Knocking doors in the south

Manning County Courthouse

This week was good! We took a day and drove out to Manning and parked out car and biked and knocked as much of the town as we could and that was pretty fun! We had a couple guys tell us they would be at church but they weren't. We did a ton of knocking this week. One person told us we can come back and teach them so that was nice! Other than that just a lot of people telling us what church they go to and letting us know that are saved. Apparently everyone in South Carolina is haha. 

What has your week been like?

Good! We knocked a lot. it was pretty fun. We got a new investigator out of it but got A LOT of doors shut on us haha. Which is fine. I know they need the message we have so I just feel sad for them more than anything. Especially all these baptists that think they are saved.

Who are you teaching?

Our main investigator is Billy still. I have a super funny picture of him. We were at his house reading the Book of Mormon with him and he put on his reading glasses and his normal ones at the same time to make his own pair of bifocals. Very southern. And he would stop us and ask questions and when we answered he would just point at us and say "bingo" like he knew it all along. It is pretty awesome

Have your companions been frustrated with you at all?

Not that I am aware of. I told them to be straight with me and tell me if they are though

What did you enjoy studying this week?

I finished the Book of Mormon! We were asked to start it again at the beginning of training and I finished it again! After that I started over again and I focused a lot on Laman and Lemuel. They are doing all the same stuff Nephi is. Except with contention in their hearts. It is such a powerful reminder that we need to have joy in hearts especially when doing the Lord's work.

Describe the culture around you.  Do you feel adjusted to it?

Our area covers about 30 miles. Immediately around us is pretty nice and not to different from Arizona. But as you go further out you ca find ghetto, country, and clear down by the lake is a little bit of both. It is pretty interesting and very fun!

A few teaching moments from this week!: we were at our investigator Billy's house and he put on two pairs of glasses and told us he was making his bifocals. It was pretty funny. 

We also went to teach at a members' house! They had a friend over that they said would be interested and her fiance. When they left we stayed for a minute to talk to the members about it and they were way more receptive than they usually are which is awesome! Other than that just trying to talk to everyone we see! "If you want to baptize a few people, talk to a few people people. If you want to baptize a lot of people, talk to a lot of people. If you want to baptize everyone you can, talk to everyone you can"

This week I read a lot in the Book of Mormon! Ether 8 was awesome and talks a lot about the things going on today.

Elder Dowell (2)

"mhm mhm mhm. I know some of these words"

Sumter South in the house

This week has been good! Elder Droese's 2 years expired and I had the "privilege" to send him home. I am still with Elder Jackson and we actually got another trainee that I came out with ! (Elder Roundy) So we are still three packing it in Sumter South! we set companionship goals to find new investigators and we found 2! That doesn't mean we are done though! We are still looking every day! 

I have set personal goals to forget myself more and more every day which can be hard but when I am really able to do it I can feel the Lord working more effectively through me! I am getting better at but I obviously still have a long way to go. Our investigator is still set to be baptized on the 24th! We are working with him a few days a week and it is going well! We have almost nothing to do with it though! It is amazing to watch the Spirit work on someone. My birthday this week was pretty good! I definitely received a lot of love and am so grateful for it! I love everyone and miss you all a ton!

Good scriptures I read this week:

The Book of Helaman!!!

"You can help yourself to the mane and tail. But don't even look at the verticoli."

Hermine drops by

 

All is well here! Interesting week for sure. We got a little visit from hurricane Hermine which was interesting. It hit while we were up at ZTM in Florence which is about an hour from Sumter. The only scary part was the drive back. If I were driving I wouldn't have been worried at all ha ha. But I wasn't so it was pretty freaky. Strong wind and a good bit of rain but we made it back fine. It continued the rest of the day. We were doing some stuff at a members house and got stuck over there till we went back to the apartment because the Zone Leaders didn't want us going places in the storm. After the storm our investigator who is on date (Billy) called us and said they needed help with a tree so we went and cut it up. One of my companions goes home this week! Elder Droese. When we leave him we are getting anything missionary that came out with me which should be fun! It will be interesting though because Elder Lund (our district leader in North Sumter) will be training so when he goes on exchanges with Elder Jackson this transfer I will be in charge of the other two trainees for a day. Hopefully that will go well! Ha ha. So,e fun stuff that has been going on: we have been playing dungeons and dragons with a less active once or twice a week and trying to teach while we do it and he seems to be really liking it which is awesome! We also have a card game thing we play with some members and then teach a lesson which is way fun!

This week I read about the stripping warriors and it was awesome!

Alma 56: 46-47:

For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very

young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us,

and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we

would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let

us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did

think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their

lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did

not doubt, God would deliver them.

"Kevin, did you reinforce the take off ramp?"

"No, we didn’t have time"

"Ok"

I love everyone and miss you all so much!

Elder Dowell (2)