Where do I begin? Monday, August 2, 2010

Well Hey there Everyone,

This week was a busy one. It went by very fast but then again all of them are starting to. Where do I begin?
We'll start with our "Special Training" Dun Dun Dun...We had a two day training in GF that replaced our normal Zone Conference. This training is a church wide missionary training that has come down from the Missionary Dept. They have implemented a new program to not replace PMG (Preach My Gospel) but to enhance the use of it. I guess a lot of other missions (mostly in other countries where you have to learn a language) are still struggling to fully use it the way it's designed (not sure if Andrew feels this way or not, just what an RM in Havre told us). I guess when PMG first came out they put it into the MTC first. Once the new Elders started to get into the mission with all this new training and techniques a lot of missionaires told them that that's not how things work in their mission so PMG wasn't being used to its full extent. So they have implemented a new training that they are first putting in the mission field and then next summer starting in the MTC. Half of the things the training focused on are things Pres. Gardner said we have already been focusing on so that was good to hear. So we drove down to GF early Tues. morning and were there until 9:00 p.m. and then had a half day the next day until 4:30. They have made some new training videos that are similar to the old ones but better. The old ones followed some missionaries in S.A. Texas around and showed all the good things they did and how we should be doing things. They were really good videos but almost felt unobtainable or unrealistic. So the new videos they edited Way less and you see a lot more of the companionships messing up in their teaching, not having good unity, and investigators not always doing things like the missionaries would like them to. There were three 30 min clips we watched and by the end of the third one you saw the companionships having more success and having more unity. It was just overall a lot better portrayal of missionary work. And they filmed it in the San Diego Mission which looks like a way cool mission. So we would watch one of these videos and then talk about how to fix problems or what things they could have done better and then went to PMG and read what we should be doing and then we'd go in the gym and role play it. It was so good to see it, learn about it, and then go practice it. I learned a ton! I feel like our teaching is going to be so much better now in our mission and in all the missions around the world. I told E. Whitlock wow you are lucky to get such a great training so early in your mission. He jokingly said No I'm not. Now I'm responsible to do these things and I can't just use the excuse that I'm new. hahaha. A few things I liked from the training also was Pres. talking about John Stockton and Karl Malone and how they completed each other. He then said we need to be the John Stockton to the to the spirit and assist it. Loved that! Also we are teaching people Not lessons. We have to focus more on our investigators needs. Overall it was just a great training. Oh one last thing. Pres. talked about Bro. D and told everyone the same thing that he told me about how Bro. D called him and said Pres. I just wanted you to know I'm praying for you. He asked who all had their name on his wall and I was proud to be able to raise my hand. This was also a two zone training so I got to see a bunch of people from the Butte/Helena Zone including E. Stewart and Kuck. E. Kuck said Wayne is getting so close. He has committed to get baptized but so far no date. Also talked with E. Unga who is one of the assistants and he is from Mesa. A guy from Sam's Club when he heard I was going to MT said to watch for E. Unga. This was the first time I have met E. Unga so we were able to talk about Robert. He laughed so hard when I told him who I knew.

So that took up a good part of our week. We got back to Havre Wed. about 7. Worked there that night and Thurs. and then headed off to Chinook. Sat. we helped move cows with Bro. J from a summer pasture they've been at to a new one. It was fun to sort them out. You get these oar looking things and just slap them on the rear until they go where you want them to go. haha That was E.Whitlocks first time working with cows and I think he had a lot of fun. We ate dinner with an old sister in the branch Sat. and she cooked us a massive steak. Took up more than half of my plate. It was good. The Js are going to be gone for 2 1/2 weeks on a family reunion cruise. Bro. J is not happy at all to leave the farm right now. He has a lot of work to do because he is behind on haying because of all the rain we had two weeks ago. He said while we were driving the cows I have to figure a way to get out of this stupid cruise without getting divorced. hahaha I'm pretty sure he was just joking but then again I think he was half serious. I can't picture him on a cruise. I picture him standing there with his snappy shirt on and shorts while wearing his cowboy work boots looking around at everyone having fun while he sits there and thinks about his farm. HaHaHa I bet he likes the buffet though. While they are gone we have to make sure we collect the chicken eggs. Other than that their part time farm hands will do everything else. The Js don't want any of the neighbors to find out where they are going because they say everyone will think they're crazy for leaving in the middle of haying.

So the Havre fair was last week. A girl from the Havre Ward told me a Carney told her he didn't like her BYU sweatshirt. I told her she should have said they were way better than who ever his team was! She then said he told her he was a UTE! OH MAN! I Laughed so Hard! Only a Ute would be a Carney! HAHAHAHA I told her she should have said I'd rather be a Cougar then a Ute Carney ANY Day! Hahaha

So you know that big indian we teach in Chinook? Glenn. He gave me a horse blanket the other day. Told me he wanted me to have it. It is a pretty big blanket. It has two big horses on it. G would love it. I think I'll wash it and then probably send it home whenever I leave here.

Well I think that's about all that went on this week. It was a busy week. Oh one last thing. The Mosquitoes in Chinook/Zurich area are Horrible! They just eat you ALIVE! Oh man. Bug spray works but if it starts to wear off they're right on you again. They are worse at the house in Zurich because she ( Sis. J) won't let them spray because their farm is an organic farm. You just run from the truck to the house day and night.

Ok I'll really got to go now. I can't believe Andrew is coming home! This is so crazy! Tell him I expect an email or letter every week just like we've been doing. He'll get one from me every week if I get one from him. Take a pic of him when he comes to AZ and send me a copy. I'm sending some pics to your gmail. Ok gotta go. Talk to you later. Love you all and thanks to those who emailed this week. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Mitch Davis

Who is that in this wheat field?

It's Elder Davis!

He looks so deep in thought

Yes, it is

It goes on and on -- at least it looks that way

Elder Whitlock the Golden Companion