June 24, 2013

This week was an interesting one.  We had transfers this week and my companion and I are staying so we will be in the Washington Kennewick Mission.  My district got split again.  There are 4 elders in my district.  There were 3 new sisters that were transferred into our zone.  That makes 7 in my zone.  5 of them live in the same apartment complex as my companion and I do.

This week I finished the "Miracle of Forgiveness", which I enjoyed reading, and I'm now reading "Our Search for Happiness".

This week we stopped by a less active member.  He likes to have the missionaries over.  Max really likes to fish.  Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.  I thought it was bad when Dad, Mike, and I went fishing but he is much worse.  He's told us stories about having the boat trailer run over his foot and the guy he fishes with, both of them falling out of the boat.  He also mentioned that his fishing buddy can mess up a free lunch as well.
Max was going to take us out for lunch one day last week, but he ended up canceling on us because he had a date.  He calls a couple of days later and he wants to take us out to dinner that night, it just happened that we didn't have a dinner appointment that night.  Max tells us to be at his house at 5 for hamburgers.   We go about our day and we are doing are service at Sister Simpsons (which is building  an outdoor pot -a- potty),  5 O'clock rolls around and we don't have time to change so we just head over to Max's house.  After about 5 minutes of us getting there he tells us to get in his truck, he needs to make a quick stop before we get something to eat.  Next thing Elder Tubbs and I know we are driving across the bridge (the river is the boundary for our zone).  We tell Max that we are out of our zone and need to go back.  Max says that it won't be for long.  Max keeps driving and next thing we know he pulls up to a Chinese restaurant and tell us this is where we are eating.  After trying to explain to Max that we are not suppose to be on this side of the river he admitted that he was planning on taking us here all along.  The whole time Max is laughing at us and telling us that it won't be much longer.
While were were eating Max was telling me that I was big enough to be a line backer at a small college and that I could get through school playing football.  I tell him thanks and get up to go to the restroom.  While I'm drying my hands a small hispanic guy walks in with his shoulders up thinking he's all big and bad until he sees me in my boots and jeans, then he drops his shoulders and hurries to the stall.  When I walk out I tell Elder Tubbs and Max what happened and Max just dies laughing.

I watched the leadership training broadcast and recognized Pres. Bowman.  I had a couple of people ask if I knew him.

This week we also put one of our investigators on date to be baptized on July 20.  We need to finish teaching her the commandments and the rest of lesson 4 then she should be good to go.

That's been the highlight of my week.

I love you and hope you're doing well.

Love,
Scott

June 17, 2013

This morning we got up early and played a round of gold with the lead singer of Good Night Argent, Chase Thompson, which was pretty cool.  He used his wives clubs which were pink.  It was pretty funny.  We later and played basketball and had FHE with the YSA and lunch with a family in one of the wards that I cover.  Today has been a busy one and we still need to go shopping.  My last area the members bought our food, this area we buy our own food.  As a result I've done a lot better budgeting my money.  In this area we don't live with members, we have our own apartment.

We received our transfer call on Saturday, both my companion and I will be staying in this area.  So I will be staying the Washington Kennewick Mission.  The mission will go into Canada.  There is one ward that is in Canada, so maybe I'll get to serve there.  We are also taking in part of the Spokane Mission.  The next transfer will be on my birthday.  It hard to believe that time is going so fast.  It's hard to believe that I've been out for almost 6 months.  It make my mission seem really short.

I've been really watching what I've been eating and not eating as much and try not to eat after 8 pm.  Last week I lost 2 lbs, but this last week I've lost 5lbs.  I've been running on the treadmill.  I've done 8 miles in an hour and do about 2.5 miles in 20 minutes.  I'm not starving myself.  Just watching what I'm eating.

Zane emailed me and said that we should both go to BYU I and room together, which is kind of funny because I was already thinking about going there when I get off my mission.  I've been thinking that when I get home I could work for the summer and save money to pay for my schooling and try and go in the fall.

I love you.

Love,
Elder Poling

June 10, 2013

So far this week has been a good week.  Pasco is nice.  It's a desert.  It doesn't rain much here and the sun is always out.  There are a few mountains off in the distance but there are hills everywhere.  My area is a little slow as far as missionary work goes.  We did get a new investigator in the YSA branch that I'm in.  One of the investigators that we are teaching is reading the Book of Mormon.  He reads it every morning and says that the thing in the Book of Mormon is true.  He also enjoys coming to church.  Earlier in the week I was able to give a member of the YSA branch, who is going through a rough time a blessing.

I went on exchanges this week.  While on exchanges I helped a guy move into his apartment.  One of the friends of this guy that we helped moved had strayed away from the church and has now come back and has gone through the temple.  He is now planning his wedding and getting married in the temple.  By his example he has showed his friend how much the gospel can change peoples lives.

Do you remember Elder Jenks?  He served in our ward about 5 years ago.  I saw him in the YSA branch.  He asked me if I was from OKC 3rd.  I told him yes.  Then he said that he thought I looked familiar.  He remembers the family.  That was cool to see someone who served their mission back home.

We are still doing service work.  We helped a member who is less active rock the back of a waterfall that she had built.  She feeds us every Monday for dinner.  I've told her some stories about the family and now she would like to meet you someday.

Sounds like you have been doing a lot of tornado clean up.  Most people, when they find out I'm from Oklahoma, ask me why we don't move.  I tell them because Oklahoma is home and you can always rebuild.  I also mention that we don't usually have huge tornados like the ones  on May 20 and May 30.

I hope you have a good week.

I love you.

Love,
Elder Poling

June 3, 2013

Sounds like you had a crazy week.
This week was alright.  We didn't do much teaching.  We did a lot of service though.  We helped a sister in our ward rock the back of a water fall.  She had another set of missionaries help her build it.  While we were there we were able to share a few messages with her.  I told her about the storms back home and that last week you went to church in your jeans and t-shirts then went down to help with the tornado cleanup.  She said that really means a lot to her.  It tell her a lot about the kind of family I have and how the church is so willing to help those in need.  She wanted me to tell you that she was proud of ya'll for doing that.

This morning my companion went to the doctor.  He also gets a lot of headaches.

I did go on exchanges with the zone leaders, which was pretty cool.  They are spanish speaking elder and since I don't know any spanish, all I did was sit there and act like I knew what was going on.

I want to be able to fit back into my size 34 jeans by the end of my mission.  I've started running again. Are there any tips you can help me with?

Love,
Elder Poling