(Elder Putnam)
Dear Friends and Family,
What an awesome week it has been. This might have been my
favorite week of my mission. We just were moving the entire time and it was
awesome. I love those fast paced days.
On Monday Rīga flooded during the day and then by the time
that work hours started it had all cleared up and so we went street contacting.
Nothing crazy there. We barely got in before 9 but that always makes it
exciting.
On Tuesday we had 4 lessons as well as district counsel and
the mission devotional. Needless to say, we didn’t go finding all that much,
but those lessons all went very well. That night though we took in the Liepāja
elders for exchanges.
On Wednesday exchanges with Elder Smith started. We woke up
with a surprise message from an old street contacted friend that he wanted to
meet. I was completely blindsided by this since he hadn’t messaged us since May
and hadn’t read my last 2 messages. But we met with him and then again on
Sunday. He's low key elect, he just needs to listen a little bit more to the
Spirit.
On Thursday we reunited with our companions and planned for
next week. at the end of the day I picked up Elder Ornstead and we found on our
way home. He's super high energy and spiritual which I found out pretty quick.
We had like 3 minutes before 9 when we got home so we went back out finding and
talked to like 15 more people. Unfortunately we didn’t find anyone in that
time, but it set a good tone for the next day.
Friday was likely the peak of the week for me. We went
finding for like 5.5 hours and found like 5 people. Some of them were super
quick conversations where we just continued the conversation over text, but
others were a lot more drawn out and we talked about meeting again next week.
Thats how it was with one person named Aleks. We ran into him when he was on
the way to a wedding and was dressed up so the first thought we had was: Oh
he's gonna fit in great a church. We talked about families and the restoration
and discussed meeting again. Still waiting on a specific day, but he seems
super interested. I also figured out how to do Facebook work.
On Saturday we switched back again, taught some lessons, ran
basketball club, and prepared for the sacrament on Sunday. I was exhausted that
night.
On Sunday we had a lot of people visiting the branch, mostly
from Liepāja, but the branch building was full and fast and testimony was on
fireee. I wish more of our friends had come, but as Alma, "I do sin in my
wish for I ought to suffice with that which I have been given" (or
something like that). Sunday night we had our regular calls and then I clocked
out early. The other thing that was notable from Sunday was that we closed our
fast with tacos. Those things slappeddd.
Talk of the week: Imma list a triad. As I listen to them in
order and uninterrupted, I gotta put down Elder Holland's Fear Not; Believe
Only, Elder Kearon's He is Risen with Healing in His Wings, and Elder
Aidukaitis' Lift Up Your Heart and Rejoice which come right after another in
the April 2022 General Conference.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what my mission has offered
me. One skill and gift I’ve been given has been the ability to bear my
testimony. Not only have I gained a testimony of many of the truths of the
gospel but I feel comfortable and even confident sharing them. I used to be
scared to share my testimony in sacrament meeting, but as a missionary I
no-longer have that worry or hesitation. The gospel is true. It is restored.
And It blesses everyone on both sides of the veil. I share that with you in the
name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a good one.
Just a little pic from exchanges this week
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