Dear Family,
Another week has gone by here in the Texas Lubbock Mission and time continues to rush on. September is on the verge of ending and October is looming around the corner. The great news of the week comes in with Charlie Harper, the 85 year old investigator who broke his leg 3 days before his baptism. If you remember the story, a horse slipped and landed right on his leg. 500 pounds right on your leg wouldn´t feel that great if you know what I mean. Well, we visited Charlie this week and what I saw shocked me. Only a month afterwards, it´s almost fully healed. He´s already walking around it! So we discussed it and set the baptism back up for the 27th of this month, which is this upcoming Sunday. That is way exciting.
That is really about it. We did better this week, but still not up to par as to where I would like us to be. That is alright though, I´ll live. I´ve ran into another obstacle as well. Elder Droge´s companion isn´t a big fan of Elder Droge. His personality and how he grew up is completely opposite of me and thus he doesn´t really like to listen to anything I say and gets upset at me for the smallest things. It has actually caused me to grow a lot in the past few weeks. I have been praying alot as well as studying patience and humility and it has taught me alot and given me plenty of opportunities to excersize it. It seems like the story of my mission. I have been given trial after trial after trial. As soon as I overcome one thing, another gets thrown at me. It´s caused me to have a very hard mission, but I have learned alot because of it. Just like Joseph Smith said, if I had not gone through what I have, I would not be the same person I am now. Just have to move forward and endure well and all will be good. I hope all of you have a great week and I will do the same.
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Monday, September 21, 2009
Letter 9-14-09
Dear Family,
Well, my new companion is here. Like I said, his name is Elder Gordon Pitts. He is from a town called Spring Creek, Nevada, which is right next to Elko, Nevada. He has been out almost 5 months now, which is quite comical, because he hits 5 months right near when I hit 19 months. Do the math and me and him added together equals 24 months or one full mission. Mwa ha ha! Elder Pitts is an older missionary. He is already 22 years old. After he graduated high school in 2005, he worked as a fire fighter for almost 4 years until he made the decision to come out on a mission. So that is fun. He is a good guy. I'll enjoy this time serving with him.
So this first week of the transfer wasn't all that spectacular. We hit a horrible streak of bad luck with getting in and teaching lessons. That's ok, though. Just part of missionary life. You just gotta keep moving forward and strive to work harder than you did the last week. We did do a lot of service, which was good. 3 different projects came up in which we spent 2 to 3 hours each in the morning hours. We dug a ditch, we helped with a roofing project, and we helped move. Service pays off in the long run. This week it also rained real hard. It almost feels like Roswell is built in a bowl type thing because the streets flood bad every time it rains hard. There was like 3 to 4 inches of water in the streets in some parts. I also got attacked by some ants and got bit a couple times, which hurt for a few hours, but luckily went away. We were talking to a guy and I was unknowingly stepping right on their little lair and apparently they didn't like it, so they started running up my leg. The ants down here are like 5 times the size as they are back home and most of them pack a powerful bite, so they can get creepy, but I think it's way cool… as long as they keep their distance.
So that is all for this week. We hope to be picking things up this week, but we'll see what happens. Yes, being in a slump is part of missionary life, but it still doesn't feel that great, so we hope to end it, with the Lord's help of course. Keep us in your prayers and have a great week.
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Well, my new companion is here. Like I said, his name is Elder Gordon Pitts. He is from a town called Spring Creek, Nevada, which is right next to Elko, Nevada. He has been out almost 5 months now, which is quite comical, because he hits 5 months right near when I hit 19 months. Do the math and me and him added together equals 24 months or one full mission. Mwa ha ha! Elder Pitts is an older missionary. He is already 22 years old. After he graduated high school in 2005, he worked as a fire fighter for almost 4 years until he made the decision to come out on a mission. So that is fun. He is a good guy. I'll enjoy this time serving with him.
So this first week of the transfer wasn't all that spectacular. We hit a horrible streak of bad luck with getting in and teaching lessons. That's ok, though. Just part of missionary life. You just gotta keep moving forward and strive to work harder than you did the last week. We did do a lot of service, which was good. 3 different projects came up in which we spent 2 to 3 hours each in the morning hours. We dug a ditch, we helped with a roofing project, and we helped move. Service pays off in the long run. This week it also rained real hard. It almost feels like Roswell is built in a bowl type thing because the streets flood bad every time it rains hard. There was like 3 to 4 inches of water in the streets in some parts. I also got attacked by some ants and got bit a couple times, which hurt for a few hours, but luckily went away. We were talking to a guy and I was unknowingly stepping right on their little lair and apparently they didn't like it, so they started running up my leg. The ants down here are like 5 times the size as they are back home and most of them pack a powerful bite, so they can get creepy, but I think it's way cool… as long as they keep their distance.
So that is all for this week. We hope to be picking things up this week, but we'll see what happens. Yes, being in a slump is part of missionary life, but it still doesn't feel that great, so we hope to end it, with the Lord's help of course. Keep us in your prayers and have a great week.
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
Letter 9-8-09
Dear Family,
So, it is Tuesday morning. Like always, no emails on holidays for missionaries because the libraries decide to close at every chance they get. For today I am hanging out with the Zone Leaders. A new transfer is upon us and like aforementioned, my companion, Elder Wheeler is going home. He is now on his way to catch the transfer bus up to Lubbock where he will fly home tomorrow morning. My Spanish companion, Elder Frederick, also got transferred and left with Elder Wheeler an hour ago. So I am companionless until tomorrow afternoon, which is why I am with the Zone Leaders right now. All that I know about my new companion is that his name is Elder Pitts, he has been out for 4 1/2 months, and he is a bigger guy.
So reflecting back, 6 weeks ago, when I first got to Roswell, we (the member that gave us the ride from Hobbs to Roswell) pulled up to my new apartment and waited for 10 minutes or so for my new companion, Elder Wheeler, to show up. When Elder Wheeler arrived, the first thing he told me is to get my scriptures and come with him to an appointment that we had right then. I was surprised at the sudden notion of being put right to work the very moment I got to my new area, but wasn't about to argue. The appointment was with a single mother named Marina Cobb where we taught her the first lesson, the message of the restoration. Great story. As to why I bring that up is that on Sunday, the last day of Elder Droge's 13th transfer, Marina and her kids were confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after being baptized the day before. Interesting coincidence. Meet her the first real day of the transfer, confirm her the very last. It's not very often that I get to say that. It was quite a glorious weekend seeing the Cobb family enter their new life as members of Christ's kingdom here on earth. Elder Wheeler and I stood as the 2 witnesses to the baptisms, so I got to see it happen up close. That was fun. I was invited to confirm Marina, that's the third time I've done that on my mission. Lastly, Marina's oldest son Eli, 12 years old, received the Aaronic Priesthood right after church. It's great to end a transfer with 4 baptisms. Momentum is on our side here in Roswell and now I will be assuming the role of senior companion after spending the last 6 weeks as a co-senior with Elder Wheeler. I'm hoping and praying that I will be able to continue what Elder Wheeler and I started. I could use your prayers as well as I set out on this newly opened chapter of my mission. That's all I have for this week. Peace Out!
Oh, and yes, for those people who are statistically minded and are intrigued by numbers, I am now in the double digits with baptisms. 11 is the official number. The last six years the average has been 2 per year per missionary and now look what is happening. That average is increasing dramatically as I am but one of the many to have numbers like these. The Lord has worked wonders here in the TLM. I give all the credit to him.
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
So, it is Tuesday morning. Like always, no emails on holidays for missionaries because the libraries decide to close at every chance they get. For today I am hanging out with the Zone Leaders. A new transfer is upon us and like aforementioned, my companion, Elder Wheeler is going home. He is now on his way to catch the transfer bus up to Lubbock where he will fly home tomorrow morning. My Spanish companion, Elder Frederick, also got transferred and left with Elder Wheeler an hour ago. So I am companionless until tomorrow afternoon, which is why I am with the Zone Leaders right now. All that I know about my new companion is that his name is Elder Pitts, he has been out for 4 1/2 months, and he is a bigger guy.
So reflecting back, 6 weeks ago, when I first got to Roswell, we (the member that gave us the ride from Hobbs to Roswell) pulled up to my new apartment and waited for 10 minutes or so for my new companion, Elder Wheeler, to show up. When Elder Wheeler arrived, the first thing he told me is to get my scriptures and come with him to an appointment that we had right then. I was surprised at the sudden notion of being put right to work the very moment I got to my new area, but wasn't about to argue. The appointment was with a single mother named Marina Cobb where we taught her the first lesson, the message of the restoration. Great story. As to why I bring that up is that on Sunday, the last day of Elder Droge's 13th transfer, Marina and her kids were confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after being baptized the day before. Interesting coincidence. Meet her the first real day of the transfer, confirm her the very last. It's not very often that I get to say that. It was quite a glorious weekend seeing the Cobb family enter their new life as members of Christ's kingdom here on earth. Elder Wheeler and I stood as the 2 witnesses to the baptisms, so I got to see it happen up close. That was fun. I was invited to confirm Marina, that's the third time I've done that on my mission. Lastly, Marina's oldest son Eli, 12 years old, received the Aaronic Priesthood right after church. It's great to end a transfer with 4 baptisms. Momentum is on our side here in Roswell and now I will be assuming the role of senior companion after spending the last 6 weeks as a co-senior with Elder Wheeler. I'm hoping and praying that I will be able to continue what Elder Wheeler and I started. I could use your prayers as well as I set out on this newly opened chapter of my mission. That's all I have for this week. Peace Out!
Oh, and yes, for those people who are statistically minded and are intrigued by numbers, I am now in the double digits with baptisms. 11 is the official number. The last six years the average has been 2 per year per missionary and now look what is happening. That average is increasing dramatically as I am but one of the many to have numbers like these. The Lord has worked wonders here in the TLM. I give all the credit to him.
Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester
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