Well this week has changed the course of my mission... To say the least.

On Tuesday, President Riggs came to our zone to train us on how to better use the pamphlets that the church distributes to help us teach. We were also trained on how to better teach less active members, as well as introduce the Book of Mormon. It was the same stuff that we learned when the guys from SLC came, but now every missionary will have heard it.

After the meeting I went on an exchange with a new missionary. His companion is a district leader and is struggling to have spiritual District Meetings. Elder Cluff was an incredible District Leader and was able to train him well. The Elder I was with is the only 18 year old elder in our mission right now. He lives with 2 other missionaries that are piles (bad missionaries). We practiced teaching for a while, then went out to work. He has an incredible drive to work, and a very good knowledge of the Gospel. His only set back is a mediocre trainer and awful roommates. Hopefully that will all be changed this Thursday (transfers).

This last weekend was Stake Conference. We visited Kathy Osbourn Friday night with a priest and invited her to come to the adult session on Saturday night. She said she would! She called us about 20 min later and said she didn't know if she could come or not, but would call us in the morning. Right away were bummed because that almost always means they wont go. Well Saturday morning she called us and said she would go! So we arranged for the relief society president to pick her up from her work and take her. We had a meeting before the adult session, so we were going to meet them there. Well we get to the meeting and saw Sister Fitzgerald (RS Prez) sitting by herself. We went over and asked where Kathy was. She told us that Josh (her son who was the priest that was out with us Friday night) told her that she cancelled. AHHHHHHH! Kathy had been sitting at her work for a half our waiting for someone to pick her up. She ended up going home. Josh didn't realize that she had called the next morning and confirmed. It was a huge mis-communication that resulted in Kathy not coming.

Sunday afternoon we had one of the greatest lessons of my mission. We taught a less active guy (professional weight lifter. His max bench press is 600lbs!!!!) and his non member fiance. We took a member with us who knew Bryce (the husband) and his family. We were going to teach them about the Plan of Salvation, but Elder Cluff and I both felt impressed to talk about conversion by the spirit. Our member was a convert and shared his conversion story. All 3 of them were in tears at the end of the lesson. It is safe to say that they will be at church this Sunday. haha

Well... To back track now...

After the Adult Session Saturday night, President Riggs (who spoke at the meeting) asked Elder Cluff and myself to stay after for a short meeting to discuss some things in the zone. So after the meeting we met him in the Stake Presidents office. We said a prayer and then President Riggs just sat there looking at us for a solid 25 seconds. He then looked at me and said "Elder Litchfield, I want to ask you to be my next Assistant." Well, I was pretty dang shocked and didn't know what to say. After a few moments I was able to say yes. We then talked about how the next few days would lay out. President is picking me and my stuff up Tuesday afternoon and taking me to the office. Elder Cluff will be with a missionary that lives down the street (one of the piles that I mentioned earlier) until Thursday where he will get his next companion. It is going to be a crazy couple days, but I look forward to the opportunity to serve so close to President Riggs. He is an incredible man! Plus... I will be companions with Elder Norris again! 

Love you all!

Elder Michael Litchfield