It has been the best week ever.
I flew in a bus with wings for an hour and made it to Fresno. Lucky for me, I don't have to do it again for 2 whole years!! I arrived in Fresno, spent the night at the assistants home, met with the mission president, his wife, his presidency, and then I was assigned to be trained by Elder Scheel, from Colorado Springs. He's a way cool guy, we sat through some training and then they sent us out to Modesto. We are currently serving in the Sylvan ward, formerly known as Modesto 7th. It is awesome, I love this area and the people are so different. It's kinda ghetto but there's nice places too, and the people are from all backgrounds and walks of life. Most don't want to listen to the missionaries, but we keep knocking.
We've taught a handful of lessons and been fed a couple times, but it's awesome being able to wakeup and make breakfast and pray and study. My focus is solid and there's not a lot of distraction. We reach out to lots of inactive people, we've contacted all our referrals, so it's just a matter of time before we find someone who is willing to accept lessons. A lady in the ward fed us last night and brought a friend from work. We were able to have a meaningful conversation about God and she accepted a Book of Mormon. She had had some struggles recently, about life and about faith, she's not technically in our boundaries but if she accepts lessons, she'll be in good hands with her local missionaries.
My companion has gotten really good at making food after being out here so long, he's experimental but it's always good. He had me eat some "jack fruit" from a nearby Asian market, it was way good. He also has a farmer's hat, it's hanging on our wall. He is a hard worker and his mission flow is fresh, he called me "pre-trained", which is good for him, because he doesn't have to train me on gospel stuff, just the people and the area. Saturday was his birthday, and a convert from Turlock came up to take us to Jack in the Box, it was my first time. We taught a member and his non member wife, he graduated from high school with George Lucas and he's a big Star Wars fan, we met this guy with huge turtles in his backyard, and this sketchy ex-mormon who is anti-organized religion. He gave us water, that was nice. We celebrated P-Day eve with ice cream and The Testaments, Elder Scheel knows every word. If you have that DVD, watch scene 11 in ASL cuz the translator makes funny faces.
I've been reading a lot in Acts, in the final verses of the last chapter it says, "30... Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him"
Missionaries take after the dedication of Paul, his courage and determination are an example to me of how to love Christ, and how to teach like the disciples of old. The Lord qualifies me, and I rely on his strength to make me whole. Don't stress over many things at once, we have time to take it one fix at a time.
I love you all,
Elder Gneiting
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