This week was awesome.
I love the people here they are so nice, and the members are awesome!
Our ward mission leader, Brother Fishburn is 82 and he is so cool, he has lived in Purcell his whole life.... never left only for the war! But we called him on Wednesday and he went out with us for 7 hours!!! and he fed us twice!! He was the mayor in the town a couple of years ago and everyone knows him. He was also a bishop and all of the members said that he was the best. Lets just say that I flat out love this man, he reminds me a lot of Grandpa Quilter and Finlinson--- I don't know like a mix of them... but he has a way for just showing that he cares for the people and also jokes around with them… he kinda took me back when he asked me to say a prayer at dinner. I said it and then he said "prayer is an offering not a thing".... ok so he made me switch how I prayed haha.
It is very weird praying and reading in English. I didn't think that it would be but it definitely shocked me. I feel like I am dyslexic sometimes. But that is all right, it is coming back. The weather here finally got better--for a time.... it is in the 50s and 60s up and down but it is very windy. We talked to a guy today and said that it is supposed to get up to 40 miles an hour in some parts of OK. It was good that he told us that because we were about to go golfing today but we will probably put a rain check on that one! One of our members owns a small little golf course.
We had the opportunity to go to a funeral this week. It was for one of our less actives son who passed away to stomach cancer. I don't know I think it kinda represented the funeral for Grandpa because during the whole time I was just thinking of him. But it was sad to see some of the people there... truly some of the people thought that they were never going to see him again. Many people there couldn't believe that a loving god could allow a 37 year old man to die. It is comforting to know of God's great plan. Mortal life--begins with birth and ends with death... the time in-between is determined by God and his will for his children. It is weird to think that God knows when we are going to leave this earth. He also knows when we are going to sin and make wrong choices...mind blowing to think of the knowledge of God... so what do we need to do!!!
8 ¶For my athoughts are not byour thoughts, neither are yourcways my dways, saith the Lord.9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my awaysbhigher than your ways, and my cthoughts than your thoughts.
TRUST IN THE LORD and follow his example and follow his commandments. this scripture is a testimony to me that we need modern prophets--to tell us what God wants us to do!!
After the funeral we had BBQ--first time on the mission!! at a place called THE RAck Shack it was awesome!!
HOPE YOU GET THIS LETTER THIS WEEK>>>>HAVE A GOOD ONE!
ELDER FINLINSON
Last weeks letter, Ethan forgot to push send…all week we were missing his letter…. Hard week for mail, he never received the Valentines package we sent him. Wondered if the Pony Express didn't deliver in Purcell, but then realized we had his address minus his apartment number. For those interested, Ethan's address is:
Elder Ethan Finlinson
1938 North 9th Avenue
Apartment A-3
Purcell, OK 73080
February 10, 2014, Week 31
Well this week was crazy.......I got a car--- a companion that speaks English--- teaching in English-- went from a city to a town-- a ward.. no Catholics... a lot of change.
On Tuesday we went around and said goodbye to everyone, it was kinda weird they were people that I was seeing every week 2 or three times for 6 months…
The new area is called the South Noble Area and we are the Noble District and the Norman Zone! So my new area consists of 2 small towns south of Noble--- Lexington and Purcell. I think that both of them have about 6000 people. But it is very small!! everyone who has ever visited Filmore, Utah--- I think they are smaller.... and everyone I think is baptist!! so that is a big change from only teaching Catholics!
But the big drama that is going around right now in the town is that the bridge that connects Purcell and Lexington is down because it is 90 years old and it was about to collapse! It is is causing a lot of problems for people, because they have to travel to Norman and then Noble to get to Lexington. It is also a problem for us because we have investigators in Lexington it is just that we only have 1000 miles a month.... yep car probs!!…
It is super Nice to be able to tract!!! i know that is probably a weird thing to hear. But now i don't have to worry about finding Hispanics!!! We can just knock on every single door! A good number of the population is over 50 years old I would say... alot of them haven't left Purcell there whole life---only when they fought in the wars they left haha.
The adjustment to the food has been interesting... last night we were at a members house and we had potato soup and it was good, then they pulled out some crazy Caramel brownies and I about puked! I don't know what happened to me but I can't handle super sugary stuff--- I can handle super greasy though!! Because of the bridge being out we only have one member feeding us this week:( the bridge is supposed to be ready in May to cross... but who knows! )
This area has a lot of good members and a ton of potential!! We have a good group of people to see so there is always work to do so it makes things a little bit easier!!! I guess one cool experience that we had was we gave 2 lessons outside in 20 degree weather!! so that was fun!!! got to love the 3rd male rule for missionaries!! thats ok nothing stops us! but in one of the lessons the lady said that she has been baptized before but said that because it wasn't by proper authority she would be baptized again!!! it was super cool.... ice milargos
but yeah that is what is happening here in the Purcell. Hope that you all have a good week and go shred that powder!!
ELDER FINLINSON
