Big Feast!!!!!

First off, feast your eyes on this sunset as we were driving to Albuquerque the other day!

(there has already been one movie quote, Merinda and Holly, you're not allowed to say where it's from, but you can bravely say it in the accent that it is originally in. XD  ;)

This week has been awesome!  We had Zone Conference last Thursday and it was a great spiritual feast, as always.  They only had two zones there, so it was a solid 30 missionaries, but that just meant that that there was more opportunity for participation. After the conference, Elder Jackman and I just went to town (if, you know, there were any towns here ;) with the work- we showed our personality with people more, (pretty sure it shocked some of the people) but we still were focused on our purpose- so we strengthened our fellow brothers and sisters with the gospel of Jesus Christ and a feast of the Spirit!  Twas fun!!

Now, I'm pretty sure you've noticed by now that something happened this week that was pretty feastly.  As missionaries, we call it a feast day.  A little background first: in this area we cover To'hajiilee (part of Navajo nation) Laguna, and Acoma, all part of the reservation, but different, of course.  To'hajiilee is super spread out so we named the different areas/cluster of houses, which are: East Housing, Lower West, Upper West, The Shire, Middle Earth and Timbuktu (Judge us all you want, I didn't even help name them- except for Middle Earth ;). In Laguna and Acoma, they are split up by villages, so Laguna has: Paraje, Paguate, Old Laguna, New Laguna, Casa Blanca, Encinal, Mesita, and San Fidel.  Acoma has: Acomita, Sky City, New York (that's original ;) and a lot of others that I don't know, but we're technically not allowed to go on Acoma because of some bum missionaries like six years ago.  Each of these villages has religious activities (for the Native religion) that they either close down the village for it, or open the village to tourists.  Multiple times have some villages been closed, so we couldn't go in.

Except for yesterday.

What happens at these feast days, I can describe to you Idahoans really easily-  it's Spud Day, with Native dances but no spud tug or parade. Well, how do you get free food?  That's why we call it feast day.  Because everybody prepares a HUGE amount of food (around as much as Thanksgiving) and they have their dinner table ready, but they leave their doors open.  What makes it a feast?  Here's a few simple steps:

1)  Walk up to a random house

2)  Let yourself in through the open door

3)  Sit down at dinner table 

4)  Start eating whatever is on the table

5)  When you're done, you may leave the house

6)  REPEAT 

(If you walk into a house, but don't eat [or eat very much], they get offended)

You can walk right in to anybody's house, and they'll have food for you, waiting to be feasted upon.  It's missionary heaven for this area, not because the members don't feed us very much, but because we're not allowed to knock doors in Laguna or Acoma.  It's pretty similar to dinner and a movie, but for us it's diabeetus and new investigators (hopefully).  Yesterday's feast was in the villages of New and Old Laguna.  So we got to walk around and talk to people who started talking to us first.  You may think that we're bums, but it's not gonna help people like you if you're preaching one religion at another religion's activity, sooo... we were just trying to be seen, spark some interest, and eat so much that we skipped dinner... but it was a lot of fun!!

Anyways, remember about General Conference coming up soon... Next week!  Check out the new First Vision video if you haven't yet at history.lds.org, and the new Easter video comes out the day before conference starts!

God loves you, so don't ever forget that you are His child!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

--

Elder Eli James Dial

It's a Monday

It's been an awesome week here in Laguna, Acoma and To'hajiilee!  Elder Jackman and I have been following the Spirit better here, and it's been a lot of fun!  There's always stuff to do here, but it's difficult only because we have a limit to how many miles we can use.  That's the sad part.

I don't really have that much to say, but that we went on exchanges last week with the zone leaders, so I was with Elder Fonua in Albuquerque, in the YSA branch for the stake, and it was a crap ton fun!  There's a lot of work happening up here, (I say up here, because it's north of El Paso) but yeah, tis awesome!!

As for something that I learned this week:  we all have something that we "envision" ourselves to be: whether we want to be the best in this one thing so that people will see that we're just sooooooo awesome (be it sports, school, or even church).  Have I got a newsflash for you!  The only one holding you back from reaching your potential, is you!!  You can do it, and remember to help others to do the same, because by doing that, you are in actuality helping to achieve yours!!  Don't ever forget the power that a smile has for someone- even for yourself!!!!!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

--

Elder Eli James Dial

Post Temple Monday

For this picture, that is my zone in Albuquerque West:  It's small compared to Chamizal, but it's awesome just the same! The other one, that's a sunset. In case you couldn't tell.  XD

Also, Happy Birthday Dillon and Makayla for the month of February! Hope it was awesome! (and I hope there was no one else's birthday in February that I forgot, sorry!!)

This week has been a struggle- that's because it was fast Sunday and then the temple trip the next day!  It was difficult this past week for that reason- a lot of people weren't home, we didn't quite know what to do at times, but it was sweet the last 3 days!  We asked one of the branches to join us in a fast for a lady named Becky- to help her stop smoking (she's been smoking since she was in her teens, she's now in her 60's).  She knows the church is true (and has for awhile), but she just has a hard time with giving up smoking.  So Elder Jackman and I decided to ask the branch to join us in fasting for her, then we went to the temple the next day with her in mind, and it's gonna be awesome, as soon as we can meet with her! (Today, hopefully!)

The temple trip: twas glorious.  We were in the chapel, where we heard from Sister Guffey, then President Guffey, then President Webb of the temple presidency.  Before that, though, we had an opening song and prayer, where I was volunteered *cough cough* Elder Cota *cough cough* to be the chorister/conductor/person thingy.  It was awesome!! (Not the conducting part, the singing part)  Imagine 40 missionaries, and about 20 other people who drove them up there from El Paso, singing "Families Can be Together Forever"... like they believed it!!  They didn't sing it like, "oh, we're in the temple, we need to be reverent, so let's mumble the words"  NOPE.  They sang it like the way you should sing it, exactly like, "I know this is true, this is in the Lord's house, no better way to show my love for Him, I know it!!"  It was awesome!

It's sweet down here, the only downside is that it gets cold here (I walked outside this morning and I could see my breath!  What is this, Idaho??? ;)  It's great (but not spacious or terrible) down here serving in a couple land grants and nations (technically that's what they're called. :) 

Don't ever forget the love that He has for you and who you really are!!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!!!!

Elder Eli James Dial

Week one on the reservation!

These pictures describe the differences of the two areas I've been in.  I went from El Paso, with buildings like that, to the reservation, where it's super NOT like that at all (in case you couldn't tell).  That's alright, though, because it's still awesome here!

This area is definitely trying for me, I got used to El Paso where the roads actually have names and the houses actually have numbers, and I could at least somewhat get the language, but there's no such luck here.  I'm just glad that I know that most of the people speak English here- and they'll talk back in English!

The third picture is the Book of Mormon in Navajo!  We only have 2, but that's cause everybody speaks English, basically!

Elder Jackman is an awesome missionary, he's been helping a lot- we do roleplays almost everyday to build our comp unity!  We're doing fantastic- we are willing to make sacrifices to help the work move forward-  we're giving up listening to music for most of the day every day for a week to see how that works- we/I get super distracted whenever there's music playing, music has been such a big part of both of our lives that we're gonna see how the work moves forward when we don't have it as much!  (General conference talks for days!!)  We'll let you know how that goes next week!

I love you all, don't ever forget it!!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

Elder Eli James Dial

New area...not so new companion

In case you didn't know, transfers were yesterday, but with President's day on Monday, emailing got moved to today, all because of transfers.

(No pictures, sorry, my camera cord is still packed (I hope)!!!

Yes, I have been moved out of El Paso, *insert dying T-rex noise* but... I am now on one of the two areas in the whole mission on an Indian reservation... with my companion, Elder Jackman, who was part of the MTC squad!! The best part of this area (besides the people, of course) is that my normal proselyting attire does not include dress pants.  I get to walk around, try talking to people in a white shirt, tie, jeans and tennis shoes.  woot woot!

I now live in a trailer, it's pretty sweet, but instead of having downtown El Paso, now I am in an area where if there is more than 6 houses put together, it's unusual.  Needless to say, we don't knock doors very often.  XD 

While I was still in El Paso, our recent convert, Gary, took us out to dinner and we had sea food, so now I've had oysters (super salty, by the way)  but it was awesome!  I'll definitely miss El Paso, but I know that I always have a home there!

Shout out to the young men of the Shelley 4th ward!  I got your package yesterday, so that helped a lot- even though I had just bought a toothbrush like 2 weeks ago.  XD   (Thanks, Jaron for the granola bars, I knew it was you, too bad I don't have a locker to stash them in  XD) [if it wasn't Jaron, sorry!]

Now I cover two branches instead of 1 ward, and it's gonna be a party!  Elder Jackman and I are gonna light Laguna, Acoma, and To'hajiilee on fire with the Spirit!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!! You'll hear from me next Monday (probably ;)

--

Elder Eli James Dial

PS. to das parents, I sent a package yesterday I don't remember when it said it'll get there, but it's going by ground from El Paso, so watch for it!

PPS Also to das parents.  I got your package last Wednesday, thanks for the G's (and the cookies and candy!)

It's February?!?!

Happy late birthdays to:

Jenn

Isaac

Dennis the menace ;)

Ashley

Dillon

I don't remember the exact dates for all of them (and if there are any that I forgot/don't know of, sorry, my brain is slowly shifting to street addresses of members and such), I just know they've happened in-between December and today.  Love you peeps!

As for this week, not much has happened, but we did go on exchanges, so Elder Campbell, a Spanish missionary who goes home with me, came with me to my area, where he thought he would get away from Spanish for a day... yeah, we basically talked to only Spanish people in this area... I didn't try to, that's just all the people we managed to actually talk to.  Probably because they would answer the door and see two white guys and tried to use Spanish on us, but that trick didn't work that day!!   Yeah, he was a little mad/jokingly that he used more Spanish than English, but you know, he'll be happy in the long run.  XD

So, I've decided that everyone has something that they want to be, something they know they can be, but they/we don't quite measure up to what we envision ourselves to be.  I've been thinking recently about that, and I'm reminded of the "Day of the Lord" activity we did back in January.  We were asked "What do you want to become from the mission?" (or something like that).  Then, we were asked, "What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve that?"  I've learned that it's only a sacrifice if it's something we love that we give up.  We all know something we could give up to come closer to Heavenly Father *cough cough* football/superbowl (or the commercials) *cough cough*  So we need to ask ourselves, "what do I need to do to achieve this" or "what do I need to give up to become this" but, the ultimate question that will get an answer is, "what does the Lord need me to sacrifice to become what He needs me to be?"  The Gospel is true, don't ever give up on yourselves, just focus on the Savior and it'll all work out!

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu! 

-- 

Elder Eli James Dial

Lameness

So, it sounds like this last week has been a rough week all around!!

Naturally, that stuff that happened to me this week is going to come last!

Last week was the worldwide missionary broadcast that changed the world!  They announced that every mission is getting iPads and segways!!  It's gonna be an awesome change and it'll really help the work!

Now that I've got your attention, the missionary daily schedule is what was changed on that broadcast- we now plan in the morning before studies, comp study is whenever it fits best with our schedule that day, and when we get home at 9, we just have to prep for bed and write in our journals before we can go to bed (and we can go to bed anywhere between 9:30 to 10:30).  The P-day schedule was also changed so now we get up at 6:30, plan at 7, study at 7:30, and P-day now starts at 8 in the morning, instead of 10, and still goes to 6 pm.  We only account for 4 key indicators now instead of 9, so it's super short when we do call-in reports to our DL.  A flip ton of changes and trust is on the missionaries here, so it's awesome!

As for the lame things that happened this week, we got dropped by about 3 investigators (one of which was on date to be baptized, she told us that she wanted to be baptized and everything, but no mas [pretty sure I died inside]), 2 referrals who people said were super interested have been taken from us (we tried a crap ton to meet with them, but the missionaries who first taught them said they would meet with them a couple more times to see if they're solid or not and then they'll give them to us) so it's just been a rough week for us.  

 With the picture, don't ask me why.  I needed a break from walking so I sat down and without thinking I saw the face and was pulling out my camera at the same time, and boom.  I got a picture with a face on a roadside bench.  Very much unplanned.

So, yeah, this week has been rough, but the work must go on, and I know that everything will work out the way that Heavenly Father needs them to be- no matter who approves what message, no matter how many times you say "I want" in any given day, it's not about what you want, it's about what He wants for you.  And when times get super tough, He's not trying to see what He can squeeze out of you- He's trying to see what He can squeeze into you!  God is the gardener, and He knows what He wants and needs you to be!  So don't ever give up hope!  

Te whanaunga mo ake tonu!

--

Elder Eli James Dial