Transfers, broken feet, and temples

This week transfers happened. We thought we'd be getting 28 missionaries in our zone...but 29 is the final count! Don't worry, it might be going back to 28 soon though. On Saturday one of our sister missionaries broke her foot during morning exercise. As a result she may have to go home early to do the operation. I feel bad for her -- hobbling around apartment complexes all day!
Sunday was also the dedication of the Brigham City Temple. As a result all church services were cancelled in Utah and the temple dedication was broadcast to all of the stake centers. It was my first time ever seeing a temple dedication...and it was also a treat to hear from three members of the Quorum of the Twelve. (Boyd K. Packer, Russell M. Nelson and L. Tom Perry)

Everything else continues to run smoothly. It feels as though the month of September just disappeared...and now the leaves are beginning to change colors on the mountains and conference is right around the corner.
Elder Bolling

Expansion

Transfers will be this upcoming Wednesday. Typically, a zone in our mission has 18-20 missionaries. President Miller informed us this past week that I will likely stay as a Riverton Zone Leader for another transfer. We will also likely have a zone consisting of 28 missionaries, 9 new missionaries and four districts. Whoa! That is definitely the largest zone the mission has seen in a long time. We're preparing for that by training the two district leaders we will be keeping. I also haven't decided if this is a sign that President Miller trusts us or if he's punishing us for something we did wrong!

We continue plugging along. It seems as each week goes by it just moves quicker and I have a harder time remembering what I did! It all is quickly becoming a blur. I suppose that's a good thing because we're busy working but not so good for writing a blog.

Elder Bolling

Many Events To See!

This week saw lots of events keep me busy. First, we had our mission tour conference on Tuesday. Elder Perkins of the Seventy spoke to us. He taught many wonderful things about how to apply the doctrine of Jesus Christ more fully into our lives. We were also "observed" as members of our zone gave talks and role played teaching situations in front of Elder Perkins. I got off the hook and had to do neither! Lucky day!

On Thursday it was our biannual surprise Zone Leader Council at President Miller's family vacation home in Oakley, Utah. We had the meeting portion and then went on hikes, played sports, fished, watched a rodeo and hung out. Those are always entertaining days...now we just have to wait until February for our winter edition!

Then on Sunday we had the opportunity to watch Elder Holland give a CES Fireside. After that, John Bytheway came to our other stake to give a fireside. Both of those speakers gave us quite the spiritual awakening!

To top it off, this next week we will hear from a Seventy in our Young Single Adult stake and two Seventies as our family stake presidency is being reorganized. Lots of things to see!

Elder Bolling

Convention Surprise!

I might have had the most challenging test of my mission on Thursday night. At roughly 8:05 I walked into the house of a less-active member of the church. We were teaching him while the rest of the family watched TV. Typically, we ask them to turn the television off. I did that. The family said they couldn't because there was something really important coming on. Just then, I hear the words, "Welcome to the 2012 Republican National Convention with tonight's speaker, Mitt Romney!" Oh dear!

The lesson was taught. Needless to say I was mildly distracted as Clint Eastwood spoke. I was more distracted as the next person spoke. We closed the lesson just as Romney's introduction was happening. Then, to top it all off, the family wanted to say hello before I left -- just as Romney was walking onto the stage! I must admit that I showed the most self-constraint I ever have by walking out of that home just as Romney started to speak. I believe that was a small tender mercy of the Lord. It was also a test.

Otherwise, the week went well. We are keeping busy with our area. We are teaching many new individuals and it is great to see their progress. Happy Labor Day!

Time To Recharge

This weekend we had another baptism of a wonderful guy from our YSA stake. He was prepared to be baptized before we even met him. It was a wonderful experience. To add to the baptism, a less-active member we have been teaching came to the baptism and shared his testimony on how his faith has increased in the past two weeks. A non-member we were teaching was also in attendance and really felt the spirit.

Over the weekend, we had a weird series of events that built our confidence. Sometimes you wonder, "Does the Holy Ghost really work through me?" and you walk out of lessons wondering if you said the right things. We had four separate incidents where individuals told us that we told them "exactly what they needed to hear". Moments like that help you to realize that this IS the Lord's work, that we ARE set apart for it, and that we ARE doing an effective job.

We have five people that we are teaching who could all be baptized in September. We are doing all we can to help them. Three of them are in a single ward -- which makes it interesting to walk through that chapel. It's almost like we have a little posse in there! There is great joy when you can see all these souls coming closer to Christ.

Elder Bolling

Forget Me Not

This week we have been lifting spirits. We are doing exceptionally well in our zone and continue to see growth from the new missionaries. However, many of the missionaries have high expectations of themselves that cause them to get discouraged even when things are right on track. We have been sharing a talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to strengthen them. It counsels us to never forget five things:

1) Forget not to be patient with yourselves

2) Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice

3) Forget not to be happy now

4) Forget not the "why" of the gospel

5) Forget not that the Lord loves you

These simple truths have made a world of difference for our zone. Many times, missionaries and others look for perfect circumstances in order to find their joy or success. Rather, we must refocus them to realize that miracles are happening and that they are doing exactly what they are expected to do.

I've found over the past few weeks that encouragement is just as important, if not more important, than teaching or training. As we are helping those we serve to set their visions higher the success follows naturally.

Elder Bolling

Riverton Expanded!

Transfers took place last Wednesday. I am still in the Riverton zone but have a new companion. His name is Elder McCaffrey. He was born in England but moved to Australia when he was 16. He was baptized into the church when he was 19 and is 23 now. He has served for 8 months and is a new zone leader. He is a great missionary and we should have quite the transfer together! Our zone also changed quite a bit. We expanded to 24 missionaries, but 11 of those 24 missionaries are new. All of the changes were inspired and we have already started to see blessings from them as a result.

We had a baptism on Saturday. It was for a 9-year-old whose family has recently started coming to church more regularly. Almost 70 people from the local ward came out to attend and show their support. The spirit was incredibly strong at the baptism and the parents felt it strongly. On Sunday both parents came together to church for the first time in a long time. They even bore their testimony at church! Moments like those make all of our work worth it.

I keep having more strange experiences that help me realize I'm getting old in mission time. We did an exchange to learn from one of our assistants and he told me multiple times that I was the veteran support of the mission. As I thought about it I realized I have been in mission leadership for over 9 months now. Good gravy! And with the look of things I will certainly stay until at least Christmas. It's a humbling thought because I often think, "I don't know anything!" yet there are so many others saying the same things.

Elder Bolling