3-11-13

Hello everyone! this has been a great week! we have had a ton going on! \
      On Monday we hung out at the our place with the other missionaries here in Decatur. It was fun. Played ping pong and what not. Nothing to special. Then after that we had dinner at Olive Garden with the Stoddard family. It was good. After that we had some good time to go and try to see some people because we did not set any appointments that night.
     The next day Tuesday was good. We had D-meet. I had to train like I have to at every d-meet as DL. It was good. It was all on finding people to teach and what not and how to approach them. It turned out to be good. That day it started to snow a lot which was not so fun. So we had Kyle drive us around in the truck. So we went and saw Mark and Sheila. Sheila was in a ton of pain from her hurt hurt leg. So we had to do the lesson around her bed. it was still good. Then we went to contact a member ref. up in Oreana. Her name was Brenda. She let us right in and we taught her. That was awesome! we will go back a week from today to teach her and the rest of her family! Then we came back and had a lesson with Shantonia. It was interesting lesson I have to say. It can be hard to teach her at times though but she made a lot of progress this time!!! Then after that we had dinner at the Halseys. They are on of my favorite families here. They are a young couple with one kid who all just graduated not to long ago from BYU.
       Wednesday was a god busy day We taught Mary that day and finished the 3rd Lesson. So now we are starting to get into the commandments with her in preparation for her Baptism a week from this Saturday. Then we went and taught a new part member family the Duncans and picked up a new gator there. Then we had an appointment with the Toberman family. It was hard because Dustin had a date to be baptized but now he is kinda stuck taking care of his mother who is very close to death from cancer. He can never get to church because that is when he watches her. It is all a hard situation. Then we met with the Rices for the first time and picked up the father as a new gator which was all really good.
        Thursday I started my exchange with E. Willhite in his area. We were able to get a new gator that day which was good because they are struggling right now. Then we also gave a couple of blessings. One to a gator and then another one to a man in there ward who was in the hospital dieing also. That was very different to give that blessing in the fact that the man was in critical condition. It was a good exchange though. That day we also found out that Mary went to the hospital in the middle of the night because she was having heart trouble. They said she was going into a diabetic coma. My comp and E. Willhites comp gave her a blessing.
      Friday we switched back and we taught Joel and his friends Terry and George and we picked up there friend Allan who was there as a new gator also which was cool. Then after we visited Mary in the Hospital. She was preparing to go into surgery to have a stent put in her heart. Then that night we taught Olivia for the first time. She is the Bocchicos 13 year old kid who is now finally opened to taking the lessons. It was a good lesson. We also gave her a blessing becasue she was sick too.
      Saturday we got a call from Mary. We were going to see her in the Hospital again that day. But she told us that she had already been discharged! She was at home telling us that she would be at church the next day! It was a miracle. We had to do our weekly planning that day which we ended not being able to do it all that day because other things came up such as us having to help a family move. It was fun moving the Piano! Then we had a good lesson and dinner with the Banks. It was great! Then we went to the church to play bball with some gators and what not.
      Sunday we had a visiting area seventy there. It was awesome. His name is Elder Real. It was a miracle with having Mary at church there. The ward really loves her. Elder Real taught a combined 3rd hour which was amazing. People from the other ward showed up to hear him. We had to finish more planning that day also. Had a good lesson with another part member family. Are other appointments fell through. But we still ended up teaching 18 lessons to gators this week. 16 of them having members at them which is so awesome.
    Today we will play raquetball. yes.
Love,
Elder Derek Turner
*Serving in Zion*