A Week Full of Blessings

 Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a very tremendous and amazing week! How has everyone been? How is good ol Salem doing?

This week was fabulous. On Tuesday we went and did service for Brother Hartman, and I got to use his fancy fancy weed eater, ah it felt just like I was at home ;). We went and knocked doors for a majority of the afternoon and early evening. We went to Wendy's for dinner and then we went over to an elderly lady's house and helped her and the YM in the branch knock down the lady's shed in her back yard. It was so so much fun! I was in charge of using the sledge hammer, and man oh man, did I swing that thing :). I felt like singing the song, The wise men built their house upon the rock. Haha because when I hit that shed, the house in "the sand" A.K.A. the grass, "washed away" :).

Me and Elder Kamerath

Wednesday we had training visits with the Kirtland elders. I went around knocking doors with the district leader, Elder Kamerath. We talked with this guy named Bob White who is a non-member but loves having the missionaries do service for him. Me and Kamerath talked with him for 2 hrs that night. He showed us his piano and then proceeded to show us his gun collection . . . :) Yeah, his gun collection is seriously like 65 guns and he knows all their names and let us look at them and hold them (sadly not shooting them off :). But it was super cool! We then went up to Kirkland that night and helped set up chairs in the stake center for a family history event this last weekend :)

Thursday we had district council and me and Elder Henshaw were in charge of the training for it. We trained on the How to Begin teaching points and why it is so so effective to always be furthering our teaching and leadership skills everyday. We got back to Middlefield about 1 o clock and went and saw a lady named Carol Bradshaw who is in the assisted living home in the city of Burton, which is just west of Middlefield. We talked with a guy named Jymmy and he is super cool! We found out he is not married and living with his girlfriend and daughter. He loves talking with us, and we were able to explain to him God's love for all of us and why we are here on earth to learn and become like Heavenly Father.

The Area

Friday was a fantastic day! We started it off with doing the new member lessons with Sarah Chabot. She got baptized in July. We met at the Geauga library and were able to have a good 45 min discussion with her. Then we had lunch and did some comp study. But, I had seen that the Book of Mormon video first episode came out on Friday. We went to the library in the afternoon so we could have wifi and watch the first Book of Mormon video. I challenge all of you to watch it, because it is marvelous.

We also met with Raphael on Friday, and sadly he is still struggling with the age of accountability for baptism. He is hard core catholic and not wanting to change his ways.

We helped Bob White move an 80 pound drill press from Burton where his son lived to his house in Chardon, it was a big job. We were also able to have dinner with the bishoprics and stake presidency for the Kirtland Zone. They were having their self-reliance meeting.

Saturday was a cool day because Middlefield was having their airplane day where they gave kids ages 7-17 rides in their airplanes all day. There is a small airport about 5 min from our house in Middlefield. We met Betsy and Gretchen too, gave them both Book of Mormons and are hoping for a return visit.

Chardon's homecoming dance was last night, and it reminded me that SHHS's homecoming was this last week too! Brought back memories of high school dances in the good ol days Haha:).

Today was a good day with church, and then we went over to Brother and Sister Nye's house where we had dinner with them and all the youth and branch president and went over questions that were discussed in the devotional that Elder Bednar did when he came to Columbus in July. Super cool!

We have zone conference this week on Tuesday in Talmage, just south of here about an hour away. I'm super pumped for it! My first one on the mission :). I'll let you know next week how that goes.

How is work and school going for everyone? Has it snowed in Utah yet? It is getting chilly here and everyone is saying that within the next 4-5 weeks we could be seeing some flurries.

I would like to invite us all to read The Book of Mormon. If you have started already, keep reading. And start if you haven't. I have started this challenge myself and I have been able to see the benefit of it myself to know that God has established His word and that through the Prophet, we receive revelation to know what to do in our lives.

I miss and pray for you all so so much everyday. I love you more and more everyday.

I love you forever and always!
Elder Dylan

Moroni 10:3-5