September 21, 2015: Busy week

Sorry for the late weekly email.... We did some service today   that made it so we couldn't     email first thing! I guess if I just do it period it doesn't    matter when does it?!

Well this week was cool,         definitely getting more used toworking in a small town, getting more used to the people and    their...... I'm going to say    idioms. Don't be disappointed in me family.... But the local,   musical entertainment is slowly becoming more and more     appealing to me. I guess with guitar & banjo in my musical capabilities it would eventually happen whether I want it                             to or not right? >.<



To answer some of the questions that have been asked:
We're usually in Ennis two or three days during the week, and in Three Forks the rest of the time. We spend Monday's in Ennis doing laundry, shopping, and other fun stuff, even though every few weeks the zone leaders put together like a hike or game day or something for all the elders in the zone which usually takes place in Bozeman.... About 90 minutes away from Three Forks, 45 minutes from Ennis. I think I'm going to send you guys a map of Montana eventually where I will circle my current area and then as my mission continues we can circle all my areas and get my full mission map going on! 

The baptism was cool, but I didn't get to do too   much with him before. I taught him once, & I don't even know if it counts because I just went to his  interview!!, >.< Talon is the oldest kid in his    family, only of 4 kids baptized. Mom is a member,  and we think that mom's boyfriend is a member.
We weren't in a parade..... Idk where you heard    that. We went to the homecoming parade and were    able to talk to some people, but we weren't in the parade!

Like I said, this week has been pretty cool, some fun stuff going on
in our area! Lots of service being done, and I think I'm starting to see
some rewards from our efforts, so it's good to know that I'm not
fruitlessly digging for people to teach. The Lord has definitely
blessed me in my work and continues to show me where I need to be and
what I should be doing.


Monday was a little different. We still hadn't quite figured out yet
that tracking in Ennis was pointless, so we tracked for like 6
hours....... And we found one less active that said we MIGHT be able
to come by. Well... We found the one and I hope this week we can
strengthen his testimony in whatever needs to be strengthened!
Tuesday was a big travel day, we traveled out to the farthest part of
Ennis, where the houses are sometimes literally 5 miles apart. We had
a couple people to visit out there and we saw an awesome amount of
deer and antelope and whatnot that seemed to just like to chill in
town. We almost hit a few a couple of times... But I mean live and
learn right?! XD
Wednesday also started as a travel day, traveling from Ennis back to
Three Forks for the rest of the week. We tried to visit a lot of the
less actives in the wards and in the area to find out if there is
something that we could do better as missionaries to keep people
active. A lot of people that we had on our list were actually
excommunicated and that actually scared us a bit, but not enough to
stop tracking right?


Thursday.... Oh Thursday...... So SUPPOSEDLY we had a Mission
Conference on Thursday in Helena. Our zone leaders called us on Sunday
to let us know, so we were super ready. They came and met us Thursday
morning at like 6:40 at this AMAZING breakfast place called Wheat
Montana. I had a cinnamon roll the size of my head for $2. So that was
great. Then six of us hopped inside a 5 person truck and began to
make the 2 hour trip to Helena. We listened to a cool LDS country band
that does hymns and such for the "folks out in these parts" and
actually sound pretty good (this is where I realized its growing on
me). So nice, cramped, tired car ride to Helena. Once we got to the
building in Helena...... NO ONE WAS THERE. Our zone leaders, being
confused, called both the zone leaders in Helena and two of the four
assistants to the president. Not one of them had any idea what they
were talking about with a mission conference. So, at about 9:30 they
gathered everyone together and said, "well, it was a nice trip to
Helena! Now it's time to go back!" So.... Two hours back to Three
Forks. We had planned to be in Helena until 5pm that night, so we had
nothing planned for that day, let me tell you, I learned why we plan
every day. We were so lost and confused until, like 7pm.
Friday, we got to go to the homecoming parade (lasted about 15
minutes, and they went down the street and back) which was cool, and
Elder Potter caught enough candy for the two of us! Filled his
pockets, mine, and my bag! Fun times, reminded me of being at home...
Made me miss having a good band program, and a good ROTC program. I
guess with a small town comes a small school right? We got to go to
the homecoming game that night, and just as the parade we handed out a
couple Book Of Mormons and a few restoration pamphlets. It all worked
out I guess, maybe one of those will actually go somewhere!






Saturday we got to go out to Clarkston... A small  town in population, but definitely not in size. The city itself consists of 4,200,000 acre ranches    (that's 800,000 acres for those of you following at home!) and each ranch has maybe 6 families living on it. Each house is at the smallest 7 miles apart, and everyone seems to have built their own place. We think we got shot at once while we were leaving, and we know that we heard a shotgun behind a door once. Well... Montana I guess! All the roads are run-down dirt roads and we were      traveling with a member in his minivan. That was a...... Humbling experience!
Sunday we had one of the assistants to the president come and visit with us and go in exchanges with us. He gave us some great advice & even traded one of his ties with me! Taught like 4 member lessons on missionary work, and through out the day we got like 15 or so referrals. Keep giving those to the missionaries, you have no idea how much  it helps!
Today we went to Ennis and helped this older widow clean her garage out and move some furniture. (Hence the late email) She fed us tacos for lunch...and gave us some stakes and lamb to take home. Neither of us have ever tasted lamb or know how to cook lamb  but I guess we'll find out!
And then I'm here in the present! :D

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So we,volunteer at a food bank once a week, and they always have us go into the basement, which is a retired nuclear bomb shelter. We had some fun.

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I got a little picture happy win the scenery this week... So I have a lot of sky         pictures >.<