Well, I guess we'll have to eat the dog ...

We are so calm, cool and collected.

Elder, look out!

 

I told y'all last week about us all talking in our sleep; Last night Elder Youd and I were lying awake, and we both heard Elder Bowers say "Comprende?"Then he said, "Well... I guess we'll have to eat the dog..." I can only imagine what he was dreaming about lol! He woke up to our snickering laughter, and said "Did I just say we'll have to eat the dog?" It was the funniest thing that has happened to me in this area! It made my night.

Oh, before I forget, transfer calls came today; I'm staying! So are Elder Bowers and Elder Youd. I'm glad; they are in my top 3 for favorite companions. My father (trainer) Elder Nielsen is staying, and his new companions are my step-trainer, Elder Harper, and an elder I served with in Conyers, Elder Kartchner. 3 missionaries is the style now, I guess. Elder Hernandez, our other zone leader, is moving to Spanish Cherokee, and is becoming our new District Leader. Elder Richardson, our old DL, is going zone leader in Conyers. Transfers are always so interesting; you never know what is going to happen.

Anyway,

How are y'all?

This past week has been a little slow; everyone was gone for spring break, and Elder Youd and Bowers both got pretty sick. Surprisingly, yours truly is fine and dandy! I fully expect to get sick in the coming week, though. Elder Bowers was the worst; we think he has the flu. He's doing better today, but yesterday he almost passed out, so we went back to the apartment early so he could sleep.

Even with these obstacles, we pressed forward with a steadfastness in Christ, and did the best we could!

Last P-day, half of the Marietta Zone (that's us) went to Stevie B's, an all-you-can-eat pizza place (which is far superior to CeeCee's), and did work! The 12 of us ate over 200 slices of pizza (a new Stevie B record!). We then took the crust and constructed a palace, using toothpicks to hold it all together. It was awesome! We're getting a picture on the wall; way to represent! We were all super full, though; we probably ate two whole pizza pies each (not including the bread sticks and dessert we also had). I may not eat for a week. That's probably not true; we are going to eat in a second.

We taught our top investigator on Monday and Thursday this week; she is way funny, but we can't seem to get her to come to church; the gloves are coming off now lol. She may be moving to Hawaii for school, so we gotta get her dunked in the water before she leaves us; they need to come to church twice before they can be baptized.

I love the members here; they feed us so well, and love to do missionary work! There are actually a couple people who lived in Orem; that lady who sent that picture of me to Sister Brown then to you, for instance (Sister Penrod). Oh, that reminds me, did a lady named Sister Brock get in contact with any of y'all? She was visiting Utah, and she offered to say hi to our families while she was there. She met Elder Youd's family (they told him in his e-mail today), so I was just wondering.

Welcome back to getting off topic with me, Elder Dickson!

Anyway, we had an interesting situation come up; the ex-boyfriend of the funniest person at the branch, who is a recent convert of about 2 months, asked if he can take the discussions. She wants nothing more to do with him (it was a bad relationship) but consented to giving his information to us; she told us if he starts coming to the branch, she'll move to another ward. We resolved it by having him go to the family ward here (since he lives in the boundaries); that way, we can see if he really is interested, or if he is just trying to get back with her. We are missionaries; we give everyone the opportunity to hear the gospel. We are doing our best to judge righteously; he seems interested enough, and he came to sacrament meeting with his new girlfriend, so we'll see. I'm trying not to let my love for the convert get in the way of giving him a chance.

We also got to teach this pretty cool kid who is going to Kennesaw State U; he approached us last week, told us he had attended some LDS services before, has a Mormon best friend, and wants us to know more. How awesome! We taught him a first on Thursday; he has some interesting ideas, but he agreed to get baptized if he learned these things were true. He has studied a lot of religions; he is half black and half Pakistan, so he grew up Muslim, then converted to Christianity, and has been to a ton of churches. He didn't come to ours this week, but we'll get 'im!

Friday we had a movie night; some of the zone (including ourselves) invited members, less-actives, and investigators alike to watch the Joseph Smith movie. It was good; we only had 2 come, but they really enjoyed the film; everyone was kind of in a somber and reverent mood afterwards. I had just finished reading Our Heritage (a book in our missionary library that is a brief history of the Church); our pioneer ancestors suffered sooooooooooo much so we could have religious freedom and prosperity and the church of course. I wish I knew more about my own pioneer ancestors; I need to do more genealogy.

Saturday we split wood at the Bishop's house, which was actually a lot of fun! There is something primal about breaking wood with an axe that gives us great pleasure. ARGH! I AM MAN! HEAR ME ROAR! lol sorry. I don't know what came over me.

Sunday was pretty good; a couple of less-actives and 'gators came to church, including a friend of the bishop; we taught him a first in Gospel Principles, and he took the challenge to read and ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon. We'll see.

That's about all that happened this week; most of it was spent taking care of the sickies.

It's all good, though; little miracles happen everyday; the ones I tell you about in these letters aren't even a hundredth of them. I have had such a great experience out here; I know who I am now; I am a son of God with a divine potential and a rich inheritance; I am a missionary, like my father before me; I am here to prepare to meet God at the last day. The church is so true. Jesus is the Christ. This is the Lord's Kingdom. In the name of our Master, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

IN answer to your e-mail:

Hey, stinkymcgooferpants (I just made that one up). Sorry school is boring, but it's gone before you know it. Go beast mode in Churchball! Represent! Help Mom out all you can. Love ya!

Go Cougars! Hope they destroy! Well, not destroy, just seriously mame or injure lol!

Hey Shelby! I'm glad the tornado didn't kill me too lol! Show those other kids why they don't mess with the team Shelby Mae Dickson is on lol! Represent! Hope Disneyland fulfills all your deepest dreams! I love you too, sis!  I miss watching Star Wars and want to see Puss in Boots now, but what I'm doing now is so much better! No offense.
Hey, Mom! I am having a lot of fun out here; there is a quote that I think is from President Hinckley that said "If you aren't having fun, you aren't doing it right!" I take that to heart.
Represent in Volleyball! I love you so much! Your the best Mom ever!!

Hey, Dad! Hope all is well in Nebraskaaaaa! Love you too!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Dick! Hope your birthday is exquisite! Hi, Grannie Sheila! 

I pray that you all are always protected and never neglected. Make Christ the center of your life, and you will not fall of the beaten path. Take luck!

 

Love,

Elder Casey Guy Dickson