October 12, 2015

So Kentucky and my companion are both still awesome. The best part is that nobody has any teeth haha like I have always given Elder Rodgers who is in Leeds, England crap for it because the British right? Well they have got nothing on Kentucky! So we talked to this lady who was missing her 4 middle lower teeth and she looked so much like a walrus because of that I can't even describe! We were laughing as we walked away from talking to her for like the next 5 minutes, it was great.

One thing that was great was a new missionary training. We learned  a lot about stress that I didn't know! I found out that I have been very stressed, to the point that I've seen physical symptoms of extreme exhaustion, headaches and nausea. But now that I recognize them as stress I've been able to take measures to lower my stress and have been doing a lot better! Also I've been really hard on myself because I'm not where the other missionaries are that are 9 months out and I didn't understand why I wasn't there, but now I realize that they went through this growth cycle too and I'm more confident in my abilities as I continue to progress and learn.

Another funny story is that yesterday (Sunday) we had dropped off some cinnamon rolls for an investigator in the car and realized I had forgotten my badge in the apartment. So we go back and when we get to the door Elder Macfarlane pats his pockets and... no keys. So we go back to the car and sure enough they are sitting on the drivers seat. Well we only have one set of keys and now we are locked out of the car and apartment! So a member gives us a ride to church and we come back with this great idea that instead of calling the AP's we will just break into our car :) So we got a metal hanger from the other missionaries and tried and failed to get it open that way. Next we got a string and tied a slip knot in it and looped that around the unlock thing pulled up and BOOM we got in!! Now I can say that in one sentence but that doesn't even come close to describing the 45 minutes that it took us standing next to our car in suits trying to break into the car looking, I can only imagine, just so so sketchy.

So I went on exchanges twice this week and I absolutely loved them, I enjoyed having some new perspectives but at the same time it made me appreciate the companion I have! I love this guy and he is going to help me be such a better missionary! I have been much better about teaching and not just sitting in the background, it makes it way better when you are actually teaching by the way!

I'm hoping that these emails will be an uplift to all who are reading it and so I definitely share some things that I learned each week and some experiences.

I have seriously learned more in the last couple weeks out here on my mission than I thought possible and it is wonderful to think that I have so much more to learn! I have seen habits form and old habits die away. I have so much to be grateful for, the very fact that you care enough about me to be reading right now is such a blessing in my life so thank you. It is wonderful to see that we can change and become more like Christ every day and it is in doing everything we can to actively progress that true growth can occur. There is so much joy in the gospel and in sharing the gospel, there is seriously nothing that competes with it! I love you so very much and am grateful for your influence on me to bring me to who I am today.

Elder Howland