Cookin with the Spirit

Howdy y'all. Quite a bit has happened this week. Let's goooo.

Natchez

Okay so uh. Tuesday? We visited a bunch of people and had our interviews with president. We met a few cool people and cool stuff. We also got to eat with the Dollars. We went over the ward roster with them so now we know who to visit and who not to haha. 

Wednesday we had district council. We drive about 2 hours to get to Alexandria and then meet with the district. Pretty wild stuff. We met an inactive member who we visit after district council and it's pretty sweet. We also met a few more people that were previously being taught and set up stuff with them. It's kinda weird cuz you gotta tell them that there hasn't been missionaries around for months. But its chill. 

Thursday was straight visiting random people and trying to set up junks. But we did get to eat with a member who has a wild family. They have like 6 kids who are screaming the whole time haha. It was wild. We talked about enoch with them a bit. 

MTC Temple Men

On Friday we helped out with the veteran people for a good while. They give out clothes to veterans for free and stuff it's super cool. They're all catholic so we might get to go to mass with them sometime. They have one of those super old cathedrals it's super cool. We also helped a less active member move their ballet stuff over to a theater for a show. That was pretty cool. We had some other missionaries come and stay over for the mission conference on Saturday.

Cowboy Jay

Saturday we left early in the morning and drove down to Baton rouge for the mission conference. It was awesome. Every missionary in the mission was there. It was cool to see everyone and take a big ol picture and stuff. After that we got to hear from elder and sister martino, elder and sister Duncan, and elder and sister cook. That was probably the most spiritual experience in my life listening to elder cook. He gave the most powerful witness and it was so awesome. The chapel we were in was dead silent. It was the craziest thing ever. But it was awesome. I got to see the old MTC district too which was cool. Also elder obray and a few others haha. After that we went with some of the senior missionaries to canes and ate with them. We didnt have any missionary media so we were going with them to the mission office. We got our stuff and then also got a microwave! Sweet. Then we had the big long drive back. Yeahhh.

Icy Car

On sunday we watched the temple rededication instead of normal church. It was awesome. We also got to teach a kid who was recently baptized. His parents aren't members so there may be some good opportunities there. We later got to eat and talk with a bunch of members. They're awesome. They had a whole bunch of hot sauces. I tried one called like. Chocolate lightning. It didnt have any chocolate in it. It was just hot haha. But good. After that we watched the face to face broadcast with the members and it was good. The youth have a pretty lit program going on. I just missed it. 

Monday. We drove up to marksville and have been hanging out with the elder up here for exchanges. We got to go to an AA meeting. It was the testimony night or whatever they call it where the people say "Hi I'm Billy and I'm an alcoholic. Haha it was somethin else. Met a lot of people though. We need to go to that back in natchez. Good finding opportunity. But uhhh. Yeah. The mission conference was definitely the best. Yeah.

Elder Checketts 

Ps scripture time: Roman's 5:11

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

This is the only verse in the new testament with the word atonement. It's really cool because the bible does mention the atonement but the Book of mormon really defines it. Not everyone down here even knows the word atonement. So we gotta help em out. 

Natchez!

District council with habaneros

Elder Checketts was transferred last week to Natchez, Mississippi so we received no letter. This is this weeks letter.

Bridge over the Mississippi

Bridge over the Mississippi

This business is actually a members house

Me and Elder Obray at the temple

So I'm out here in the Natchez. It is a very small like tourist town. There's a lot of cool plantation homes and things. uhh. We are right on the Mississippi river. It's pretty wild. The ward here is pretty small compared to Oak grove. I went from about 250 active members to about 40. So that's neat. so uh. yeah. Idk what happened before I got here. pday was pretty wack so that's why I didn't write last week. but hey i'm here now. so. yeah. super bummed to leave Oak Grove. I got to eat with my fav members though. But when we left we went to the transfer point and like. We didn't have a car for a bit and the senior missionaries thought they messed up haha. It was wild. but turns out they got it. And then turns out we didn't have anywhere to live. But we later found out that we actually have a new apartment. So that's where we live now. We also don't have a mail key...so don't mail me anything. until we get one. so uh. yeah. we got to our apartment and it was super empty haha. we have no furniture. besides our beds that we unboxed and our foldable plastic study chairs and tables. so yeah. we got some pots and pans and things too which is cool. we don't have a microwave right now though. which is a missionary's best friend. so we have to heat up leftovers and stuff in the oven. so that's been fun. but anyways. My Comp is elder Thompson if you don't know already haha. It's dope cuz we was in the MTC together. so like with us opening up this area and being doubled in and all that, it's nice to already know your comp haha. but yeah. we've just been going around hitting everyone we possibly can so its been wild. 

Nature

 The ward has been super nice and has definitely missed having missionaries around. The area is really cool too haha. Literally its actually getting cold. and i don't mean like the 65 degrees cold i mean like its supposed to get down to 20 tomorrow. we might die. But it's been cool. we have to drive 2 hours to get to district council which is a bit different. We get to cross the mississippi river a lot though haha. its like right in the middle of our area. Shweet. but yeah. HEY! we also have a black person in our ward! its sick. in oak grove there was literally none haha. I feel like a minority down here its cool. but uhh yeah. I gave a talk on sunday and I was way nervous. Ive only been here a few days but i've met like the whole ward hahah. wild. but uhh yeah. more to come later. Keep spankin

Elder Checketts

Our car frosted

Ps scripture time: Jacob 4: 5-6

5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.

                                               

6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

Jacob 4 is surprisingly yummy

The rains came 10-7-19

zone conference

So a lot happened this week. So. Uh. Elder Jensen got a haircut too. So now we both thugs. Jk. I look like a marine though. Pretty cool. But on Tuesday we walked dogs and visited people and stuff. We had Panzit and lumpia at the yuviencos. They're Philippino so they made us some philippino food. Super good stuff. But uh yeah. Wednesday. We ran over a rattlesnake.....and then grabbed it. And then skinned it. Yep. But anyways we have exchanges with the APs so I went out with elder jones and elder jones. It was really good. We got to go eat with bro duff. He remembered my name which he Apparently never remembers any missionaries names so that's cool haha. And we got to teach Jaslyn and bro thomley. They both really needed visits it felt like so they were super good. We had dinner with a member and then had interviews afterward. I'm not too sure president likes my haircut hahaha. It'll grow back though. 

Diamond Back we ran over

After that we visited some more peeps. Then on Friday we had zone conference. It was kinda boring because it was directed to the sisters. And the temple open house and stuff. So both president and sister Varner expect me to say something each conference now. I guess because a few conferences ago I bore testimony. Also the conference after that. And now they expect me to do it every time so theres a lot of pressure. But I did this time too and flippin president Varner called me out in a good way haha. It was kind of embarrassing but in front of the whole zone he was like "elder Checketts always says something good near the end, and we would be super unhappy if we didn't get to hear it." Something like that. But uhh yeah. After zone conference we went and ate with the garvens and then we went to do concessions for the oak grove football game. It was against their rival so it was big. Southern football is huuuge. They have a big stadium just for the high school. But. It started raining finally. And it was a big ol thunderstorm. So the game got delayed too late so we had to go. Wild stuff. But uhh Saturday. We watched general conference at the church. There were some members there. They're awesome. A ton of good stuff. I got a lot of notes. After the morning session we visited diane for a while which was good. We kind of clarified the restoration because I'm not sure she fully got it. But she seems super legit. Just slowly getting there. Then we watched afternoon conference at the biglers. It was good as expected. Then we went and did service at a band competition. That's a thing here. Marching bands and stuff compete. It's actually kinda cool. But. Weird how popular it is. Anyways. That got rained out too. Another huge thunderstorm hit and it got cancelled. Pretty wild down here in the south. 

A big ol honkin dog

Then church day. Minus church. We watched the morning session at the church again. The sunday conferences had a ton of good loot. I had a lot of notes. I really like everyone who spoke. But I guess theres never a bad talk. We watched the afternoon session at the yuviencos. They've been feeding us too much recently hahaha. It's awesome. I love the phillipino food they make. After all that we did a bunch of planning. So yeah. And today. A pretty normal p day. I bought a golden chef knife....it was like 3 dollars so. Why not. But uhh yeah. Got some groceries and played some games and stuff. We went to the old trussells and ate with them. We talked to bro trussell about the ward roster and got a bunch of good info on less actives and part member families and all kinds of good loots. We shared a cool message about alma 60 and 61. About how pahoran could have been super rude back to Moroni but was really kind and loving. So we can be like that too-christlike when things might not go our way. It always feels better to be nice right? Yep. Alrighty then. Gotta blast.

A cool sunset

Elder Checketts

Ps scripture time: 2 nephi 11:4-7

4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

7 For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.

It kind of speaks for itself but it's really cool to think in a missionary perspective where your soul delights in proving that christ should come. Super awesome. 

Also the award for Emailers of the month of September: Chris and Ariel Checketts. Wooo congratulations. But yeah y'all are awesome I read y'alls emails every week. And everyone else's too but they've been on top of it. Alrighty then. Maybe there will be a prize for the emailer of the month. Hahaha. Idk. We'll see.