Time is just flying by!! It feels like April just started and I had my birthday. Now it is May.
My week was just amazing as always!! It started out with just the typical door knocking and we found a great family that we have started teaching. Their names are Steven and I think Ellie. The dad is from Thailand so I can say a few words to him like “hi, how are you” and “do you have some food for me.” haha Elder Bo was good at teaching me.
As our week went on I got a call from our APs. They are the best!! Elder Fukafuka and Jackson are both from Utah but one was born in Tonga. Anyway, they called me on Tuesday and invited me to attend what we call Golden Orientation. This is when they take all the new missionaries that just got here and sorta train them for two days and show them the ropes. Well, I never went to mine since I flew up north right off the bat. So they invited me to come and attend.
They held the training in the chapel next to the temple so I got to spend two whole days seeing and being by the temple. I am so grateful for the temple and cannot wait to go inside in a few weeks.
At the training I was the "oldest" missionary. All those around me had just come. So I got picked on a lot. No in a bad way, but a scary way. President McSwain and the APs would always call on me and have me give my advice. I was ok with that and had heaps of fun trying to help out.
The real scare came when the APs invited me to teach a whole big lesson to President McSwain and his wife. I was pretty nervous. They went pretty hard on me. They pretended to be catholic and really tried to get me on the trinity. I had a strong spirit with me and we ended up having a really good lesson and I set President McSwain on date to get baptized. Haha so fun.
Going to a beginners training after being out for 9 months really helps you pick up on all that you forgot. I was so surprised all the little things that I missed out on or forget. So I learned heaps of stuff that will help me serve.
Quick funny story time now. We stayed there for two days and stayed in a really fancy hotel in the city. That was cool. In the morning our mission does what we call snap gravity. It is a workout that we do to defeat the natural man. It started with a big run from the hotel to the temple. About 4 km away. As we run through the city we stop at all the stoplights and do little workouts like push ups, squats, and ab workouts. I told myself I was going to give it my all. So I did. I was so tired and sore but I kept going.
When we got to the temple we had a quick workout on the grass and then did a big run back to the hotel. Well I was not feeling very well but Elder Jackson challenged me to a race back to the hotel. Come on mate lets go!! We sprinted the whole way and when we were nearing the finish line about 4 blocks away I could not hold it back. As we passed a little outdoor breakfast restaurant I let loose a beast!! As I passed I threw up all over the road and all in front of all the people eating. I kept running though. Elder Jackson passed me and said, “Are you ok?” “Yes keep going”. haha We had the biggest laugh after and it was so funny!!
When we got back to the hotel we showered and went to more training throughout the day.
That was a great time to learn and grow and then I got to apply it the last few days of the week.
Our baptism of the two girls sparked an interest in the mom and she is going under the water the day before mother's day!! She is so excited and when we announced it in church during sacrament she stood up while bishop announced it and told everyone how excited she was. It was pretty funny!! It has been so great to teach her and have her know it is true. She has looked around a bit for the right church and knows now she found it!! It is great!!
Their dad has not taken any interest the whole time until just a few days ago. He sat down with me and really started to ask questions and show an interest!! It gave us a great opportunity to testify how much the gospel will bless your family and help you live a good life. This was his first lesson really and it was on the plan of salvation but just a little part of it. But we felt so prompted to invite him to be baptized. Well he said he had never thought about it but is going to now. His wife is really helping him and the members are so great!!
We had the first counselor invite us over for dinner and also invited the Boyces. That is the family name. Anyway the whole family came and they loved it. We could not really teach the family with a good spirit because the kids were being crazy and causing noise and panic for the parents. Well our bishop showed up at the door unannounced and said he felt prompted to come. Well it worked out amazing. The family got to meet the bishop and the first counselor took the kids out to play. We had an amazing spirit and he will be on date soon. He said he just wants to make sure this is right and not to be rushed. All is well and he will come around with time and fellowship.
Our other big miracle was on trade off with my ZL from AF. He went to AFHS so we had a bit of a rivalry going but overcame our differences and became powerful teachers. We set some amazing plans and then had a member call us up and say, ‘I have nothing today. Can I tag along with you!!“ Haha yes!! It was amazing. He came with us to two people. Elle and Tracy!! Elle was on the verge of crying the whole lesson about family and Gods love for families. She is just a great new investigator. Having a member with us really helped too to get that connection. The big miracle though was our lesson with a new investigator, Tracy. She knows the church really well and loves it. After we had a powerful lesson on Jesus Christ and his love for us to establish a church and prophet she said yes to baptism on June 16. We prayed really hard about this date and it paid off!! That was her birthday!!
I guess I just want to bare testimony on the reality of this gospel and how much God is in charge of this work. So many things have happened that show me that God loves his children and has a plan for them to accept the gospels and as I plan by the spirit and do the Lord's will, miracles happen. I testify that this is the church of Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Love you all,
Elder Cahoon
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