Our Little Angels, The 'why?', and BBoMs

   This week has been a slow blur. A very fun, sad, happy, and serious blur but a blur nonetheless. (this might be long)


      Monday was the FIRST practice lesson my companion and I had... after 2 failed meetings due to sickness and a lack of communication. I don't think it went too well. It didn't go terribly but not the best. Then in class, we had another practice lesson! And we did really well. At least I think that it did. 

      TUESDAY!!! I finished packing and hurried to find all the airport things I needed. On our way, we got some food and rushed in right as they stopped accepting people. But, the person who was closing saw us and was the only person able to override it and let us on the plane from Tyler to Dallas. I'm standing there wondering which of the 4 gates is the one I am on (it was 4. The others were all closed) and a guy comes up and says, "Hello Elder! Where are you headed?" This caught me  a bit by surprise because he had on a reflective safety vest. I thought he worked at the airport but is actually a member in the Tyler 1st ward and is a trucker on his way to Atlanta. he helps me on the plane and is actually sitting behind me. We went our separate ways after the 30 minute flight to Dallas. And I am instantly lost. I saw that my flight to Salt Lake was at gate D17 so I got on the skylink and went to D17... and it's not my flight. I look at another one and it says A28. SO! I head over there and it says Chicago. So I am wandering around for a smidge and find the guy from the plane! He shows me on the ticket where my gate is and it says C26... so I head over there and it DEFINITELY is not my gate. I look at the big screens to find my gate again and it says A28. So I check there again and BOOM there it is! 
      I am walking over and an older guy says "Hello Elder! Where are you going?" I give him the pocatello spiel and somehow we get to the topic of what I hope to do for a job. And turns out what I want to do is what he did for a job! We talk about that for a while then ANOTHER guy comes over and asks the same questions.... I answer and talk for a bit then he gets to talking with the other guy there. When they are done, the second guy looks at me and asks to buy me lunch! I accepted and we have an amazing talk over some burgers. Turns out he is the head equipment manager for BYU Basketball and Baseball! We finish up, take a photo or two and board the plane. He was 2 rows ahead of me but when we got off at Salt Lake, he helped me find baggage claim, get my bags, find the shuttle place and get me set for that! At this point I think it's a dream! He leaves and I wait for 15 minutes for the shuttle to arrive and take me to the MTC.
      I get there in time for the devotional given by the relief society president Jean B. Bingham. It was a really great talk! I was with a temporary district and companion (who was from Minnesota, is a mechanic, and loves heavy metal) and discussed the devotional. And another Elder in my actual district got there early from Mesa AZ. 

      We got up the next day and ate breakfast before learning we were supposed to wait for our District. And take our luggage to a different room near the cafeteria. We learn about the question Why are you serving a mission in a long intro class before districts showed up. My reason is that someone out there needs to hear the gospel from me. Well, they can learn it from anyone but the only way they can get to where God needs them is how I will teach them. They can hear it from anyone, but they will learn it from me. Then we drag our luggage through a snowstorm to get settled in. And my companion's flight got cancelled because of a winter storm in Texas and he won't get here till late Friday night. That was a bummer... So, I am now a quad with the other trio in my district until then. I report my missing water bottle and go to a class to meet the teachers. At night we had a milk and cookies thing and a devotional on an old talk Elder Bednar gave to the missionaries. And I am amazing at losing my companions. Absolutely amazing at it.

      Thursday was interesting for 3 reasons. 1: I got an email telling me I had a package at the front desk and 2: I lost my companions really easily and not even almost not kind of on purpose. The package is 2 new suitcases, 3 new ties, a new sweater, a new belt, 6 pairs of socks and a few other things! FROM THE BYU GUY ON THE PLANE!!!!! He saw one of my bags has no extendable handle and decided to help and then some!!! He has really been a little angel in my life that God put there to help me through the airports. At night when we met our branch and got assigned to be a District Leader or a Zone Leader (I'm neither), I thought the others left really quickly and left after them after making it through a horde of people flooding out the door. And they are gone. Gone. No-idea-where-they-went gone. So, I start out into the cold to find them and message them on the group chat asking where everyone went. One set of sisters had gone to the dorm, and the others in a meeting... no elders. I go back for the Sisters who got out of a meeting and pass the other set twice in the cold before finding each other. We go to my room and the Elders aren't there. We text them and they just got out of a meeting. we say to stay put and go back across campus to that building for them to say they just got to the dorm... I know.... really? -_- he sisters make sure I get in and that's that. And 3: I GOT A BABY BOOK OF MORMON!!! AND EVERYTHING ELSE!!! I'll send a picture!

      ELDER THOMPSON GETS IN TODAY!!!! At 10:00 at night.... We had to cancel a practice lesson because of that. Oh! And I have locked my key in my room 2 times... and have had to go to the front desk to get one to get in. After classes and such the whole district goes and gets Elder Thompson!!! And that was a long night...

      We had gym time at 6:40 in the morning today and that was fun! wwe played volleyball for an hour. And the day before my team for basketball got crushed... it was fun still but kind of eh... we hurry to class and learn a lot. especially about how to counteract doubts we might have as missionaries. Then I tried to do laundry and got confused then went to the Temple at 2:30 to 4. And now I'm sitting here while my companion is bored writing this before another hour of gym time.

This week has been fun and can't wait for the rest of it!!! I miss you guys! Talk to you next week!

Photos! Memes... my district at the temple, me and my companion, and Buford the Bigfoot. The mascot of my room (mutually agreed upon)








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