It's Cold Outside......Apparently!

Hello!

So, first off, I'll explain what I meant from last week about being tased.   Some missionaries 2 weeks ago bought a taser for self defense.  Naturally, all five of us there had to make sure it would work...  As you all sigh in complete disappointment (or amazement), here's something that one of my grandparents taught one of my cousins, "Remember that an Elder is just a few years older than a deacon."  XD  (Don't worry, there are videos, I'm just not the one that owns them.) 

--Stay tuned for scenes from the tased missionaries--

Next up, the title of the email.  No, it really hasn't been cold, it's been anywhere from 60-80 all week, but I guess God knows it's too cold for me here, because I'm being transferred to Las Cruces!  I'll cover the YSA down there, and the New Mexico State University campus.  Gotta get that "college prep" going!  ;)  (Side note: yes, I was only in this area for 6 weeks.) 

Now for the pics:

1) We went on exchanges this last week out to east of the Sandias, and there was this random pink tree in the middle of the green trees known as Cedar Crest.  It was strange, that's why we took a picture!

2) The Gardners.  This is a family we got close to from Eldorado ward, they're awesome.  We would show up at the chapel at like 8:50 to do some reports, and they would be there playing ping pong. (Our chapel has a ping pong table or two on the stage, they would bring the net and paddles and stuff and challenge each other, it was awesome!)

3) That's Helen, she's a Navajo we started teaching, she's super funny!  She;s the investigator that came to church last week before we had actually taught her any of the lessons... hehe

4) The Guerros, another Navajo family that we started teaching.  The father in that picture is not actually a member, and so we began teaching them the lessons as best as we could.  The struggle is real, though, especially when they be not home.  :(

As for cool experiences, we were at zone council last Friday, when this random couple from Michigan walked in and asked for gas money.  What do we do?  We took them on a tour of the church as part of the council!  The whole zone was able to help and teach them about the church a little bit!  We'll be sending the missionaries serving in Michigan to visit them and help them learn more this week when they get back there!

Talk to you all next week!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

(Great is my love for you all!)

Elder Eli James Dial

It's Le April Time

(Elder Dial sent this email April 9th)

Hey, everyone!

Out of all the weeks on my mission, this week was one of them.  XD

Let's see, where to start... Oh, I know!  We've lost contact with basically everyone that we're working with, so that's pretty great!

We've been going on the University of New Mexico campus and talking to people, so that's pretty fun.  It's weird walking up to someone my age and talking to them while they're going to class.  But that's alright, awkward moments are groovy!

With General Conference and all the changes that came with it, lots of people are still confused, but that's alright, it will work out and be all right, I'm not really worried about it!

We're going to be cleaning the temple grounds next week as a zone, it's going to be sweet!  We're going to invite the people that we're working with to come and help, too!

I almost forgot, but to sum up a long story,  I have officially been tazed. It doesn't feel too good, I do not recommend it.  XD

We had an investigator come to church yesterday!  It was awesome.  Her name is Helen, she's Navajo, and she's really hard to meet with.  We got her a ride and she came!  Yesterday was the Easter program, so it was great for her!  In gospel principles, we talked a lot about the topical guide, and she was super confused the whole time.  It wasn't until last night that we realized that we actually haven't taught her any of the official discussions... We've only met her twice!  But hey!  On the bright side, we know what we're going to teach her next!  XD

Focus on Christ and everything will come together, and there will be no need to fear!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

Elder Eli James Dial

It's April????

(Elder Dial sent this email April 2)

Hello, everyone! (Happy Easter, yesterday!)

This week has been glorious!  A lot of change is happening, and it's going to be insane!  

First off, the Solemn Assembly. That was glorious.  No other words can accurately describe the awesomeness of that event.  ("I can't see!"  "He's too awesome!") #KungFuPanda

Next there was the Priesthood session.  The way President Nelson ended the session was so epic, there is only one way to describe how epic it was: "it was like a whale gave birth to a roaring T-rex, that was uppercutting a plato can."  #OlanRogers

Then, yesterday.  *mic drop*  

I'm excited for all the changes that President Nelson has talked about, and that will be happening/is happening now!

... And there's another change happening soon in the Albuquerque mission!  Yeah, smartphones are coming...   but not for the next month-ish or so!  This time, it's not speculation, it's the official word that we are getting devices.  *gag*

Pictures (because I forgot until now): 

1) Elder Dudley and I at the temple last Monday.

2)  Graffiti that people put up in the middle of the desert. (I guess they miss the water, ;)

3) We were on exchanges, I drew that and put that together, Elder Riehle was just there and decided to put his head in the picture.  :)

So, with all the changes that are happening, I like how much responsibility is put on us.  We no longer report statistics for home and visiting teaching.  I enjoy that very much.  There is much more trust placed in us as members of the church.  It's no longer about the numbers, as some people have got it into their head, and it is more focused on people, like it was in Christ's day.  If anyone is struggling accepting this change, I invite you to "be not afraid, only believe."  It's as simple as that.  Try believing in it, and everything will work out.  I have learned that if you believe that something was supposed to happen, then it becomes easier to handle it.  Believe that it was meant to happen, and it will all work out.  :)

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

Elder Eli James Dial

The Busy Feastly Week

(Elder Dial sent this email on March 26)

I don't have time for normal social welcomes.  Anyways...

This week has been great!  I've been trying not to get upset because of certain circumstances, but no worries, I'm not bitter.  As for this week, we went to the temple today, and it was really sad but spiritually epic!  Sad because this was the last opportunity I have to see some of the missionaries from down in El Paso, but it was great because it's the temple.  I don't think it's possible to not feel peace at the temple, so it felt really great.  

This week, I am going to be in meetings on Tuesday and Friday, which leaves Wednesday and Thursday to do some actual proselyting, basically, because of General Conference this weekend!  It has come so fast, it's insane! 

I know this is a short email, but just know that I'm fine, that God will speak to you this weekend through His prophets, and that it is going to be amazing!  Seek for answers and comfort and God will give it to you this weekend!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

Elder Eli James Dial

Donut Lady

(Elder Dial sent this email March 19th)

Wasabi, everyone!

This week has been great!  To explain the title of the email, I refer to a comedian.  "I want a dozen donuts, 7 [covered in carmel]..."  "You have 5 left."  I'll leave that up to interpretation.  XD

Pictures:  

1) That's my companion in the middle, and that sums up the four of us... the shopping life.

2) "I'm going on an adventure!"  #MembersBackyardsAreBomb

3) We go bowling for free every P-day

4) Exchanges with the AP's, leaving notes on their (Elder Crook's) desk that teach true doctrine.  

5) Exhibit A of us being tired.  He fell out of his chair while he was holding a body pillow... yeah, the sleep struggle is real.  XD

Recently (back in December), the stake presidency was redone by President Uceda, of the Presidency of the Seventy.  While there, he made a promise that if we would focus on the less-active families/individuals, then the number of baptisms would double in the stake.  So, we have begun to work with the less-than-fully-active individuals, and because of that we have found two YSA* investigators, Julian and Daniel.  To put it simply, they are honest seekers of the truth, and it is awesome to be teaching them! ("They're grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!")

Never give up, never surrender!  Be incredible!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

Elder Eli James Dial

Bleh part 2

Hey, everyone!

This week... I am so glad it's over.  Out of my whole mission, this week was the most mentally and emotionally challenging, sobering, exhausting week.  I have been pondering over what happened this week, and what I should or should not say to you all about it.  I have determined to share with you many of the things that I learned all throughout the trio life with Elders Schraedel and Riehle, but also include some things that I learned from this week.  Here you go:

     First: Men/husbands, no argument is worth sleeping on the couch for longer than a day or two.  Trust me, five weeks on a couch is NOT as comfortable as you think it is.  

     Second: Struggles come from two competing ideas.  If you don't want to struggle, give one of your ideas up and get over it.

     Third: "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." -President Monson

     Fourth: God is just as real as Satan. 

     Fifth (a recurring theme I've learned throughout my mission):  There are NO coincidences.  If you and I believe the Book of Mormon, then we believe that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  If that is true, then you and I believe that "a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection[s]" don't actually happen, because God knows (and plans) them all.  Either believe in the Book of Mormon, or believe in "just happenstance", because you can't do both, no matter how many people you may lose as "friends".  (slight rant right there, not sorry)

As for my experience being in the Eldorado ward and the Mountain View YSA, both of them are awesome!  The family ward is sweet, it's probably the smallest geographical ward in the mission, but we also cover the YSA, soo... It's a lot of fun!  I'd gotten used to embracing the awkward, then I got put in a YSA...  I'm not bashing on YSA's, but yeah, they're... something else.  It's fun, though.  XD

Sorry for the short email this week, but just know that the emperor's groove has not been thrown off, Nemo "once was lost, but now [he's] found" and that Star Wars is not about different stars at war. :)

 

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu! 

-- 

Elder Eli James Dial

PS- I forgot my camera cord, so I'll send pictures eventually. 

PPS- my companion is Elder Dudley, he's from Calgary Canada.  

Transfers....for real this time XD

Hola, everyone!

Out of all the weeks on my mission, this week was one of them.  XD

This week.. hmmm, where to start.  Traveling to Socorro twice a week was fun.  That's not happening any more, though.  I am getting transferred from the Sage area, I am going to the Albuquerque East stake, and I will be serving in the YSA and another ward which I'm pretty sure is called the El Dorado Ward... So I guess you could say I'm on "The Road to El Dorado"...  You might as well call me Miguel or Tulio, because I could basically sum up my mission by watching that movie.  I served among Indians for 9 months, and I'm here for something more precious than gold.  I gain friends, and then my one constant friend (Christ) is always there to remind me of the real treasure.  Boom. Summed it up for you all.  ;)

Anyways, they split the Sage and Ladera wards for a week.  They are combining it again, where Elder Schraedel will take over the area (again) and will be in a trio (his 4th and 5th companions for this area).  Both Elder Riehle and I are going to the East stake, but not as companions. 

We said bye to a lot of people, it was rough, I almost cried, but that's alright, I have plenty of things to distract me (namely, an awkward moment or two *gag*).  Tis the mission life, I guess.

As for the video, I didn't realize how much I missed scaring the crap out of people until I became companions with Elder Riehle.  I had too much fun.  This was the best one.  Go ahead and judge the sound effects, I don't care, it was grrrrrrrrreat (just like Frosted Flakes)! ;)

I love you all, be strong and of a good courage, and believe in yourself and in Christ! (not in that order, though. :)

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

Elder Eli James Dial