Week 10
This was my craziest week so far! We had back-to-back exchanges on Monday and Tuesday, p-day on Wednesday, and then we were in a trio for Thursday and Friday. On Saturday we hung around the mission office for a lot of the day waiting for Elder Thorne's new companion from the MTC to show up and doing paperwork. So we didn't really have a normal day of proselyting this whole week.
I went over to the Zone Leaders' area on Monday and I worked with Elder Westover. The ZLs are over this experimental branch for former convicts, Oak Branch, which is the first of its kind. Elder Westover said that technically speaking, since it's the only FC ward currently in existence, their jurisdiction covers the entire planet. So they can go wherever wherever want without leaving their area. (I'm curious to see whether President Fisk would agree on that). We visited one couple named George and Joyce. He's a returning member and she's a convert who got baptized on Saturday. Their whole backyard was converted into this big garden and they were growing tons of fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes. They grow a lot of their own food since they're mostly vegetarian. George was telling us about this 'Alkaline Diet' he was on where you only eat things that have an alkaline pH and that that's the secret to healthy living. So he basically just eats cooked vegetables, and even then some of them like potatoes are forbidden die to being acidic. He likes it because unlike most other diets it seems to line up with the Word of Wisdom (or at least one interpretation of it). Seemed a bit extreme to me, but he was 80 years old and absolutely jacked. So maybe someone should look into it.
On Tuesday I stayed in my own area but I was accompanied by Elder Inman, Elder Thorne's companion who was transferred. We met this one shirtless guy who was sitting in his driveway drinking. He recognized us and called us over. Apparently his best friend was a member of the church. We talked for a bit, he said he had been to church before with his friend. The conversation started out normal but he started talking about how his friend owned all of the car dealerships on Camelback Rd and had 12 kids but then killed himself. He gave the guy some of that "special underwear" to wear (and he gestured to the place on himself where garments end so he knew what they looked like). He said he was also friends with the guy who owned the Greenbay Packers, and that he was a fire prevention expert. Not really sure how much of what he was saying was real (that part with the garments hopefully was not) but he was pretty nice. Referred some of his neighbors to us.
Elder Cook and I were in a trio with Elder Thorne for two days, which was a unique experience. We had a lot of fun but we probably weren't as effective as we should have been. With the addition of Elder Thorne's area we were covering three different wards and had a bunch of conflicting appointments. Plus, Elder Thorne is really... extroverted... and I didn't have as much quiet time as I've gotten used to in the evenings. It's an interesting challenge writing in your journal when the two other Elders in the apartment are belting out the lyrics to "Jesus Take the Wheel" at the top of their lungs or practicing their chiropractic skills on each other.
Yesterday I started a 500-piece puzzle of that famous Arnold Friberg painting of Nephi's family in their boat, sailing to the promised land. I will continue to work on it when I have a spare moment, which isn't often (If we aren't working all day then the ward members won't feed us :p ). It's a painful testament to how long I've been without the internet that this is now the primary recreational activity from which I derive enjoyment. Next week I'll be telling you that I've sworn off wearing clothes with buttons and that my favorite cereal is corn flakes.
In other news, my little brother (Elder Jackson Calder) is out in the mission field! He's in the Salt Lake West mission while he's waiting for his visa to Sweden. The funny thing is that the guy who is training him is named... Elder Cook. No relation apparently, but right now there are two Elder Cooks training two Elder Calders. My mama always said God had a sense of humor...
Anyway, I appreciate you all. It occurs to me that a lot of you don't actually have a way to respond to these emails, since I have them sent out through my parents. So if you want to email me directly, it's
Always happy to hear from one of you!!! And if you have suggestions on how I can make these emails more engaging/ entertaining, I'd appreciate hearing them. Until next week!
Faithfully Yours,
Elder C. Calder
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