I wasn't able to write an email last week because we didn't really have a P-Day. We've been slammed busy lately, with lots of exchanges, meetings, Zone Conferences, and lots of lessons.
We've done 17 out of our 19 exchanges so far this transfer! Elder Udall and I gave a training presentation at Zone Conference on How to Work with the Members. We have been having lots of lessons with the members here in the La Mesa ward ourselves, and it's led to some pretty cool things happening.
We are so spoiled in this mission. A few months ago, we got a brand new 2022 Nissan Rogue to drive. The mission then had a red 2022 Toyota Tacoma come in, and the vehicle coordinator told us he "received revelation that the APs should have it!", so we just picked that up yesterday. It feels wrong lol!
The mission home was finally done getting renovated, so President and Sister Merritt have just now been getting settled in. They needed some helping moving stuff around, so one morning we woke up early and ran up Mt. Helix to their house, helped, then ran home. In total it was a 5.6 mile run! There was lots of uphill as well.
This last week, our bishop let us know that there was a member of the church in a care facility whose family had requested a blessing for him. The family was away in Utah, and they said he was close to passing. Bishop said the blessing was probably more to comfort the family than the man himself.
So long story short, we got to this facility and were led to a little hosptial bed, partitioned by two curtains that had other sick, elderly people there. We found him asleep. His breathing was really loud and labored, and we couldn't wake him up. So we decided to just give him the blessing anyway. Later in the day, bishop forwarded us a text from the family saying that their grandfather had passed away peacefully. Definitely a tender experience to see that.
I gave a talk in church this week about how Christ is the "Good Shepherd". I asked the bishopric if we could close sacrament meeting by singing hymn 221, "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd", and they said yes. Had a few people tell me they really enjoyed the talk plus the hymn.
Have a good week everyone!
Elder Pettit
