Week 4
Monday, March 1, 2021
Me and my MTC comp in the SLC Airport (imma miss you bro)
Week 4
Hey everyone!!!
It feels like I have been gone for years buttttt it's only been four days. Okay where do I start? I am so excited to finally be here in Michigan serving! I have a lot to share but I will try to keep it brief. '
On Wednesday I woke up at the crack of dawn to board my flight to Salt Lake City. I said goodbye to my family the night before and my parents and brother Caleb at the airport. It was sad to say goodbye but I was so excited to get out here. In the Boise airport and at the SLC airport everyone was so nice. In my security lines four or five people said congrats and asked where I was going. I laughed afterwards and wondered if the people in Michigan would be as kind. When I got to SLC I met up with my MTC comp and took some pictures. There were tons of other missionaries and we would all wave at each other. We flew in with about ten missionaries in total I believe. They were all cool and one of them is in my district I believe. But anyways we landed in Detroit and hopped on this tiny connector plane. The flight was like thirty minutes total which was weird to me. But when we landed I saw President and Sister Heap and we grabbed our bags. One of the AP's was supposed to bring this huge bus to take us but he got stuck in the mud so now it is a big joke about how he got stuck on our first day. I did some training, met with my President and then met my trainer! His name is Elder Correy. He is a way cool. He is 6'7. We drove to our first area that night and got unpacked.
But my first area is this place called Saginaw! The Zone Leaders for our zone are in our ward so we hang out with them a lot. They are really fun. Me and Elder Correy get along super well. I feel really blessed to have him as my first trainer. He has all the same goals and drives as me and we are going to get a lot done here in Saginaw 2 (that's our area name). Apparently Saginaw is the hood of our mission but I think it is great! Plus, we are pretty confined to our apartments so we don't see the sketchy stuff. We just hear about it...
I absolutely love my area though. Our area book is huge and we have a lot of potential. The people here are very humble in my few short days here we have already had several lessons. We have had lots of lessons go great and a few go bad. But, that's missionary work! We do a lot of Facebook finding and last week we did a ton of things called Invitations to Learn. Our zone had a goal to get to 250 in one week. Elder Correy and I grinded it out and got 61 in just four days. We do lots of Facebook finding and all of our lessons are over zoom. I love this work and I have lots of other things I could say but I do not want to make this too long. So here is my funny and spiritual thought from the week.
Funny thought: This week, we had a new missionary training zoom meeting with all the new missionaries in the mission. I was DEAD tired from the rigorous schedule and the two hour time change so I fell asleep during our training. I guess my trainer fell asleep as well and suddenly I woke up because I heard someone say my name on the zoom call. One of the AP's had called me out and asked me a question. I looked at my trainer and asked what the question was but he told me something about my area. So I just full sent it and said "Oh I love my area it is so great. My zone leaders are awesome and I love my trainer and I am really happy to be here in Saginaw". But, turns out that was not the question he asked. He asked what makes a model area. So my trainer told me that and I was super embarrassed but it was really funny. I answered the question right and then we turned on the mute button and started laughing super hard. Later in our Zone chat my companion called me out and said "Miracle of the Day, Elder Elliott passed out in his first missionary training". The AP that called me out was in the chat and we were all joking around about it. Pretty hilarious.
Spiritual Thought: This week me and my trainer made Transfer goals and weekly goals. (A transfer is 6 weeks long and at the end you get put with a different companion or in a different area). But, I shared a scripture with him I had been thinking about before we made them and it fired me up. Alma 57:21 says:
"21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."
I love this scripture because it is a promise to us that if we are exactly obedient, the Lord will bless us in our efforts. I decided we should make some super courageous goals for this transfer and doubled my companion's last transfer and area goals. I have a lot of faith that if we are obedient, the Lord will bless us in our efforts. I can feel that the Lord has placed me in this area for a reason. The field is ripe and ready to harvest and I am ready to thrust in my sickle and go to town. I hope that the people here in Saginaw are ready.
Love all of you, see ya next week!!
-Elder Elliott
My new companion and trainer! What a baller
The members are awesome and gave us a TON of groceries
We went to a buffet today which was bomb
We decided to get gold chains on our P-Day today (Zone leaders on the left)
The missionaries I flew in with at the Lansing Airport
So the last two are just of this statue in Saginaw. We do not know why it is here or its historical significance; but it's great. That kinda describes the city for everyone.
Saginaw sign!
