HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS! (5/27/08)

"Have a very happy birthday1
Filled with sunshine everywhere;
May the year bring joy and gladness
And the love of friends who care!" (an underappreciated primary song, although the Christmas version is better)2

President C. moved P-day to today because people would be out yesterday and we could talk to them. The white handbook and President think that weekends and holidays are the best times to find people. I think they're the worst because even if people are home they don't want to talk to us. But this week it means I get to email you when I wouldn't have been able to yesterday.3

It was six months ago today that everyone came over and I was set apart to be a missionary, and tomorrow is six months since I entered the MTC. Wow! It doesn't seem terribly long but my mission is already a fourth of the way over.

I wish I could have been at Fillmore yesterday. I didn't even know they kept going with the Narnia movies.4 There's a lot of movies that have come out that I don't know about. That reminds me--in the Chipmunks movie, I guess there's a scene in an office and on the wall is a poster of a kid on a skateboard with a guitar. That is a member of our ward when he was a kid. He produced the documentary on the Church up here that I sent home. He got money for them using the poster in the movie.

Thanks to the internet for helping me find this!

Our Memorial Day wasn't as fun. We helped a new ward member unload boxes from a moving truck.5 Then we went to the ward Memorial Day picnic. We had three investigators show up, ones who can't usually make it to church, so that was good. We played capture-the-flag (Elder C. brought extra clothes, but I didn't) and I got green pollen all over my black shoes. It looked pretty cool, actually. He played ultimate frisbee while I flew my ladybug kite I bought last week (he bought a dragon). Then we wandered through the local cemetery. I was surprised at the amount of "Together Forever" stones.6

We rounded up a bunch of converts for a lesson tonight to help one of our investigators. I hope that goes well.

Elder C. calls a news service every morning7 and one thing they provide is a horoscope, which can be pretty funny as a missionary. Apparently when we were on exchanges on Wednesday it said not to do things alone, to bring a companion. Yesterday it told us to study ancient texts. One Sunday it told us not to run errands.

If you want some funny scriptures, read Jeremiah 5:8 and 8:17.8 The "bite you" in the latter verse makes me think of something Preston would say.9 I finished getting through Isaiah this week (just a basic overview) and this week I hope to get through Jeremiah. If I were to read one book a week, no matter how short or how long, I should finish the Old Testament in September. However, once I get past Ezekiel, it should go a lot faster.

Again, I can't think of anything else to say but I will once I leave. Transfers are next week and it's a good possibility I'll be shipped off. Hopefully I can email Monday--which will be June! On Saturday we're attending a wedding so that our investigator can get baptized.

Love

Elder Melville


1My dad’s birthday is May 27.
2“Have a Very Happy Birthday!” and “Have a Very Merry Christmas!” from the Children’s Songbook..
3This drove me nuts my entire mission. They always told us Saturdays and holidays were best days for finding people at home. You might think that intuitively, but in my personal experience, that was almost never the case.
4My family told me they had seen the Prince Caspian movie. I still haven’t seen it.
5I think these members had been in the ward previously, and everyone was excited they moved back, because they were a solid addition. But I was transferred, so I don’t know. I think some of the members felt bad making us do service on P-day; but since it wasn’t P-day, we were more than happy to help out. I think missionaries should do more service than they actually do, because tracting certainly isn’t very worthwhile.
6We saw the tombstone of the son of the members we lived with. I wanted to take a picture, but my companion forbade it.
7This was technically against the rules, but he wasn’t very obedient, and this was a relatively harmless service. I sometimes thought it would have been helpful for missionaries to know more about current events than we did, since we weren’t supposed to read or watch news.
8“They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.” “For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.”
9Preston was my three-year-old nephew. When I visited him before I left, he would go around saying “Die!”

Wow! Two letters in the same day! (5/19/08)

This week's installment of my mission letters features two letters I wrote in the same day. 

I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--but in a different way than everyone else

I am not a member of the Church.

I am a missionary of the Church.

One of the numbers we record is the number of lessons with a member present. My companion and I don't count.

Members are commanded to raise a family and be very family-oriented. However, we are not allowed to do more than shake hands with someone of the opposite sex or children. Holding, tickling, and babysitting children are forbidden.

Members are advised to make money to support themselves. I am unemployed.

Members are commanded to go to the temple frequently. I am only permitted to go once every three months, and then I cannot participate in couple sealings, prayer circles, or baptisms for the dead.1

Elder Bednar said missionaries are the full-time teachers and all others are full-time finders, clearly making another distinction how missionaries are not members.2

Members tend to associate with other members. We try to associate with non-members.

Church dances, movie nights, pool nights, etc....not for us.

We're not even allowed at adult sessions of stake conference.

I was a member my whole life until five months ago.

--Elder Melville 

Wow! Two letters in the same day!

I guess it makes up for not being able to email next week due to Memorial Day.

Thanks for the package. Honestly I was a little disappointed at all the trees and the small amount of my niece and nephews. Don't forget I've been on a mission for five and a half months and I haven't seen pictures of anything that's happened since November. But I understand if you have computer problems.3

At the moment I can't think of anything in particular that's interesting this week. I'll just start throwing out random tidbits as I think of them.

There are portions of the Isaiah chapers where the italicized words in the Bible are not included in the Book of Mormon, further evidence of its authentic origin. I want to finish Isaiah this week since I've read all of the standard works all the way through at some point in my life, except for Isaiah through Malachi.

I took a picture of a billboard this week for American Family Insurance. They have a shot of Spot breathing fire out of the staircase with a drippy font saying, "Nothing this family does surprises us." When I first saw it I proclaimed, "Hey! It's the Munsters!" Elder Condie said, "Is that what it is? I've been trying to figure out what that meant."

We had a missionary homecoming yesterday. He told a story of his second companion, with whom he wasn't getting along. His companion went to bed and he prayed to know how to get along with him. Then he opened his scriptures and the first thing he read was, "And the Spirit said unto me, Slay him."4

We are teaching a woman who is in very bad shape. She's a former druggie and still smokes. We were teaching her and she talks a LOT. She was also very tired. She fell asleep mid-sentence not once but twice. It was kind of comical.

This week I found Sister Welsh's red vest, bucket hat, and serious shades on the table. I sported them and went around for a while with them on before she realized I was wearing her clothes. Oh, the fun things you can do with a legally blind person!

Signing off,

Elder Melville

1 I think I might have been a little mistaken; I think the “no baptisms for the dead” rule was only in the MTC.

2 David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith.”

3 My mom must have sent me pictures on a flash drive or something.

4 I’ve heard this enough that I don’t find it funny anymore.

I already talked to you (5/12/08)

It was so good to talk to you yesterday. Honestly I was very nervous--I don't know why. I guess I figured it would be like Christmas where you'd cry as soon as I got on the phone. If you did, you hid it very well. It also scared me that half of my phone calls are over and it's seven months until the next one and I'm not even at six months now. But when I was on the phone I was holding it with my watch hand, so my excuse for talking so long was that I didn't know how long I was talking, even though there was a clock on the wall. I think my companion talked longer, though, and at Christmas Elder Ch. talked for five hours--so 68 minutes isn't too bad.

I tried briefly to look for Peter's crucifixion--I couldn't find it but I didn't look too hard.1 The LDS study aids aren't always the most helpful.

So...I don't know what to say now because not much has transpired in 21 hours. If Elder Co. lets me I'll just stay online for a while and when I think of something I'll write more.

Love,

Elder Melville


1I believe I had written a letter home that in my sleep, I had put my feet at the head of my bed and imagined I was Peter being crucified upside down. My cousin Peter had never heard of that and wanted a reference.

Each saying "thank you" in his own special way (5/5/08)

It was excellent when the Welshes came back and I was able to acquire my gifts. I really am grateful for all the stuff you get me. I feel guilty asking for it all, especially when it's expensive. The History of the Church is bigger than I expected but it will be nice to have the reference. I love Joseph Smith. I also feel guilty I made you sacrifice your Children's Songbook.1 We have been enjoying the CDs.2 I remember a year ago on our road trip to Tennessee I wasn't too keen on listening to them but when your listening is limited they are good. Elder C. is sick of hymns so he is glad to have primary songs.3 There are some interesting things with the primary songs. The song "Genealogy, I am Doing It" has been changed to "Family History, I am Doing It." "Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus" (my favorite primary Christmas song) used to be called "Christmas at Zarahemla" (when it was originally written). And all of the Book of Mormon songs sound like Indian songs--the aforementioned Christmas one, "Book of Mormon Stories," "The Books of the Book of Mormon," etc. I love many of the primary songs so I like to listen to them.

Don't feel bad about the cookies.4 I liked them. So did my companion. It was just bad because we're trying to diet.

Last week I think I neglected to tell you the unfortunate news. Duane was put on probation for three more months so he can't get baptized until July. And they've become flaky--they say they'll make it to church or to a baptism and they don't. They're not golden anymore. They're just silver now.

We got a new investigator--a solid one but a hard one. She met with missionaries a few years ago but the men in her life at the time didn't want her to. Now she has her own apartment so she can. She is a former drug addict and is working on the smoking now. She wants to be a member, though, and she has a great potential. She just has a lot of problems.

A funny thing happened this week. We have a threesome of sisters in our district--Sister Sha., Sister Shi., and Sister G. Sister Sha. is the female version of me--she doesn't like sunlight, she can't ride a bike, she doesn't like talking to people, etc. We were driving home from district meeting with the sisters in the backseat. Elder C. told them about how I see music.5 Sister G. revealed that she did too and that we both saw it as the same color. Sister Shi. said that if you combined her two companions you got me. Without thinking, Sister G. said defensively, "I'm fun!" We all laughed and then she said, "Sorry, Elder Melville." It was really funny because she totally said it without thinking.

I hate to disillusion you but it sounded like in your letter you thought I paid for lunch for all the district. I don't. I bought Elder C. lunch one time because he was out of money and I save up from month to month. But I don't share as you thought I did. Sorry.

Mother's Day--We usually have church meetings from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (I don't know if the morning meetings will be held with the holiday--but that's irrelevant in this letter). We will probably have dinner with members after church. My guess, therefore, is that we will get home about 6:30 or 7 and can call then. Utah is an hour ahead of us. I may let Elder Condie call first since he has younger siblings, but then again, I have a niece. So just expect a call sometime between seven and nine your time. I know that will make it hard for you with your family gatherings, but it's hard for us when right now we don't even know when we're eating.

Could I get instructions for your typical chicken gravy, the one made with flour? I'm not sure how much I'll have noodles, potatoes or rice, but I would like to have the recipe. It's hard to shop as missionaries because we don't know how long it will take us to go through something before it spoils and if we'll have to make our own food or not. That's part of how I've acquired money from my allowance.

Sister Welsh won't tell me about your conversation. She says it's from one mother to another. But I get to talk to you in a week so I'll see for real.

I know once we leave the library I'll think of something else to tell you but right now I have exhausted my ideas. Therefore, I will talk to you on Sunday. I hope I catch you.

Elder Melville


1I had asked for a miniature copy of the Children’s Songbook, and my mom sent me her old copy.
2I also asked for the Children’s Songbook CDs, which are terrible, but missionaries have limited options.
3I also listened to the Hymns CDs, which are equally terrible.
4My mom sent chocolate chip cookies, and I think she regretted they weren’t sugar cookies because those are more fragile. I was less strict on my “seasonal only” rules back then.
5Synesthesia.