Week 93...Welcome to Meadville, PA

Week 93…March 16, 2015

 

I arrived safe and sound and am now serving in Meadville, PA…a small town right in between Pittsburgh (90 miles south) & Erie (about 45 miles north), PA.  Boy it’s been an exciting week in my new area.  I will give you details below.  That is no bueno about everyone being sick and your hot date at the instacare on Saturday night.  I can probably one up you, we went to the ER in Erie on Friday night.  I will explain later, but so you can start breathing again it was nothing major and had nothing to do with me.  Elder T has been having stomach problems and they think it might be his gall bladder, we still are not sure.  Also, tell Ambrie to look into the student life stuff at SLCC.  It won't be the scholarship that I have but they still give tuition stipends and different things like that.  Tell her to go SLCC’s website and search student life leadership or email Brandi or Tyler.  Also, I keep forgetting to tell you I noticed French Toast Crunch is back on the shelves when you put it in the Chex mix that you sent.  I also saw it at Walmart last week and wanted to buy some but that meant packing it away which I did not want to do, so no French Toast Crunch.

 

Onto the questions…

1. How was your week?  What were the highs/lows?  Well this week has been sort of hard with some ups and downs.  To be honest, I miss State College but I am here and running with what Heavenly Father has given me and I know this is where I need to be.  I am still trying to figure out why I am here in Meadville and I am slowly starting to get ideas of why I am here.  So I guess I will start with the highs.  We had stake conference this weekend and that’s probably been the best thing so far.  It was up in Jamestown, NY (about 1:45 hr. drive from Meadville).  Lucille Ball was born there and is now buried there.  So we had a road trip to NY for the weekend.  Stake conference was awesome because we talked about the importance of councils just like you guys did.  It’s interesting that you included info about that in your email.  I think that is the theme for this year’s stake conferences.  Also they talked about temples and family history.  At the Saturday meeting they talked about councils and the importance of them.  I really liked the talk that focused on family councils.  It made me think of our family and the important things that we have counseled about over the years and the decisions we have been able to make as a family.  Also I started thinking about the councils that I will have in my own family and how that timing is coming soon.  It was weird to think that I am almost starting to enter into that next phase of life.  Quite frankly it is kind of a scary thought, but also it’s pretty exciting.  On Sunday they talked about the importance temples and family history.  I thought it was very cool as they talked about how important the temple really is to our eternal salvation.  They shared a lot of stories about parents leading by example to show their kids the importance of the temple.  You and dad have definitely been that example in my life.  It made me think of the day that all of us will be able to sit in the celestial room together as a family.  That will be an awesome day!  You’ve already got one there (me) and Boris will follow here in the very near future.  You probably can’t wait for that day.  Another high was I was able to have interviews with Pres. Johnson Saturday after conference.  It’s always great to be able to sit down and talk about the mission and what I can do to improve.   We talked a lot about the last few months of my mission and how I need to live it to the fullest and not let get anything get in the way.  I need to serve with all my might.  Unfortunately, the low part of my week is my new companion, Elder T.  He is a great companion and has a lot of great qualities, but exact obedience is kind of a problem for him.  It’s the small things that he has a problem with, but sometimes those are the most important things.  The small and simple things are what keep us on the path and exact obedience brings blessings.  He’s kind of pushing me with some of the rules, but I’m sure it will get better.  Little things like taking stuff out to the garbage with one of our investigators, who is a girl our age, and he doesn’t think I need to go with them.  That’s a no go in my book and for sure in the handbook.  So I’m trying find ways to help him care about obedience and ways that we can be unified.  The other downer is I’ve haven’t met many people yet, investigators or members.  There’s a girl that has a date for baptism, which is great; however, he likes to spend a considerable amount of time at her home after we’re done with our meal/lesson.  He thinks its good bonding time and thinks it’s helping her prepare for her baptism.  In reality, we’re supposed to be in and out after eating and giving our message/lesson.  Basically, we’re wasting a lot of time there.  There are other random small things that he does that I’m concerned about.  Right now I am still just trying to read him and see how it goes.  So we will see how it goes.  This could be a long 6 weeks or it could turn around and be good.  Hopefully it will be the latter as I start figuring things out.  There is work to be done here and good things could happen.  Well enough with my ranting, it will be an uphill battle and work in progress but I’ll survive.  
2. How did everything go with transfers?  Who did you drive to Pitt with etc. Transfers went well.  I left State College around 9 am on Tuesday and drove to Pitt with an elder in our district that was going home.  We left early because he stopped by his first area to say goodbye to a family and we had lunch with them.  It was the first time I have met this family, but her reputation precedes her.  I have heard about her and I think the entire mission pretty much knows who she is.  She has recipe she makes for the missionaries called Not Brownies.  It is sort of like brownies, but not really.  I don't really know how to explain them.  After the transfer meeting we drove up to Meadville.  
3. How is your new area?  Welcome us to Meadville, PA…what are some interesting things about it?  What do you like best about it?  Well…it’s OK, it’s not State College J.  I definitely miss State College and like SC better so far.  It is pretty cool because this is where early church history started.  We are only a few hours away from Kirtland, OH.  It reminds me a lot of Ridgway.  Not sure what is interesting about it yet.  I’m sure I’ll get a better feel for it soon.  Its home to Allegheny College and is an quaint, old town.  I know steel was a big industry here.  I like of the farm feel and woodsy stuff around town.  There are lots of trees, lakes and rivers.  I’m sure it will be very green when the trees start to blossom.  
4. What kind of national chain eating establishments are around?  Not much, we are kind of the middle of nowhere.  It is kind of like driving to southern Utah.  It is a town like Beaver with not much in it, just the random few fast food chains for people to stop at as they drive through.  Really there is nothing until you get north to Erie or to the south when you start getting on the out skirts of Pitt.  So basically the drive from Erie to Pitt is like a drive from  SLC to St. George.  
   
   
5. Introduce us to Elder T?  Where’s he from?  He is from Henderson, NV.  Where did he last serve?  He has been here for about 6 weeks now and got here mid transfer because of some bad drama that went down with another missionary and a recent convert.  The elder got sent home for being way too flirty and I will just leave it at that.  How long has he been in Meadville?   About 6 weeks.   He is very blunt with people which is good sometimes, but unfortunately sometimes it comes across as rude even when he is joking.   
6. How’s your apartment?  Take pictures pretty please.  It is rather weird, it is like a giant hallway.  I will definitely take pictures and send them to you.  It’s not the mission’s best asset, it’s really old and gross.  We may end up moving if we can find somewhere else and get approval.   
7.  Do you have a car?  Do you drive?  Yes, it may be the mission’s best asset J.  We have a 2014 Nissan truck like Maughns.  I have not driven yet, but I will soon.  
8. How many missionaries are in your district?  Four and it is funny because 3 of the 4 missionaries are named Zach.  Elder T is the only non Zach.  What areas?  Our area, Meadville and the Franklin ward.  What zone are you in and where will you go for zone meetings?  We are the Jamestown zone; however, we will go down by Pitt to have zone conference because we combine with another zone.  
9. How’s the ward?  Not really sure yet.  I have not met many in the ward because it was Stake Conference.  It sounds like a slightly dysfunctional ward.  It is a pretty old ward, not young like State College.  Who have you met so far?  We met our WML and also a counselor in the bishopric.  They are pretty cool.  How big is the ward?  There are about 300 on roll, but only about 70 active if the weather is good.  What time is your church? 9:30 am    
10. How’s the weather been? Looks like you were on a flood watch over the weekend for possible ice jams.  It has been nice in the 40's and 50's and it will be almost 60 today.  
11. How big is your area?  Probably about as big as Ridgway.  What’s included in your area?  Still trying to figure that out.  
12. What do most the people do in Meadville for work?  Unfortunately, a lot of them live on welfare and don’t work.  If they did work most of them are retired now and worked in steel and tool die plants.   
13. Just want to confirm the address you sent to me...  Yes, however, we may end up moving though because our rent just went up and the apartment we live in is kind of a gross apartment.  I guess the missionaries have lived here forever.  Nothing is for sure but we may start looking and we need to talk to the apartment lady as well to see if it’s a good time in our lease to move.  But as of right now the address I gave you is where we are.  
14. Did you know about, see or participate in the Meadville St. Patty’s Day parade on Saturday?  I had no idea about it.  I think there was a 5k that went past our apartment for it though.  
15. How’s the missionary work in Meadville?  I think good.  
    1. Who are you teaching?  We are teaching a girl named RR.  She is a girl that is our age.  Her friend is a recent convert that referred her so that’s a plus. This is the recent convert family & investigator that we misuse a lot of time with. She is getting baptized on March 28th which is pretty cool.  To be honest, they are a little bit weird and vulgar, but luckily they try to be mellow and tone it down when we are there.  Unfortunately, we don't really teach a whole lot of other people because apparently not a lot of people are really good candidates to be taught.  However, I think it might just be a lack of effort which I am hoping to fix.  It seems like there is a lot of opportunity for reactivation in this ward.  
    2. Any new prospects?   No, not really.  
    3. Is the missionary work busy there?  Not really, but I think there is a lot of potential if we can put some work into it.  
    4. Any service opportunities…impromptu or set service?  Supposedly, weekly service is hard to come by here, I guess.  But apparently lots of members will call us for help.  
16. How are dinner appointments?  Have you had any this week?  This area is not a thriving meal area.  It is a pretty poor ward.  We have eaten a lot with a LA & recent convert’s family. Their daughter’s friend, RR, is the one investigating and she has the baptism date for March 28.
17. Tell me something funny that will make me laugh J.   We helped this odd less active lady shovel a pile of snow that had a bunch of dog poo on it so her grass would not die. 
18. Any other news/stories that you’d like to share?  Well finally I can tell you about the ER saga.  Nothing unites companionships like spending time in the ER together.  Elder T has been having some really bad stomach pain and sharp stabbing pains after he eats for the past month or so.   So finally this week he has been trying to get to a doctor to get checked out.  He’s been calling Sis. Johnson back and forth to get things figured out.  He thought he would just go to a family doctor but all the paper work they wanted was not really easy to get with the constraints we are on.  So finally we told Sis. Johnson we were going to the ER so the tests and stuff that potentially needed to be done would be right there.  We were thinking his gall bladder was the problem so we thought it might be removed that night.  Meadville doesn’t have a great hospital so we made a road trip to Erie Friday night around 8 pm.  It’s about a 45 min. drive one way and we got home around 1:00 am.  Luckily it wasn’t really busy and we got in pretty fast and got the tests run quickly, but then we had like a 90 min. of nothing…zip, no one!  We figured something must have happened and someone must have come with an emergency.  Sure enough when the doc came back he said sorry we had someone come in that was in cardiac arrest and did not make it.  It was kind of sad.  They came to a few conclusions with Elder T but said he needs to go to a GI specialist, however, they can't get him in until the middle of April.  So the saga continues.  
19. Is there anything you need or that we can pray for?    Well just pray that I survive this transfer and that we can get some decent work done together and overcome our differences and be unified in our companionship.
    Well there you have it, that is my adventuresome week!!! 
     
    Love you,
    Elder Muir