Weekly Ramblings #88
Hey All!
this week was basically amazing. could have been a LITTLE better, but not much. I dont know if I had ever explained the "9 standards of excellence" of the mission (even though there are really 10...), they are correspondant to the 9 key indicators (or basically, our 9 different weekly dats, other than baptisms and confirmations) and the mission has goals set for all 9. the president wants us all to get at least 5 every week because he says, and it is very true, that 5 or 6 out of the 9 are easily achieved, and if they arent, it's because the elders didnt have the desire to get it done. the other 4 or 5 standards are mainly up to the Lord and how much He blesses you, as there is only so much you can do yourself to get investigators in church, progressing, and with baptism dates.
Anyway, this past week my comp and I deffinately got 9. that is something that in time president would hope everyone is achieving every single week, but this week, for example, 18 companionships got 9, and that's the most to ever get it...so for now, that is deffinately a way big sweet totally awesome rock on thing that we got 9...especially considering the area we are in. the main accomplishment out of all that was having 8 investigators in church yesterday. and there were actually 3 that came that we werent expecting...but there were 3 we WERE expecting that didnt come, they were really supposed to, but apparently they had gone out to the campo for some reason.
it was an interesting week as we had to get 5 of those standards by Friday. 18 lessons, 10 references recieved and 10 contacted, 18 new investigators and 10 less active/new member lessons...that all may not have much meaning to you guys...that's not all that hard to achieve in 5 days, we had done it before...but the clincher on this week is we actually HAD to get it done in those 5 days, a little more stress. Friday we had district meeting in concordia (the main city 2 hours away) and that took up half the day. then saturday morning we went to concordia for general conferance, which meant having that many investigators in church would have been hard because we wouldnt have been able to be there to make sure they get there.
our branch only went up on sunday, so we were already there when they got there, and I really had no idea how many investigators would show up, but the Lord decided to bless us. our recent convert had come with her 3 younger siblings (which also means that once again the husband-partner-guy-thingy is out of the house and we again have hope to be able to baptize them). then her older sister came with HER husband-partner-guy-thingy...they would already be baptized, but they arent married still...they're workin on it. then there was a member couple where the wife has a couple sisters and brothers that came that would be baptized, but the dad wont let them get baptized until they are adults...in other words, not under his rule...he's not completely against the church really, just still doesnt want them baptized yet. then there was one member who had brought a friend and we set up to teach him. 8 people. the kinda funny(yet sad all the same) is that only that 1 guy can really get baptized any time in the immediate future...the other 7 have to get married or have to have dumb fathers leave or change their minds. but yeah, Im way excited that (once again) that man keeping our recent convert's family from getting baptized is gone.
saturday was cool. when we got to concordia we helped the Zone Leaders move into their new pench. me and Elder Henderson carried a fridge and a stove, by hand, about 5-6 blocks. their new place is sweet, it is right across the street from the district center, and they live on the 10th floor...it is a pretty sweet view, especially last night as there was a ton of way big lightning.
I won a new tie. I had kind of a wager going with an elder, I had to drop below 90 kilograms (which is 198 pounds) in september, I started out the month at about 96 Kilos (212 pounds, or there abouts). I got any tie I wanted if I won (and he has nice ties) or Id have to buy him a $15 Asado (that about 4 pounds of barbacue-ness). I promise I did nothing extreme and unhealthy to lose those 14ish pounds...I changed a few eating habits that needed to be changed and that did most of the work. I actually had told the elder thursday night that I was pretty sure he had already won, but I stepped on a scale saturday morning (right after helping them move) and I was at 90.5...only 1 pound I had to lose...that IS, in fact, when I kind of went into wrestling mode, using tactics to lose that last pound...after the second session of conferance on saturday I weighed in at just barely under 90 with all my clothes and stuff on...we think the scale was pretty off...but when I also took off my shoes, belt, tie, and stuff out of my pockets, I was 88 kilos...so Im not sure if the scale could really be 2 kilos (4 pounds) off...but it was right after weighing in that I deffinately chugged some water and wanted something to eat.
Conferance was pretty sweet. you guys watched it, right? riiiiight?? ok, good. for the 4th priesthood session, last april being the one time he hasnt said it, President Monson quoted Shenandoah, "if you dont try, you dont do, and if you dont do, then why are we here?". he also repeated a couple other things from his talk LAST october, about doing our duty and also about having June roses in the Decembers in our lives. it was cool, because I liked all that stuff a lot, but it was kinda funny to hear him say some of the same stuff...maybe apostles actually prepare talks the night before some times...just with a lot more inspiration and revelation?...right. Elder Bednar's talk was amazing..."Welcome to Argentina" went through my mind various times. then there was Elder Holland's talk, that had just about the biggest cane drop ever, it was pretty sweet. Im gonna love getting that ensign, and eventually buying those conferance CDs.
so, now Im here, still in concordia. I dont know if I already said it, but, we're not going on our dam tour anymore (note from Anne: I think he just likes to say that because he can). apparently the guy that was gonna give it is sick, but, we are gonna play volleyball and have other mad fun today, it'll be cool. we go back tonight to go to our area.
I was rather excited to read that you got the New York dvd...I had kind of given up hope on that. but that'll be pretty sweet to see. it doesnt surprise me that much that when anne called she didnt mention anything about me coming home. she could be way excited, or way not excited, and she still wouldnt let it be known what she really thinks, she's really good at that.
well, another good week come and gone. 59 days left?...but who's counting, right? elder henderson is one of the elders I came from the mtc with, he's one of the Zone Leaders, and the other ZL was in the mtc with us, the group right before us, so we make fun of him a lot about how he's going home so soon. I really like the zone right now, Im not sure I could ask for a better group of people. well, I gotta go, let the fun begin. behave. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Casey Adams
"Smile, the Gospel is true"
"Sonriensen, el Evangelio es verdadero"
-Me
~edited and posted by anne :o)
this week was basically amazing. could have been a LITTLE better, but not much. I dont know if I had ever explained the "9 standards of excellence" of the mission (even though there are really 10...), they are correspondant to the 9 key indicators (or basically, our 9 different weekly dats, other than baptisms and confirmations) and the mission has goals set for all 9. the president wants us all to get at least 5 every week because he says, and it is very true, that 5 or 6 out of the 9 are easily achieved, and if they arent, it's because the elders didnt have the desire to get it done. the other 4 or 5 standards are mainly up to the Lord and how much He blesses you, as there is only so much you can do yourself to get investigators in church, progressing, and with baptism dates.
Anyway, this past week my comp and I deffinately got 9. that is something that in time president would hope everyone is achieving every single week, but this week, for example, 18 companionships got 9, and that's the most to ever get it...so for now, that is deffinately a way big sweet totally awesome rock on thing that we got 9...especially considering the area we are in. the main accomplishment out of all that was having 8 investigators in church yesterday. and there were actually 3 that came that we werent expecting...but there were 3 we WERE expecting that didnt come, they were really supposed to, but apparently they had gone out to the campo for some reason.
it was an interesting week as we had to get 5 of those standards by Friday. 18 lessons, 10 references recieved and 10 contacted, 18 new investigators and 10 less active/new member lessons...that all may not have much meaning to you guys...that's not all that hard to achieve in 5 days, we had done it before...but the clincher on this week is we actually HAD to get it done in those 5 days, a little more stress. Friday we had district meeting in concordia (the main city 2 hours away) and that took up half the day. then saturday morning we went to concordia for general conferance, which meant having that many investigators in church would have been hard because we wouldnt have been able to be there to make sure they get there.
our branch only went up on sunday, so we were already there when they got there, and I really had no idea how many investigators would show up, but the Lord decided to bless us. our recent convert had come with her 3 younger siblings (which also means that once again the husband-partner-guy-thingy is out of the house and we again have hope to be able to baptize them). then her older sister came with HER husband-partner-guy-thingy...they would already be baptized, but they arent married still...they're workin on it. then there was a member couple where the wife has a couple sisters and brothers that came that would be baptized, but the dad wont let them get baptized until they are adults...in other words, not under his rule...he's not completely against the church really, just still doesnt want them baptized yet. then there was one member who had brought a friend and we set up to teach him. 8 people. the kinda funny(yet sad all the same) is that only that 1 guy can really get baptized any time in the immediate future...the other 7 have to get married or have to have dumb fathers leave or change their minds. but yeah, Im way excited that (once again) that man keeping our recent convert's family from getting baptized is gone.
saturday was cool. when we got to concordia we helped the Zone Leaders move into their new pench. me and Elder Henderson carried a fridge and a stove, by hand, about 5-6 blocks. their new place is sweet, it is right across the street from the district center, and they live on the 10th floor...it is a pretty sweet view, especially last night as there was a ton of way big lightning.
I won a new tie. I had kind of a wager going with an elder, I had to drop below 90 kilograms (which is 198 pounds) in september, I started out the month at about 96 Kilos (212 pounds, or there abouts). I got any tie I wanted if I won (and he has nice ties) or Id have to buy him a $15 Asado (that about 4 pounds of barbacue-ness). I promise I did nothing extreme and unhealthy to lose those 14ish pounds...I changed a few eating habits that needed to be changed and that did most of the work. I actually had told the elder thursday night that I was pretty sure he had already won, but I stepped on a scale saturday morning (right after helping them move) and I was at 90.5...only 1 pound I had to lose...that IS, in fact, when I kind of went into wrestling mode, using tactics to lose that last pound...after the second session of conferance on saturday I weighed in at just barely under 90 with all my clothes and stuff on...we think the scale was pretty off...but when I also took off my shoes, belt, tie, and stuff out of my pockets, I was 88 kilos...so Im not sure if the scale could really be 2 kilos (4 pounds) off...but it was right after weighing in that I deffinately chugged some water and wanted something to eat.
Conferance was pretty sweet. you guys watched it, right? riiiiight?? ok, good. for the 4th priesthood session, last april being the one time he hasnt said it, President Monson quoted Shenandoah, "if you dont try, you dont do, and if you dont do, then why are we here?". he also repeated a couple other things from his talk LAST october, about doing our duty and also about having June roses in the Decembers in our lives. it was cool, because I liked all that stuff a lot, but it was kinda funny to hear him say some of the same stuff...maybe apostles actually prepare talks the night before some times...just with a lot more inspiration and revelation?...right. Elder Bednar's talk was amazing..."Welcome to Argentina" went through my mind various times. then there was Elder Holland's talk, that had just about the biggest cane drop ever, it was pretty sweet. Im gonna love getting that ensign, and eventually buying those conferance CDs.
so, now Im here, still in concordia. I dont know if I already said it, but, we're not going on our dam tour anymore (note from Anne: I think he just likes to say that because he can). apparently the guy that was gonna give it is sick, but, we are gonna play volleyball and have other mad fun today, it'll be cool. we go back tonight to go to our area.
I was rather excited to read that you got the New York dvd...I had kind of given up hope on that. but that'll be pretty sweet to see. it doesnt surprise me that much that when anne called she didnt mention anything about me coming home. she could be way excited, or way not excited, and she still wouldnt let it be known what she really thinks, she's really good at that.
well, another good week come and gone. 59 days left?...but who's counting, right? elder henderson is one of the elders I came from the mtc with, he's one of the Zone Leaders, and the other ZL was in the mtc with us, the group right before us, so we make fun of him a lot about how he's going home so soon. I really like the zone right now, Im not sure I could ask for a better group of people. well, I gotta go, let the fun begin. behave. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Casey Adams
"Smile, the Gospel is true"
"Sonriensen, el Evangelio es verdadero"
-Me
~edited and posted by anne :o)