And We're Back!

Hey Everybody (Chloe tells me that EVERYBODY reads this, so whatever),


Yeah, I tried this week to basically only eat food that was given to us.  I didn't go hungry at all.  Seriously, I don't even need to buy groceries.  It's ridiculous how much food we are fed.  I love it.  I even had to reject food.  This is a blessed area.


Fawn, that's the perfect message for stake conference there.  I've been thinking about 2 Nephi 25:26 (I hope that's the right one) so much recently and it states so concisely how important it is to be that example for the younger generation.  We had ward conference yesterday and the stake president told a story about how he had to go make a personal appeal to a young man's parents so that he could go on a temple trip because the parents were like, "he has to do chores today."  Basically, if we want stronger youth, we NEED stronger parents.  That's the way to do it.


Ugh, we stopped by Kimmy/Wes/Leslie's place yesterday and I just left a note with our number and told them to call us.  We probs won't go back anymore unless they call.  Same deal with Zach and Brint.  They were home, but Brint went to do homework when we got there and Zach...well they're just not interested so we won't be going there anymore. Basically, we did a lot of cleanup yesterday.  Now I'm trying to build our teaching pool this week.  We've visited with members and shared a message about member missionary work.  I'm hoping to get some member referrals soon.  Seriously, that's the way to go.  P. Monson has said there is no substitute for a member oriented proselyting program. Tracting and all other forms of finding are awful compared to it.  All you have to do is ask people if they want to learn more.  Whenever someone asks you a question about the church this week, after answering it, just say something like "so, we have these guys whose job is to just teach people about our church, wanna come to my house [someday soon] and have a snack and learn more?" And if they say yes, call the missionaries and I swear they will drop whatever they have to come teach your friend.  THAT'S ALL IT TAKES AND YOU'LL BE THE MISSIONARY'S BEST FRIEND.  PLEASE JUST DO IT!!!  Ask someone this week if they would like to learn more.  That's it.  Thanks.


Excellent idea about LDS.ORG I will definitely remember that.  This man lives in the projects though, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what a computer is and I don't even think he's really accountable...so yeah.  We're not going to see him again either.  :\


HAVE I TRIED THE DORITOS LOCOS TACOS!?  Well no... but I have about a million coupons (which translates to about 5 in the metric system) to get some free ones.  Also, the area manager gave us the T-Shirt that the employees wear as their uniform.  it says, I <3 doritos locos tacos or something like that but the <3 is actually shaped like a dorito.  Pics to follow!!!


Oh wow Fawn, your week was crazy.  Dog sitting!? Knott's Berry Farm!? Barnes & Noble!?  That's the toughest.  You must be soooo pooped. Your life = harumph.


Madelynn... I miss her.  What a goof...


Okay, so the T-KNOX mission is Terrific/Horrific.  In Tennessee, you will see a dead possum in the road every day.  You can't avoid it. There's at least one.  Blood everywhere.  A few miles away from Johnson City is a town called Erwin (which is FULL of mormon haters because apparently, instead of worshipping God and Jesus every Sunday, every protestant church in the area just preaches against the LDS church all day er'rday) whose claim to fame is that they put a circus elephant on trial for murder and executed the capital punishment via hanging it with a crane.  I don't get to google it, but you guys can and let me know if that is indeed true.  Also, yesterday I saw a man. The man was in a golf cart.  The man was driving the golf cart on the sidewalk.  The man was holding a leash.  The man was walking his dog on while driving his golf cart on the sidewalk.  The man was easily 350 lbs.  Freaking Tennessee...


So we ran into this guy on the college campus who was also ministering, so we get to talking and he basically tells us we're not Christians.  We could not convince him otherwise.  Apparently we don't believe in the right Jesus Christ.  It's not enough to believe that he was the Eternal God born of the virgin Mary who performed miracles and atoned for the sins of the world.  I still don't know what he was saying about why we don't believe in the right Jesus, but I tried, which is more than he can say I'm sure.  Oh well.


Well, I kinda got into a spiritual message earlier, so I'll just add to that and we'll call it good for this week, mmk?  The MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT of missionary work, is FINDING PEOPLE TO TEACH.  Your ward can have the greatest teaching missionaries in the world, but if they have no one to teach... well you get the idea right?  YOU MUST involve yourself in finding people for them to teach.  All you have to do is ask ANYONE that shows ANY interest finding ANYTHING out about the church is INVITE THEM TO LEARN MORE.  Too often, we answer their questions and leave it at that.  It's no good.  Ask them to come over to your home and learn more (Tell them you'll have food).  If two random guys walk up to you and ask you if you want to learn more about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, honestly what would you say? Honestly?  If your friend or acquaintance says, "Hey, that was a good question, want to come over for cookies and milk Thursday afternoon and learn more about the LDS church," what might you say?  DO IT! Invite someone this week.  Don't be afraid.  2 Tim. 1:7  (I hope that's the right reference also...)


I'm hoping to make this week superb so I'll have some incredible success stories for you all next week.  Let me know about your successes too!


Wait, actually last night our appointment canceled so we had nothing to do (story of my weekend) so I got the message and I was like "Alright, Big Guy, I got it.  We're going to go find someone."  So we roll on over to the projects (cause even if those people aren't interested, they at least talk to us) and we knock on Vicki's door! Basically, I taught her the first discussion on her doorstep and introduced the Book of Mormon and she was like, "The Bible says... (at
this point in my mind, I'm like "Lady, if you refer to Revelations right now and say that nothing can be added to the Bible, I'm going to lose it) ...that the word of God cannot be contained in all the books of the world."  *pause*  "HALLELUHA!!! YES, YOU'RE RIGHT! AND THERE COULD EVEN BE MORE ANCIENT SCRIPTURE THAT MAN HASN'T DISCOVERED, WILL YOU READ AND PRAY ABOUT THE BOOK OF MORMON? oh I haven't any money... IT'S FREE! TAKE IT! HERE! yes. GIVE US YOUR PHONE NUMBER! WE'LL SEE YOU LATER!  byebye.  It was the best doorstep experience I've yet had.  Come to think of it, I haven't had any really bad ones though.  Maybe I'm overly optimistic and just don't see it when it's bad.


Anyway, I gotta jet.  We have another zone activity today!  Also, my keyboard came in. :)  I'll be a virtuoso soon enough.  Big shout out to Casio for that...  I love you all.  Do missionary work.  Invite someone this week.  It's fun.  I swear.


Kisses.


Elder Grabinger


P.S.  I'll send those pics when I can use a computer that lets me hook up my camera again.


P.S.S.  Fawn, do Mom and Dad have an extra automobile GPS that I can have?  No big deal if not.  I'll just buy one in April.  I don't pay for groceries...  But if they do have a good working one, let me know or just send it to me.  Also, forget about FedEx, you guys don't have to pay for it.  I'll UPS it soon.  BBye!