Letter from Tacoma #34: June 20, 2016

 Hey, everyone!

So, the busy week is over and I have a ton of pictures I want to share, as well as memories to accompany all of them. I'm not sure if I'll be able to touch on everything. Heck, I even made a list in my planner, just so I wouldn't forget to tell about anything. That's how eventful this week was.

First of all, Zion's Camp. It's basically like a daycamp the Tacoma Mission gets to use once a year for mission-wide zone conferences. Its intended purpose is a young women's camp, but hey, it was still fun with a bunch of goober missionaries! 

Anyways, there were a few fun activities we did while we were there, just a few challenges here and there. One of them was the trust fall, where which somebody gets up on a tall stump, tells the others below him that he's falling, and then they fall backwards and have everyone else catch him.

Another event was The Great Wall, a 10 ft wooden wall that we had to work together to get everybody up.

And another was the blind rope swing, where we had to get everyone from one platform to the other, without the use of sight.

All of these were fun, and there are a few others that I'm not mentioning for the sake of time, but all of them had difficulties that varied. For the Great Wall, two guys in our group were handicapped, one without his legs, and the other without any of his limbs. For the blind rope-swing, only one person out of all of us could talk. Despite these interferences, we were able to complete all of these challenges, albiet with a bit of difficulty. A lot of times, it came down to small steps of faith that you wouldn't fail, and in that way it was likened unto our investigators and the faith they need in order to progress. Often times it's hard for investigators to make those steps, and I got to catch of glimpse of that as I was put in a similar situation. It was really a great learning experience.

Next, this last Wednesday:

We were on exchanges for the day with Centralia Elders, so I got to work up there with Zone-Leader Elder Maruri. It was fun, but the most noteworthy part was when we were going down a list of prospective elders we wanted to visit.

We drove to this house in the middle of the suburbs, but it was completely gated around. So, we let ourselves in and went to the front door. The yard wasn't in too good shape, and the deck was decked in trash and random rain-soaked items. We noticed that in the front door was a little doggy-gate, rusted from the rain, but hanging wide open. Unfaltered, we knocked on the door, since it basically looked like an average yard from my last area (Lakewood).

Immediately, a chorus of dogs just lit up the house. And a few moments later, a lady opens the door, not even bothering to shut the doggy gate at her feet. So, this tidal wave of about seven dogs, all different kinds and sizes, just bum-rush us. One of the tiny ones bit Elder Maruri's pants, and one of the bigger ones, I think it was a boxer, jumped on me in a less-than-playful manner.

While this is all going on, I'm just looking at this lady in the doorway, expecting her to call off or at least tell the dogs to stop. But no, she just stands there in the door, a smug look on her face as she proceeds to pull out a joint of weed and smoke it up. She was totally enjoying the fact we were being harassed by her dogs, and she decided to spice up her perception of the show with some marijuana.

I'm just like: Are you kidding me?

To make a long story short, she and her less-active husband weren't interested in seeing us again, so we left. But that isn't anything that happens usually, with all the dogs or anything. But I figured it'd make a good story to save for later.

Next off, Winlock Egg Days:

This Saturday was Egg Days for the city of Winlock, so we had a booth set up for Family History and Temples, which Elder Jensen and I helped run for a portion of the day. The town was more packed than I've ever seen before, but I think there might have been a player from the Seattle Seahawks there to celebrate, so a whole bunch of football fans were there.

There was a great parade, a lot of booths with suvineers and food, and I enjoyed myself while manning the booth. Although, I had to work up a lot of enthusiasm for it, so I was pretty pooped by the end of it. We talked to a few people about family history and temples, so it was a success. But we didn't get any investigators from it either. But it was still enjoyable.

Next, Father's Day:

Happy Father's Day!

Church was great, and I loved sacrament. But something hilarious happened up on the stand during the course of the hour. The primary children got up to sing for Father's Day, and they all got into position to the right of the pulpit, save for one child. One of the little boys wanted to sing into the microphone of the pulpit, but the Bishop's Counselor, Bro. Nelson, turned off the mic before he could.

However, not deterred, as the children were singing, the boy hopped down to the Bro Nelson's side and switched the mic back on. But as he turned around and climbed back up to the pulpit mic, Bro. Nelson turned it back off. And so, the boy ran back down, turned it back on, ran up to the mic, but only with the same result of Bro. Nelson turning it off.

So, while the children were all singing, even this little boy as he's running back and forth, this cycle continues on about five times until the end. Everyone in the chapel got a hoot out of it.

Glad you liked my Father's Day Picture, Dad! We were eating at the Bishop Langhaim's house for dinner, so Sis. Langhaim took pictures of us and sent them for the occasion. So, don't worry, that Nerf Gun isn't mine.

But that's about all for my week. However, while at Zion's Camp, an Elder serving in one of my old areas came and gave me a letter from Sis. Lewis from Highland 6th Ward. They told me I was still getting mail there in my old area, Key Center. The letter was dated from May, but I just want to clarify that if anyone wants to mail to me, I have a new address than I did at the start of my mission. I don't want my mail to become an annoyance for other missionaries who have to remember to bring them to the office or directly to me. So, to help, I think I'll add my mailing address in my signature at the bottom of each of my letters.

But thanks for the Gift Card, Sister Lewis! 

Pictures!

Our booth at Egg Days

Another view

Me, running the booth!

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Love you all!

Thanks for reading!

-Elder R. Austin Moe

Wa-Tac Missionary