Oh my goodness...yes, that is how I am starting off this letter...OH MY GOODNESS! A mission is SO AMAZING! I have this week spent the entire week with such an amazing soul! I LOVE HIM! Elder B. He is from Ogden Utah, a huge nerd (just like me) and can't sing (just like me haha). BUT he loves people, EVERYONE and he is so so so so so so so so humble! I have so much to learn from him! I love serving with him so much! For those of you who know my past or know my friends you will know a shuai ge (handsome boy) named A. Curtis! Elder B is just like Alec in so many ways! It is really cool! I think that is one of the reasons we get along so well! Becuase it is just like being with one of my best friends! They even look alike! The only difference I would think is that one loves singing and one loves physics. Oh man it is so great! One thing you have to know about Elder B is his hilarious name! It is Bu(4) Zhanglao which is the bu in buding (Pudding) so people call him elder pudding sometimes haha. He is so funny! Gosh I love my new comp! In fact, one of the funniest things happened last week. SO Elder B is on his last move call...(oh no!), which means he is EXHAUSTED having spent the last 2 years in missionary service. He still works super super hard, but it is easy to see that he gets tired easy. It is easier to tell when we kneel to say a companionship prayer and when I say amen I don't hear the usual echoing of the amen...I look up just waiting...and there he is, kneeling and in the usual tired prayer shape, eyes closed...and then comes the heavy breathing....he fell asleep in the middle of my prayer! Oh man it was SO FUNNY! I stayed there for maybe 2 min. waiting for him and finally shook him awake. He sure is a funny one! I am super grateful that I am able to serve with him! But as with anything there seems to have to be opposites in all things...
With all the good of an amazing new companion comes all the stress and hurt that Satan can put on you as investigators begin to drop or new investigators aren't found. I will have to say this week was much harder for me. We had a few investigators that I loved pretty much break up with us. It is tough everytime! But what usually makes it better is being able to go out and find new investigators that help to strengthen your testimony. The only thing is that this week THEY all rejected us too! Dang it was tough! We got fanged a lot this weeks (meaning they set up and don't show up), I guess thats just the life of a missionary though! I will say though that we had a lot of success with connecting more with ward members and Recent converts! Elder B is amazing at loving people and helping them to feel that love! I can't stop smiling and laughing when we have time to chat, it is so much fun! In fact, one AMAZING idea he had was to take over these brownies to a part member family and teach them how to make brownies! It was an amazing idea until....we found out they have no oven...UHOH! what to do? Well they had this little thing that is more like a toaster oven. Well...Mom you would be so proud, I decided that we could still do it! All it would take was making a bunch of smaller brownies! It sounded so good and smelled so good until the smoke started pouring out and we looked the WHOLE top was burnt and the inside was all gooy! Well luckily I had a similar kind of experience in college with this oven that was pretty broken! In college we didn't really know what to do, but with this little oven I figured it out! We just made layer brownies! Put a little in, bake it, a little more, bake it. I felt like a real baker! haha. And the kids and mom in the family were loving it! It was a really fun time and then of course nothing was better than having brownies and milk to seal the deal! They invited us back next week and the Mom said she would try to make it to church! WHAT A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry there is no pictures from this week...we can only take pictures on special occasions and P-day and last week was so busy I wasn't able to get any. But I will try to get some for next week! (J, the boy in the part member family took some pics and stuff and said he might put some on facebook though so maybe you can look there??).
So one other miracle story is that this Sunday we were in a HUGE rush and so I was trying to pack up my stuff and my bike and get going. I set my suite jacket on a scooter next to me and started packing. Of course I forgot and just took off. I completely forgot until I got to the church (about 30 min away by bike). Well I quickly called a nearby member and asked him if he could go look. He said it would take him a bit but he could try. And so I said a little prayer. Well....he got it! it was still there after about 40min of sitting there! I was so thankful! I have had a lot of stuff stolen but that coat wasn't! I was so happy! I love how the Lord cares about all our little worries!
A mission is the perfect example of how much the Lord will take care of us if we put our trust in him. So go on a mission! Some could say, but Elder Gish I am too old or too young or don't know enough, or other worries...well...I am here to say...(Here comes a President Watson Quote...) "so what!?" [Shannon here: President Watson is our Stake President here in New Hampshire. Our stake, like most, comprises eight congregations.] We can be, should be, and are ALL missionaries! Go forward and work! Just be a missionary! :) Go out and work, serve the Lord!
I love this work! I love you all!
FaGuang! (Shine Bright!)
Love
Ge ZhangLao
Elder Gish
P.S. Sorry this email is a little shorter...our email time got cut by 30min and I am still trying to figure out how to distribute my time. But I love you all! :)
