Week 21

Hello Friends and family!,

This has been a pretty good week. It has been a little bit slower, but still busier than weeks we have had in the past. With this being the last week of the transfer, I am both relived and terrified to know that I will probably be staying in Greenville. This means that I will be taking over this area until my companion catches on. I am so thankful that I get to stay because of the people I have been able to meet. There are so many wonderful people here. I had no idea of how much of a people person I am - a bit ironic because of how introverted I used to be. There is nothing worse than leaving loved ones behind. The greatest thing I am learning on my mission is how to love. 

 

As for fun things that happened this week, last p-day we went fishing in a members pond. It was incredibly relaxing. I literally put a bare hook in the water and snagged a fish, several times. If you put some bait on the hook and held it slightly above the water the fish would jump out and try to grab it. I caught at least 10 little small mouth bass. Today, we had a Pig Picking, which is pretty much the greatest barbecue ever. I love North Carolina's vinegar sauces! Since Elder Tortorici is leaving this week, members are fighting for spots to feed the missionaries. We are double booking dinners and several lunches. In other words, I'm probably going to gain at least 20lb this week. Totally worth it though. We also went to Pirate Fest, a local party kind of like the Farmington days. It was pretty fun and we handed out tons of cards. 

One thing I am learning as a missionary is to slow down. Now there is a difference between slowing down and being lazy. It is so easy for me to start thinking about 2 or three things at the same time. I have noticed that when I do this, I always end up missing something or forget to do something. In life, we all bombard our todo lists and try to accomplish as much as we can in the shortest amount of time. However, there is value in dedicated time. I have learned that as I make sure I write everything down and attack one thing at a time and do each item well, I have a happier, stress-less life. 

I love y'all,

-Elder Shill