Monday, February 1, 2016

February 1, 2016: I'm cold and I'm wet and I'm catching the flu

"He said, “I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he,
the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world.”
He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be
in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
He said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
He said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
He said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.”
Jesus Christ is the Way. He is Light and Life, Bread and
Water, the Beginning and the End, the Resurrection and the Life, the
Savior of the world, the Truth, and the Way.
There is only one way to happiness and fulfillment. He is the
Way. Every other way, any other way, whatever other way, is
foolishness.
He offers a well of living water. Either we drink and never
thirst more, or we don’t and foolishly remain thirsty still.
He is the Bread of Life. Either we eat and hunger no more, or
we don’t and foolishly remain weak and hungry still.
He is the Light of the World. Either we follow Him and see
clearly, or we don’t and foolishly remain blind and in darkness still.
He is the Resurrection and the Life. He said, “The words that
I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Either we learn
of Him and have life more abundantly, or we don’t and foolishly remain
dead still.
He is the Savior of the world. Either we accept the blessings
of His Atonement and are made clean and pure, worthy to have His
Spirit, or we don’t and foolishly remain alone and filthy still.
He is the Way."
(Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge, October 2008 General Comference)

I love that no matter what aspect of the Savior's life we look at, he
is always, ALWAYS a necessity. Following him is the only way to live
life, and ignore him is nothing but foolishness. By following his
ways, we can be better people, even if we are not believers on his
name. His guidance and council are the way, the truth, and the life
that should guide our lives. By following him and his example, we can
not only live a happy life here on earth, but also in he eternities to
come!

1/25
Boring preparation day today- they were fixing lights in the gym at
the stake center so we couldn't do anything in there.... So we just
went to the family history center and spent almost 2 hours emailing
home. I'm not sure how good that was, but it seems like Elder Mika
needed it! Ya know, and I was pretty nice to be able to actually get
some coherent emails sent home!
After that we went and had a lesson with Brother G- he is doing
absolutely fantastic! He has quit smoking altogether, he is getting
his legal issues figured out, and now his doctors have cleared him to
get into a font for baptism! We are super excited! We are worried
about one thing- we are pretty sure that Brother G has been
smoking for so long that now the fresh air is making him loopy......
We aren't quite sure what to do about that!
1/26
Had kind of an odd day, went up to Seeley Lake, and spent the whole
day up there. We ran around and visited a lot of people while in town,
and tried our best to help others out. We had a really cool lesson with
a less active, part member family in an active members home in Condon,
about 35 miles north of Seeley Lake. The active members are pretty
amazing, and we had an absolute amazing lesson in that home. We had
Brother Hill with us (the branch mission leader) who is an absolute
GENIUS. He did research work (with his three PhDs) at the University
of Montana for 40 years, researching ribosomes and what they do. I
found out that he (and his team) are the reason that we know what we
know about ribosomes, and that we can learn about them in school! And
then to add onto that, this active member Sister also has her PhD, but
it is in natural science and therapy. Basically, she could hold your
hand for like 20 seconds and tell you if your kidneys are failing. So
we had the two opposite ends of the scientific spectrum, but both with
really strong testimonies of the gospel. With the two of them in the
house, Elder Mika and I really only spoke for about 10 minutes of the
almost 2 hour discussion lesson thing. I love members. If any of you
have the chance to have the missionaries in your home for a lesson
with someone that is not a member of our faith...PLEASE DO.

The only other thing we did really was give some service and a short
lesson to a less active family in the ward that currently has a
daughter out on a mission- IN MY HOME MISSION! Haha she is serving in
show-low (sholo? Showlo? I dunno how to spell it...) right now, and
she is actually about to be done with her mission coming up in July.
Anyway, we were able to help them put a ton of wood in their truck,
and I found out that the workings of truck-straps is apparently not
common knowledge. I guess all those trips to Utah and throwin' all the
luggage on the top really gave me some life knowledge I didn't know I
had!! Haha Thanks, Dad! I also learned that I really REALLY do not like
large amounts of blood. The brother that we were giving service to
apparently just shot an elk that was messing with his dogs.... And he
had the thing hanging in his shop to finish draining of blood and to
completely thaw. Yeah... Not only was there blood everywhere, but I
think I stepped into the thing's stomach on the floor of the shop.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I think I died. Puked, and then died.
1/27
We had breakfast with the Hills this morning, and man let me tell you
that Brother Hill makes the best waffles you've ever had in your life.
I don't know what it was about them, but they were DA BOMB. Plus, they
had some homemade huckleberry syrup... And my mouth is still watering
just thinking about it. Holy shoot I'm starting to really love those
darn things. And from what everyone tells me you can really only get them
in Montana! Hahahahahahaahahahahahaha I love it.
We headed back to Missoula for our district meeting early, and driving
early in the morning through snow and darkness is still not fun.
District meeting was good, learned lots, as usual. We had a few
lessons, another with Brother G, one with Sister N (the cat
lady.... She asked us to sing I Am a Child of God, and it was weird)
and then we had a lesson at the end of the day that really didn't go
like we would have liked it to. This investigator in about 21, so we
had the sister missionaries from the YSA come over so we could refer
him to them. The lesson started out really well- greetings, stories,
small talk, etc.- but for some reason as soon as the lesson started
his attitude changed. Each time the sisters would bear their testimony
he would do his best to convince them that they were wrong. I don't
know what was happening, but when Elder Mika or I would talk he
accepted it well.... I felt so bad for the sisters, but I guess that
everyone learns differently and in their own way!
1/28
Weekly planning............ Please no. Get it done, get it over with,
and move on I guess!
After planning we had a lesson with the Ls- the family that lives
next door to the church. Good lesson, but with their weird situation
the growth we see in them is small. Sure, but small. As long as we
help others grow closer to Christ its okay, right?
We gave a bunch of service today- computers, computers, computers. I'm
starting to realize two things: 1) the older generations of the world
today really do have a hard time grasping all that comes with modern
technology, and I'm probably going to have the same issues when I get
old. 2) I think the lord is trying to tell me I have to work in IT
when I get older. It really seems appealing to me, so I definitely am
not going to push it off. Maybe I'll try it out in school when I get
home, who knows?
1/29
I'm cold and I'm wet and I'm catching the flu...... Dang Suessical
coming back to bite me in the butt! Haha I actually do think I may be
beginning to get sick, and I don't think my activities are helping. We
did some service for our neighbors- we went around the whole duplex
 thing and knocked all the ice off the roof and the cars.
Well.... When we started to knock off the ice I came to the quick
realization that standing right where the ice would be falling as it
fell off was probably not the best idea in the world, but I came to
that realization a little late. Well a warm shower and a hot beverage
later I started to feel a little bit better. I AM NOT ENJOYING THE
COLD TOO MUCH.
Went on an exchange with Elder Crane- one of the zone leaders here in
Missoula. He is one of the oldest missionaries in the zone- 27 years
old. He is one of the coolest missionaries I know, and he is a great
teacher to both investigators and me! I was able to learn a lot of
cool, cool things. Taught about 4 lessons, ate mountain goat, and then
the largest assortment of mushrooms I've ever seen in my life!
1/30
It snowed... And snowed... And snowed. I think overnight we probably
got a good 6 inches or so, and then the morning we got another 3-4 or
so. There is a ton of snow on the ground, and it is making both
driving and walking super sketchy! We were wandering around trying to
find people to help, and we saw a car explode in the church parking
lot. Weird stuff happens in Clinton....
After we talked with Bishop and figuring out that whole car situation,
we headed out of town on our way to Seeley Lake. Had some pretty cool
lessons there, including one inside of an apparently world-famous
quilt shop. I didn't even know quilt shops existed.... But shoot this
place was huge!
1/31
We went to church in Seeley Lake this week- we got to speak in
sacrament meeting! Even though I teach everyday, speaking in front of
a congregation is still nerve-wracking for me! And then to add onto
that, I was voluntold to play a special musical number. And during
that I found that my dad's worst fear in playing is true- I got halfway
through the number and my music was suddenly not in front of me... But
all over the floor! Hooray!!!!! I felt so bad..... I did so bad....
Yuck it feels weird.
After church we went and taught a few investigators, and we out the
rest of the D/W family on baptismal date!!!! Can't wait
for it to come up in a few weeks!


Elder Braden R Wallgren
Montana Billings Mission
2015-2017
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

D&C 82:10
10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not
what I say, ye have no promise.

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