27 April 2015

Okey dokey, i don't even know what to think about this week. It's been pretty crazy with the whole... stuff i whined about last week. Haha! Monday night, me and Farnsworth stayed up talking about the situation with the Blumels and stuff like that. We're working on figuring out the situation with them. I don't want to go into too much detail, because i don't want to bad mouth him, but it's pretty gay, and no one involved likes it... Haha! but whatevs, he can do what he wants to make him feel like a successful missionary. I'm Just gonna keep trying to do what i do and ENJOY my mission while still being a missionary :) Tuesday was pretty ok. Idk what happened because all i wrote about was the situation again because it was so predominant. Haha! But i said how i think it won't be so bad now and we're getting closer to figuring it out. FLIP!! I keep typing like exactly what's going on, but i'm trying not to make him sound bad. Just know, it's a bleh situation, and no one likes it. Haha! Anyways, but later after dinner, i got 2 stuffies (stuffed animals) from the Blumels. I got this super flippin cute raccoon that's super soft, and I've slept with it every night since i got it. Haha! On Wednesday, Rosemary came into Brooks and we tracted these apartment buildings together. There was a lot of Tagalog people!! Me and Farns handed out 7 BOMs and Rosemary handed out 8. We also had this one lady, when she answered and awe said who we were, she invited us in and we talked about the Book of Mormon and what it is!!! So we're definitely gonna be trying to see if she still wants to be taught anything else. Thursday I didn't write anything that night, then the next night, i couldn't remember anything that happened, sooo i guess it wasn't that awesome!! Haha! Friday rocked. When we had just started to eat lunch, a family in the ward called us out of no where. They asked if we could come give her husband a blessing!! We said yes of course. So we read up a bit on the proper wording of the blessings, and headed out there. I didn't know if i was gonna be the one to do it, but i had a feeling i was because i have been here longer and they know me better. So we got out there, and they came and let us in. I guess he just has a little flu or something. But we got there, and were like "so, who do you want to anoint and who do you want to bless?" he said he wanted me to bless!! So i was pretty nervous since I've never done a blessing of the sick. But i didn't do too bad. He thanked me after and we said good bye and stuff, and on our way back, Farnsworth told me i gave a really good blessing, and it was really "on point". Haha! But it was super nice to have been able to do that. I felt pretty nice after :) Then later, we went to drop by a house that supposedly had Spanish people living there, while we were walking back to our car, we heard some guys across the street speaking Spanish, and we're like HECK YEAH!!! So we went and talked to them. One guy kinda seemed like he was just sorta sour and not that interested, but after a little bit, he went inside, but before he did, he told us "wait until i get back." I was like ummm ok? but once the other guys left, he came out and told them bye, and asked us to come in. He spoke perfect English too!! We also found out he speaks high German, low Herman, Spanish, English, and a little french. However, he's completely illiterate and can't read or write!! But he told us we came just in time, he's had a bad day, he's really struggling, and he really is glad we got there in time. He was super flippin nice, and started getting a little emotional a few times. He's divorced, having trouble with that, has a drinking problem, etc. and just wants help. At one point, he asked us to pray with him. We asked who he wants to give it, and he asked me!!! So we all knelt down and had a prayer. I got a little choked up during the prayer because i had a lot of sympathy for the guy. While we were talking about everything, he would say how he blames himself for everything that happened, and he doesn't want to put the blame on anyone else, and he cares too much about his wife and kids to say it was his wife's fault or anything. So i felt really bad for him, and kinda got a little choked up a bit during the beginning of our visit. So that was really nice, and Farns said my prayer was also really nice. After everything that happened that day, i was feeling freakin happy and like the spirit was so dang strong. like dang, that was a good day :) Saturday we helped Alaina set up for a party thing she was having at the middle school. That was super nice. Later on, we went and helped the Blumel clean the chapel. That was fun too!! Then we got dressed in pros clothes, and went to drop by a few people. no success. but the last person we did was pretty close to the middle school, so we just walked over and helped clean up since they were all done. After that, we went to the Blumel's and had dinner since no one was feeding us. It was flippin good!!! Sunday was a little frustrating but also kinda good i guess. We left to med hat right after sacrament meeting so we could be there in time for gospel principles with the Spanish people who live there. There were 2 there who are like super freakin solid already and have felt the spirit like cray, they're just waiting for an answer if the church is true, and this other guy who's from Thailand and doesn't speak English and BARELY knows Spanish. But after that class, they all left like they usually do. Then after church, absolutely nothing... Like literally, it got out at 2, we went to lunch at 3, stayed until about 4:45, went to dinner at 5, stayed until about 7:15, went to bible study with some other missionaries (no investigators or anything showed up), and left that at 9 to go to where we're staying. Absolutely nothing. Plus, the gospel principles class that was taught in Spanish, wasn't even taught by us. We were just there. If we had stayed, we would have been able to go to an open house for a senior couple who is going on a mission next week. But nope! We ate food, ate food, talked with other missionaries, and went to bed. Wasted day, and if we had stayed, we coulda tracted actually, or at LEAST supported the couple in our ward. So i'm kinda ticked about that, but whatever, what's done is done i guess :/ Anyways, i'm gonna stop telling you guys how crappy my weeks are. I'll try to focus more on the good or fun stuff instead of complaining a bunch :) thanks for you guys' support though!!! It's nice to have family and friends who can help you through your tough times :) i love all of you guys!!! Sincerely, Elder Levi Windham

7 April 2015

So, let's start with what's happening with transfers... Now, I don't know how much you guys know already since sister Blumel has like half you guys' numbers.... BUT I'M STAYING IN BROOKS!!!!!!!! We got the call THIS MORNING!!! The ZLs called us and were like so, we have a message for Elder Keck.. I was YEEESSSSS!!!!! So he's going to Calgary somewhere and I'm staying here!!! I'm sooooooo stinkin happy about that. Like holy cow, I'm gonna work SO hard now that I'm not gonna have a trunky companion who is lazy anyways... I feel terrible saying it, but i have literally felt myself get more and more lazy since I've been with him :/ but imma work my butt off with the new guy!! I already know exactly who it is, so I'm pretty happy about that :) Anyways! So, last p-day we played football, and i totally dominated!!! Like i had 4 or 5 touchdowns, an interception, a few blocked passes, and a crap ton of catches haha. One of my catches, got deflected up in the air, i fell on my back, and as the ball was coming down, i grabbed it before it hit the ground!! Another one, i was in the end-zone and he threw it back there, like right between 2 dudes who were in front of me, and it was a little low/behind me, so i slid down and did like a baseball slide, landed on my elbow (ouch) and caught it!! Everyone was just like flippin out and stuff and it was AWESOME!!! While we were playing, they all kept saying like man, are you from Texas or something? haha! Later on, i was talking with one of the elders who we were playing with, and he was telling me i was super quick and he like couldn't cover me. I felt pretty dang good about myself :) Tuesday we had a zone training meeting. There was a testimony meeting thing after, and it was super cool. Surprisingly, i got a little emotional from other peoples' testimonies, but not my own.. but it was super cool :) I LOVE THIS CHURCH!!! We had to cancel our lesson with Rebecca because we couldn't get another priesthood holder to go with us :( After dinner, we went to the Blumels house to see their cat, Kovu, get a haircut. He looks like a lion!!! Haha it's awesome. Then they had a b-day party for their son, Matthew. He turned 11. He's younger than Emily!!! And they had ice cream cake which is my all time favorite in the whole world :P OH YEAH!!! And i ran out of ink in my pen that i got in the MTC. that's the first time I've ever done that!! Wednesday was April fools AND training calls, so we took advantage of that fo sho :D we texted med hat Spanish and told them that me and Keck were both training, and they didn't believe it at first, but Keck said a few more things and they totally believed it!!! When we told them we were joking later, they were like legitimately upset at us. It was pretty funny, but i felt a little guilty after... Not too guilty though!! HAHA!!! Anyways, i got another haircut this time, and it's shorter than what i got last time, but i like it a lot more :) Thursday was totes cray cray!!! While we were tracting, Sister Blumel texted us and said Sara (their daughter) hurt herself!!! We didn't know exactly what happened for a bit, but we learned eventually that she broke her ankle!! We saw some pics later and it was a bad break... Like her ankle was jacked UP!! She ended up going to Med Hat for surgery that afternoon, but didn't even get anything done until the next day :( Canadian health care, eh? haha! but we got a lot of tracting done which was good!! Not a ton of success, but we tried, and that's what matters :) Later in the evening, we went out to Rosemary to interview their investigator who got baptized Saturday between the first 2 sessions of conference. Friday we went to the temple!!! We almost didn't go because the Blumels were going to take us, then Sara broke her ankle and through everything outa whack. But brother Blumel ended up taking us anyways, and I'm glad we got to go. It is was different from any other temple I've been to (only 2 others haha) but it was beautiful. I got a lot of really good pictures and i have them on my USB (or flash drive, since apparently USB isn't the right term according to Bub HAHA) But the only downside in going to the temple is they make it replace your p-day. So it's like okay, either go have fun with other missionaries on the only day that you get to do that, or go to the temple.. GAAAYY!! But it was a fun experience and i enjoyed it :) Saturday was general conference. Nothing else besides that really since you only have 2 hours in between each session. We went out to Rosemary after the first session for the baptism, and i had to give a talk in all Spanish!!! I wrote it all out so i didn't have to do it on the fly, which was good. I messed up on a few parts, but like no one else would have been able to tell since it was only me, Keck, Rodriguez, and the guy getting baptized who spoke Spanish. haha! But after i was done, Elder Keck and Rodriguez said my accent is really good and sounds way better. So that's good!! But Sara got home from the hospital!!! We went over and saw her after the second session. She was not doing too amazing :( she puked a few times and didn't feel very good most of the time, and she like couldn't move her leg the whole time because she was so sore. so that stinks :/ Sunday, after the first session, we went to the Blumel's for lunch and stayed for the second session. Jon (their other son. He turned 17 recently) was playing stinkin video games on his computer for like the first 45 minutes or so, so i kept shooting him in the head with a nerf gun. haha! Eventually he came and joined us all, which was good. But later on, after dinner, we went to meet Stephanie's sister, who used to be investigating. She was pretty cool, and we'll probably be able to pick lessons back up with her. But then after that, we were gonna go have a lesson with Hakeem, but he wasn't there, so we went back to the Blumels :P They're flippin awesome!!! Monday was flippin cool!!! We went to help Stephanie move at 1, which was super flippin easy because Rosemary came in and helped, PLUS she had like hardly anything.. Literally, it took us like 10 minutes to put it all into sister Blumels car. But while we were beginning to help out, it started snowing again!!! Then after that, we went back to the Blumels to help set up a trampoline. By the time we started doing that, the snow was really coming down... But we got it all set up except the net because we didn't want to mess that up and it was snowing pretty hard. Sister Blumel then made us hot chocolate which was flippin good :P After that, me and Elder Rodriguez helped sister Blumel make dinner. We had ham, potatoes, yams, and steamed veggies. It was pretty dang good!! After that, we went and got dressed in some basketball clothes to head out to Rosemary to play with Rogelio (the one who got baptized Saturday). He ended up not going, but we went out there anyways and played with the members who were planning on playing with them. I honestly don't think I've balled so hard in basketball in my life. Like holy cow, me and Rodriguez were going hard. we were on opposing teams the whole time, so i covered him and he covered me. It was a good fight the whole night. I'm not good at handling the ball, but i could rebound over everyone else there and i have really good defense. Rodriguez is quick, but i stuck with him the whole time. He told me several times that I'm really good at defense and why don't i play like that at p-day. I guess i could start doing that now :) But yeah, that was a blast, and my lounges were wrecked after that because of how much they were being exerted. Best cardio I've gotten on the mission :) Anyways, that's it for the week. I'm really looking forward to continuing working here in Brooks and serving with Farnsworth. He called earlier and we planned a cool handshake to do down at transfers, so that'll be interesting :) thanks for the letters everyone!! I'm sending another one to my family pretty soon. I wrote them this morning, and will try and send them today. So you'll get them probably next week. Listen to the prophets and apostles. They know what they're flippin talking about. Everything they say is doctrine, and applies to each and every one of you. The atonement is stinkin real, so use it to your advantage and make the changes necessary for forgiveness to take place. I love you guys, and hope to coninue hearing from ALL of you!! Sincerely, Elder Levi Windham 7044 Farrell Road SE Calgary, AB T2H OT2 Canada