Hey Family,
How's it going? Another week of handwritten letters. I don't even know if you emailed this week because we didn't go the the electronics store today. I'm still working on another emailing place. Hopefully I can figure something out soon.
Anyways, This week was an interesting one I guess. So on Monday morning, we went to meet our referral for our planned lesson. New experience for boh of us because you just don't get referrals here. Anyway, he shows up and what would you know, he brings his friend too! Two new investigators in one day!" What the what? Thats a good months worth of investigators. Anyway there is this things called "The Standard of Excellence". Mandy should know what I'm talking about. Anyway. It's basically this goal the mission president sets that if you achieve in a week, you get this cool letter from President and bragging rights.
Anyways, One of the hardest parts is 3 investigators in a week and since we already had 2, might as well go for the kill. Still needed 19 more lessons and a new investigator. Probably my longest planning session Monday night trying to get it all planned out. Anyway we knew it would be hard with no bikes (Miyaki choros bike is broken too.) And then the fun started. Woke up the next morning and Miyaki Choro is super sick. But he says he is good, so we go out and take care of business. Got some lessons in and then called it a day. Wednesday we had a lesson in the morning and after that Mikayki choro basically looked dead so I had him get into bed. Lost all productivity that day.
Next day he was like death but still got in enough lessons to still be on track and if we kicked butt for the next three days we could still make 17. Reach into my pocket Thursday night and the phone is gone. Left it in our branch Presidents car. Sigh~ No way to get a hold of anyone without that thing. Didn't have it all of Friday and finally got a hold of him on Saturday on a pay phone and got it back. And at that point we had given up. Absolutely impossible to get to it (our goal). Only made it half way to be honest. Oh well. Anyway. That was the most eventful part of the week.
Dad might find interest in this: Our President letters are all online now. No more paper. Yay! It's was superior. Church did a pretty good job of putting it together too. Makes it a lot faster and so much easier to read than before. Then today got a call from the mission office; normally just the couple missionaries complaining we did the paperwork somewhere wrong. Always puts a pit in your stomach to hear "Rasmussen Kaicho Riso" at the other end of the line. What did I do wrong? runs through your head a billion times. Got through the pleasantries...at this point you always brace for impact. "So.. Elder Carter. I just saw your kekka (results from last week)" "Oh really? OK" "...way to go!" Huge sigh! "Oh...thanks." From there one of the most pleasant conversations I have ever had with that man. Basically made my month. Sometimes it feels good to hear a little praise. Especially since today marks exactly one year before I return. Just a little "well done thou good and faithful servant" except its from President Rasmussen, so it has an assumed "....but lets double it." added at the end. Anyway, I guess that's it for the day. Kinda a weird letter.
Love you,
Elder Carter.
