Happy Tuesday,
I heard it was Columbus day yesterday when Elder Barton and I tried to visit the library to explore Mormon.org and genealogy resources, who knew? I need to get myself a national holidays list so we can avoid that mistake again! It is good to know that life goes on and that this mission is not just one long day, but that time is moving and changes are happening. Sometimes I feel like I have been on my mission for about a week, and some days I feel like I have been up for months.
Conference was quite the spiritual boost and I have a lot of spiritual and temporal action items I want to implement. I think you are exactly right, mom: I really should eat around the gluten and dairy items at people's homes, but most especially in the apartment. I let myself slide into complacency in my diet, Ramen is a stable and Nutty-Buddys for breakfast have been my life the past month. Whoops... No wonder I got sick. Anyhow I definitely feel that I will be less "foggy", as you like to say, if I can refrain from the bad and fill myself with the good.
I was inspired by the impressions that came to me as a missionary while watching conference, for my investigators as well as for myself. We had a man named Chris with us on Saturday morning who we invited to be baptised the end of the month and he enjoyed the talks. I feel like Elder Nelson's "Ask the missionaries" talk was really good for him specifically. There were many many times when I wrote down notes for myself that seemed completely unrelated to the talks, but for me were somethings that the spirit whispered I needed to remember and learn about. A BIG impression was to ask Father in heaven what I need to do to become a better servant of the Lord. I am astounded over and over again and filled with wonder and gratitude that the Supreme Being of the Universe has a personal concern and so much individual understanding for me. I need to keep refining myself and listening to the guidance of Him who sent me here.
A few weekly highlights:
Ocean in view. On exchanges with Elder Bradley we biked up a mountain in my area and saw the ocean from the top! Hearkened me back to the treks with Grandpa Craven retracing Lewis and Clark's trail
Old man's FHE. Last night Elder Barton (my full-time companion) and I went to a member of the high priest's house for dinner and family home evening. This was memorable because there were about 20 people there, all over the age of 40 and none currently married. Next month they asked us to give the lesson, so that will be fun. I hope that when I am 40 I will still be able to have the energy and attention span of a 15 year old in the right circumstances.
Bashin'. Tuesday we had a lesson with a family of a different Christian faith. The man's name was Rich and he is very nice. My favorite thing he said was "Intent comes before content" referring to receiving answers from prayers. I agree with him. he was pretty hung up on the Trinity, and doesn't really want to learn so we are not going to teach him anymore. He thought he proved and God is everywhere and nowhere and that He is 3 in 1 and 1 in 3, but he just wouldn't accept that God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate and distinct personages.
I am having a fantastic time on my mission. I am a happy Carlsbad missionary! We are still looking for Mongolians to teach, but no one knows anyone! Imagine that. I know that this is not my work, but the work of the Almighty, so whatever He has for me is what I shall do. I am grateful for correct knowledge of truth and I do my best and work my hardest everyday so that I may do the work that He has given me. There is no better place for me to be at this time and I am grateful to be a missionary.
Xairtei shuu! -Elder Chandler
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