Letter 11-10-08

Dear Family,

Right now I am kind of surprised. My thoughts don’t dwell on mail very much. I could care less. However, when I get a week where absolutely no one writes, it shocks me a little. Usually someone from home sends something, but no. No family letters. No friend letters. Not even Mom, Dad, Bruce, or Joe. Outside transfer weeks, I think that’s a first. I’ve been trying to avoid the missionary stereotype where the missionary is obligated to write but people back home don’t have to because they are just too darn busy to say anything. Well, I would promise you that I am busier than all of you combined, but it’s not worth it. I guess this will just have to be like this and I will accept it. I’ve been out long enough that you all just have got used to me not being there so you don’t think to write. Sucks to be me, I guess. I honestly think that it is hypocritical for people to expect me to write every week when they don’t send squat. Well, guess what, I’ve been tempted to go back to what I did earlier in my mission, only send letters to those who deserve to hear from me and haven’t been hypocritical, but I won’t. I had 3 or 4 people hypocritically threaten to disown me earlier, which is why I stopped and decided not to go back, but just know that I still love the idea, so don’t tempt me. Elder Pearson of the First Quorum of the Seventy was bold enough to tell all of us TLM-ites that 2.2 baptisms a year is ridiculous. Well, I can say the same thing. Not writing your missionary is absolutely ridiculous. Nonsense. Garbage. Needs to be stopped. I can be bold in saying that because it’s true and has even been said in conference. Its especially bad for you that have gone on missions and know how it feels not to receive letters. Repent all ye slothful people! I think it’s humorous that the most consistent writers, Mom, Bruce, and Joe, are the ones who have never served a mission. Bruce and Joe – I’ll make a vow right now. When you go on your missions, I will remember my mission and these instances where no one cared enough to say anything and how rejected I felt and on thinking back on these moments I will write consistently and update you on me and everyone else. You can count on it. I feel like Moroni condemning Pahoran. Hopefully I will get the same response saying I’m sorry you were offended, I did have a purpose in not responding, and I will do what I can to help you.

Now, there are a few of you who deserve to hear from me because you have tried your hardest. I won’t point you out, you know who you are. Quietly and silently to you, this condemnation letter doesn’t apply to you. Please read on. I’m not going to put anyone on my blacklist. If I don’t send an email to you, it’s due to my own stupidity in forgetting to check the box. However, if you have gone over a month without sending anything, be honest and close this email right now. I’m finished with this hypocrisy. Repent and send a letter. Then you can open the email back up and see how I’m doing. Then commit yourself to write consistently. That doesn’t mean every week necessarily. That would be nice, of course, but at least every other week or every third week. If you decide to do it monthly, great, just make sure to send some hardcopy pictures or a sports update with your letter and that will make due.

Now on to me. This last week has been great. On Sunday we did a mission wide fast to double the baptisms here in the TLM, like Elder Pearson said needed to happen. Then Tuesday was district meeting / interviews with President Robison. Everything that Elder Pearson said about how much potential this area has and what we need to do here really hit a chord with President Robison in the sense that he sees the same way as Elder Pearson. Everyone has a stereotypical attitude about this area. It is the Bible belt. Very few have had success. It won’t ever go anywhere. Hence the fact that there has been a mission average of 2.2 baptisms per year per missionary. Well, that is what we are trying to get rid of. President Eyring, a while back when he was Elder Eyring, I believe, came to this area and said West Texas will blossom. The stake president back in the Odessa Stake (when I was in Midland) had this same prophetic vision. He pretty much prophesied that there will be many wards, stakes, and temples in West Texas, which is why he was very adamant about BAPTIZE NOW! The bishop back in Midland had a dream one night of the congregation overflowing with people. Now this. President Robison told us in District Meeting that this will happen. It’s not just a dream. It’s reality. They put a temple in Lubbock for a reason. How has it made me feel? Overjoyed. I’ve had a wonderful week. Amazing spirits. Why? Just go ask Mom what has been promised about me on my mission in several occasions. I feel like blessings about me are finally going to be fulfilled. I’ve been confused my whole mission on how few people have listened here, but I have a new resolved drive. President Robison also said that we don’t yet know exactly how this is going to happen, we just know it will. Miracles can happen and they will happen in this mission. In future meetings, we’ll be slowly discussing various things that we can do, but right now the focus President Robison and Elder Pearson have had is mainly obedience. How fitting. Obedience has been my theme for my mission. I’ve tried to be exactly obedient, down to the very letter of the law. That’s how I’ve always been and honestly I’ve been disgusted and appalled by how many missionaries here are disobedient. No real worthiness issues, of course, but disobedient to all the small rules that don’t make sense, like, for example, why to get up at 6:30 when you can get 10 extra minutes of sleep and still make it to studies on time. Little things like that. President threw down on obedience and lovingly chastised us all and quite honestly, I enjoyed every second of it because I have a testimony of obedience and I think everyone else needs one. This won’t happen overnight, but I know that it will and I am excited and pumped.

As for this week, it has been great statistically. We had six new investigators, half of which being a family of three. Coincidence? I think not. Still no investigators of note yet. This area was bone dry when I got here due to the fact that it’s only been opened to missionaries for a few months, but we’re working on it. We’ve got quite a few new investigators now that we’re starting to work with so things are about to catch fire, so that’s a step in the right direction, I guess. I’ll promise to let you know when we have anyone worth talking about that will go somewhere.

Know that I am doing absolutely wonderful. I love it here. I am enjoying every minute of it and not even the fact that my mailbox has been real empty recently can get me down.

Oh before I forget, 2 items of Business.
1 – Bruce – that address you sent me for Julien hasn’t worked. I’ve tried formatting it several ways, but the letter always comes back to me. The only thing I figured out that is the city is Culver City (I looked on a map). If you can somehow manage to get me a correct address that is formatted correctly that would be bueno. If not, I won’t cry too hard.
2 – Mom – I got the most recent bank statement from Zions that was late September and October and that was all peachy, but they never sent a statement for August and Early September. If you could manage to somehow get me a copy for that time period, that would also be bueno. If not…well…I guess I just won’t be able to fully balance my checkbook and that isn’t peachy.

Peace Out and Git-R-Done!!


Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester