May 23, 2016 -- Check That Off My Bucket List

This week has been pretty great. Spring had taken its full effect in the beautiful country of upstate New York. I thought Utah got green in the spring... I was dead wrong. You can look out and see all the rolling hills in Oneida. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't beat the mountains in Utah, but I sure do enjoy it.

Berla and Steve took Elder Smith and I out to dinner as the Turning Stone buffet. Boy let me just say the food was wonderful. They had everything from meat to Chinese to seafood and so much more. Elder Smith and I didn't eat all day in preparation for this. It was a dinner full of tasty food and good company.

Elder Smith and I were able to meet with Tasha. We were not able to meet with her at all last week because she was sick with a nasty flu. We are glad she is over it now though. We had planned on going and teaching more about the plan of salvation with her but during the lesson the Spirit took over. She opened up and shared her mourning about a child that had passed on very young. Elder Smith and I felt that we should turn to Moroni 8 talking about the salvation of little children. As we read the scriptures the Spirit filled the room. Tasha said she got the chills and instantly recognized that it was the Spirit comforting her. I am grateful that I was able to be a part of the Lord's comforting Tasha in that very moment. It's a most worthwhile feeling when one of God's children sees the truth of this gospel.

On a different note, Elder Smith and I were trying some former investigators one day when we pulled up at this house on the outskirts of Oneida that had tons of different animals. As we were walking up to the door, this peacock started following us.  We walked to the door where the guy let us. We talked for a little bit and as we were leaving a he told us to watch out for that peacock because he's not to friendly. As we started walking out to our car, the peacock continued to follow us. It would get closer when we turned away from it and then back off when we turned around. It followed us to out car in the road. I was standing by my car door and the peacock was right next to me. I needed the peacock to move so that I could get in the car door so I kicked at it, didn't actually hit it, to scare it.  It puffed up and jumped like three feet in the air using it's wings making an angry peacock sound. I hurried in the car door and then drove off quickly. The peacock started trying to chase us. Elder Smith and I started busting up laughing as we thought about what had just happened. Now I can check getting attacked by a peacock off my bucket list.

Anyway the sky is blue, the church is true, and life is good.

 

Until next week,

Elder Carlile