The One With Hula Hoops to the Face, "Good Coincidences," Nike, and Fall

​Spookweek is over, and the spookiest thing that happened was that I hit my 5 month mark. (May 31st-October 31st.) 


After several slow weeks, I feel like we finally caught some traction this week and it feels good! Which, may sound weird, given the fact that we didn't teach a single formal lesson this week. But hear me out!

1st up, a quote. Apparently J. Golden Kimball has once said, "The only way you can save the South is to burn it to the ground and do baptisms for the dead."
(Probably don't forward this quote out haha)

We had the 1st District Meeting of the transfer on Tuesday, and it was pretty good! It may have been the last district meeting I got to 100% plan, because starting this week, every district leader has assigned topics. Which I am very thankful for. But this meeting was good! We talked about the importance of making our purpose clear to others. And, put dramatically, the difference between, at the door, saying: 

"Hello! We are your local missionaries, and we are sharing a message about Jesus Christ with people!"
vs.
"Hello! We are your local missionaries, and what that means is that we have literally been called of God through His living prophet on the earth today to represent Jesus Christ. As His representatives, we want to let you know that Jesus Christ loves you and wants you to be a part of His church. He is proud of your faith and, and on His behalf we want to promise you that you can recognize His voice in the Book of Mormon."

While practicing what I had been preaching, we had an awesome experience on Saturday where this ended up working very well. We gave a guy a Book of Mormon and he said he'd read it. He sounded open to coming to church and everything. We were kinda surprised with everything that he said. He seemed too genuine to be pulling our leg haha. He's got a family, and they aren't tied to any certain church yet... I don't wanna jinx anything, but it would be golden. I know the gospel could bring them so much joy. (Don't pray for me, pray for this guy, and another lady we gave a BoM to this week, that they will read it and love it and want to know more!)

Halloween was fun! We got to do service at a community center, put on by another church. They had a trunk or treat next door, and then funneled people into the center for carnival games and a bouncy house, etc. Last year they had like 2200 people come in. It was kind of a drizzly Halloween, but we definitely saw over a thousand people in there.

I was in charge of a carnival game where kids threw hula hoops and tried to get them to land around one of 3 pumpkins. I got a hula hoop to the face a few times but it was a blast. As a kid from Wonderbread Land Idaho, I don't think I've ever seen so many black people in one place. It was a party. All those little kids were pretty adorable haha. 

The next day, my baby legs were sore from bending down and picking up 4 hula hoops a zillion times. We biked a little ways to a neighborhood, and spent like 3 or 4 straight hours there knocking doors. It rained off and on, nothing too bad, though. We did get 2 or 3 potential investigators out of it, including that lady I briefly mentioned before. We biked back to our apartment, and I either
1. Was pushed by angels
2. Was so sore I became numb
3. My muscles grew enough to make the ride home feel a lot easier.
But... honestly, option 3 seems like the least likely of these to me hahaha.

Got home super tired though. It was like 58 degrees, but felt like 90 after biking back. Had mud drops all over shoes and pants, and the back of my shirt, from being kicked up from the spinning bike wheel somehow. A member dropped off dinner with homemade bread and that made it all right again haha.

Had my first mission leadership conference! All the Zone, District, and Sister Training Leaders get together with the mission president for additional instruction and stuff. It was really good! Elder Bingham went with another district leader's companion and knocked doors the whole time so I made sure to enjoy the meeting haha.

The next day, we went to visit an older couple in an assisted living facility within walking distance of our apartment. When we arrived, we were told that Sis. Vaughn was in the hospital. They asked if we were the ones sent to visit Bro. Vaughn by someone who had called earlier that morning. We didn't even know about what happened, and said no. "Well, just a good coincidence you're here, then! Mr. Vaughn will be so happy to see you!" 

Yeah, just a good coincidence, that's what that was. :) 

The next day, after helping someone move, we went to visit Sis. Vaughn in the hospital to help give her a blessing. We got back to our apartment and had a long rest of our day! We biked up to a petting zoo/farm thing that a member told us about. Apparently missionaries years ago had helped out there, and the lady who owned the place missed seeing them. So we got to meet her, and it sounds like your city-suburb boi Elder Dahl will get to work on a farm this week. I'm excited haha. 

A few hours after that, we met the super solid guy we gave a book of Mormon to. Not a lot of people were home, or at least answering the door, so that one solid contact and planted seed made up for the past several days of not much happening. Yay! 

In that neighborhood, we found a cool walking path that was gorgeous because fall is here!!!!! 

There are still flowers. And a lot of green trees. And it still feels hot when you are biking. But other than that, it is gorgeous outside, there have been lots of wonderful cloudy days this week, and the trees that have changed are gorgeous. And they are so packed together, that it's just a rainbow of trees sometimes. 

Brother Boggs, who works for Nike Golf, kinda, took us to the Nike Clearance Outlet store in downtown Memphis. Oh man. I probably coulda spent a lot of money in there on clothes and shoes that I would only get to wear once a week anyway, but it was pretty awesome. I exercised my self control pretty well, but couldn't keep myself from getting a pretty sweet retro looking jacket, normally 120$, on sale for $50, and $30 w/ Bro. Boggs' family and friends coupon. Yay for stealin' deals and funky jackets. We went to a Korean barbecue place again that was really good, afterwards.

Subway Gift Card progress: $165/200 remaining.

So anyway! It's been a good week. We got to share the gospel with a few people who actually heard us out! We were able to be guided by the spirit to help the Vaughns. District Meeting was good, and the leadership meeting was motivating. The weather was rainy, but otherwise amazing. We got to do service, and I had french toast for breakfast a couple times. The ball is rolling, y'all. Good things are happening, in Collierville, Tennessee. Slowly but surely.

I hope you all have an awesome week! I'll burn off my candy weight faster than you will! :) 
Elder Dahl


Pictures of all the Halloween candy you stole from your younger brother, you jerk:
oliver.dahl@myldsmail.net

Halloween candy you stole from your younger brother, you jerk:

866 Schilling Rd, apt. #103
Collierville, TN 38017