One Week Older And Wiser, Too.

Hey everyone!


The moral of this week is this: Do not consume a spoonfull of Carolina Reaper hot sauce, especially when the bottle says "Danger: intense heat"

This week has been incredible. Our P-day was moved to today to accommodate thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, by the way!
Transfers happened, and our apartment went from 5 to 4. Also, I'm driving now! apparently I didn't make a good first impression to the driving coordinator, while talking about how much I love manuals and drifting in the snow, because he told me if I give him any trouble, he'll make me eat the card I use to log in to the car system.

Our teaching pool has reset. Our most progressing friends dropped us, and I have come to decide why I'm here on a mission: I'm not here to make any numbers increase, to get any one baptism, or make any reports look good. I'm here so I can find the one person God has been preparing. I'm here to find the person whose future could depend on how hard I work to find them, through the power of the spirit.

We had a couple just show up to church on Sunday, and attend the meetings. We asked them after and they said they were looking for a Christian church and got referred here, after showing up to the English branch 15 minutes away. We had a meeting with them today, and learned that they're in such a tough situation. They're the sweetest couple I've met on thusfar, though. We invited them to read the Book of Mormon and keep praying, and bore testimony of its truths. Please pray for them!

Little miracles throughout the week: we ended up not going out for spanish study, and were able to help the apartment guy install a new microwave here!
We got a very random referral from a kid on the street. We went to it, and they didn't answer, but then we found 5 other people to talk to!
5 people showed up to English class! This was unprecedented! Hoping they can come back and learn English!


Okay. The hot sauce. There I was, high and mighty going to prove my spice tolerance to the other elders by consuming a spoonful of the spiciest sauce I've ever encountered. I knew I'd maybe made a wrong choice when one of the last Elder walked in to the room and his jaw dropped. 
I ate it, and it was a little spicy. At first, a little in my tongue, then my throat caught fire, and I was wolfing down a muffin. I was just about to reach for the ice cream when it hit. And it was as if a boulder dropped into my stomach, I tried laying down, just to find that hurt more. I stumbled to the bathroom just in case it would come back out. I wish it did.
The floor tile was cold, but it didn't help. I was sitting there feeling like I was being punched over and over from the inside of my stomach. The pain did not stop. I must have been there for 5 minutes, just trying to breathe. Usually, pain has an end, this one had none in sight.
Eventually it cooled down, leaving only a sizzle where there must have been hot coals. I was shaking, and getting to sleep took a little longer than usual. But overall, I was good. For the next few days I did wonder about the health impacts, but I'm happy to say I'm totally good now.
What I learned, is that every experience has value. I don't regret it. My conception of pain was greatly broadened, and now I know never to doubt the label.
I do not recommend this to ANYONE. 

Anyway, I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving! We did a turkey bowl where I played American Football for the first time, and it was pretty epic! Then we were fed well by the branch president.


Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
I found this and it really stuck with me. It reminds me of the song "how firm a foundation" and for me shows that God is with us in everything. We are strengthened by him, when we rely on him.


-Élder Duncan 

Pictures:
-We found Nicolas Cage in our cupboards
-Cold In College Place
-Also very foggy
-I was very proud of these mashed potatoes
-Football in the fog!




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