Elder Jonas Gridley's mission

  Okay I can't tell you what movie I know this is from but I need help it fits so well!     Monday we had a lesson with our friend Keegan she's Pagan its interesting teaching her very new for me but it's pretty good. Had a good lesson going back this next Thursday. Oh so we biked to this lesson and I lead and when we got there we realized Elder Wilkinson didn't have a tie!   had to get a picture super great.    Tuesday I learned what you need to do to kick someone out in NC it was interesting. Sorry umm we taught Kathy it was great we didn't expect dinner so we had 2 dinners shrug cool. It was great. Elder Wilkinson had a lot of packing not much else happened.    Wednesday TRANSFERS! So I was so excited and nervous to train. We got Elder Wilkinson and all his stuff to Transfers on time it was great gave him a hug and said goodbye and got my new companion. Well as the title of the email. I got my pick of them all. I had the spirit confirm...

    Well for the title of the email that is how I will start us off. So Tuesday we had service and well I didn't notice anything wrong with my boots why would I? Well after working at the food bank for about 3 ish hours I was feeling something at the end of my toes. I was like oh did something fall in them that's odd it's at my toes. Flip shoe over and do the shaky shake and a large dead roach falls out it was interesting he looked very dead and smashed. Odd it took me like 3 hours to figure it out I know but that was fun.     Deep sigh* just hit 9 months today!    Sunday was really fun we had an Ahoskie day where we drive like about 80 minutes total from the apartment to meet with some people in a small town. They haven't been as productive as we have hoped for but this Ahoskie day was really good! We only do them every couple of months but we meet many great people. First, a member who escaped Romania on a Saturday to avoid getting drafted or whateve...

     Though I'm fine put here working all the time I definitely loved being a pop culture junkie,, but hey "Pobodys Nerfect" guys   . From what I've seen almost all missionaries before they go home, they really slow down and just think about home. Well, it's less fun when your companion is ready to go home and when you experience it you just like make a promise to yourself that you won't become that way because it's annoying. But with God I know "I can do this all day" 2 whole years.     It's been a great start on this run but it's for 2 years it's no sprint. But speaking of running we went running for the first time since Hampton. We only ran two miles but it was great!     We taught 2 lessons with my favorite member here Brother Shakin he knows so much about the gospel and is a motivational speaker just the whole 9 yards with his people skills. But it was really fun to teach with him.     Wow, I guess it's hitting me no...

   And it changed. I was given the get to know you question for our district council. I had one all thought up but I was prompted to do a different one it was great had everyone think you got to know everyone more and they all had to do some positive self talk so that was cool.     I quoted this one this week as I looked back on just some of my life this is just a habit I've kinda developed the best I could. Just learning to live without. Rather than saying something about whatever it is I want or don't want I just either do it myself if I can or be quiet its interesting. It could be seen as a weakness especially at first but it's been crazy to see how I've changed so I'm not complaining. *hours later I say it's both good and bad I might complain a little at the moment lol.     Oh gosh so now comes the tears. Not mine but so sad... We had our last zone conference with our Mission President and his wife. They are your parents out here and it's like...

  After much effort life here is just becoming even more of joy. I wonder what makes two seemingly rather different people eventually come from tolerating the other to enjoying their presence to eventually loving them. That's what God can do. I'm far from perfect but have seen God help me love others end to just begin to truly love others that's one of God's gifts that I truly cherish. This week we meet with Hubert again second time had another good lesson he didn't really read much so that's a bummer... We meet with him and his wife and she was in desperate need of a blessing. It's unusual to explain and even give blessings to people who are rather unfamiliar but it did go well. We blessed his wife who was in great pain. Though not healed at that moment the spirit in that home was of such value it was wonderful so thankful to be in North Carolina. We were hoping to have about 4-6 people at church and we were super excited leading up to it.   We got our frie...

  Well, this week was pretty fun and fast! We had a super fun exchange. I was surprised how fast it came up. I have been low-key pretty bummed that Elder Jacobs is not my zone leader anymore. I've had him as a zone leader for like 7 months. Anywho I'd grown quite attached and don't know the zone leader here hardly at all except elder Imlay. But though I was nervous of how fun or good the exchange would go the moment they arrived I had such a great time. The one-on-one time with another missionary is so fun very needed more than I knew haha.  We had a cool miracle on the exchange where we had been tracking for close to 2 hours and it had been pretty good but our last contact was 2 guys across the street one was loud and seemingly interested but the other man was far more interested and I kinda just crept off to the side while Elder Imlay talked to the other guy. He was super ready to hear the message and we are meeting with him Friday his name is Hubert nice older guy just...

  So you're going to want to read this story even if I can't do it justice but the title of my email will all make sense in a funnier way than you or I may have expected.  So we went off to a shoe store Elder Wilkinson put some shoes on hold and we were off to go get them and had to turn around after just 20 seconds to get Elder Wilkinson's phone. Well he ran in with the keys came back in the car and we were off. Well, longer story short we got to the store and realized I didn't have the keys asked Elder Wilkinson if he had them because he ran inside before we left. He checked his pockets but nothing. Double checked the car and nothing well we called a member and his grandma went over to the house and the deadbolt was locked and there were no keys there. Well, we got the shoes where like just trying to figure out what to do. Elder Wilkinson reaches into his pocket and the keys were there. So I guess he just had to dig a little deeper oh boy I hope it's not a long tr...