I am continuing to prepare for my mission, and the journey has been great.
I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but last Sunday, I was called to be a Ward Missionary. It's nothing new for me, though, because I have been working with the Elders in our ward since they first started teaching Tara.
However, I did my first official Ward Missionary appointment on Wednesday, and it was awesome. We taught this lady who lives two houses down from my house. She used to be a member of the church about thirty years ago but was excommunicated. We taught her the importance of reading the scriptures, and it was a great lesson! She seemed really excited to be getting back in the Gospel, and I even saw her at church today! Because the Chile Vina del Mar mission includes a lot of reactivating the less-active members, the opportunity to teach this lady was definitely some excellent preparation!
On Thursday, I went to the Health Department and got a Hep. B shot and a Meningitis shot. I also thought I would need my first Hep. B shot (the one they gave me was my second, according to them) and a newer DTP shot. After leaving the department, I realized that I DID need my first Hep. B shot and an updated DTP shot because they read my shot record wrong, and it turns out I hadn't gotten them yet. And so I decided I would go back the next day--Friday.
Thursday night, I went to Mission Prep, and it was great as usual! My teacher asked us, "Did anything exciting happen to anyone this last week?" I sort of laughed/smiled, and she said, "Ben, it looks like you have something to say." I told them I had been called to Chile, and my class congratulated me. This girl sitting near me (named Celes) said, "No way. Which mision?" I told her Vina del Mar, and she freaked out! Apparently her mom served her mission there, and then her family lived there for about a year. She told me a lot of cool things about the city, and she gave me a few people to look out for. She was a really cool girl, and she will be leaving for her mission in Brazil in August.
On Friday, I went back to the Health Department and explained to them the confusion. Because I had been there the day before and had already gotten a Hep. B shot, I was only able to get my DTP shot. However, the good news is...I only have to wait one month between my first and second Hep. B shot, and then I have to wait two months between my second and third Hep. B shots. So I'll have my Hep. B shots barely finished before I report to the MTC!! And that was great news for me because I wanted to get all my shots before I went to the MTC, and I was worried I wouldn't have time to do so. But alas! The other great news was that my DTP shot was free. Oh yeah--Tara came along with me to get my shots, and she walked out of the place with three shots. HAHA. She was only planning on getting one, but when the ladies told her that her parents' insurance still covered her, they told her she might as well get these two extra shots. It was pretty funny.
A couple months ago, my friend Erin and I won a "date night" at a ward auction. Friday night, Erin and I finally put this date to some use, and it was a lot of fun! The lady who auctioned it off provided an Italian dinner and a delicious cake! Additionally, she gave us a Blockbust giftcard for us to rent a movie with. We rented the movie "Australia" with Hugh Jackman, and it was a pretty good movie. It was almost three hours, though, which is a little too long for me unless I am watching The Dark Knight or something. ;) Overall, it was great to spend some time with Erin, as we haven't actually sat down and talked in a long time!
Saturday was another great day. I started it off by attending my first of two temple prep classes. President Walker, who is in my ward, taught me along with his wife, and it was awesome! (For those of you who don't know, President Walker is a well-known man down here in Henderson. The elementary school right next to our house is even named after him! Haha.)
JoAnn told me the day before that he would know whether or not I was ready to enter the temple or not. And it was funny because one of the first things President Walker said to me was something like, "Ben, you are ready to enter the temple. I've noticed you the last couple of years, and I've seen you grow Spiritually. You're a great man, and you're going to be a great missionary." Now, I know this is something I've heard from my family and close friends, but hearing it from someone like President Walker (who I didn't even think knew my name!) erased all the little doubts that I had about serving in Chile!
In fact, President Walker got me really excited to serve in somewhere like Chile. You see--he has been to every country in South America! And although this was a Temple Prep class, and he taught me a lot about being ready for the temple...he mostly talked about Vina del Mar and what I should do to prepare there as well. It was great! It was like an Advanced Mission Prep class, and I loved it. He shared so many cool things/in-sights, and I know I will be better prepared if I remember everything he taught me. He is truly a remarkable man!
On Tuesday, I am meeting with President Walker one last time, and I am hoping to go through the temple on August 15. I am really looking forward to it, and I am excited to have a few months to go to the temple! :)
1 comment:
Hopefully we'll be around when you go to the temple. I hear there's some conflicts.
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