2 fer 1

Well things have been kick'n with Elder Cooley and I. We get along like best buds. woohoo! Elder Cooley reminds me so much of my bro Skylar. We are working hard and laughing our heads off. Always remember to have a sense of humor in life...cuz you need it!

But seriously, this week has gone by so quickly! We're packed with appointments for the rest of the week...we've been inviting people to be baptized everyday...but we're still trying to find more people among the spanish folk who are COMMITTED! It's tough at times, but we stay diligent. There's a part member family that we're going to start friend shipping and teaching, and the Branch President offered to have us teach them in their home. Awesome! Can't wait for our appointment tonight. 

Everything is looking good for Madison and Jake's baptism. I still laugh that they preferred Elder to teach instead of Sisters...because most of the time it's the other way around! 

OH! and shout out to the Shiloh ward for the package they sent me! I got a kick out it! =) I'll try to send some pics of it next time. 

 

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Well snap, my companion is leaving me! We just got a call from the Mission President that there are going to be lots of changes in the mission mid transfer. Elder Cooley, my zone leader in Blackfoot, is actually going to come up with me TOMORROW! what!? Elder Cooley is from California, and he's super good at playing the guitar (awesome jam sessions waiting to happen)...but I'm pretty sad to already see Elder Morales leave...we had a good 3 weeks together =(

Apparently all these changes are going to happen because the mission is trying to reach the standard of excellence for the month of April...which means that every companionship baptizes!! wow. 

This week has been a roller coaster ride! Lots of good things and crazy things. Let's start with the good news. We were able to set two new baptismal dates. Kind of interesting story how that happen. When we fasted the other week, we fasted to find more work...and we were blessed in an interesting way lol. Jake Huntsman, who is 14 yrs old, decided to be baptized when he saw the influence of his Mormon friends. Also Madison, a 10 year old girl, finally decided to be baptized, even though the rest of her family was baptized months before. 

They're actually English investigators, but they specifically requested Elders over the sister missionaries lol. We talked with the bishops, ward mission leaders, and the stake presidents to make sure they really didn't want the sisters...cuz you know...it's usually the other way around haha. But they all insisted that we teach them...so we talked with the mission president as well and he gave us the okay. so yah!

We also started English classes in the city of Teton. We had a TON of people show up. Aw man, it was so awesome. 

Well that's all I got time for folks. I will talk to yall later!

Elder Pedis: The more I eat the Mexican food here, the better my Spanish gets!

EMAIL DAY

View of the Mountains

Sushi delights

ZOMBIE APOCOLYPSE

Salutations!

Welp, I must say...I enjoy eating authentic mexican food. it's so gooood to eat it on a regular bases again! 

Yesterday we went to a Stake Conference in Sugar City where Elder Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve presided and spoke. I just have to say...the chance of an Apostle presiding at a Stake Conference is like one in a million...so my companion and I were super blessed to be apart of this. My companion and I were fasting on what we could do to help strengthen the Branch. Before I got into what Oaks talked about...I need to give you some background info first.

So...before this branch was created, there used to be another HUGE branch. Lot's of active people, friends, members. It was great. Then one day the branch president got up, put his keys on the pulpit, and announced that he quit being the branch president! Needless to say...everyone was shocked, a lot of feelings were hurt, and the branch was eventually dissolved. A lot of other things have happened to create this "barrier," which I won't go into detail today...there are just some bitter feelings toward us missionaries...which goes to my point on what Elder Oaks talked about at Stake Conference.

The theme was missionary work and love. Elder Oaks shared an amazing story when he was presiding in a different Stake Conference. At times Elder Oaks likes to call on people to share their testimonies. As he was looking in the audience, his eyes were drawn to this lady with a yellow dress. The inspiration came to call on her. As she got up and began to say that she worked in a nursing home...and in the nursing home was the most evil, cruel, and corrupt man she has ever met! She began describing the different dastardly deeds this man would do...he would use the most vulgar and pro fain language around these nurses, and he would spit on the ground to make the nurses clean it up. As you might guess...Elder Oaks was super nervous because he had no idea where this story was going to end up haha. 

One day while this lady was working she heard a huge crash that came from this evil man's room. The man was on the ground, with all the cords and oxygen tubes that were detached from him. While the nurse was standing there looking at the man...she felt this overwhelming love for him, and she literally felt the love that Heavenly Father had for this wayward child of His. With tears rolling down her face, the nurse scooped him up in her arms and kissed him on the forehead saying, "I love you." The man looked at her with teary eyes and said, "Can I go home now?" She replied, "Yes, yes you can." A few hours later he died.

That was a testimony to Elder Oaks and everybody else in that conference that our Heavenly Father truly loves every single child of His, and we are to do the same. We should never, never, NEVER give up on anybody. No matter how far off the path they are. So, what my companion and I got from this experience is to love and serve the people. That's kind of a no brainer...but to put more emphasis on it!!! 

That was put into action with one of our lessons last night with the Ojeda family. Usually him and his wife would hide from us lol, but this time they didn't! We brought some members that were baptized not too long ago to the lesson. Their input and testimonies were crucial in that lesson. We invited them to be baptized and they agreed to listen to more of our message. Afterwards the members we brought with us were talking and chatting with the Ojedas, and they were just having a blast! Just friend shipping and love is the key to people hearts.

Anyways...i'm writing a novel again. sorry bout that. 

I have ONE challenge for y'all...If you haven't read The Power of Everyday Missionaries yet...i would highly encourage you to do so! Elder Oaks quoted that book...as well as M. Russell Ballard in the last general conference =) Our mission president let us read it, and it's like...the Preach My Gospel for members. It's off the chain yo. 

Well it's wet and slushy here...but that's okay! The more I eat the Mexican food here, the better my Spanish gets! 

PEACE OUT

Elder Pedis (none of the Hispanics can pronounce my last name right...they always say it like this lol)