End of Beginning

One of my favorite statues at the mtc, taken at 3:30 in the morning the morning I left.

Hello everybody, it has been an absolutely crazy week and a bit so far! The last week at the mtc wasn't too bad, except for having to wake up at 3 tuesday morning and walk to the travel office through what felt like a ghost town. Traveling wasn't too bad, but I didn't know anyone and it was pretty quiet. We were at the airport for many hours, which kind of sucked, but I got to see most of my original district and my uncle there. 

After the short flight to St. Louis, we met with President and the APs, then went out in groups and did the work. I was with two elders that said we were going to the hood, and that its the best area in the mission. I didn't believe them, but more on that later. We met with a lot of people for lessons, one of which had no teeth and another that thought sleepung through church was a sign that she should look for another one, but we pulled her back in.

We spent the night at a hotel and my roomate and I did not speak a word the whole time. I know that's going to be super suprising because I'm just so outgoing all the time. In the morning we got actual trainers at transfers and I'm pretty happy with mine. He's District Leader and has thrown me into a lot at once, but that's not a bad way to learn I guess. He has also been in this area for half his mission and the other half was spent in another area. I don't know how he's not just dead tired of this place, but he has convinced me to tell Bishop and some other members that I've been out for 13 months. 

The area we are in is a lot nicer than my first day, but that has come with a lot of realizations. First, those elders were completey right. I didn't realize it then, but the whole time we were in the hood we were teaching interested people. It is full of what the elders here call the "elect." Basically the people that are humble and want to hear our message to change theur lives. Here we are just finding and trying to stick to the more humble parts. Finding people consists of 2 things: talking to random people and lots of contention, both of which are probably my least favorite things ever. It's usually door to door in apartment buildings, which usually goes okay until you knock on the wrong doors. Southern Hospilitality is still strong, but not for some people. A lot of people are not big fans of soliciting, either, even though we are proselytizing. Not the same thing, but some people don't know the difference. 

Besides that, we sometimes do storefinding, also known as the most awkward thing you can do. We go up to people, in stores, and ask if they're going to church. You also have to make sure there's no workers around (again, proselytizing and soliciting). My trainer says it's effective, but we have never gotten someone interested that way yet. We do live in the Bible Belt, and there are a lot more Catholics here than I remember.

For a spiritual thought:

When having my first meeting with my mission president, I told him that I don't really know why I'm here, and he expressed how much respect he had for "Visa-waiters," and shared a scripture with me about miracles. Mormon 9:10-11 says "10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. 11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are." 

I have seen so many miracles while here, even through the many trials. There have been many people that don't necessarily want to hear our message, but know us and what we're doing. They let us in to just talk and that has really kept me going when the days get rough. We are also able to meet with a lot of members who are super good and kind. I've also seen a few familiar faces from family and BYU. We got to hear a homecoming talk as well, which kind of hurt a bit, but he talked about feeling the exact same way I do at the start of his mission, and how he got through that, using the same scriptures I read a night or 2 before. Check out Alma 29, which is also where I got my plaque scripture from.

While experiencing both miracles and trials, I will admit I often think, "Okay, I think that's what I was supposed to learn here, can I get my Visa now?" I still haven't, so I've decided there's either still more to learn, or someone really needs me here. Or maybe that mentality is the very thing keeping me here. I just know I'm here for a reason, but don't know what it is.

I also was inspired to read through the Book of Mormon way back during the second Sunday at the mtc. It is going super well, but every personal study I've had in the field applied exactly to what happened during the day or day before. One of my favorites was Alma 31:38, which says " And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith." Notice how it doesn't say they had no trials, but that the ones they did have were "swallowed up in the joy of Christ." It's pretty easy to get shaken up after somethings, but I have noticed they a little less effect each time.

I hope I haven't been too negative these last few emails, since the honest truth is that I do like it here and most of the trials I may be experiencing are just things that come with every mission. I have been pleasantly surprised at the kindness of a lot of the people here, and I like my companion and district. Unfortunately I could not be assigned to a Spanish area, but I'm still able to study and practice. I am still praying for my visa to come through, but having a familiar language around is pretty nice.

Ve con Dios, 

- Elder Puzey

There's not much to see here as I've only been here a couple days, so I thought I would show what we see everyday: Our apartment, which has had missionaries in it since probably the first ones were called to St. Louis. You can probably tell by the state of it. I've also never seen so many pictures of Jesus and Books of Mormon in my life (including in Chinese and Arabic for some reason). Our view with a classic Southern thunderstorm overhead. Our wall of inspiration.