Transferred

It's nice seeing the big picture of my mission. That just because I don't master myself in my mission doesn't mean I won't be able to continue after. I still have my whole life ahead of me. We as missionaries just want to do the best we can NOW and get them people in the water! I do get so hard on myself at times. And then that's just too selfish thinking about myself too much like that. Thank you for loving me so much mommy.

This has been an exciting week too. We had dinner with a less active family that we met while going through the ward list. Things lined up in a really cool way for us to meet them. Only the husband is a member and he left the church at 13. So their plumber was outside and saw us and said, "Hey! It's the mormons! Hey you know who would be interested in talking to you guys? These guys. Their mormon too! Here I'll introduce you to them!" and previously they wouldn't answer their door. Whether they were home or not. So they didn't really want to talk to us and were stand offish. We went by a few days later and found them trying to set up a ping pong table. They saw us and went, "ohhh...." like they didn't want to see us but then we offered to help and they got excited and were grateful. We found out he joined the church at 10 because his parents were, they were never really active and then he fell away at 13 so he never cared much for it. The wife you could tell was really uncomfortable with us and didn't really want us around. But we got them to feed us dinner in a few days and we talked about their religious beliefs and were able shared with them the proclamation to the family. The wife, still, didn't really want us around. Later in the week we got a text from her saying she and her husband only planned on us coming by once so that was a bummer but we were really glad we atleast got in and brought the Spirit into their home. We loved how awesome their kids were and hope they find the Gospel as they get older.

Matt is doing great! Elder Dean and I started fasting from flour, wheat and sugars since Matt is trying to stop using tobacco. The lesson with Nichole went great and we get to see her again tonight! The Hatches are on fire. I love them so much. They feed us lunch when we go down since that's the only time Bo isn't at work. He also came to a lesson with us to a less active. It's so cool to see the change that's he's had about church and how he loves it now. Nahkia, a potential that we have from Jamaica said he would read the Book of Mormon! He kept saying he wouldn't read until we convinced him to read and sold it to him but finally he said, "you boys can't convince me But I'll read the Book anyway just so we can have better conversations." hahaha. He's pretty funny, he reminds me a lot of Fred.

And the big news!!!! I'm getting transferred tomorrow morning (Tuesday)... I'm heart broken I can't see all these awesome people progress and get baptized but I know the Lord is preparing people wherever I go. I am excited to begin a new adventure in another ward. No ward will ever be like casual, all converts, small numbers but big testimonies Steamboat First. These people are the coolest. I feel so loved by them as well. So many people came up to me after church thanking me for the effect I've had and the work I've done. They all tell me what a change I've gone through and how I'm so much more confident and capable. Steamboat itself apparently has changed so much as well. I wouldn't mind serving all two years here, but change is necessary. Dallas bore his testimony about how he found out I was leaving and starting tearing up about how missionaries have always had such an impact on him since the beginning. Kirk came up to me after church and everyone was gone and said with his eyes a little watery, "Elder Edgel, thank you for all you've done for me. Thank you for making me a member." Man my heart swelled up with so much love. It's all about the one. If the only person I've influenced as a missionary was Kirk, then it's been well spent. To see the change in him when we first met him as a homeless guy has been amazing. I feel so loved by these people. I keep saying I feel like Ammon, "I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die."

Elder Hamblin and I went on exchanges for the last time for at least a while. We both knew we were most likely leaving this transfer and ended on a great note together. Talking to everyone and meeting cool people. We met a guy who looked a little rough on the outside and acted like it too who called himself anarchy Adam when we asked his name. I asked if it would be alright if I gave him a pamphlet and he asked if it'd alright if he threw it away. But he had a real soft inside after we talked about our families and the trials he was going through. He really opened up to us and said he'd love to talk to us some more. I wish I took a picture with him or could continue to teach him. For dinner Elder Hamblin was dying to go to a steak house in Steamboat haha. So we went to 8th street steak house where you cook it yourself. For lunch we had McDonalds and me not being able to eat flour ate the nastiest meal yet on my mission of just patty. So the Steak made up for it.

I'm excited to go to a new area and fall in love with new people. I love you all. The Church is true and the book is blue.

-Elder Edgel