Missionary Monday - Happy Halloween!!!

I would like to bear you my testimony of winning over the members as a missionary. I know that this work is true. It has greatly blessed me in my mission. Seriously though, we are getting hooked up! Marshall freaking loves us. When I first got here we were lucky to get three dinners a week and now I can't remember the last night we didn't get fed. Plus people have given us so much stuff that we haven't needed to buy groceries for weeks. The Conrads fed us twice last week, but the best part is that she is an extreme couponer and they have what they call the General Store in their basement. We refused as much as we could and still went home with bags full of stuff. The Ruzs give us a bunch of stuff from Kelloggs too so our cupboards are FULL. And we opened our door yesterday to find a bag full of doughnuts from our neighbor in the apartment and we have open invitations with the pastors from the churches we visit for food. What I'm trying to say is life is good in Marshall. 

Elder Tu'ua challenged two of Buddy's friends to play us in basketball. If they lost they had to come to church and if we lost we had to buy them lunch. The guys we challenged were a black guy and a white guy (not being racist, just giving the details), both under six foot. They couldn't make it so Buddy brought two black guys that were 6'3" and 6'8". We were a little pissed cause there was no way we would have agreed to play them, but we weren't about to chicken out either. So we went ahead and played them and they sucked! But we sucked too. My athleticism has significantly decreased since I've been out and its killing me. We were halfway through the game and were right with them, but Elder Tu'ua sprained his ankle and we didn't finish. So no one came to church or bought lunch. It was pretty anti-climactic. 

We are trying a little different approach to door knocking and its actually worked really well so far. We rake a crap ton of leaves though. We went over to talk to Gary and his mom was there and we offered to rake their leaves and we did, but she was very insistent on paying us or making a "donation". We told her she is more than welcome to come to church and she told us she has a church that she is happy with. Then later that night Gary texted us and said both his mom and daughter said they would come to church. So we were excited about that. Then the next day the Branch had a Trunk or Treat and tons of people came to that. It was great. Then while we were there the first councilor informed Elder Finlayson and I that we were speaking in church the next day. So pretty much no notice, but we were speaking on the Apostasy and Restoration so it wasn't a big deal. It was going to be perfect. Gary's family would be there, Buddy, and Brother Swan's unbaptized granddaughter. So I decided to fast because I thought we had tons of potential because Gary's family hadn't heard the Restoration and has been fairly passive so far. So everything was good, I prepared, and Sunday morning the bag of doughnuts were at our door and I had to skip them. Then we went over to the Ruz's early to try to wake up their kids to go to church. The kids wouldn't go but Sis Ruz made us breakfast and I had to skip that too. I figured I was being tested and it would make my fasting victory that much sweeter. Then we got to church and Buddy and his wife didn't come because of something they ate at the Trunk or Treat, Swan's granddaughter was out of town, Gary's daughter was with her mom at the hospital and Gary's mom woke up with a bad back. So we had ZERO investigators at church. I ran back to the car to stuff my face with doughnuts. It was the shortest fast I've ever had. Elder Finlayson and I killed it with our talks too. They would have been running to the font.

I'm kind of getting tired of going to the nursing home. That place is depressing. My new goal in life is to make sure no one I know ends up in a nursing home.

It snowed a little this week, but nothing stuck. Michigan is still beautiful. The colors are fantastic, I need to take more pictures.

Have a good week.

Elder Beck

Action shot of Elder Tu'ua breaking Bro Young's rake. Ha.