Dear Family,
Well, this last week has been great. I am settled back in Eastland and we've started to see a lot of success in teaching lessons this last week. I'm at a loss for what to say really. I guess the scary thing is that I hit 1 year this last week. That is freaky. I've been doing a lot of pondering recently. This last year has gone by way too fast. I feel that I have just barely started my mission and now it is half way over. I don't really want to go home. Yes, I miss all of you, but I am enjoying myself too much here. Being a missionary gives me lots of purpose in life. I feel useful out here, like I am doing something that is really important. I've heard that the last year goes by a lot quicker than the first year and if that is true I will be home in a jiffy and that doesn't sit well with me. It gives me more perspective on life. I have learned a lot. I have learned how important it is to do the small simple things that most of us take for granted at times. Reading our scriptures. Praying, morning and night. Going to church. Partaking of the sacrament. Singing hymns. Most of all, we are blessed to be members of this church. Not many people are. There are so many millions of people in the world that haven't been blessed as great as we have. It's quite sad, yet we should be praising the Lord constantly for the great blessings we have received in our lives. There are many called, but few chosen. Think on that. We have been called, but just because we are members of the church doesn't mean we are chosen. Believing that the church is true isn't enough. We need to act upon that and do all that we can to purify our selves and purify our lives and get out of the world. I know that I have come to the point in a missionary's life where I have become an afterthought. You all have gotten used to me being gone, so it doesn't phase you. I've seen that, but it doesn't matter because me being at home has been an afterthought as well on my end. Texas has become my home and I am loving it here and the fact of me hitting a year and knowing that I will so be going back home to Utah makes me sad. The older missionaries that I was raised with have been going home or are close to going home. My trainer goes home in a few weeks and he will be my first companion to go home and after that they will drop like flies and I will be left alone. Anyway, life is great, I hope everyone is doing good and staying true to the faith. Bruce and Joe, do your best to prepare for your missions right now. I heard that constantly growing up but never hit me that I would actually go on a mission, so I never took it too seriously. The time will come where both of you will have to make that decision to serve and it is closer than you think. Much closer. The more prepared you are the easier it will be to make that. If you make the decision to go, it will truly be the best decision you will ever make and the best way to prepare is quite simple. All those classic sunday school / seminary answers. Read your scriptures, pray, go to church. And don't just do it to do it. Take it seriously and it will bless you throughout your mission and throughout your life. Peace out All!
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Letter 2-16-09
Dear Family,
I believe I left everyone hanging last week. I said I had news to share. Well, I do, but I also don’t have a lot of time. We had something come up and I got to emails late, so I have to be short. The news though is transfers. In the past I told every one of transfers the week of transfers. Well, I’ve said that people should write to the old address and missionaries will forward it, but no one ever listens, so I decided that when I get transferred, I won’t let people know until a week later when I have my new address. That way they are forced to listen to because they don’t know anything else. We’ll see how that goes. But yes, they called me up last Monday and said that I am getting transferred again and going south on Wednesday. So I get on the bus and someone hands me a brand new cell phone. I check it out and it tells me my area. You’ll never guess what it is! EASTLAND!!!!!!! They have sent me back to re-open Eastland. I am way excited. However, being in Eastland brings a big responsibility. The area was closed once on me and I know that if I don’t get things going that it could easily get closed on me again and that would be no bueno. This time around I am not in the branch presidency. President didn’t really like the idea. It was good experience, but now we should be focused more on missionary work and not on branch presidency work. While the area was closed, the Abilene Elders went up there twice a week and the actually missionary work started to pick up, so they decided to give Eastland another try and I guess the best missionary to put back in there would be one who knows the area good – me.
So that’s the good news, the scary news comes from the call that came last Sunday. They have called me to be a senior companion. Slap. Ouch. I was enjoying being a junior companion. It is a lot easier to be a follower than a leader, but this will be good for me. I know all of you are diligently following all my many companions that I’ve had, in this last year I have had 7 companions, 8 if you include the MTC. Here is the newest companion. Elder Jonathan Clark Reed from Boise, Idaho. He has been out 3 months. I am his second companion and this is his second area. 5th area for me. That is it though for this week. Have a great week!
Oh yes, here is the address:
Elder Adam R Droge
1099 Lago Vista Blvd #223
Eastland, TX 76448
(Same address as last with different apartment number)
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
I believe I left everyone hanging last week. I said I had news to share. Well, I do, but I also don’t have a lot of time. We had something come up and I got to emails late, so I have to be short. The news though is transfers. In the past I told every one of transfers the week of transfers. Well, I’ve said that people should write to the old address and missionaries will forward it, but no one ever listens, so I decided that when I get transferred, I won’t let people know until a week later when I have my new address. That way they are forced to listen to because they don’t know anything else. We’ll see how that goes. But yes, they called me up last Monday and said that I am getting transferred again and going south on Wednesday. So I get on the bus and someone hands me a brand new cell phone. I check it out and it tells me my area. You’ll never guess what it is! EASTLAND!!!!!!! They have sent me back to re-open Eastland. I am way excited. However, being in Eastland brings a big responsibility. The area was closed once on me and I know that if I don’t get things going that it could easily get closed on me again and that would be no bueno. This time around I am not in the branch presidency. President didn’t really like the idea. It was good experience, but now we should be focused more on missionary work and not on branch presidency work. While the area was closed, the Abilene Elders went up there twice a week and the actually missionary work started to pick up, so they decided to give Eastland another try and I guess the best missionary to put back in there would be one who knows the area good – me.
So that’s the good news, the scary news comes from the call that came last Sunday. They have called me to be a senior companion. Slap. Ouch. I was enjoying being a junior companion. It is a lot easier to be a follower than a leader, but this will be good for me. I know all of you are diligently following all my many companions that I’ve had, in this last year I have had 7 companions, 8 if you include the MTC. Here is the newest companion. Elder Jonathan Clark Reed from Boise, Idaho. He has been out 3 months. I am his second companion and this is his second area. 5th area for me. That is it though for this week. Have a great week!
Oh yes, here is the address:
Elder Adam R Droge
1099 Lago Vista Blvd #223
Eastland, TX 76448
(Same address as last with different apartment number)
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Monday, February 9, 2009
Letter 2-9-09
Dear Family,
So I forgot to mention one thing last week. It can get cold in Texas. About a week and a half ago, we experienced something called freezing rain. It rains, but since it is below freezing outside, the rain freezes up when it gets to the ground, so the whole city gets covered with a thin layer of ice. It’s quite cool. Literally. :). I took pictures of it, so you can look forward to seeing that in a month or so. I was quite amused. Luckily it was minor or bad things could happen because Texans don’t know how to drive. If it gets worse, it’s called an ice storm. An ice storm is the same thing, but it rains a lot harder and so it can be very dangerous. We only got freezing rain, not an ice storm. It’s like getting a snow storm instead of a blizzard. Outside that the weather has been really nice. January’s highs were, for the most part in the 60’s and 70’s with it getting to the 80’s on occasion. What is weird though is the fact that we’d wake up one day and the weather decided to be in the 30’s or 40’s for a day or two and we’d get really cold, but then it’d get warm again. The bad thing about Texas when it does get cold is that it is very miserable because of the wind. The wind just eats you alive because it is always blowing in your face and it freezes you. Not very fun, but I survive, because unlike Utah, when it’s cold down here, you know you can wait and it’ll be warm the next day. When Utah gets cold, it just stays cold.
Anyways, we were scheduled to have a baptism last week, like I’d been talking about, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. That’s ok, though. Don’t panic. He was all ready and then he went into his interview. Well, in his interview he realized that he missed a part in the word of wisdom. He understood most of it, but it didn’t hit him that he wasn’t supposed to drink coffee or tea. As to who’s fault that was doesn’t really matter. He committed not to drink either and now just has to wait patiently for 2 weeks. We were going to do it this upcoming Saturday, Valentine’s Day, but he will be out of town the next day for the confirmation and so bishop asked us to do it the 21st so we can do the confirmation they way the church prefers us to do it, the very next Sunday in Sacrament meeting rather than putting it off for a week. He’s ready and will get baptized so all is well. He won’t even have to be re-interviewed.
I do have some other news to relay, but for a wise purpose, I am waiting until next week to give it out. You’ll find out what it is and why I waited a week next time, so stay tuned and don’t be shy to write me if something major happens. If there is news to relay and everyone expects someone else to write me, no ever says anything. Why do I bring this up? Not to make anyone feel bad or anything, but I just found out for the first time today that Annie is pregnant. Apparently she is due next month. I almost got a new nephew without ever knowing about it... Oops... :). Don’t worry, all’s well! Have a great week everyone!
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
So I forgot to mention one thing last week. It can get cold in Texas. About a week and a half ago, we experienced something called freezing rain. It rains, but since it is below freezing outside, the rain freezes up when it gets to the ground, so the whole city gets covered with a thin layer of ice. It’s quite cool. Literally. :). I took pictures of it, so you can look forward to seeing that in a month or so. I was quite amused. Luckily it was minor or bad things could happen because Texans don’t know how to drive. If it gets worse, it’s called an ice storm. An ice storm is the same thing, but it rains a lot harder and so it can be very dangerous. We only got freezing rain, not an ice storm. It’s like getting a snow storm instead of a blizzard. Outside that the weather has been really nice. January’s highs were, for the most part in the 60’s and 70’s with it getting to the 80’s on occasion. What is weird though is the fact that we’d wake up one day and the weather decided to be in the 30’s or 40’s for a day or two and we’d get really cold, but then it’d get warm again. The bad thing about Texas when it does get cold is that it is very miserable because of the wind. The wind just eats you alive because it is always blowing in your face and it freezes you. Not very fun, but I survive, because unlike Utah, when it’s cold down here, you know you can wait and it’ll be warm the next day. When Utah gets cold, it just stays cold.
Anyways, we were scheduled to have a baptism last week, like I’d been talking about, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. That’s ok, though. Don’t panic. He was all ready and then he went into his interview. Well, in his interview he realized that he missed a part in the word of wisdom. He understood most of it, but it didn’t hit him that he wasn’t supposed to drink coffee or tea. As to who’s fault that was doesn’t really matter. He committed not to drink either and now just has to wait patiently for 2 weeks. We were going to do it this upcoming Saturday, Valentine’s Day, but he will be out of town the next day for the confirmation and so bishop asked us to do it the 21st so we can do the confirmation they way the church prefers us to do it, the very next Sunday in Sacrament meeting rather than putting it off for a week. He’s ready and will get baptized so all is well. He won’t even have to be re-interviewed.
I do have some other news to relay, but for a wise purpose, I am waiting until next week to give it out. You’ll find out what it is and why I waited a week next time, so stay tuned and don’t be shy to write me if something major happens. If there is news to relay and everyone expects someone else to write me, no ever says anything. Why do I bring this up? Not to make anyone feel bad or anything, but I just found out for the first time today that Annie is pregnant. Apparently she is due next month. I almost got a new nephew without ever knowing about it... Oops... :). Don’t worry, all’s well! Have a great week everyone!
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Letter 2-2-09
Dear Family,
HAPPY GROUNDHOGS DAY! Another month in the history books. It is February 2009. As I have said at the end of every month in the last year, what in the world happened to January? Time is just flying by. So I realized yesterday that the absolute worst day of the year to try to do missionary work is Super Bowl Sunday. We knock on the door, ‘Hi we’re missionaries…’ ‘Sorry guys, you picked a bad time. We’re fixin to watch the Super Bowl.’ In my mind I am screaming, THE SUPERBOWL DOESN’T START FOR ANOTHER 2 HOURS, YOU BLOKE! LET US IN!!! But no, I just kindly tell them that we’ll stop by later or give them a card for them to call us and we go on our merry way. On the other hand, it provided for a good conversation starter. They tell us that they are “fixin” to watch the Super Bowl, so we’ll just talk to them about the super bowl, who they want to win, and what not. They still didn’t let us in, but at least silly old Elder Droge got to have fun by discussing football again. Here’s one huge accomplishment and I have no idea how I was able to get away with it, but I didn’t even see one second of the game. I didn’t receive one single update while the game was playing. Lastly, I went the whole evening without finding out who won. I was so proud of myself. I still don’t even know who won yet. No one in the family cared to drop a small note in an email about who won. However, even though you may be thinking that this is a good opportunity to keep me in the dark and keep me focused, it ain’t gonna work. This is Texas. The football capital of the world where even high school football seems more important than religion. Everyone and his dog watched the Super Bowl yesterday in Texas and I am going to find out whether I want to or not. Even my companion knows right now. I committed him not to tell until I ask. I thought I’d give someone back home the very pleasurable feeling of breaking the news to their silly football-minded missionary. Speaking of which, if anyone wants to feel that even greater, I still have no idea what happened in the playoffs or what was the final standings in the regular season. I didn’t even think of that before, but since everyone and their dog was thinking football yesterday, it reminded me, so live with it.
Here’s a great transition to more important things, though. The way we dodged the Super Bowl is that we went out with our ward mission leader to give out assignments for the baptism this Saturday of our investigator Paul Schlipf, and then we visited Paul himself. Paul isn’t into football, so it was the perfect visit. In addition to us teaching him a short lesson, he had doughnuts and cookies prepared for us. It was very bueno. The baptism is pretty much set in stone. I know all of you believed me and are praying for me, but in case you aren’t, let me say this, I TOLD YOU SO! This will happen. The mission as a whole got 15 baptisms last week alone. The work is picking up. Its great.
Lastly, I know I told all of you that I don’t care about letters and would rather have prayers, and that is very true, but just know it goes both ways. I’ll continue to pray for you and support you in all you are doing, it just won’t translate into long emails, they’ll get shorter and shorter… partially because I spend my p-day writing to those who did send something and doing other things that will benefit me in the way I spend my time. But I love you all and am praying for you. No angry thoughts. Have a superb week and I’ll do the same!
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
HAPPY GROUNDHOGS DAY! Another month in the history books. It is February 2009. As I have said at the end of every month in the last year, what in the world happened to January? Time is just flying by. So I realized yesterday that the absolute worst day of the year to try to do missionary work is Super Bowl Sunday. We knock on the door, ‘Hi we’re missionaries…’ ‘Sorry guys, you picked a bad time. We’re fixin to watch the Super Bowl.’ In my mind I am screaming, THE SUPERBOWL DOESN’T START FOR ANOTHER 2 HOURS, YOU BLOKE! LET US IN!!! But no, I just kindly tell them that we’ll stop by later or give them a card for them to call us and we go on our merry way. On the other hand, it provided for a good conversation starter. They tell us that they are “fixin” to watch the Super Bowl, so we’ll just talk to them about the super bowl, who they want to win, and what not. They still didn’t let us in, but at least silly old Elder Droge got to have fun by discussing football again. Here’s one huge accomplishment and I have no idea how I was able to get away with it, but I didn’t even see one second of the game. I didn’t receive one single update while the game was playing. Lastly, I went the whole evening without finding out who won. I was so proud of myself. I still don’t even know who won yet. No one in the family cared to drop a small note in an email about who won. However, even though you may be thinking that this is a good opportunity to keep me in the dark and keep me focused, it ain’t gonna work. This is Texas. The football capital of the world where even high school football seems more important than religion. Everyone and his dog watched the Super Bowl yesterday in Texas and I am going to find out whether I want to or not. Even my companion knows right now. I committed him not to tell until I ask. I thought I’d give someone back home the very pleasurable feeling of breaking the news to their silly football-minded missionary. Speaking of which, if anyone wants to feel that even greater, I still have no idea what happened in the playoffs or what was the final standings in the regular season. I didn’t even think of that before, but since everyone and their dog was thinking football yesterday, it reminded me, so live with it.
Here’s a great transition to more important things, though. The way we dodged the Super Bowl is that we went out with our ward mission leader to give out assignments for the baptism this Saturday of our investigator Paul Schlipf, and then we visited Paul himself. Paul isn’t into football, so it was the perfect visit. In addition to us teaching him a short lesson, he had doughnuts and cookies prepared for us. It was very bueno. The baptism is pretty much set in stone. I know all of you believed me and are praying for me, but in case you aren’t, let me say this, I TOLD YOU SO! This will happen. The mission as a whole got 15 baptisms last week alone. The work is picking up. Its great.
Lastly, I know I told all of you that I don’t care about letters and would rather have prayers, and that is very true, but just know it goes both ways. I’ll continue to pray for you and support you in all you are doing, it just won’t translate into long emails, they’ll get shorter and shorter… partially because I spend my p-day writing to those who did send something and doing other things that will benefit me in the way I spend my time. But I love you all and am praying for you. No angry thoughts. Have a superb week and I’ll do the same!
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
