I don't know where to start! So, I'll start with transfer day.
I was super excited to serve with Elder Hinckley because we were great friends in the MTC. When it came to transfer meeting, I sat next to him and his companion during the departing testimonies. He didn't seem very enthused. I was getting worried.
At transfer meeting I was able to see Elder Nichols! It was so fun. I miss that guy. On P-days we drive up to Anchorage to email, and Elder Nichols emails here as well, so we will be able to see each other more often now. Its nice.
Back to the transfer meeting. After the meeting ended, we went out to my truck to move all my luggage into my new car, (2014 Jeep Compass). Elder Hinckley really wasn't very happy. On the drive to the apartment, he was scowling. This was not the same guy I knew at the MTC. My natural man wanted to say, "What's your problem?" but I decided to stay positive. I talked to him as if we were great friends, but he showed no interest.
Rather than it being discouraging, I actually was excited. It was strange, I was excited to try my charity out. I've been working on loving everyone, and praying to be filled with the love of God. I was excited for this opportunity. I've made it a goal to be the kind of companion that left a positive impression in my companions mind for the rest of their life. I want to make sure I'm their friend.
The rest of the day Elder Hinckley was frustrated. I wasn't sure what it was. At the end of the day, planning was very apathetic, and he seemed very disinterested in the work. (Fast forward a couple days to my interview with President Robinson, he told me that Elder Hinckley's last companion was... well... not as obedient as he could've been.)
It was such a fun challenge. I spent a lot of time praying. It's cool to be able to consciously make the right choice. Many times after a certain thing he said or did, I was able to sit and think, "I can make two choices here. I can confront him and tell him to shape up, or I can love him into change." It was such a liberating and motivating feeling when I decided to love him.
The next morning he got up and sat at his desk and wrote in his journal during exercise time. At 6:55, he got in the car and we went to a members house to work out at their gym. We are supposed to be done exercising by 7:00. I was a little worried, and I didn't know where I needed to set the line, but I decided to let him know how much studies meant to me and that we need to be home in time for studies. Gratefully he obliged.
When we went to the home gym, he went to the bench press. He has grown a lot stronger since I last saw him. He put on some really heavy barbells(?) on the press, and started lifting them. He's pretty strong. I went to the ab machine and did some reps. This entire time he was still angry. After he was done lifting I'm sure 3x my weight, he went to the treadmill. I decided I'd take a try at the bench press.
Knowing my limits, I slid off the barbells and replaced them with some that I could handle. As I did my reps, he laughed at me. That was an interesting moment. I got up and started to punch him in the face. He jumped off the treadmill and tackled me to the ground. As we were falling I let out a war cry, “In memory of my God, my religion, and my-" "Arghh!" (I couldn't remember the rest of the title of liberty.) As my face throbbed with pain from his punches, I managed to put him in a headlock. He was under my mercy now.
I'm not sure what the members were thinking upstairs, but apparently they let us continue as I cried,
"And now, Elder Hinckley, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened my arms that I have gained power over you, by my faith, by my religion, and by my rites of worship, and by my church, and by the sacred support which I owe to my future wife and children, by that liberty which binds me to my lands and my country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which I owe all my happiness; and by all that is most dear unto me—
Yea, and this is not all; I command you by all the desires which ye have for life, that ye deliver up your attitude unto me, and I will seek not your blood, but I will spare your life, if ye will go your way and come not again to mocking against me.
And now, if ye do not this, behold, ye are in my hands, and I will command my fists that they shall fall upon you, and inflict the wounds of death on your face, that ye may become extinct; and then we will see who shall have power over this companionship; yea, we will see who shall be brought into bondage!" (Alma 44:5-7)
Just kidding. Even though he laughed, I actually just kept lifting.
I was worried though. He continued in this manner for about two days. He acted like he was cooler than me. But I continued to love him. I continued to serve him, and I continued to pray for him. And whatd'ya know? He's back to his normal self now :)
This area is awesome! We have so much work to do!
We have an investigator that is an old lady from Germany. She is quite kind, but doesn't seem to be progressing. She had been talking about the German language, and we were learning a couple words. As we were talking with her, I had a brilliant prompting from the Lord. "You know Sister German lady, (I've decided to keep names private just in case), I've heard that when we read the Book of Mormon in a different language, we are able to learn that language. Would it be alright if we brought German book of Mormons next time we come and you can teach us how to read aloud? Can you explain to us what the passages mean?" She thought that was a great idea! Elder Hinckley and I are going to be able to learn German, and she will have the opportunity to read and explain the Book of Mormon to us. Its so exciting!
The Lord also gave me another great prompting! I was being introduced to all the ward council on Tuesday, and when we went to the Sunday School Presidents home, he was cooking. He was kind of a gruff guy. He didn't seem to trust a new missionary. I was able to use some skills that I learned from reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (awesome book). I learned that he loves to cook. Absolutely loves it. By the end of the visit we were getting along just fine.
At the end of the night I had a great thought given to me! I talked with Elder Hinckley, and he thought the idea was great as well. We decided that we would call the Sunday School President and ask him if we could come over and learn how to make some cookies for our investigators. Last Saturday we were able to make some cookies! It was a great experience and opportunity.
The area in Palmer that I was in was a lot more spread out than Eagle River is. My last area (The Butte) was in the boonies. Its a little challenging going from a small town lifestyle to a busier city.
In Palmer everyone worked on the Slopes. The oil rigs way up north.
Here in Eagle River, there is a military base. So everyone is in the military. The diversity of the areas in Alaska is quite interesting.
All in all, I'm safe, there is a lot of great work to be done, my companion and I are getting along just fine, and Christmas is coming!
I hope you all are doing well, continue to read and pray!
Elder Tyler James Garver
Just kidding. Even though he laughed, I actually just kept lifting.
I was worried though. He continued in this manner for about two days. He acted like he was cooler than me. But I continued to love him. I continued to serve him, and I continued to pray for him. And whatd'ya know? He's back to his normal self now :)
This area is awesome! We have so much work to do!
We have an investigator that is an old lady from Germany. She is quite kind, but doesn't seem to be progressing. She had been talking about the German language, and we were learning a couple words. As we were talking with her, I had a brilliant prompting from the Lord. "You know Sister German lady, (I've decided to keep names private just in case), I've heard that when we read the Book of Mormon in a different language, we are able to learn that language. Would it be alright if we brought German book of Mormons next time we come and you can teach us how to read aloud? Can you explain to us what the passages mean?" She thought that was a great idea! Elder Hinckley and I are going to be able to learn German, and she will have the opportunity to read and explain the Book of Mormon to us. Its so exciting!
The Lord also gave me another great prompting! I was being introduced to all the ward council on Tuesday, and when we went to the Sunday School Presidents home, he was cooking. He was kind of a gruff guy. He didn't seem to trust a new missionary. I was able to use some skills that I learned from reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (awesome book). I learned that he loves to cook. Absolutely loves it. By the end of the visit we were getting along just fine.
At the end of the night I had a great thought given to me! I talked with Elder Hinckley, and he thought the idea was great as well. We decided that we would call the Sunday School President and ask him if we could come over and learn how to make some cookies for our investigators. Last Saturday we were able to make some cookies! It was a great experience and opportunity.
The area in Palmer that I was in was a lot more spread out than Eagle River is. My last area (The Butte) was in the boonies. Its a little challenging going from a small town lifestyle to a busier city.
In Palmer everyone worked on the Slopes. The oil rigs way up north.
Here in Eagle River, there is a military base. So everyone is in the military. The diversity of the areas in Alaska is quite interesting.
All in all, I'm safe, there is a lot of great work to be done, my companion and I are getting along just fine, and Christmas is coming!
I hope you all are doing well, continue to read and pray!
Elder Tyler James Garver
12:00 am. This is the most sun I see all day, well, I don't actually see any sun. Unless I am in the city, they have about an hour of sun exposure. I usually miss out on that. By 4:45-5:00 it is completely dark outside.
Like most, this is a cloudy day, at around 3:00. Alaska is beautiful.
Next week I'll have to post some pictures of my new area.
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