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P-day pumpkin carving

 Hey guys this week has been kind of slow, but it has still been a good week! I have been sick the past couple days and today has been the worst day, but its just a cold which is weird because it hasn't been cold here at all. Today we broke or tied the Minnesota record for the latest into the year that we haven't had a freeze and the record was set in 1900 so its been like 116 years so that's  kind of cool. We haven't had to wear jackets like all week, I had to make sure I was actually  in Minnesota because I thought Minnesota was cold! 

Anyways on Monday we had that Halloween p day in Mankato and we carved pumpkins and played a lot of basketball. Our p day went until 9 o'clock instead of ending at 6 because we had interviews until like 1. We left Mankato at 9 and got to our apartment late and so we didn't get as much sleep that night so have been tired all week.

We actually went back to Mankato on Tuesday evening to go on a blitz, which is like an exchange, but we all go to one area instead of having two of us stay in New Prague and the other two going to Mankato. The Zone Leaders were on their way back from a meeting in Bloomington so they stopped by and then we followed them down to Saint Peter and then we switched and I went with Elder Peterson and Elder Last went with Elder Magleby. We went to the Zone Leaders apartment and ate dinner and then we had two appointments set up. The first people we went to was a less active lady and her husband was a nonmember and they talked like nonstop and it was hard to even get a word in there. She doesn't think she's has to go back to church and she believes that they are going to be okay and she is happy where they are at. I had to interrupt her to say anything, but I asked her if she believes that the Book of Mormon is true and she told us that she does. Elder Peterson decided that we were going to stop visiting them. The next appointment was a recent convert named Marcus, they were teaching him all the lessons again because he had a hard time understanding them. We taught him the end of the Plan of Salvation and drew him the picture of it to help him.

On Wednesday we all went to the college there to do some contacting and I went with Elder Peterson again. We would just walk around and we would take turns talking to people. The first three people we talked to were agnostic which is like they can't prove there is a God but they can't prove that there isn't a God. We were able to get a return appointment with one of them the next day, but I wasn't there for that. We talked to a few more people that were Catholic or Lutheran and then we were walking and there was this guy that didn't look interested at all and it was my turn to talk, but I just passed by and I was making sure to hold my Book of Mormon so that you could read the cover. He said hey to us and then said that he found one of those in a hotel and he has read the first couple books and thinks it is a good book. He told us that he has been trying to get closer with God and he really likes our church and we were able to teach him the Restoration. It was super awesome and now I know that you really don't know who is interested and you do have to talk to everyone to find out who is. We had dinner with them and then we drove back to New Prague and went to the church for mutual because it is missionary week. The youth practiced teaching lessons to us and we would act like investigators then tell them how they could do better. They did a pretty good job and that is probably how I would have taught before my mission, but it is amazing what the MTC does for you.

Thursday we went and tracted for a few hours because we need to find some new investigators and we tracted this street with 30 and only 2 answered so that was disappointing. Tracting isn't that effective, but you have to do it sometimes haha it would be nice if the members would work wth us some more and try and help us teach people they know because that works better and has more success. Brother Dvorak is setting up an appointment with one of his friends that is a judge in Shakopee which is going to be cool. We were able to teach the Restoration to a lady named Virginia though. We had dinner with the Calls and after dinner we got haircuts which was nice because my hair was getting long. We went to Elko after that and taught the Plan of Salvation to the Choes and they acted like investigators for us and we went and saw Brother Dickerson for a few minutes.

Friday we had a Zone Specialty Training in Lakeville and it was actually a few zones. We are the Lakeville South Zone and Lakeville was there and so was Minneapolis.  Was able to see sister Rosier because she was ETed, Emergency Transfered, to the Prior Lake ward which is in Lakeville. There were Elders there before and now there are sisters. We had some tractings for the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders and from President and Sister Forbes. Elder Last and I rode up in separate cars, which was actually nice because we saved miles by not driving. Our zone went to Costco for lunch because it was cheap and then we all went home.   We had a dinner in Montgomery so we walked around there and tried to see a few people but they weren't home. We did get to talk with somebody's room mate who said we could come back sometime. At dinner Zoiey wanted to take pictures with Elder Last and I. So I will put those in the email.

Saturday we worked at the food shelf again like usual and it was fairly slow. The rest of the day was pretty slow too. We stopped by Little Fawns and she was packing a backpack and I guess her and Joesph were fighting. We talked to Joseph  a little after she left but I think they are good now. We have been trying to get them to church but we can never have a lesson with them. We had to do our weekly planning Saturday because we were in Lakeville on Friday so that took the evening up and the Burtons came and picked us up from the church and took us to the Segers for dinner and they took us back as well.

Sunday was awesome because we had another hour of sleep and church started at 11 because of a regional broadcast and Elder Rasband spoke. Usually we have to be at the church at 8:30 for meetings and stuff. We had Lunch at the Brimhalls again and then Mitch came with us to Belle Plaine. We went to go see Festus but he wasn't home and his dad, Clifford, answered the door and he recognized that we were Mormons and he told us what he knew from the internet and told us we were too young to know about our church and that we were a cult and super secretive and that we raise people from the dead in secret using drugs and things like that. We told him none of that was true and told him about Mormon.org and he said he would call if he had any questions. He grew up in Ghana and his dad was one of those people that worshipped idols and had voodoo dolls and that stuff. It was kind of interesting though. We had a dinner in Jordan that night too.

Today we have been taking it a little easy because I am not feeling the best, but I did finish the Book of Mormon today. I started in the middle of September to read the whole thing because some of the Elders in the zone were racing to see who could finish first, and I won. I love the Book of Mormon and I know with out a doubt it is true and it always can bring the spirit. I want to ask that, if you haven't, read it. I promise that you will have a stronger testimony of this gospel and it can bless your life and you will learn so much.

Elder Bullock

Adorable Zoiey