In my last email I mentioned how my companions and I were transferred from Fargo 3rd ward to 1st ward. Well let me tell you this ward is infatuated with my sign language! My companions and I have been invited to over 6 lunch/dinner appointments where I usually talk/teach their kids ASL while my companions check in with the parents about their financial stability during Covid-19. I absolutely adore these kids, they have given me the nickname (apparently I'm a cool missionary so I get a nickname) of Elder McMuffin except there is a sweet 4 year old girl who can't make the "Mc" sound so she just calls me Elver Moofin. Needless to say I love meeting with these awesome families and being able to feel the spirit so strongly, as well as have them share there wonderful food with us.
Another super cool experience I had was with a woman named Rebeka. You see my companions and I were about to go and help out our friends in the community garden when we got a call from a missionary in Iowa. Rebeka was interested in the church for a while and was taught by these missionaries, eventually she quit the lessons because our religion was becoming to "challenging" for her. Apparently she was temporarily living here in Fargo looking for a better job when her purse and wallet were stolen from her shopping cart at JC Penny. She had no friends, her husband was in jail, and was very alone so she called the missionaries asking for help. After hearing this we felt prompted to go over and talk and maybe pray with her. When we arrived she was so glad to see us, but we were very intimidated by her. Rebeka was wearing lingerie, had massive florest pink gauges in her ears, blue hair and lots of tattoos, one of which I thought was the star of David but was actually the pentagram. Anyways my companions tried to teach her about hope and pray with her but she became very frustrated and mad both at us and God. Suddenly a guy walks around the corner with a monster and starts talking to my companions about why were wearing black name tags and sitting on the curb of a sketchy Mexican restaurant. My companions immediately started talking to him while I was in a awkward middle ground. Suddenly the world went super slow and I felt a message come to my heart that I was blessed with extremely unique talents and that I needed to use them now. So I commented on how much I liked her tattoos and asked how many she had. Rebeka's mouth dropped and she told me all about her tattoos and their meaning, immediately the walls between us were removed and we became fast friends. At the end of our conversation which covered hair dying tips, relationship advice, travel tips, and families she openly told me "all the other mormons I have met are [b-word] like your companions, but not you I genuinely like you and want to be better friends with you. Also did you companions kidnap you because your so awesome and there so rude and self-centered- if you are kidnapped the secret word is pineapple". It was amazing that she was placed in our path that I could connect with her and tell her heavenly father loves her and she just needs to reach out to Him.
Now the crowing jewel of this week was the blessing to see my family again after two weeks! As many of you know when I left on my mission I wasn't endowed, but recently the Bismark Nodak temple was allowed to proceed to phase two so I could receive my endowment! Also my mission president allowed my parents to fly out and go through with me and my companions for the first time. I just want to say that the temple is such a refuge from all of the craziness of our world right now, and is the most beautiful and sacred place in the entire world. Following my wonderful first time through the temple my parents took my companions, our AP and I to Texas roadhouse where we all caught up and were able to really just have a splendid time. I will say that it was so much harder to say goodbye in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot then at the airport, but this only adds to my testimony of the beauty of families and that they are one of the highest gifts of this world.
Needless to say this week has been extraordinary in which I have seen the hand of the lord and have felt his love and spirit pour upon me. Know that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and even the Holy Ghost love and known you individually and that you can never sink below their love and their light. Love and miss you all, but loving both the people and the area of North Dakota!!!
With love,
Elder McMullin
Photo Gallery!!!
1) My Gardening Foreman, he wrote a Facebook post about how he would never join the church but absolutely adores its kid hearted missionaries.
2) Dinner at the Allohamans
3) A blueberry lemon cake from a sweet Sister for me teaching her daughter ASL
4) My companions and I at the temple- love these guys like my older brothers
5) Me and my legend and most caring younger brother who I am blessed to have
6) Familes can be together forever even when one member is in a different State
7) Wild Sunflowrs off the side of the freeway
8) Spectacular sunset after thunderstorm
