Week 34

 Monday, September 27, 2021

Good Morning everyone!!!!

I realized yesterday that I have been here for 5 months. It feels like yesterday I was getting my transfer call to come here and was absolutely wrecked realizing I was going to have to leave Saginaw. Now, I have been in the Midland stake for almost 8 months. It has been miracle filled, and I wouldn't trade my time here in Bay City for anything in the world. 

Elder Clouse cracks me up. He is a very fun missionary to serve around. He is also a great companion. He always cooks for us, and he is so quick with everything that he also CLEANS everything before anyone gets the chance to. His energy is contagious and he wakes up in the mornings just hyped to be alive. He is funny, and we are getting along really well. The funny moment of the week with him is that he sometimes will get letters from home and we always mess with him and tell him he is going to get "Dear Johned" (that is when a girl back home tells you she is done talking to you, just some missionary slang for you). He is a good sport lol

But anyways, oh my goodness, I had such a wonderful week here in Bay City! We saw so many cool things happen! We saw miracles, we got packages, a new Elder moved into the apartment, PATRICK GOT BAPTIZED, and I have some funny stories to tell. 

Let's start with miracles. There was one day this week that we just had a TON of really awesome stuff happen. Do you guys remember Jazzii? She is BACK! This week, she randomly texted me back and she came to church on Sunday again! At church she was like "yeah, we will have to reschedule my baptism" Sooooo she still wants to get baptized! Elder Clouse and I were super excited. We are going to start meeting with her again this week. It is amazing!! 

Another miracle was Patrick's Baptism gift. The day Patrick set a date to be baptized, I asked my Mother to order him a set of scriptures with his name on them. We didn't think it would get here in time for his baptism, but we were fine because I figured we could give it to him later. BUT, my Mother messaged me and she had been praying his package would get here on time. Low and behold, somehow it got here like four days early. IT was SO cool!!! Patrick absolutely LOVED the gift too. I will talk about that later. But the Lord was very mindful of Patrick. 

On Tuesday we dropped Elder Candland off in Mount Pleasant to pick up the new Elder who will be joining us in Bay City. His name is Elder Eccles, and he actually used to serve in Bay City. He was trained here and he gets to finish off his mission here. He only has 6 weeks but he is a pretty nice guy! It was sad saying goodbye to Elder Candland. He was a fun Elder to serve around. On Monday, we had one of the Zone Leaders staying with us for the day and it was really fun. Elder Zacher is a great guy and again, I hope we are companions someday. 

But I will now move to the highlight of my email, PATTY'S BAPTISM (His nickname isn't actually Patty, I just gave him that nickname for when I am referencing Patrick haha). This whole week we met with him every single day to clear up concerns he had. Some days he would be ready to rock and roll, and other days he would be worried to death about getting baptized. It was pretty stressful only having a week to get him and the baptism prepared but with the help of the Lord, we did it!! 

Saturday rolled around and we had the baptism. It was such a sweet experience that I will never forget. I love Patrick so much! He got there and changed and then we had a few members give some talks. It was so fun to watch Patrick through it all. He just had the biggest smile on his face! He looked so happy! After that, we had his baptism! Patrick asked me to do the honors. It was definitely the smoothest baptism I have been a part of hahaha. It was awesome!! Elder Clouse confirmed him and gave him the Holy Ghost. After everything was over, we had some sandwiches and stuff from the members and got to talk with everyone. I gave Patrick the present from my family and I and it was so sweet to see his reaction. He was genuinely so excited to have it. He kept saying "Oh, thank you so much!!" He told me to tell my Mom thank you haha. The next day at church, the ward sustained him and it felt like a dream come true. After so many months of meeting with him, he had taken the leap of faith! I have had some really cool experiences teaching Patrick. I know that he will be a lifelong member of the church; he is here to stay. At church was the highlight of it all. He told me "Elder Elliott, I just wanted to say that besides my children being born, yesterday was the happiest day of my life."

Funny Moments of the week:

Elder Clouse's Mom sent him a few packages this week and it is so funny when us missionaries get mail. It is literally like Christmas. I was opening the package with him and we were getting so hyped. Every time we pulled something new out of the package we were like "YOOOOO" It literally feels like a holiday lol

Okay I have to write about this guy Elder Reynolds I serve around. I have served around him since the beginning of my mission and he is just something else. When we both moved here to Bay City, he got addicted to Mountain Dew and he would drink a two-liter everyday. It was just so funny because he would get on this sugar high and would NOT act like himself at all. He is usually a pretty mellow and introverted guy. After a while, he realized that it was NOT good and he switched to only drinking Propells. He would not share them either, Elder Clouse asked him for one and he is still the only person to have one. Then, he switched to this mixture of cranberry juice and knock-off Cola. Now, he is back to Mountain Dew . Maybe you don't think that is very funny, but I want to look back and laugh at this haha

One last funny story this week is that during the week, we have a "Zone Chat" with a bunch of missionaries in it and we all talk after 9 (that is when our proselyting time ends). Someone asked everyone in the chat to take a picture of their companionship jumping in the air. Elder Clouse and I thought it would be funny to take a picture of us floating on our beds haha everyone thought it was pretty funny. 

Well that is about it for the week. I want to write a spiritual thought now. With Patrick's baptism, I have been reflecting on this scripture in Alma 23:6. 

"6 And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working ^amiracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were ^bconverted unto the Lord, ^cnever did fall away."

I serve my mission because I want to find people and help them come closer to Christ. I want everyone to know as I do that Christ lives. This is HIS church. I know Patrick will be like these people in the Book of Mormon. He will never fall away. These moments we have are what as missionaries, we live for. 

I love you all!

Elder Elliott 

Okay so here is what is happening in the pictures there are some in the email attached to it:

- Patrick's baptism

-Patrick with his scriptures!! (He loved them)

-Us floating 

-Bye Elder Candland!

-B-Dubs at transfers 

-We love mail!

-Brother Rase is our Missionary Coordinator and he is a legend. We helped his Mom move some stuff after the baptism