Things are heating up

Hey everyone!

Well, I am typing this E-mail in a short-sleeve white shirt, and my suit on the chair next to mine. Things are quite a bit hot here in SLC, much more than they likely are back in good ol' Woodruff. Thank goodness the rules allow for us to work without the suit jacket on if things are uncomfortably hot enough. I may have to work like this for a while down there on the International floor. Aside from this, things have been pretty good, and there seems to be some excitement in the future.

I have recently seen a presentation on the Mission Intranet on some history of the mission, and some changes it has gone through in the past ten years. Over these years, the mission has been slowly shifting from a service mission, which Young Elders could serve more according to their own schedules, to a full-time mission. I think the change officially took place last January, when the missionaries changed their badges from the right side of their suit to the left, matching the style of all those serving proselyting missions. Anyway, another shift towards the more standard mission style was announced last Wednesday, and implemented last Thursday: We now only have to report at zone at 9:30 AM each morning, as opposed to the 7:30 AM we previously had to be there. We will still wake up at the same time, and are expected to use the extra time in the same way that is standard for other missionaries: scripture studies, exercise, week preparations, etc. The change has been readily accepted by other missionaries, and I too am enjoying this changed: I am no longer rushed to get to zone each morning, and I can have more time to do other things in the mornings! I am excited to see more changes which come to the mission, especially with the new Mission President!

Speaking of which, there was a special party held last Monday for departing and incoming missionaries, especially for President and Sister Tate (which I think I have talked a bit about in the last E-mail). Me and the other Young Elders had practiced a bit more for it last Sunday, and got to perform at the party for them. We have gotten many compliments for that, especially from President Tate. It was a great way to remember what they have done for the mission, and they will be missed by us all!

The mission is quite excited at the moment, because we currently have four new Young Elders! We do need more Young Elders, a lot of the ones we currently have will be going home quite soon. I just wish I could be able to get to know them better like I had the ones before them, when there was room in our apartment to house and train them. I don't know a ton about them, but I do think that, if I am still in International after this month's Transfer Conference, I will see one of them there - I forget his name, but one of them can actually speak quite a few languages pretty well (sadly, Danish isn't one of them). I am excited to see the new faces, and I hope that I can see more come in next month!

Speaking of Transfer Conference, Elders Lindsay and Reeves think it will be me who leaves the tri-companionship. I thought Elder Reeves might be assigned to a new Young Elder to help train him, but their logic is more sound: Elder Reeves needs to train Elder Lindsay in his new leadership position. Either way, I am a bit excited for the conference. I do not want to have to move again, but aside from that, I wouldn't mind a little change of scenery. Come to think about it, I may have used that same phrasing before every one of my Transfer Conferences, but that's just how I feel about the whole thing. I like change, but they do like me in International. I will just wait and see where the Lord takes me.

Our companionship did have a dinner appointment with some Senior missionaries. However, we realized that the Appointment Card we had was for another companionship, so me and Elder Lindsay had to go back to the JSMB to find out if we actually did have a dinner appointment. After a bunch of running around only to find the place locked up tighter than than the Vault, we got a text from an Assistant to the President who had a list of the week's dinner appointments, and we did have one. So, we made a mad dash back home to grab Elder Reeves (who we had left with other missionaries in a temporary exchange), and we went on over to the apartment where dinner was to be had. The dinner itself was great, and there was some nice conversation to be had there! 

Today was P-Day, but not much was bought today. We already have quite a bit of leftovers, and we want to eat through a bunch of those before we go buying more food. So, after buying a couple staples, we called it good. We then tried to find another place, a discount grocery store called NPS, which we learned about at the dinner appointment. After a couple wrong turns, we finally discovered the out-of-the-way location. The way the store was ran was this: they pick up food which is about to expire from other stores (among other things), and sell it there. In return, we can enjoy some very good prices - there was a sale on some diet sodas for five twelve packs for ten dollars! I do think, despite the inconvenient location and the appearance of the interior (which was a dim, grungy, garage-like look which made Wal-Mart look like a palace), we will be returning there in the future!

Well, my next E-mail may be any day of the week, as Transfer Conference is next Tuesday. I will try to work out a P-Day by Saturday of that week, so that I don't have to keep you waiting too long for an E-mail, as well as buy myself some food without having to wait 13 days. If I do get transferred from this zone, I hope that I get placed in a non-patron facing zone, for a change of pace. For my Weekly Challenge, I will give you the same objective which was given the Young Elders at Transfer Conference. There, we were challenged to read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover, in 90 days. I think I have given you something similar in a recent challenge, but this time, I am also giving you a goal to go along with it, which is something which I will attempt to give my challenges from here on out. I have faith you can do it, if you set your mind to it! Anyway, that's all from me for the week. Next week, Transfer Conference will have come and gone. Here's to hoping things go well! Have a good one!

From,

Elder Bryce Petersen