This week has been one that had its ups and downs. Last monday, we played a game as a zone called Gator ball. Its like soccer and football and basketball mixed together. Confusing, I know, but fun. I realized that I am incredibly out of shape, so this past week I have been working out every morning and night. I went tracting for the first time, and the only time thus far, Wednesday night. It was only for an hour and a  half. We didn't find anyone that would listen to our message, but the last door that we knocked on asked us to come back Saturday to tell them more. So that felt good to hear. Thursday was the Mission Christmas Conference. All of the missionaries met at a stake center from 9 am to 4 pm. It was much needed. I was able to see an elder who I had become very close to in the MTC. His name is Elder Staley. We talked the entire day about the field. Apperently he wasn't having any success either, but they are working. I couldn't say the same about us. We agreed that we would request to be companions a few months into our mission, because we trully believe that we could get work done. Our personalities are identical, and we both have the mindset of working nonstop. That was the highlight of my week. The rest of the week was boring and long. Elder Paswaters has been here so long (6 months in this area) that the non-members that we visit look at him as a friend, rather than a missionary. I have yet to be a part of a lesson. The closest thing we have done is a spiritual thought after a meal with a family in the ward. It's been very discouraging. The only upside is that I am able to read an insane amount in the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel. It's hard to call the people that we see "investigators" because that would require them investigating the church. However, we have this older couple, Mike and Sue Belote, who have us over twice a week to do service. They met the missionaries in April of this year, and have had them over for service ever since. We were able to get them to come to church yesterday, but only for the first hour. They have been multiple times, but only for sacrament meeting. There isn't much progression going on. Last night is when the poop hit the fan. We went over to a non member house, the Pennington Family. They were watching a football game, had beer on the table, and were using fowl language. Elder Paswaters likes going over and "relieving stress", whatever that means. We were there for 2 hours, and didn't say one gospel related word. We just hung out. I sat there, for 2 hours, reading my weekly planner. Over and over and over and over and over again. I was fuming when we left. I had bit my tongue this past week, because I am new, but that was the last straw. I didn't yell at him or anything. I told him that I wasn't going over to peoples houses anymore to hang out. I'm not on a mission to hang out with families, I am here to bring people unto Christ. I told him we are not using our time wisely at all. He wasn' too happy to hear that. He told me that missionaries with that attitude are labeled as robots. I thought to myself: what attitude? An attitude to work hard and obey the rules? If so, then they can call me a robot all they want. If missionaries don't like me as a person, that's their problem, but they will respect me as a missionary. I will not spend these 6 weeks making absolutely no progression with people. That's not what missionary work is.

    So we will see how this week goes. I prayed that night and asked for help with this whole situation. I had yet to see any progress with anything. I am here to so that the lord always answers prayers. Today, as I sat down to open up my email, a guy comes up to us and asks if we are Missionaries for the LDS church. We told him yes. He said that missionaries knocked on his door 2 years ago, saying that they had a message to share with him. He let them in, and they challenged him to go to church that next Sunday. He said he would, but ended up not being able to. I don't know why, but they didn't go back and see him, so he thought he was in trouble for not following through on his committment. We told him that wasn't the case at all. We asked him if he would like to talk to us again and he said yes! As we were taking down his information, we asked him why he invited the missionaries in 2 years ago, and why he talked to us today. He said that the message that they shared is something that he wanted to learn more about. I was very happy to hear that. It was an uplifting expirience to such a bad week.

I love you all, and hope your christmas season is special. Just remember the true meaning of Christmas. I challenge you all to read Luke 2. Just as a refresher :)

 

Elder Litchfield