Another Good Week!

Hey Everybody! It's been a good week, as always, and we've had a great time serving the Lord these last 7 days. A lot has happened this week, and all of it has helped to strengthen my testimony as well as help me to grow in wisdom and experience.

On Tuesday we had dinner with the Ward mission leader of one of the wards in our Stake. The meal was great, but what we got to do after was even better. This Ward Mission Leader's father owned a 1997 Ferrari, and when his father passed away, he inherited it. So, he just has a Ferrari sitting in his garage. He was pretty cool about it and even let us sit in it and take pictures. It isn't the nicest model of Ferrari because it's getting kind of old, but hey, it's still a Ferrari.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the baptism of a young girl named Caitlin, who I taught while I was in my last area. It was especially exciting because she's been ready for baptism for so long. She's been ready since before I even first started teaching her 5 months ago, but some things with her family situation have been delaying the baptism for quite some time. Well, they were finally able to work that out and she was able to get baptized. It was really nice because I was able to return to my old area for a little bit and see some people that I hadn't seen for a while. She'll be moving soon to Herriman, but sadly she won't be in my area, so I won't get to help with the recent convert lessons, but I'm still glad she was able to get baptized anyway! It was an awesome service.

Yesterday, during one of the sacrament meetings we attended we had the opportunity to talk about member missionary work. We based our talks off of Elder Oaks' Conference talk from this last October titled "Sharing the Restored Gospel". While I put off preparing for it until a day or two before, I was still able to gather plenty of material and make a decent talk out of it. The best thing that came out of speaking in sacrament wasn't the visibility or having a whole Ward listen to my wisdom and great knowledge, but the motivation it gave me to study up plenty and prepare spiritually for the talk. I learned many things, and I know my testimony and desire to be a member missionary when I return from my mission has been greatly strengthened.

One of my favorite things that I studied while preparing for the talk was the parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13. While I was studying this parable in preparation for my talk, I realized that the situations that the seeds fall on doesn't only represent how someone can receive the gospel, but it can also be a representation of how the members in an area receive those who are not members. The love and care that we can show to investigators can largely impact whether or not their seed of faith is able to take root and grow. This is why it's so important for us to be valiant member missionaries.

This morning we had our district activity for this transfer. We were initially planning to go on a hike, but the snow and winter weather here made us decide otherwise. Instead, we chose to all meet at a chapel to make waffles, eggs, and hash browns, and just hang out as a district. We messed around in the gym and played some basketball too. It was especially fun because no one was really serious or kept score, so it was just all around a good time.

That brings me to now. After we went shopping, we've just been relaxing and taking it easy. What else is p-day for? I'm grateful for everyone who takes the time to write to me and let me know how their life is. I appreciate all of the unwavering support that everyone gives, and I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Elder Orchard

Hey Everyone!

Not too much has happened this past week, so this one might be a bit more on the short side. I'll try to include anything of particular excitement or anything out of the ordinary that happened, and I hope you are able to enjoy it!

This last Thursday we had interviews with our mission president, President Killpack. This was an opportunity for each missionary to have some one-on-one sit down time with our mission president and discuss any questions that we had or anything of concern. Like always, these interviews were going long and we had run far past the set schedule. This was especially evident because by the time I, and a few of the other Elders in the district, had gone through, he was taking about 5 minutes per interview and was probably just touching on the basics with each. This was no problem of course. We, or at lest I personally, could tell that he still cared for us and our well being despite being a bit rushed. All in all, it was a wonderful experience that allowed us to have a stronger assurance that our mission presidency cares for us.

Yesterday, one of the stakes that we cover had stake conference. We were able to attend the adult session on Saturday night as well as the general session on Sunday. Elder R. Scott Runia of the Seventy was able to attend both sessions. His messages were powerful and uplifting. It is evident that he is a servant of the Lord. We were also blessed to have President Lindley, one of the counselors in the mission presidency, in attendance at the general session on Sunday. He talked a lot about missionary work, of course, and I know that his message will bless this stake with increased work in the weeks to come. All in all, it was a wonderful Stake Conference.

This morning we decided to use some of our extended p-day time to go on a bike ride. We started at the bottom of a hill and rode to the top on the streets, then took a trail to the bottom that was both exciting and a little frightening. It was hard going from not riding a bike for 4 months to riding a long distance uphill. I thought I was going to die! Fortunately, I made it to the top alright, and the ride down was well worth it.

Well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that is about it for my week. Like I said, not too much happened, but what did happen made the week well enjoyable. Thanks again for the support from everyone, I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Elder Orchard

Too Many Fruit Snacks!

Hey everybody! This last week has been pretty normal. As always, there were a few things exciting that happened, but for the most part it was a pretty typical week. I'll include a few highlights that made this last week unique.

On Wednesday night we had a lesson with one of our new investigators. This is the second time we've taught them, and we decided to try and set a baptismal date for them. They accepted, and we are shooting for the last Saturday before the end of the transfer. We have another investigator we are working with. They have a baptismal date for after the end of the transfer, but we have faith that when we finish the discussions they will realize it would be better to just go ahead with it rather than to wait. The last news we have teaching wise is that we got a new investigator. He shows a lot of promise. He was taught by missionaries before and was even had a baptism date, but he backed out because he didn't feel like he was doing it for the right reasons. We have faith that as we continue to teach him, he will realize the importance of baptism and why it is such an important ordinance. We know that through faith, and with the help of the Lord, all things are possible!

The biggest difference between this last week and other weeks is that my companion, Elder Johnson, and I ate about a thousand fruit snacks. We bought enough to fill a display jar and just kept snacking on them throughout the week. Sometimes, like last Friday during weekly planning, we would just sit there and eat a steady stream for upwards of half an hour. I can tell you this much, eating that many fruit snacks is not good for the body. I know this because I felt terrible all week. I think it even contributed to me getting a little sick. That, and I wasn't sleeping the greatest because I'm in a new apartment. I've had plenty of time to adjust now and the fruit snacks are gone, so I'm feeling a lot better now and, hopefully, my health will be better this next week.

One interesting thing that happened was that our Area Book app, the thing that we rely on for our planner and source of information, crashed for about 8 hours on Saturday. It was really a burden because we couldn't see anything that we had planned and couldn't find any information that would help us contact people in our area. Apparently it was a worldwide problem too. Luckily they were able to fix it before too long, so we were able to have some help in the work. Nobody was really surprised about it because the app is really buggy and crashes all the time anyway. We have a saying about the app: "The idea is inspired, but the programming is not". I can't express how true that is.

Today was a pretty exciting day. We told a member about how we are kind of bored on p-days, so they bought us a ton of stuff to help keep us entertained. Some of these things included: a ping-pong set that is adjustable and fits in any size of table; a badminton set that you can play indoors; an air hockey set that is supposed to work on any surface (we haven't tried it yet, so there isn't any proof); a big thing called "Chillbo Baggins" that fills with air and is super comfy to lay on; and a rugby ball to play catch with. They also gave me a bath robe which is super comfy too. Needless to say, they're one of my favorite member families now.

Well, other than that it was a pretty regular week. I know that this next week will be exciting and filled with miracles that will help the work progress. I can't wait to see the Lords hand in my life and have the opportunity to be an instrument in his hands in progressing his work. I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Orchard

Squaring up for ping pong!

Chillin' on the Chillbo Baggins.

New Area

Hey Everyone!

This past week has been great, and it has been an awesome start to a new transfer! I got moved up out of Utah County to an area around the point of the mountain. It's definitely strange seeing so many Utah fans. I've done my best to avoid talking about my post-mission plans because I don't want to get attacked or something! Haha, I'm just joking, they're all wonderful people regardless of which school they root for.

Wednesday morning we had transfers. We all met at the mission office and separated to our areas. In order to save time and gas, we decided it'd be best to carpool. I ended up waiting at the mission office for almost an hour and a half because we misjudged how long it would take for my new companion to get there. It's all good though because I got to hang out with a bunch of other missionaries, which is always fun! Well, when my new companion got here, we loaded all of my stuff up, and that's when I learned we had to pack another person in because we were carpooling back as well! We ended up having four Elders and two Elders worth of luggage to stuff in our car. Needless to say, it was pretty packed! We dropped the other two off and finally made it back to our area. I had a bit of time to unpack, but we went out to meet leadership pretty early on and to try and get me acquainted to the area.

Speaking of my new companion, his name is Elder Johnson. He's from Mahomet, Illinois. He likes to sing and act and all sorts of things like that. We get along really great and we have a similar sense of humor, so it makes our days go by pretty quick. The most interesting thing is that he is from the same Stake as my Uncle Paul and Aunt Angie. We figured this out when I saw that my cousin Kathy liked his mission page. We then proceeded to realize that the Kathy Orchard that his sister is friends with and the Kathy Orchard that is my cousin are the same person! It is quite the coincidence! Well anyway, we get along great and this past week has been good. I can already tell that it's going to be a great transfer!

The highlights of these last two weeks have probably been the mass eating of fruit snacks and seeing a guy juggle fire on a unicycle. Before I got into the area, Elder Johnson had emptied a box of 50 packs of fruit smiles into a glad bowl container thing. He'd eaten a few throughout the week, so there were still a ton left. Anyway, Friday comes along, which was weekly planning day. We were pretty bored throughout, so we just kept snacking on the fruit snacks. We ended up eating all of them. This week, to raise the challenge, we each got a box of 50 packs again, so now we have a giant cake display thing full of fruit snacks. It's pretty epic.

On Saturday we were driving around trying to visit and contact people, when we drove by a group of kids following a guy dressed as a jester coming out of a house. We saw him grab a unicycle from somewhere down the road and decided to watch what he was going to do. He proceeded to get out three torches, light them on fire, then ride around on his unicycle juggling them. We got a video of it (hopefully it uploads to the blog), so we were pretty excited. He almost fell a few times, but overall it was a great performance.

Other than that, not too much exciting has changed. We've been relaxing most of the day and taking it easy. I hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Orchard

6 Apache Helicopters flying away from Camp Williams

Epic bowl of fruit smiles.

Juggling Jester on a unicycle.

Hey Everyone!

This last week has been okay. There were a few things that happened that I'm kind of bummed about, but overall its been good. There weren't too many eventful things that happened, but I'll try to include the more exciting things.

This last Wednesday we had the Worldwide Missionary Broadcast. I was really excited about this, not only because of all the great learning that I received, but also because I got to see all of my good friends from around the mission. In all reality, it was an awesome broadcast and I learned a lot of great things. What was really exciting was that the Church is implementing some changes to the missionary schedule. They are making it so that missionaries have more flexibility with how their day plays out. Planning is in the morning now too, and there are only four key indicators. I think this will be really beneficial because it will help us to focus more on our missionary purpose and on what matters most, which is teaching repentance and baptizing converts. The best part is that P-Day starts at 8:00 now! I don't know what I'm going to do with all of my free time on Mondays now.

It's been snowing a lot these past couple weeks, and it has finally let up. On Thursday, we spent about 2 hours shoveling snow. We shoveled almost an entire road of driveways. Luckily, its been cold all week, so it didnt all melt the same day. This might sound odd, but it's kind of disappointing shoveling a bunch of snow just to have it all be gone by the end of the day. It's nice to feel like we actually accomplished something.

Sunday was a pretty good day. We had stake conference in one of the stakes that we covered. We were invited to sit up on the stand, but unfortunately we aren't allowed to sit on the stand unless we have a part in the program. I wouldn't mind giving a talk in conference. I wouldn't mind giving a talk, and it would definitely be worth it to be seen by everyone. Also on Sunday, an investigator that we've been trying to get to come to church for 4 months finally came. It was pretty exciting!

Well, it's not much, but that's the highlights of this last week. It's great to hear from everyone, and I'm glad that I have the opportunity to feel your blessings and love! Have a great week!

Elder Orchard

Hey Everyone!

These last few weeks have been rather hectic, and we are staying busy as always. Both today and last Monday were pretty packed because we had our district activity last week and our zone activity this week. It's been pretty fun to get to spend so much time with other missionaries!

Like I said before, last Monday we had our district activity. It was pretty awesome because we all got Nerf guns and went to a chapel and pretty much shot each other for a couple of hours. That was awesome because there was no shortage of bullets, plus its a great way to let out some energy. We were in teams of companionship, but Elder Hemstreet and I never won. We gave it our best shot though!

Earlier this week, on Wednesday, between lunch and dinner, we had the opportunity to participate in a Zone Conference. Zone Conferences are wonderful opportunities where we get to meet as a zone, sometimes in just our zone and sometimes with another, and hear from our mission president as well as other leaders in the zones. These events are amazing opportunities to be uplifted and edified. The amount of growth that comes out of just a few-hour meeting is absolutely incredible. I always look forward to this opportunity and I'm already looking forward to the next. Each missionary is asked to prepare a three minute talk on a designated topic, and one will be picked to give theirs during the conference. I was picked this time, and I gave a talk on accountability. I was actually so happy to have the opportunity to give my talk because I was prepared and I wanted the chance to help those in my zone.

Last Saturday was pretty exciting because we had a baptism! The one who was baptized was this young girl named Savanna. She wasn't baptized when she was eight because her family has moved around a lot and that has made it hard for them to stay active for two long. The ward they are living in now has really embraced them though, and I don't think there is anything to worry about there. She has a pretty strong testimony, and she is pretty knowledgeable for someone her age. I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to be a part of the process and help her achieve her goal of being baptized. It was also awesome to be able to work with her brother to help him prepare for the ordinance. Baptisms are always fantastic testimony builders!

Today we had our zone activity. We went to the same chapel and played laser tag this week. I personally didn't think it was as fun as the Nerf war, but we still had a good time. After playing a couple of games with the laser guns, we decided to play capture the flag a few times to close out the activity. Overall it was fun.

Well, those are the highlights of my week. I love hearing from everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Elder Orchard

Hey everybody!

These last few weeks have been rather eventful. We were able to end the year with a great week, and then turn around and start the year with an even better week. We've been working hard, and our efforts are as fruitful as ever!

A little over a week ago, we had our New Year's Eve celebration. Since it would've been almost useless to try and proselyte in the evening with everyone having parties, we gathered as a district in a chapel and spent the evening there. We were able to watch Ephraim's Rescue, which is a fantastic movie. It is a great movie because the central theme of the movie is being ready and worthy when the Lord calls upon us to serve. I have noticed this principle in my missionary work as I've done my best to serve the Lord. We never know when we will be needed to administer to those who are less fortunate than us. I've striven to keep myself as worthy as I can because I could be called at any time to help someone in need. That kind of responsibility is expected as a full-time missionary, but it is a principle that we should all challenge ourselves to live by. The rest of the night after we finished the movie we spent playing Apples to Apples. At 9:00, we had our own little New Year's Eve celebration with just us. After that we had to go home and attend to our regular night time schedule.

The following Monday was pretty interesting. We spent most of the day just relaxing because that's the best thing to do on Mondays. It snowed most of the day, so driving around was pretty interesting. When 6:00 rolled around, there were plenty of people who needed help shoveling snow, so we got right on it. One of my favorite things that I've had so many opportunities to do on my mission has been to serve others. It is so fulfilling to see someone in need and provide an act of kindness and love for them. I look forward to every opportunity to serve.

On Wednesday, we had our Zone Interviews with President Killpack. This time in the transfer is fantastic because each Elder and Sister in the mission has the opportunity to sit down with our loving mission president and receive individual council for ourselves and our areas. I love having the opportunity to talk one on one with President Killpack. He always helps me to see the best in myself and reminds me that I am a consecrated servant of Jesus Christ. This aid that he gives to all of the missionaries sustains us throughout the transfer.

The highlight of this last week was when I was able to baptize a convert  women. Although I had no part in teaching her, Elder Fairbanks and I were the Elders who found her, and she took a strong liking to us because we visited her occasionally at the Wendy's where she worked. When the time finally came around for her to be baptized, she asked if I would do the honor. I was nervous at first because she is the first person that I have ever baptized. It all went well though, and the spirit was so strong throughout the entire service. I look forward to the opportunity to participate in the sacred ordinance of baptism in the future because of how much it helps to strengthen my testimony and those who attend.

All in all, these last few weeks have been pretty fantastic. I hope and pray that they are a reflection of how the rest of my mission goes. It is strange to think that before too long, I will hit my 6 month mark. I can't believe I am almost a quarter of the way through my ministry already. Well, I look forward to hearing from all of you, and I am grateful for all of the love and support that I feel daily. I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Orchard