into exercising. I am so happy that I could run (which I will get to that story in a bit), which makes me want to run, though that will have to wait a bit. There are more steps that I am going to be working on, such as eliminating desserts and, eventually, snacks (though I will have some for emergencies). Please note a couple things here. I am not trying to prevent myself from becoming fat; I am not trying to be a health nut. I am trying to take care of my body and to do those things that will help me. I am trying to explore ways that I can more fully live the Word of Wisdom and it will take time. I am trying to do things better, trying to make good things become habits. The Word of Wisdom is a good start for me.

I hope this explanation makes sense. And that you will not panic. One day, I will add a bit more to my breakfast and add a bit more to my meals.

It has been a good week, quite enjoyable and definitely we had to work hard. Plus, lots of crazy little things happened.

Let us begin with Monday. Our P-day was of the normal kind. It was enjoyable. We decided to clean our car and try to fix our door. We did not do anything to the door, but the sensor is not working properly. It keeps on saying the door is ajar. We tried to figure it out and messed with another door... until the door would not shut. It is hard to explain over an email, but it had to deal with the latch to close the door until the time comes to reopen the door. We could not get the latch down, despite our attempts. We called Elder Sopp and we prayed. We called some members and while we called these members, a miracle occurred. As it so happened to be, God thankfully intervened. A returned missionary, who was visiting the Staunton area that he had served in, decided to stop by his old apartment. His father, who knew how to deal with the problem fixed the latch and we were able to go about our business. Thank you, Elder Beaton. (Fun fact: This Elder Beaton was the trainer to one of my old companions, Elder Frank.) And thus began our week.

Tuesday, we had one giant zone conference. And guess who I met? Elder Short. And guess what I did? I gave him a hug for his sister. Yes, my quest of hugging Elder Short for his sister is complete. He was a bit surprised, but I figure he was happy about that. The zone conference talked a lot about creating our own personal ministry. I like this idea, because there are people we minister to each day. There are the people in need and the people we are in contact with on a daily basis. I pondered this idea for quite a while. After returning home and enjoying dinner, we headed off to see the recent convert man who was baptized when I got here. We shared part of the Plan of Salvation and helped him to set goals, so that he could obtain the Aaronic Priesthood and go to the temple. We noted some things that he needed, so that he could have aid as he continued to progress in the gospel; some of these things were also discussed in zone conference. We realized we need to find member friends for our people and we needed to help them have assignments. We also saw a less active who usually sits all day and watches the television (due to some injuries that he is suffering through). We again applied our zone conference and it worked.

I realize even more that things work quite well when we have the Spirit more fully in our lives. As

somebody told me, "When we live the gospel harder, it becomes easier." Somebody had faulted me on that before on "the gospel becoming easier," but it means that when we have the gospel in our lives, we are able to withstand our trials even more. We do not despair; we come to know that these trials are for our gain.

Wednesday, we headed off to see the people in the health center. We went to find; then our dinner appointment called us and asked us to go visit somebody. Off to the hospital we went. We met the family and the person who we were asked to see was wheeled away for some reason. The family asked us to help in giving a blessing, but we needed to wait for the sister. The sister did not show up, and, unfortunately, we had to go. We gave them some oil (a drop of olive oil is used that has been consecrated) and headed off. We met a member of the bishopric to go to a lesson. We tried to see our elderly man investigator (whose family consists mainly of LDS), but he was not there. The bishopric member suggested that we go and try to see a recent move in. He, too, was not there. And speaking of rain, it poured while we were doing this. We met up with our dinner, who gave us money due to the fact they could not have us over for dinner. After dinner, we met up with one of the Ms. Mary students; we tried to help her to understand more about faith. After this short lesson, we headed over to the church to help with the priests' mutual activity involving the Preach My Gospel.

Thursday, we did our weekly planning session. We talked with our elderly man investigator, but not much happened in this visit. We finished off a street that we previously tracted, but nobody was home. We visited with the other Ms. Mary student, who is involved with drama. She, the next day, was going to get her patriarchal blessing... though she thought it was an interview for the blessing itself. She was surprised, nervous, because she had not realized that. We explained what occurs and the sacred nature of those blessings. She felt a bit better and even more after she had received that blessing. We had dinner with a new family that moved in. They are a wonderful young couple, very nerdy, but they are fantastic. They made some really good food. They have no furniture, so we sat on the floor, which I enjoyed a lot. Until, of course, I got up and had to hobble off. But, other than that, it was a good time. They later commented on how they loved our trio; they said we were personable and fun and we were able to bring in the Spirit. Later that night, we met with our investigator family to check up on them; the children still want to know more (they loved us) and the father is still interested. The mother, whom we never taught, is waning.

Friday, we completed our progress record. Mainly this day, we tried to contact a lot of people. Not much happened. 

Saturday, we updated the members who need rides that they have rides. Then began that 6 and a half hours of service that we did. We helped out this member who needed some items moved; she owns this shop and it has a lot of stuff. There is a back room that is one giant pile of clothes and other donated items. Luckily, there was some smaller items that I could move and lift. Somebody gave her a dog, so that she can find this dog a home. That dog tried to escape. The three of us went after it; and that is when I realized I could run. Yes! But, man I am sore after running. I had not run in a long, long time, because I was afraid that I would screw up my back even more. It did not though. Happy about that. After reclaiming the dog and returning it, we headed over to Staunton Post Office. There was a food drive going on that helps the Feed America thing going on and a food bank that is in the area somewhere. The postal service was used to make notice of this event and for the picking up of the food. Well, everybody was late. There were cans, glass, and dry goods, plus other random things. One bag of food was compiled of Cheez-its. There were marshmallows and random medicine. It was a great time, though some items were odd. We did not finish until seven-thirty.

Sunday, we had meetings and church; this time we did not lose our befuddled man. We had a quick lunch and then headed over to the people that allowed us to Skype at their place. Elder Day went first; his family was trying to figure out things, so he did not see them as much. Plus, the microphone was not working all that well. By the time I went, everything was figured out. Then, we had dinner and Elder Hansen talked to his family. Afterwards, we blessed a home.

And that is our week. Many appointments cancelled; many people were not home. But, it was great. Lots of service performed and good times.

All is well.

Love,

Elder S. Todd

#Virginia Richmond Mission

Delivering Mail Iraqi Style: Read to the End

Define normal? What is a normal young man and young woman like? There are roughly 88,000 missionaries mostly young adults just emerging from their teen years who face daily rejection, sometimes pain, sorrow, illness preach of  God and His Son Jesus Christ and the restoration of the fullness of His good news. They do this at their own expense. Their joy is in the faces of those who come to understand and know Christ. Their joy is in their service. Some because of illnesses or accidents must come home early and they do so reluctantly because they know who their Master is and who they really serve.

November 10, 2014

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

Well, it has been a slow week over here as well. We worked hard, but not much came as a result. I like Tappahannock; I always like my country areas more than my city areas. I like having the open space and the fresh air that comes from the open space. Cities are condensed and I feel crowded. Or they might be dangerous like Petersburg. Other than that, I love the members everywhere and I have great joy when serving with them. I am enjoying the people here. I am slowly getting to know the people. Our members upstairs usually feed us on Sunday and as my companion says half the branch is there, only due to the fact that half the branch is related somehow to the members upstairs. (Of course, it may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but it is somewhat true.)

My back is doing a lot better. I generally have good days with my back. I do wake up sore around my back area, but as soon as I get moving, I feel better. Only once have I felt in pain, but generally taking Aleve helps. I know I need to work on my core strength and strengthen those muscles there. I am trying to figure out the best way to do that. I know I do not want to do sit-ups, because it might hurt my back.

I did receive the Halloween package. It was going to be a Thanksgiving package instead, but I was spared. More on that in a bit.

Monday, after our normal P-day tasks, we had dinner and we contacted a referral that we received from the sisters. We had a member come out with us, but the referral changed our time to meet with them to an hour later than planned. We met with them and talked. It is a man and woman; at this point, we are unsure if they are married or not. We taught them the Restoration and the man asked many questions, some of them off the wall. It was a good first lesson and we gave them a goal for baptism to help them think about it. After the lesson, we tried to see another person without much success.

Tuesday, we cleaned our apartment a bit. After lunch, we tried to contact people, but there was not much success in that. We had dinner and aided a member in their home teaching (members are assigned to visit families with a spiritual message and see if they have any needs). That was the success we had that day. 

Wednesday, we had a zone conference with the two zones that consist of the Richmond Stake, the two zones that consist of the Midlothian Stake, and the zone that consists of the Chesterfield Stake. It was a positive meeting that I got a lot out of listening to what was shared. I asked about mail afterwards, seeing as I knew I had a package, but nobody brought the mail with them. Luckily, one of the office missionaries came by to deliver mail. After the conference, we had to wait a bit and did not get home until about 5:30 or so. We went to the church after dinner and talked with a recent convert about family history and other things. Then, we joined the branch choir. Not many people were there. The men only consisted of us missionaries and the recent convert. To make matters worse, my companion and the recent convert are tenors. I was the only bass. It was really odd for me and I felt a bit anxious about it. We are doing a medley of Primary songs and a hymn out of the hymnal. We are also doing a song in Latin. So I am learning Latin, or at least the phrase, "Gloria patri et fillio et spiritui sancto. Amen." (Meaning, "Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Thursday morning, my companion stacked wood. I was not allowed to help and I am not liking it. I have been trying to find ways to do service. Afterwards, it was a day of trying to see people with not much success. 

Friday, we planned. Our appointment for the day cancelled. My companion did the progress record (we switch every week) while I did family history. Recently, I have been adding information to people. I am really fascinated by it. We did see one person, but it was not a good time. We saw a less active that night and they were talking about past missionaries. They had some good things to say. 

Saturday. This day was designated a social media day which I forgot to tell you about. The idea was for members to come out with the missionaries for a while and to take pictures of us, post things, etc. This was to show that we are normal, we try to help the community, and we believe in Jesus Christ. (This is due to the Book of Mormon musical that came into Richmond recently. Missionaries, as authorized by President, were standing outside the theater, so that people could ask them questions about the real deal. Originally, they were to pass things out, but the theater was not happy about that.) Well, we had nobody to come out with us, because they cancelled. It turned out for our benefit though. Saturday was a really off day. We did nothing. Why? Well, at 6:19 AM, I was peacefully dreaming when I heard in the midst of my sleep, somebody throwing up. Lo and behold, it was my companion who was sick. He was not going anywhere. He needed to rest and I made sure he rested. Meanwhile, throughout the day, I studied. It was a long day of nothing. 

Sunday, my companion was doing a lot better. We went to church; our new investigators showed up. We tried to see more people, but failed. Then we had dinner. The landlady received a call that day, saying she needed to go to work tomorrow (she works for the postal system). Well, here they drive normal cars that have something to identify them as mail carriers. Her car needed new brakes and her spare needed a starter. While we were having dinner, it was being fixed. It was a really nice dinner and quite enjoyable. We went downstairs afterwards, but went back up for something. We were talking to the landlady about something. Then, there was a loud boom, the house shook (mainly in the laundry room). We went outside. So, the car that was fixed with the brakes somehow failed (not sure exactly what happened). The car ended up rolling down the small hill it is on where it is normally parked and ended up hitting the house. The house was protected by a bench that was in shambles after the incident. (Kind of like how Bria hit the icebox freezer, but the icebox freezer and the car survived.) The car was pushed back and parked. Well, the radiator was crushed from the incident. That night, everybody was trying to fix the car, but nothing seemed to be resolved. She was able to find a way to do her job, but it was crazy with all that excitement and stress. When it happened, we had a person who has been and still is in the military. She said, somewhat jokingly, "I thought I was in Iraq again. I almost had a PTSD moment." (Delivering mail Iraqi style!)

Slow week, not much happened until the weekend.

All is well!

Love,

Elder S. Todd

She Was Curious! But He Had Been In Prison!

Virginia Richmond Mission: Tappahannock, Virginia

"The words of the Lord are found in the scriptures and the teachings of the apostles and prophets. They provide us counsel and direction that, when followed, will act like a spiritual life jacket and will help us know how to hold on with both hands."—M. Russell Ballard, "Stay in the Boat and Hold On!"

Monday, November 3, 2014

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

I am glad to hear that California got some rain. We got rain, too. It has been getting cold. Our basement gets cold as well. I plugged in my electric blanket and I have been keeping toasty. We should be getting wood soon to help keep the place heated, somewhat. I can already tell that the blanket will be the best of my friends. But I continue to hope that California gets the much needed rain.

Yes, I plan on sending Grandma a card. A new month means new MSF.

Speaking of birthdays and other related topics here, I do need those second pair of shoes, I guess. On the outside of my shoes, everything is fine. On the inside, the padding (sole?), I would say (I have no idea what to call it or what it is called), is falling apart after 16 months. Unless I should get Dr. Scholls to replace it. I honestly need one (uno) long sleeve white shirt. Apparently, dirt cannot come out of white shirts, despite multiple washes, including a wash with bleach. (Although, I have done it before.) As for CDs, to answer your question, no, not really. Anything else, I really do not know. Sorry, if I am not helpful, which chances are, I am not. I will think about it....( His 20th birthday is next month, plus Christmas is coming as well.)

Monday, we did the usual things. E-mail, sleep, shop, eat (not necessarily in that order). We tried to see someone after dinner, but it fell through. We went back to the apartment early and joined the members upstairs and their extended family for Family Home Evening (A special time set apart for families or groups of singles to gather, have a lesson, have fun and usually have some dessert.). We played a lot of different Halloween games. It was particularly fun. Second time I have done FHE during the mission and I love it. 

Tuesday, we feared we had to fix the car. Some of the warning lights had turned on, but turned off and has not turned on again since. We called the missionary over the cars and talked to him about it. It was, I guess, nothing to worry about and might have been a fluke. So, we tried to see some people with some success. We went over to see an investigator who has a two year old the size of a five year old. She was curious about Joseph Smith and his life (she had heard that he went to jail), so we watched the full-length movie about his life. She seemed to have a better understanding about him. We answered any other question that she had about him. We had dinner, then we tried to talk to another investigator. He was home and we were let in. But, he was sick and did not come out to meet us. I was able to meet the family; their adult daughter was home and was asking all sorts of questions. This lasted for a while before we left and tried to see more people.

Wednesday, we cleaned out our car to make it ready for inspection. We had lunch and then we went out to talk to some more of our investigators. We went to one investigator, who was watching a soap opera. She muted the television. We taught the Restoration. Part of me does wonder how much she remembers and what she had heard. Other than that, it was a pretty good lesson. We went over to the trailer parks to see another investigator, but she was not home at the time. Another investigator fell through. And a less active fell through, because he was watching baseball. After dinner, we finished our car preparations. We went over to the church, talked to people, and had our car inspected briefly. We passed. 

Thursday, we did our weekly planning and to conserve on miles, we went over to the church to do some family history. Nothing new as of yet. After that, we tried our investigator who lives in the trailer parks. We read with her from the Book of Mormon and explained the importance of scripture study and prayer. I hope she takes into heart what we were saying. We tried seeing a potential, which we were able to see and talk about the gospel. She was explaining her situation to us and how she is trying to move. From there, we saw an investigator, an elderly lady who does not mind us coming by. She seems interested. Due to her time constraints, we taught her about the premortal life.

Friday, we had zone meeting, which took a lot of our time. We saw an elderly, medically challenged less active. She learned of someone passing in her family and was reasonably upset. After that, we tried again to see the investigator who was sick previously when we went by. He was not home. We tried one more person and were able to talk to her. Then, we headed inside to organize our supplies. We were not to be out unless we had an appointment. (Halloween)

Saturday, we made our progress record. We saw the less active who was previously watching baseball. We had a nice little visit, just talking to him and sharing a small message. We decided to check up on some members in the ward and we were able to talk to them. After having dinner, we stopped by an investigator, who we usually have appointments with on Saturdays. Her two children, who are normally all over the place, actually stayed in one place. Then, we talked with her. I do not know how we got on the subject, but it got brought to psychology. She has a bachelor's in psychology and was at one time a forensic psychologist. She got out of it due to lack of money (she said that even a master's did not get paid enough). My companion knew some psychology from his year in college. I talked about what drew me to the field, which was the same thing that brought her into it. She said that I am very analytical. We talked about extroverts versus introverts. It was a very academic discussion, which I have not had in a very long time. It was refreshing. She brought up a question that allowed us to change the subject and to talk about the gospel.

Sunday, we had church. We tried to see a few people. One of them was a man who has been in prison a lot. He is a very smart man and has made some changes in his life. Not much else happened on Sunday.

All is well!

Love,

Elder S. Todd 

MRI - I Need a Steroid Shot - S,P,I,N,E - Can You Say "Herniated Disc"? - Updated

O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!-2 Nephi 9:8 

Farewell, Appomattox Ward

Monday, October 20, 2014

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

Well, it has come to an end. My stay in the Appomattox has come to an end. As per usual, the work has picked up and is looking up. Elder Young is staying here. I have mixed thoughts. 

One, my biggest worry is the cortisone, or steroid shot. Honestly, I am not too concerned about getting the shot. I pretty much have had enough of the back pain. I understand that when you age your back tends to hurt, but seeing as I am in the prime years of my life (before everything starts declining), it is a major problem. It has been a minor headache just to get anything done for it. That is why I have had enough. 

To get a shot or live with pain? That is the question. http://ichemepresident.wordpress.com/

With transfers, I have no clue where I am going. I am hoping to be in the Richmond Stake, or Zones, because my appointment is in Richmond. However, I am not sure it will be that easy. For all I know, I could go west to Waynesboro Stake, which I might. If I go north, I have strings to pull, but I seriously do not think I will be going north any time soon. Either way, now that the medical officer knows that I am being transferred, there is a movement for me that wherever I go, I have a ride set up to take me.

My other thoughts are more directed on the area. I tried really hard to do my best. I also had times when I hit depression and stress. Maybe it is a good thing that I am leaving, though there is so much more that could be done. I still believe Dinwiddie should be tracted and there are new subdivisions. There is a great amount of potential. There are certain less actives that have potential. This area was almost a dead zone, but now there is a great amount of potential. It took long enough, but now my work is done. I would have loved to have stayed for Thanksgiving and Christmas, honestly. There are many good members in this ward. It is a bit heartbreaking. However, my work is finished here.

(A couple things. When people found out I was leaving, some people thought I was going home. I get that a lot at times. One sister missionary after a meeting this past transfer asked me if I will be going home the next transfer. I got that back in Woodbridge. I laugh and take it by stride. Another thing is with the shot. The medical officer asked how I reacted with needles, which I honestly told her the only time I will ever push away is if I have been knocked out and wake up to stabbing by a needle. Like when I had a tooth removed, possibly my wisdom teeth. It may seem irrational. Let's say, if you wake up and what you are afraid of is on you, like a spider, you are not going to be, "Oh, a spider. How nice," and simply brush it off. No, you are going to flip out and kill the spider, smashing it into tiny little bits. LUCKILY, though, I will be awake and on Valium. So, there is no flipping out in the future. Plus, I will get a blessing before hand and I will memorize a few scriptures. (Update, he took Valium and was knocked out completely before the procedure but he was awake during the procedure.  While waiting for his ride he was able to call his mother and talk to her reassuring her that everything went well.))

Monday happened. Not much to say about Monday other than we cleaned. 

Tuesday, we took care of our missionary business and visited with our, permanently stuck here, member. She is managing, and actually went to church not this Sunday, but the one prior. She has been trying to get to the bishops' storehouse ( a Bishop's storehouse is a place where commodities for the poor and needy are kept. If possible, the person receiving help can offer to work there in return. The LDS idea of welfare is to help people feel good about themselves and get back to a self-sufficient way of living.) and try to do her duty (spending some time helping others or stocking shelves for others who are equally less fortunate). We visited her a couple times before some friends of her's came and took her to Pennsylvania. (She went to the church and so I believe God blessed her with a little vacation.) 

We had our house inspected and we passed. The car passed also, despite some things that needed to be taken care of. We had lunch and we tried to see some people. Then, we had dinner where I overate. Since that, my stomach has been on edge and I have to be careful about overeating. That will make Thanksgiving interesting.

Wednesday, it rained. For October, I have yet to wear a long sleeve. It is getting chilly though. It rained that day very hard. We had lunch at our returning to health returning to church member's house. By the time I got inside, I was drenched. It was a great time. I went up to St. Francis and got my MRI. It was in a little trailer, which I thought was odd. I was trying so hard not to fall asleep. The 15 or 20 minutes passed relatively quickly. I was quite still. I did not get results then and there. 

Then I had dinner and we contacted a referral. We received this referral from an unlikely source. There is a nice man in our ward who is not all there mentally. So, this referral was not all there mentally as well. She wants to be baptized, she likes Mormons (even defended us), and is willing to accept and do anything. We had to slow her down a bit and take her through the process. It is great that she is committed and willing to be baptized (and fits D&C 20:37), but we have to hold off from baptizing her. There is the question of accountability and we know of one issue that could be a small interference. Plus, there are steps she has to complete. She came to church yesterday (though she probably fell asleep during a couple of meetings). She is a really nice lady.

Thursday, we had district meeting. We checked up on our permanently stuck (or temporarily) less active member. Then, we cleaned the church with some members. That was exhausting. My back was sore and I was tired. I had dinner with the recent convert and returning member couple. It was a great little dinner and much appreciated after that work. It was his birthday this past week, which we said happy birthday. On Friday, we stopped by his house again for dinner and it was a really excellent time. They were sharing stories and talking. 

Also that day, we tried to contact more referrals. One of them is another new investigator. She has good potential and she has a date for baptism. Hopefully, we can continue contact with her.

www.healthtap.com

I got my results, after calling the doctor twice, because I mixed up phone numbers. The doctor was reading me the results using medical jargon. I laughed to myself, because my entire thought while he was saying all these medical terms was, "And I took physiology, not anatomy." (I am pretty sure I  would not be able to understand it either way.) So, my L-5 and S-1 disc is the herniated disc (it is one disc that separates the L-5 and S-1 of the spine). Which explains a lot, even some pain that I had discounted for whatever reason. (Okay son, the L-5 and S-1, got it.)

Saturday, we tried more people. We went out with the elders' quorum president to help with his hometeaching. We did help our returning to health returning member with moving his bed back upstairs. (Son, as I read this I hope when you say we, you meant you were directing the effort and not lifting with your BACK!!!) Meanwhile, the first new investigator of which I talked about called three times, by the third time crying, because nobody was picking up the phone and she was trying to reach us. I did not hear the phone and neither did my companion. Of course, it never helps when the phone is on silent. I never understood why my companion puts the phone on silent; vibrate is a lot better and you still might not hear it. 

Sunday, I said my good byes to people and took pictures. There are more good byes to be made, even to our neighbor who told me to say good bye. I had dinner at the family before mentioned with Dad's bestest friend, or the recent convert of which I was here to see baptized. It was the usual thing and as always, a lot of fun.

Well, off to new adventures!

All is well!

Love,

Elder S. Todd

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Colonial Heights to Appomattox

Monday, October 27, 2014

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

Yes, I am in the Tappahannock Branch with Elder Henstrom. My address is (address blocked) which is a member's home. So, it is safe to deliver packages here. We live in the basement and as soon as you step in, you enter into the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. It is a quaint place and I quite enjoy it. Plus, the members that we live with are extremely nice. It is a nice area and we have to cover a lot of ground. The branch, and most of its members, is determined to become a ward; in fact, the branch president knows how much increase is needed to reach a certain number, wherein it will become possible for them to be a ward. I met the members and a few of the less actives already, so there is much positive things in this area. In a strange coincidence, it has been a year (October to October) since my trainer, Elder Meibos, left me and I joined Elder Longman as a companion. Where did Elder Meibos go last October? Here in Tappahannock; thus, the strange coincidence.

No, I did not lift the bed. I use "we" a lot, because that is my mode of thinking now. I think of "we" more than "I" or my companion. Elder Young made sure, along with the members, that I did not lift anything and that I was comfortable. I have been telling people here that I have a bad back and had/have a herniated disc. I make sure I lift nothing too heavy. Right now, I am trying to rebuild my strength, because I lost a lot of it from not exercising and resting because of this back. Elder Henstrom understood that I could not lift anything and has been helpful. I have expanded his understanding that I am pretty much grounded from doing much (raking leaves, lifting, snow shoveling, etc.) that involves my back. He said that he will stop volunteering me for things (which he was doing, but he did not fully understand at the time). Thanks to the people of whom you have been communicating with, I have received a back brace, which fits and is helping.

Elder Henstrom is a nice elder, who is quite helpful. We get along quite well. He was a big reader back at home and we have similar interests. He and I are working hard. Oh and, yes, he does like Avatar. (Sorry, asking them whether or not they like Avatar: The Last Airbender has become tradition for me.) I have been blessed with companionship study again. I enjoy it even more now.

Monday, I said the last of my goodbyes. I said goodbye to the assistant ward mission leader and the people of whom you have been communicating with. 

Tuesday, the morning of, Elder Young had an appointment, which did not take long. Then, when we got home, I packed. I did not pack much until that morning. I had not been feeling up to, but it made my back feel sore. I was hurting that day (I could not take anything several days prior to the shot). I went to transfer meeting where I was told who I was with and where I was going. After the meeting, we headed back to Tappahannock where, along the way, we stopped by a CVS, so I could get my prescription needed for the cortisone shot. (I did not do it beforehand, because I had to go through the series of approvals. It was not until Monday that everything was set in stone. It was necessary approvals.) We arrived to our car and saw some people on the way back. It was a long way back, but well worth it. I met some of the people who we are working with, including a recent convert. Once we arrived to our apartment, I unpacked slowly and met the members upstairs. 

Wednesday, we went out with this one person. This person is into WWE along with his family; he has come up with his own things if he became a wrestler. Elder Henstrom told me about it and we told him not to jump on my back ever. We saw one person with him before he had to go back home. After that, we tried to contact potentials with success. Some of them are new investigators, whom we are working with now. We have a nice little pool of investigators. That night, we went to Mutual (Youth activities for 12 - 18 years of age.. Most of the branch goes there on Wednesday, so I met a lot of the members, including the branch president. (They are very competitive, especially in volleyball.)

Thursday., the day of which I received my cortisone shot. The missionary medical doctor, of whom talked to Mom, had told me to take one pill two hours before the procedure. One was enough. The senior couple, who willingly and thankfully rearranged their schedule, took me and I was asleep before we even got out of the driveway. Now, I deviate briefly to explain something else interesting. I met the senior couple before back in Appomattox for when the recent convert of Appomattox, of whom I was there to see baptized, was baptized, their son came and baptized her (for he was the way that she was introduced to the gospel). They came down at that time. So, I met them before. We arrive and I miraculously awake enough to walk from the main entrance of the hospital to where we actually needed to be. I arrive and they tell me, "Oh, our equipment was down yesterday. We had to cancel all morning appointments, which we called. Would you like to still have your shot today? The doctor will be coming in soon." After saying yes, I soon found myself on a stretcher, slowly awaking more. They check my vitals and I am sure that was when my anxiety started to kick in. Every time they decided to put that one thing that checks your finger's pulse and oxygen and what not (without pricking), I asked what it was and what it was going to do. I do not like doctors and still do not. After lying there a while, a nurse asked me why I looked so distressed. I requested my scriptures, which she retrieved from Elder Henstrom. Then, she said I looked a lot more happier. I feel asleep again. But each time, I think the medicine was wearing off. It was about eleven thirty when they did the shot. They gave two stress balls to grasp onto, which I grasped onto them like an octopus with its prey. My heart rate increased, my breathing was anxious. Which caused me to shake a bit. So, when it was all done and I talked to Mom, my voice was shaky, because I was trying to calm myself down. The rest of the day I rested. I did nothing as per instructed.

Friday, we went out with the WWE fanatic and was able to meet more people and contact more people. That night, the branch had their Fall Festival and I met more members. I also got to judge chili again. Thankfully, we did not get to take home. I was actually thankful, because I remember last year when we did, we ate nothing, but chili for an entire month (a bit of a exaggeration, but still true). 

Saturday, he worked on the progress record while I did family history. I have been trying to add information in before I try to find people. I find some good things, some sad things, but I love it. It is a giant puzzle. We tried to see more people, but we had little luck. Sunday, we had church and meetings. It was quite positive. We helped a member with their hometeaching. Then, we had dinner with the members upstairs and their family. Then, we studied.

I am quite enjoying it here. It is great. I will try to add a bit more detail; I am still trying to sort out everything and try to come up with descriptions. I am doing all that I can about taking pictures and calling ahead.

All is well! And my back is feeling A LOT BETTER! I can actually use my left leg without it taking forever.

Love, 

Elder S. Todd