QUESTIONS:
Tell us about your stake conference. Was Easter mentioned?
The sunday session was ALL easter. It was very good. I remember really liking my easter sunday last year in Canton CT ward, but this one was really neat to be in a big group and have some great easter music and speakers. The stake here is very big, like 4000 people or something, so we can't all fit in one building, so it is split in 3 sessions with the different units assigned to different sessions and the Stake Presidency roamed from place to place. We were matched up with the singles wards here (full of interesting personalities, harvard kids, etc). The choirs were good. we (we meaning the whole congregation) sang a few songs in the middle, including Handel's Hallelujah chorus! there were books passed out with the words in the different parts. I called it the "hallelujah adventure" because it was an adventure with everyone trying to figure out how to sing that tough, epic song. We got a ride with people who had to come early because they were in choir, so we were sitting close to the front, close to the choir which helped for that. we also sang Christ the Lord is Risen Today as our closing song, and there was a choir person playing the trumpet to it on the stand as well. there was a musical number with 3 string instruments, one being the accordion (does that count as a string?). One great talk was given by someone in the university ward, she is some form of microbiology scientist or something, she talked about growing cells in a petrie dish and used it as a great analogy in her Atonement-centered talk, it was very good, very intelligent and articulate, all given while she was chewing gum. There was also a lot of Lynnfield representation in the speakers which was fun, including a member who gave a great talk about the Living Christ
Did you see other missionaries there at Stake Conference?
yea, didn't talk to them much that say though
Did you see or speak to members of your mission presidency?
yes, at the saturday sessions. We were invited to both saturday sessions (the leadership, which this time included women too, not just priesthood, and the "adult" session which had everyone 12+ invited) because it was very missionary focused. President Packard gave a training to the stake president and all the ward mission leaders and the stake president basically went over that in the meeting. Also it was very PR focused because they just had some giant multi stake training on that too. anyway to answer the question, President Christiansen spoke at the Saturday adult session. He some of the stories from The PoEM. Also President Haight was there (didn't speak, but this is his stake, as well s Pres. Christiansen)
How are things with your companion...do you have your real one yet?
Yes! things are good. Very smart, easy-going guy. Elder Tait. He's 6'6. Loves sports (which is a bonus). Is a good out-of-a-box thinker which is a good balances for my tendency to be over-conservative. Never been a ZL before.
How is your weather?
it was cold at 5:00 but is warming up very nicely.
How was the beach last week for your p-day?
an "adventure" as in it kind of failed but was an experience. We went and got over-priced, tasty rosy beef sandwiches and some famous place there and went to the beach equipped with multiple soccer balls, football, a volleyball I bought that day, a frisbee and lots of people and it was amazingly overwhelmingly windy. It would pick up the sand it hurt your legs. You couldn't really do anything. We just played around a little for like 20 mins and then went to the Revere chapel and played soccer/basketball (which is fun). Also we found out there are no volleyball nets at the beach
What exactly did you do (or are doing to do) for Patriot's day? Tell about it all! Was it worth your being in Lexington AT 5:00am??
So far, we woke up at 3:15, left at 4:00 got there at 4:50. Got free hot chocolate from nice members and met with other mission rise and the Packard Family (fun surprise) waiting at the Lexington Green where everything takes place (in 1775 and today). I had talked to a number of people about it, so I was able to appropriately temper my expectations. It was short and you can't see great with all the people but it was fun. Gave a great image of what it was like and how scary it would have been for the rebel colonists; they did not win that battle. Then we went to the Cambridge chapel to congregate. we then realized it was only like 8:00 so nothing was actually happening then, so someone got a frisbee from their far and we played ultimate (in all out proselyting cloths) in the gym until about 10:00 and now we walked over to the mall where we are now emailing at an apple store. The plan after this is still falling into place. We will almost surely go somewhere to see some Boston Marathon and likely pop by Fenway to see the stadium and maybe buy a shirt. About waking up early I think it was well worth it. Watching a 10 minute re-enactment was not, but the whole experience, being with friends, etc, is. While at college sometimes we would just make an immature decision to go to denny's at 2:00 just because, and it was a little silly but fun, this is almost like a missionary version of that in some ways.
Do you have some good appointments coming up this week?
we do. our week already has a lot planned out, with members and investigators. Elder Tait likes to say "this area is more popping than the apricot tree" and "we've got more on our plates than we can say grace over!"
How did your interview with President Packard go last week?
It went well. Nothing dramatic happened with anybody. It was kind of funny for Elder Tait and I to be giving a training on having companionship inventory since we had been companions for enough time to pick him up, drive 30 mins to our apartment unpack his essentials, then go to sleep and wake up and go. We proudly proclaimed that we had never gone a week as companions without having our companionship inventory.
Do you ever hear from Sis. Packard? What sorts of things does she tell you?
yea, we see her here and there. We saw her today in Lexington. She is at all the big meetings (MLC, zone conference, etc) and trains along with president. She texts for everyone's birthday. They are great companions.
Also for Easter we went to a members house where 3 other families were invited. Food was great, and we got to help hide eggs. It was all fun.
Elder Tait is from Henderson Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas.
my favorite quote from last week. Takes place in a members house, us talking to an investigator, Mary: "Mary, did you get to watch general conference"
"I couldn't right then, but I watched all the videos later in the week. Twice".
She actually watched each talk twice. Nice.
That may be all for today, got to dash. Thank you and Love you!
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