June 16, 2014 - Transfer Week

We had transfers on Thursday. Sadly both Elder Mathews and Elder Smith got transferred. It was a great transfer, but all transfers have to end at some point. In our town home there are pictures of each group of missionaries from each transfer. For our transfer picture we took some GQ photos at a parking garage near our house (haha). I think we look pretty good!

"Lookin' pretty good!"

  

The last week of the transfer the AP's got switched into my district. That week I had been really pondering and praying about what I could do to "make something happen". In the leadership meeting a few weeks ago President talked about making things happen and causing change. I felt inspired to focus district meetings on something that Elder Ballard said at the mission conference. He said "if you want to baptize more people, talk to more people. Missionaries should talk to at least 20 people every day outside of planned activities." I started an initiative called #talkto20 and as a district we started counting how many people we talked with each day and I would text the totals out to the district. We saw lots of success from it. The AP's really liked my idea and so this week at transfers they introduced it to the whole mission. I gained a stronger testimony of the need to seek for personal revelation and inspiration. I don't think I have done enough of that in my life or on my mission. I have made it a goal to seek divine guidance more in my life.

My new companion is Elder Gledhill. He was born in Ukraine and lived in an orphanage until he was 16. He was adopted into a LDS family in Sandy, Utah and went to Alta High School. We both came out at the same time, but he was in a different MTC district, so I didn't really know him before. Elder Smith was replaced in the town home with Elder Raban who also went to Lone Peak. He was a year older than me in school. Now I have served around all the Elders in the mission that went to LP (Elders Smith, Raban, Van Dyke, and Hawkes).

New roommate? New mission mascot?

Right after transfer meeting I got to eat dinner with Sam Campozano, his sister, and her fiancé! Sam had asked me before if I thought I could meet up with them, but I didn't think we could. His dad called the mission and we got permission! We ate at Café Rio just up the street just like old times. It was really fun, but way too short. I wish we’d had more time! One of the first things Sam mentioned to me was that he thinks I’ve grown :). It will be awhile before I see him again because he said he is going to leave for his mission around December sometime. It was awesome to see a familiar face!

We got the plumbing in our kitchen fixed this week and we got temporary AC that sits in the window. This week was the first time that our town house was under 80 degrees! Before the plumbing got fixed we had to put a big bucket in the sink to wash stuff in and then throw the water out the window when it got full (haha). One day Elder Raban threw out the water and hit a little baby bird sitting in our backyard! We didn't know they were there. He killed the one :'( but we still have another little friend who made it.

We got to teach Joel (the guy we found smoking in the park), Peter and Monica (the Baptist family), Canon (member’s 10 year old son), and some other people. One awesome guy that we've been teaching is the cousin of a less active member in our ward. His name his Ben and he just sits outside in his car and smokes Hookah all day (haha). He really wants to know why his cousins joined our church. He is really funny and sincere in wanting to find something more in his life.

I think the weekly average for our mission is 7.2 baptisms, so about 30 each month. We aren't on track to reach the goal right now, but we still have time to catch up. It’s a pretty huge goal to reach.  I’ll tell you more about investigators next week!

Love you!

Elder Miles

Washington DC South Mission: Braven Your Stride  Here's a link to a video made by the mission.  Braden is in the upper left at about 1:05 into the video.