Well everyone, I AM alive
and doing great!!! Let’s see if I can get you caught up from the last time I
wrote. So I finished my time at the MTC!!! It was wonderful but I was so happy
to get OUT OF THERE!!!! Hahah. I have no idea how the people learning languages
can handle the same scenery for 8 weeks!!!!! I got to the airport with the 19
missionaries going to Pocatello and I got to make some phone calls, which was
nice!!!
Then it was time to board
the plane, if you could really call it that. It was more like a small bus with
wings, duct taped on, and a rocket strapped to the back!! It was a 35 minute
flight to the Pocatello airport... which was pretty much a field with a small
building for luggage!!! There we met the Mission President, President
Brinkerhoff and Sister Brinkerhoff and the 3 AP's. They greeted us all with
hugs and warm smiles, which was very nice! Then we were off to get our luggage.
Get this, the plane was so small it couldn't hold all our luggage. Some elders
and sisters didn't get their luggage until the following day!!!
Once we collected all we
had we set off for the mission home!!! It was a nice ride. I rode with an AP,
Elder Pace, and chatted with him and got to know the area a little better. Once
there we ate dinner and had a little orientation/ interview with the President.
The interview went well and he promised blessings for my family as I'm away.
Some elders spent the night with the AP's, some went to a neighboring home, and
some stayed with the Brinkerhoff’s. I was lucky enough to stay at the Brinkerhoff
home :)
The following morning was
tranfers!!! So we all loaded up in 6 vans, cars, and trucks, and headed up the
highway to the many different stops in the mission. And on the way an Idaho
State Police officer was driving along side us and we got the feeling something
was up. Immediately after we brought it up, LIGHTS AND SIRENS!!! He pulled over
the truck pulling the trailer with all our luggage!!!! I can just see the
police officers face as he pulls over one truck and 6 others pull over too... I
bet he was a little nervous!!! Turns out the tags on the trailer were expired. Tell
me what kind of JERK cop pulls over the missionaries for expired tags???? Obviously
this Courageous Idaho State Trooper was protecting the people that I have been
called to serve, making sure that the roads are safe for travel. (A little
editing from Elder Rash’s father) Well when that was all settled we finally
moved on to meet our companions!!
My companion is Elder
Malau' Ulu!!! He's from American Samoa!!! HE is huge!!! As tall as I am, built
like an ox!!! He is a beast!!! haha we get along great!!! We do kind of
intimidate our investigators a little when they see two huge guys in suits walking
towards them! Our apartment is in South Idaho Falls and we cover part of the
Taylor Mountain Stake. Our address is 1405 Alice apt # 2. We pretty much live
in the ghetto area! It's weird how the boundaries for that stake are set up!
They are really long but not very wide! On one end of the ward are really rich
and nice houses and on the other end are poor struggling apartments. Everyone
is so nice though!!! We get fed most nights and they always give us left overs!
Don't worry about me getting fat though!!! We do SOOO much service and we work
out alot!!! and because I'm in a walking area I'm actually losing weight!!!
My first night we met the
Hammons. They are sooo nice!! They are a Hawiian family and they make the best
food ever!!! The kids are Auki(16), Mana(14), Loki(13), Christian(9), and
Courtney(9). Little Courtney drew me a picture of myself on the first night! It
made me smile and I'll attach a photo of it down below. Christian is really big
into hot wheels and had me playing trucks with him through dinner!
We have met tons of really
nice families in all different situations but they are all super nice!!! The
work is moving so quick here!!!! We have 11!!!!!!! BAPTISMAL DATES!!!! We have
15 investigators and we are always trying to get more!!! We helped one of our
investigators (Michael) move into his apartment yesterday and he was so nice!!!!
He is so ready to get baptized!!! We called one person to help us help him move
and before the day was over there were 5 people helping!!!! There is such a
strong family bond in the wards! We've taught about 6 lessons since I've been
here and it is so neat to see the light of Christ in their eyes!!! The area is
very highly populated with smokers, so we teach a lot of word of wisdom
lessons, it’s crazy that I've gotten used to the smell of cigarette smoke but
you gotta do what you gotta do to help the work progress!!!!
For all those pre-missionaries
getting ready to serve I have one piece of advice, actually two. 1) Get used to
dogs. They are EVERYWHERE!!! and 2) Get used to talking to complete strangers
and loving complete strangers!!!! Be friendly with everyone because even if
they aren't interested in the message, they now have the image of what
missionaries are. We are friendly, smiling people who want to help, not just
throw them in water and baptize them! I guess that was more than 2 things!
I want everyone who reads
this to know that I have a testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints. I KNOW without any doubt that it is the fullness of Jesus Christ's
church restored on earth today. I know that the Book of Mormon is another
testament of Jesus Christ and that a man can become closer with his or her
Heavenly Father by living by its precepts. I challenge all who haven't read it
yet to read it and to pray and ask God of its truthfulness. It is my solemn
promise that all who ask with a sincere heart, with REAL intent, will receive
an answer. It may not come on your time but it will come on the Lords time. I
know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. He did see God the Father and
Jesus Christ. He did translate the Book of Mormon. This Gospel has blessed my
life and given me so much happiness and THAT is why I am doing what I'm doing.
To share that happiness with others who don't have it. That is what we all
should do! Just because you haven't received a call doesn't mean you can't spread
the Gospel. There should be nothing holding you back from that. God is not a
respecter of persons, we shouldn't be either. I love you all and hope everyone
is doing fine! :) I can't wait to get your letters.
Love
Elder Rash
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