Same area, new companion & new mission assignment

Elder Irvine is hereby called to serve as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Oregon Salem Mission.
 
Last week was a blur. Apparently we did some service for a couple different people on Tuesday, planned out our week on Wednesday, had a mission tour on Thursday, went to prison camp again on Friday, did more service and attended a crazy baptism in North East Portland on Saturday, sung in sacrament meeting at church for Father's Day on Sunday, and then I got a new companion yesterday...
 

The mission tour with Elder Scott D. Whiting was great! He explained how even though we should have a vision to baptize, we also must look forward when we are teaching, so that those we teach can have the vision to endure to the end and reach their fullest potential in the Celestial Kingdom with their families and Heavenly Father. We had a leadership training meeting right after lunch where Elder Whiting sat down with all the district and zone leaders to discuss how we could improve our leadership. He shared with us how we need to discover and more actively strive to follow the 'character of Christ,' that is, to be selfless.

All this spiritual preparation led us our final transfer meeting as the current Oregon Portland Mission. All missionaries in the entire mission were invited to come so as to have one last "departing transfer" with our mission president. He jokingly told us he would like to house all of us at the Mission Home for one night. President Morby made the final move for all of us, and we are now placed within the areas, districts, and zones that will be after July 1st splits our mission into three. The districts and zones are way different and all of us are pretty confused. It feels as though we are in limbo, but it's a super exciting time.

I traded in my two companions, Elder Clayton (who went home today) and Elder Harding (who is going to be Assistant to the President in the Washington Vancouver Mission), for Elder Dustin Hatch. Funny enough, we've been joking that he pulled an "Elder Irvine" the same way that he moved a whopping one area over from Cornelius to Banks. So we not only came into the mission on the same plane together, but we have been in the same district since January and we both had Elder Wohlleben as a companion before he went home. We're both confused that we were placed together as zone leaders, destined to leave the area and mission together in September unless the next transfer (on July 24th) changes something.


We're stoked to be together and we hope and pray that we can get coordinated quickly so as to go forth and serve effectively immediately. Prayers would be nice! Thanks so much!

A good and varied week

Did I mention that last Friday I went to prison? Haha. It was quite a fun time. It was my first time going, but apparently the FG Zone leaders go to a prison camp with low security out in the woods to teach people the gospel. I had heard of Christ going to preach to those in Spirit Prison, but I never thought I'd have the chance to teach to those in an Earthly prison. The guy we taught is a member of the church and we simply read and taught about the Book of Mormon. Just as Spirit Prison is, however, it seemed to be mostly a place of learning as opposed to those scary places you see on TV (though I'm sure there are those out there).

Last Monday, Elder Harding went on splits to play football, while Elder Clayton and I traveled on the Max with the Forest Grove District to the Oregon Zoo. It was rather fun, though, most of the animals were sleeping in the shade. Hey, it's what I'd be doing if I were them! It was surely an adventure though. This Monday, a Brother from our ward took us down to Newberg to meet up with the only other ZL trio in the mission to play a couple rounds of disc golf. It was a blast even though I never did manage to get the discs to go where I wanted them.

Tuesday, we helped a part-member family move down the street into our apartment complex in the afternoon, snagged a quick bite to eat and then headed to a meeting with the stake presidency of the Rainier Stake and President Morby. After the meeting, we got the opportunity to have a little more social sit down with President Morby at the Dairy Queen on the way home. I always enjoy chatting in a less formal setting with President Morby. He's like a mission dad for me. And speaking of miracles - it was a miracle that even though we got their right as they were about to lock the doors for the night, they let us in to have our ice cream. Tender mercies of the Lord, for sure! 

On Friday, I attended my first and perhaps my last Oregon Portland Mission Zone Leader Council.  

We had breakfast at the Morby's house as tradition prior to going over and discussing the needs of the mission, under the direction of President Morby and the Assistants to the President. It was neat to be able to hear and participate in the decisions that will take effect in the coming weeks.

At lunch, I got to see an old friend from Oak Hills, Sister Padbury! Yeah! After the meeting, we collected supplies to distribute from the Mission Office and then Elder Clayton had his departing interview with President at the Mission Home, while Elder Harding and I talked with Sister Morby.

On Saturday (or should I say "Service-day"), we started the day by having breakfast with some investigators and mowing/weedwacking their lawn and bucking some hay. Then we headed over to the neighbors to teach our other investigator, but since she wasn't there, we did some more service by assisting the members in cleaning up their back porch quickly before heading back to the apartment to clean up for the climax of the day: BAPTISM!!

I was honored to participate and attend the baptism of our investigator from Forest Grove 1st ward. She was so well prepared and I am grateful that she made the decision, the choice of liberty and eternal life through Christ. I am also grateful that I am so close so that I not only had the opportunity to attend the baptism, but I also was able to attend the confirmation in FG1 Ward the next day. What a blessing beyond words! I can't tell you the joy I feel (and I'm sure our investigator feels) in witnessing another child of God coming into the waters of baptism, promising themselves and God that they will follow Him and His Only Begotten. And as the pictures show, she had great support from the members of her family and her ward family.

So there you have it. Doesn't it seem like Heavenly Father loves me and all these people in Oregon? I know that He loves all of us, for I have seen it. I bear witness of it firsthand and I pray that you will know the same.