Email Address: eli.dial@myldsmail.net

Monday, January 23, 2017

Letter to Eli's sister Sarah

Everyone thinks we get a crap ton of spicy/Mexican food, so they don't give that to us, they just keep making "white people food"  XD
I have had discada, which translates to "man salad" ;) -- it's got hamburger, sausage, bacon, and hot dog, all mixed together, and you're just given a bag of chips and you just go to town!  I've had a green chile burger- it's pretty good, but pretty hot- I couldn't really finish it, so it was... yeah.  twas spicy, but tasty.  

Elder Eli James Dial

EP1WS (El Paso 1st Ward South)

Well, this week has been awesome!

We met a lady who told us that she wants to be baptized, so she's on date for February 18, and she's super accepting of what we teach her!  She loves this gospel, but she barely knows what it is!!

As I gave the priesthood to Gary last week, I will also be giving the priesthood to a stubborn 12 year old recent convert next week-- he was baptized when he was 11, but now he's 12, so he's asked me to give him the priesthood!  He's stubborn because he's having a hard time transitioning to Young Men's from Primary, and he only ever sits by us when he comes to sacrament- even when other people close to his age invite them to sit by them, he turns them down just to sit by us- and then he leaves after sacrament. The YM are doing everything they can to help him and to make him feel welcome, but the one closest to him in age is 15, Samoan, and could probably eat him for breakfast.  But you know, they're trying- he's not, though, and that's what's aggravating!

Something I thought was absolutely awesome: (One of the active members' kid is home schooled, and he was having trouble being motivated to do his homework. So his dad showed him a song to play to motivate him to do his homework.  That song: Eye of the Tiger.  The kid is 7 at the oldest, and it's awesome!! [Sorry, super random, but I had to say it])

Not very much else has been happening this last week, but it's been a lot of fun!  The work must go forward and it's awesome to be able to witness it this close!  Don't ever give up!!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

--
Elder Eli James Dial

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Bus-ted ;)

I have never been thrown under the bus more in my life than I have this week-- and it's cause we didn't have our bus passes. ;)

We called all our less-actives in the area, not many of them answered, but it was still pretty great. We set up appointments with the active members in the ward for basically every half hour after the dinner appointment- but most went long or they cancelled, so we literally had 8 lessons (at least) not happen this week.  It was so aggravating!  

Another time that I was thrown under the bus, (but this time it was alright) was on Sunday, when I found out that I was giving our recent convert (Gary, who was baptized on Christmas Eve) the Aaronic Priesthood- as he was walking up to sit in the chair to receive it!  It was awesome, I only messed up twice, but that's alright, as now we've been invited by a partially less-active family (they only come for sacrament meetings) to participate in a baby blessing for their son this weekend!  It's awesome to see the members trust in us growing, but now they just need to trust us to teach their friends!

Another one of our recent converts, Will, we have been really struggling to meet with him.  He was out of town for like 3 weeks, and was starting to go less active.  He and his wife are about 6 months into their marriage, and are working towards the temple.  They didn't come to church very often, (hence, starting to go LA) but it's been a lot better recently.  We actually went to visit him, but there was this lady there that neither of us had met before.  Turns out she's a less active sister who our Bishop had asked us not to visit because she becomes friends with the missionaries, and once they get transferred, she stops coming, because she didn't have any member friends in the ward.  They have known each other for a week, and they are super good friends, that all three of them came to church Sunday!

Then, we contacted a media referral who wanted a Bible and a Book of Mormon, and she told us that she wanted to  join the church- so much so that she had a flat tire on Saturday, (and told us that if she couldn't make it she would definitely be there next week) but then she texted us Sunday morning asking us to find her a ride!

 A lot has happened this week, but I'm not gonna tell you all of it, because I still have to sort through all that actually did happen!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!
--
Elder Eli James Dial


“You can change. You can be a little better. You can stand a little taller. You can love a little deeper. You can pick a different path. You can walk a different walk. you can find forgiveness. And joy. You can become your best you. Because He gave His life, you can change yours.”

“First and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.”
We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!”

“God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go.
--
Elder Eli James Dial

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Transfer Week!

It looks like I'm going to be in El Paso for 6 months (that's code for I'm not getting transferred)!
Yeah, Elder Dunn and I are both staying, and it's gonna be epic!

Elder Pearson, when he came down, told us that we need to start believing that we could find 10-15 new investigators a WEEK. That is going to be my quest for this coming transfer- that and to stop complaining (which complaining used to be the story of my life, but no longer!)

As for the pictures, that was (from the left) me and Elder Dunn, then Elder Kropf (pronounced like crofts, but without the t and the s) and Elder Richins- the Spanish Elders that we chauffeur because they don't have a car- they're on bikes and their area is swallowed up in our area. 



Literally though, we now cover the same area as 2.5 Spanish companionships- the Fort Bliss Elders have the rest of that .5.  We had gone on a hike last P-day- that's the same one I went on my first P-day in the mission- and that's us at the top, and a picture of the west side of El Paso from the top of the mountain. It was like 50 degrees at the top, so yes, I was freezing. Do I regret it? Nope!



Our recent convert, Gary, is a flipping beast!! He already has his dad's name to take to the temple- he's got his temple recommend interview tomorrow, and he's going to the temple on the 28th! It's gonna be awesome!  There is a massive push right now for family history, and it's awesome!  This ward is great- it makes it easier to serve here- now if they could just find us people to teach,that'd be even better!

Not much else happened this week, I'll email ya'll next week!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!  :)

Elder Eli James Dial

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

2017?!?!?!

New Year's Goals:

I didn't really write any.  

Now that that's out of the way, I had written mission goals for what I wanted to have accomplished, or become, from the mission, along with a yearly goal and a 6 month goal to help me check my progress towards the end goal, but I'm still not going to share those.  XD

As for pictures this week-none, there wasn't that much to take pictures of- we actually had rain for about 3 days, it was super weird!!  I haven't seen that much water since... I went to the pool back in July or whenever it was before I left.  XD

Elder Dunn and I have been struggling this last week with finding new investigators- neither of us really talk to people that much on the street or anything, but that's the main objective for this week. When Elder Pearson came to the mission, he told those of us in the South that we need to start believing that we could find 10-15 new investigators each week-- so that means there's that many people ready to receive the gospel!  That's the quest for this week, the last week of the transfer!

For New Year, we did what was called a "Day with the Lord"  that started Saturday Night-  we started off by getting to deep clean our apartment for 2 hours (I've never been happier to clean in my life), then we got some deep spiritual reflections from President and Sister Guffey (before I forget, we were given a series of 9 envelopes that we had to open the 1st one at 6pm on Saturday, then it would tell us what to do and when to open the next one, so on and so forth). Then we woke up yesterday and stayed in all day- reading the Book of Mormon.  So yeah- we started at 6:45 a.m. and read till as late as we could- we still had to plan a little for today, but yep! That was our whole day yesterday- starting and reading the BoM!  I only got to the middle of Alma, but it was awesome! *cue the mind blown-ness*

I'll end with something that I found yesterday about missionary work.  It's about family history work, but missionary work, family history work and temple work are all part of the same work- you're bringing souls to Christ!  1 Nephi 5:16-17   Lehi was rejoicing partly because he had the word of God, and partly because he found out that he was a descendant of Joseph!  He found out through family history work who he was and it filled him with the Spirit!! So if it's that important to one man to know who he is, imagine how important and cool that would be to anyone and everyone on this earth! We're all part of a massive family, and you all love your family, right? Then let me ask a question:  In the eternities, how many of your family members are you going to live without??

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!!

--
Elder Eli James Dial