Virginia Richmond Mission: Decisions

Missionaries must make hundreds of decisions daily. Sometimes they receive inspiration. At other times it is not wise to be compelled in all things but to do good of their own free will while engaged in a good cause. Blessings come after a trial of our faith in God.

Monday, October 6, 2014                    #Mormon   

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

Thank you for the medical insurance information. I remember reading the Book of Mormon as a family, but I did not remember it took us five years. (The last time we read The Book of Mormon together it took about 18 months) I remember getting in trouble, because I sprinkled the beginning of Mosiah with water. Every time I look at those pages, I remember reading as a family.

Thank you for keeping an eye on the recent convert. Yeah, she showed us your very long post in response to her. It made me laugh. (She is an awesome girl who loves soccer and has lots of questions. She refers to me as sir; which for some reason bugs me even though as Seth's father I'm old. Yet, just yesterday I called someone "mam." I will definitely keep your consideration in mind. Thank you for working so hard on the blog.

Somebody should be able to help Mom learn the ropes of FamilySearch. There is a lot of work to do and I am excited that God's work is truly hastening. I do not know all of the ropes on FamilySearch, but I know enough. I am excited that we have greater access to other genealogy websites. It will definitely help in this work. It is really exciting. You are lucky to have time to do it. I do it after emailing, if I can.

It was an excellent week. Monday, after emailing you, Bria, and President Wilson, I decided to go on FamilySearch and try Ancestry. You know the result of that. It truly was a joyous occasion. The rest of Monday, I had to wait for my companion to finish reading the Book of Mormon. He finally accomplished the task that night. Meanwhile, I drew and thought of different quotes. I read a bit. Tuesday and the rest of the week. I have to blend the rest of the week together, because it consists of cleaning, finding, and watching Conference. Specifically on Tuesday, we went back up to Richmond for him and another doctor appointment. On the way back, we got a couple of calls. One from a less active who is permanently stuck here (and not much we can do for her); it is another situation that I cannot explain at this present time and one that had to be explained to the bishop. The other was from the doctor for me, wherein I was able to get an appointment a lot sooner. Specifically on Wednesday, I did the questionnaires for the doctor, including my pain and what not. It needed my social security number of which I knew at one time. My mind was blank on that information. I held off and decided to call the office and such to see if I could obtain that information. By great intervention, the number was brought back to my memory with such clarity that I was highly sure it was it. Thursday, we had to take the car in for inspection and to get free engine coolant. (As missionaries, we go to the dealership for our car problems.)

Finding efforts are going okay. I decided that we go look at our area book for potentials, the idea being that we find potentials. Our area books are a fiery mess. The problem is that the boundaries have changed over the years. So, the potentials are either in our ward boundaries or in the neighboring. We are trying to weed out who belongs in which area, because it will alleviate a burden on us and future missionaries. We either make it better or we do not. In that process, I realized that Colonial Heights, Ettrick, and Chesterfield County has been tracted a lot. The street I recently tracted has been tracted multiple times. All signs of where to tract are perfectly clear: Dinwiddie. Petersburg has been tracted a fair amount and it has its fair share of dangerous areas. (I mean, they have signs that say "THIS IS A DRUG FREE ZONE BY ORDER OF THE POLICE" or "THIS IS A PROSTITUTION FREE ZONE BY ORDER OF THE POLICE." There is Mistletoe. Never should any step foot in Mistletoe.) Dinwiddie is a huge country, county bubble. We can make dents in it, but it is miles consuming, which is a problem for us who dwell in Colonial Heights. I admit that I am the one that made the decision to dwell in Colonial Heights, which hardly anyone, thankfully, realizes. I feel right about the decision and I have no idea why. Everybody asks why are we in Colonial Heights, even the bishop who says that the new subdivisions are in Dinwiddie and the ward cannot grow due to travel. (He is working hard to find us an apartment in Dinwiddie, I think.) While Petersburg had many benefits, I feel right about Colonial Heights and being here. It was cost effective, sort of, to get out of Petersburg and the apartment there. The Petersburg apartment was utterly trashed. I realized through General Conference that the members and us need to work together. In Colonial Heights, we are more dependent on the members and the members are already dependent on us. It puts an equal share burden on us and the members. It will require sacrifice, but as we know, "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." One thing that I keep on coming to is the fact that we need to be open about the work. The members "know" we are doing the work, but we need to find a way to be more active about it. I am still trying to figure out that puzzle. Yes, we have a certificate for the member missionary of the month. But, there is more that needs to be done. I am going to explain all of this to President.

Lisa Lim on Google+, She creates wonderful Christian memes.

There have been great blessings this week. Doing family history, through reading the Book of Mormon and watching General Conference, my testimony has been bolstered. Through conference, I realized a few things. My priorities have greatly changed. I am concerned more about my future family and fulfilling my church duties. While I still will pray more on it-- because I prayed about it, yet again after making the realization my priorities have changed-- I feel that forensic psychology is the field of choice for me. I am still praying about it and understand the risks that are spiritual, physical, and mental. Somehow it feels right. Will you support me in this decision? I am trying to make the right decisions in my life, make the right decisions in the mission field. Never before, here in Appomattox, have I been put in a situation where I have made a lot of decisions. It has been a beautiful learning experience and I know that God is there and is not allowing me to fail. I admit that I do not know a lot; believe me, the Lord made that quite clear from the beginning. I need support from you and I know I have seen that in the past 15 months. I know that you will always be there, even when you pass on. Just know, that I will need that support in trusting me that I am doing what is right.

One of the great things that I have learned from this past conference is that in order to be happy in this life, we have to be obedient and follow the prophet. Whatever is coming is going to shake our testimony and we will either falter or go onward. And, not being biased, I loved Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk which nailed everything that I am trying to learn about religious freedom; I am going to get that talk as soon as possible. I loved Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk; I now have an idea for Christmas this year. I loved the welcome change of allowing the speakers speak in their native tongue. While, yes, you have to listen to the over-voice, it is wonderful to know that they are comfortable in speaking. That was made evident with the Portuguese speaker.

All is well! We have a lunch appointment soon.

Love,

Elder S. Todd

Just For Girls Google+ community

P.S. Who died on Bones? Was it Hodges? Or was it one of the assistants? I understand them killing off the assistants, because they have killed a lot of them in the past or had one turn to be a serial killer. It cannot be Booth. So, who died?

Come Unto Christ

Yes it is true that God would provide for Abraham His sacrifice in the form of the atonement of the Lamb of God or Jesus Christ. As a result of God's love, Christ offered the only sacrifice that would offer salvation from sin. The offering we make are acts of gratitude that come from charity; the pure love of Christ. In essence when we do things in Jesus' name, we express God's love for his children. All glory be to God, Our Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. If we love Jesus then we will keep His commandments. His atonement was an infinite sacrifice that no man or woman can offer. Charity, the pure love of Christ, is a gift from God to those who repent and follow Christ.

May 19, 2014

Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,

I thought I was so sneaky about the reference (Fire Nation in last letter: Avatar, the Last Airbender which is disliked by my parents).

I love the pictures. Our poor signs have been hit many times, haven't they? Remember the other sign that we had that got hit at night? Surprisingly, I do, because I laugh at the fact that none of us heard it. (The street sign in front of my house in Lemoore, CA.)

I am glad that the Internet issues have happened while I have been out on the mission, not while I was worrying about tests and school. While I understand your pain, I am just glad I do not have to worry about it. (We lost the internet service at 9:00 PM Saturday night before Mother's Day; one of two days a year when missionaries can Skype home. Luckily 20 minutes before we were to Skype my parents had the internet fixed,) 

I am not too surprised with the weatherin Lemoore. (Hot, triple digits and 90's) I do not miss it. It got cold at night the past two nights. I actually wore a coat. It was the strangest thing to think about: it is May and I am wearing a coat.

This week was a bit better. Monday, it was P-day, I had relaxed for once. I sent out letters to a few people. That night, one of our less actives needed our help and we mowed her lawn. She is the wife of the inactive who had his leg broken and since then, knee replaced. That inactive, the husband, is actually improving since he went to the nursing home. However, the wife vented her feelings to us the next night when she wanted to read scriptures. We helped her progress along. 

Tuesday, we helped with the food bank; it was fairly busy. We talked to another of our less actives, the one who is blind. We did some tracting, but nothing really did come out of it. 

Wednesday, we had district meeting. My companion's GPS took us on an adventure to get there. It was odd, but, his GPS is seven years old. District meeting was different compared to the previous district. It was quiet; the assigned people did their trainings and there was nothing much else. I will have to get used to it. And that day, I was on exchanges with one of the zone leaders. After having lunch with the elders of the district, we headed off to our area. We tried finding some people, but we had no success. We ended up at the wrong house. It was a good thing, though. We found an elderly African American who is active as can be. She loves God, she loves learning, and she loves to work. We set up a return appointment. Then, we found the house we were looking for. Creepy as all can be. Stuff in the yard. Creepy ghouls (one scared the zone leader). Nobody answered. There were lots of no trespassing signs. Then, we tracted around a referral. We found a less active that nobody knew where she lived and everybody thought she was a do not contact. I did not know this and thought she was the nice person and a great potential. Little did I know, we found a few more potentials and then left to go to dinner. Had a wonderful dinner, then scurried off to choir practice. (Oh, by the way, I am in the ward choir. Any missionary that has the potential to sing is included in the ward (ward=congregation) choir. In other words, the ward choir needs singers, so we are invited to join.) Came home to find ants. Mean little suckers. By then, it was too late at night to get ant killer. Luckily, the next day, I was able to get some to kill them.

I was able to express my thoughts to the zone leader on the change of zones. It seemed that I was understood.

                                         Elder Clifford               Elder Todd

Thursday, I killed the pests and I cleaned it up. Then, the food pantry was forced to move, so we helped move the food pantry to a new area. That included moving the refrigerators (which I did not do), moving food, moving tables, etc. I was able to offer my wrench to help in some things. I still oddly carry it around, despite not being on bike. It is a bit cramped, but it works. A member afterwards needed help and we helped him. He fed us. And so, it ended a day. We were exhausted. 

Friday, we planned and made phone calls. We saw a less active, who we have seen several times before. I have no idea how to describe him (and there was not much to mention) until now. He had dyed half of his hair blonde and left the other black. What was my first thought? Two-Face, which his father joked with him about. If it was white, I would have thought of Cruella. He is very crude and has a hard time focusing. We tried the less active that I thought was a potential, but she was not there. Still we have progress.

Saturday, we saw the elderly woman who loves God. She was happy to see us. We talked with her, explained the Restoration, helped keep the conversation on the main topic. I would say she is all there. She accepted the Book of Mormon and said to us that she was comfortable with us as we agreed with what she believed. She is very happy and it was a lot of fun talking to her. We helped answer her questions that she had. She has not been to church in a while, because her preacher could not give her an answer to something, which devastated her. Then, we tried our on date investigator. He is avoiding us. We talked with a member, who is trying to keep everything together. He is going through a lot of tough times at this moment. There is nothing much we could do. 

Sunday, we had church and we again tried to find people. I love hunting down less actives and working with less actives. For me, it is a puzzle and in sorts, like detective work. It is a puzzle trying to figure out how to help them. It is detective work trying to know their story.

My companion reminded of something. It was only a year, or going to be, ago that I graduated. Holy cow! I am getting old. But, speaking of graduation, may you please wish my congratulations to this class that is graduating this year. I know many of them and I just want to wish my congrats.

I plan on sending pictures. I have some dating when back when.

All is well!

Love,

Elder S. Todd