We're Out Here Having A "Ball!"

So, the title is just a little bit of a joke because my new companion's name is Elder Ball. And I just figured I couldn't resist the opportunity to make a cheesy joke. Anyways! Now on to bigger and better things!

Elder Wixom and Elder Ball

Elder Ball is really awesome, he is from Idaho Falls, and so far we have been getting along really good. And this last week we have spent a lot of time going around, and knocking on every possible less-active member's door we could. This was answered with...mixed results. Some of the doors the people were really nice to us, and some even invited us to stop by another time when they weren't so busy. But then other doors, though the people were still nice, they said that they weren't interested and to not stop by again. Which in all honesty makes me really sad, because I know how much the Gospel can bless their lives from seeing how it has blessed mine. But we have to let people have and use their agency.

One of the cool experiences we had with knocking on the doors though is that we stopped by the home of one less-active member, and ended up meeting his parents, who were really nice to us, and when we said that we were also looking for opportunities to help out and do service, they asked us for our phone number and seemed to be really genuine when they said they would call us if they needed help. So I am really hoping they call!
Had a cool "Zone Review" meeting. And during the meeting President Kendrick talked about how it not only the physical action of baptism, or any other ordinance, that makes it important, but it is the physical action with the covenant that really make an ordinance. It was just a cool way to describe what an ordinance was that I had never really thought of before. That an ordinance is covenant plus physical - and very symbolic - action.

I am really looking forward to this next week though! Because that investigator couple that has a son on a mission. Well, he gets back from his mission this week! And so Elder Ball and I are really hoping to have a lesson with them sometime this week with him there!

Another cool thing that happened this week was we got a referral from another set of missionaries for a couple that was being taught somewhere else, but has now moved here. The wife is a member, and the husband isn't, but did have a baptismal date in their last area. So we went by, and talked to the wife for a few minutes, but we couldn't stay long because they were putting their baby to bed. And we told her when church was...and they came last Sunday! So hopefully this week we can set up another appointment with them!

So for my scripture thought this week, with how hot it has been recently, I have been thinking a lot about one of my favorite scriptures, that I think is a bit funny from the perspective of a thirsty missionary, but actually in my opinion teaches a really good lesson. "He that receiveth‍ you receiveth‍ me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth‍ a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water‍ only in the name‍ of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose‍ his reward" (Matthew 10:40-42). I really like the "cup of cold water" part, but even that simple act is a great act of service. And as we know from other scriptures, that when we do service for others, then we get blessed by our Heavenly Father. So even simple service like giving someone a drink when it's hot, or pulling some weeds for another person, will not only greatly bless the life of the recipient, but will also make us feel really good about helping someone else out.

Well, that's about all for this week. Hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Wixom