Salt Lake City South Mission's First Annual MARCH MADNESS Teaching Tournament!

April 17, 2017

One more great week in the books of the life of Elder Ray!

Tuesday we went and evaluated a district meeting, then right after that we went and picked up our Supplies from our district leader. We snagged some chic-fil-a and then went and picked up the bikes of some elders who got too sick to bike home from district meeting and so we dropped them off at their apartment and went in to check on them, and one of them was not doing too good. So we spent a while talking to sister Lansing about what to do for him. They had a lesson set up at 4, so Elder Rodriguez went with one of them while I took the sick one to get some attention. We got back into our area after all this at about 5:40, then at 6 we went at gave 3 sisters in the zone blessings.

Wednesday we started exchanges with one of the District Leaders, I went with his companion Elder Campbell on bikes in our area. Got a nice sunburn! First time wearing short sleeves since last year.

Thursday morning we ended exchanges and then met up individually with the other two district leaders to talk about their districts, then we wrote an email to President Lansing and the Assistants to update them on the Zone.

Friday not a ton happened,  we taught a couple crazy people as usual, and gave an elder a blessing. Friday night we did a Triage exchange with a companionship who is struggling together and in their area. A Triage exchange is when the DL, his comp, and the ZLs get together and each switch companions so that every missionary who is not a leader has a leader as a companion for the exchange.

Saturday we got to proselyte in our area for almost all the day! Pretty great. Not a ton happened, but it felt good.

Sunday was Easter! Which means no Ward councils! So we just went to church all day. Not too much special, but the day had a great spirit to it. 

And today, Monday, has been great. We woke up at about 5:15 so we could be up and ready to get to the mission office in Sandy by 7:00 where we helped get ready for the final rounds of the Salt Lake City South Missions First Annual MARCH MADNESS Teaching Tournament! The Tournament started at 8:00 and went till 12. I'm beat, but it was great. First, the missionaries who got eliminated in the first round 5 weeks ago were put into a consolation bracket, and the 4 finalists from the consolation bracket competed until the winner was found. That was done two at a time in two different rooms, then after that, the entire mission gathered in the Gym where the 4 finalists from the Tournament Bracket competed, one at a time. Elder Rodriguez and I were judges along with President and Sister Lansing, and two other MLS (elderly) missionaries. Elder Rodriguez and I also got to be the 'Investigators' who the missionaries roleplayed to each round. It was a blast. Following the tournament and the announcement of the winner, we all moved to the chapel and had a brief meeting where the winners, and President and Sister Lansing bore their testimonies, we closed with a song and a prayer, then went and took a mission picture. 

Hopefully I'll have more pictures from the Tournament soon! 

Have a rad week!

Love

-Elder Ray

Elder Ray and Elder Rodriguez doing some p-day shopping at Walmart

Seth's view during their mission's "March Madness"

Life's Good

April 10, 2017

Dear everyone,

I don't even know how to start... it was a great week as usual, it's interesting how much they all blur together with how fast everything is going. I can't remember a thing unless it's in my journal...

So Monday... isn't in my journal...

Tuesday we woke up early to set up for Zone Training Meeting. The meeting went super good. We had two ex-Zone leaders and our Sister Training Leader each give trainings, they were stellar. After the meeting we all made get well soon cards for our Mission President who just had back surgery on Thursday. After the meeting we had lunch then started exchanges with the Assistants to the President, whose area is in sandy. Always a blast. At about 8:45pm our car started making some crazy noise, so we checked the oil and... no oil... so we limped it to the mission office and filled it up, then made it home by about 10pm. Ha.

Wednesday elder Morris and I woke up and headed back to the mission office in Sandy to end Exchanges. The vehicle coordinator told us after we ended exchanges to take the car to big-o to get it checked out, which we did, and they told us to take it back to the mission office because it had a ton wrong with it. Moral of the story: don't buy a Chevy Cruz. So, the assistants found a companionship who had a car in a relatively small area and gave it to us. Later that day we taught B., an inactive man who is struggling hard core physically and mentally. His body is shutting down from chemo he had during cancer a few years ago, and he relapsed on alcohol. We gave him a blessing and then taught him for a while, and when we left we took about a gallon of rum from him. Haha.

Thursday we got our car back, then we spent all morning meeting with the district leaders individually to talk about their area, companionship, and districts. After that we had lunch then got to work for a while. We split after dinner and elder Rodriguez did a baptismal interview for an investigator of one of our district leaders, and I made some visits.

Friday we had weekly planning, then after lunch we took the box of get well soon cards to our mission president. He loved it! It was a bit weird to see him in his pjs in bed, but it was cool.

Saturday was a long day, we did so much... we took a companionship of sisters some chocolate concretes from Nielsons Frozen Custard to pick em up a bit. And to skip a ton of detail in the middle of the day, that night we taught G. and A., two unbaptized grandkids of a member in our stake, and picked them up as new investigators! They wanna be baptized asap, but we felt to put them on date for April 29th. Sweet!

Sunday morning president Bishop—a member of our mission presidency—came and shadowed us for a few hours. Him and his wife came to a Ward council and a sacrament meeting with us. The rest of the sabbath was pretty normal stuff.

And today was crazy as usual... we had another round of our Missions March Madness Teaching Tournament... and this afternoon we all got together as a Zone and played some ultimate frisbee! Life's good, the church is true. Remember, "And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying:

Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." Alma 50:19-20

       Love 

  Elder Ray

General Conference in Utah

April 3, 2017

Hello from Sunny Salt Lake City (South)! Another crazy busy week in the books.

Tuesday all day zone conference,

Wednesday all day MLC... we got to work a bit! Beckham is still solid, we pushed his baptism back to the 22nd so his family can all be there.

Thursday and Friday were pretty normal,

And Saturday and Sunday were conference! So good! We went to priesthood session on Saturday, that was cool. 

Have a good one! Love you all!
       

Love 

  -Elder Ray

At the General Priesthood Session

Elder Rodriguez and Elder Ray

3 Day Update

 March 27, 2017

Well.... I don't have a ton of time today to write, it's been a crazy past couple of days. But, life is good. Beckham is looking good to be baptized on Saturday, which will be another crazy day because I am a group leader for priesthood session, so we have to leave at like 3:00 to head downtown to see conference front row. Stoked.

This morning from 8-10 we had March Madness, then had to clean that up and take a bike to the mission office in Sandy for one of our missionaries. Now we're at waffle love gettin our waffle love on.

Scripture chapter of the day: Alma 31

Peace, fam. 

Love,

-Elder Ray

Seth on exchanges with a district leader