Nick was transferred about 1 hour and 20 mins south of Wenatchee to a place called Mattawa, WA. It is a tiny town of 5000 people, 97% Hispanic, and on the furthest southwest corner of his mission. The town name of "Mattawa" is an Indian word meaning, "Where is it?"
Dear Family,
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| Saying goodbye to Wenatchee, WA - Nick's 1st area for the past 5 months. |
So yeah, I'm surrounded by bees in this pix, and I did get attacked, and I did run like a child from a huge monster back to the car for fear for my life.* They actually ship bees in this time of year to pollinate the trees. When you swat a bee it releases a pheromone that is an attack signal for all the bees in the area.... so I almost died.
Yeah, I'm getting transferred... My new comp is Elder Wait. He is notoriously quiet, 100 words a transfer max.... So I'm a bit worried, but I will do just fine. I think I will talk to him, even if he doesn't answer. I am killing him too. He is going home this next transfer. God might be trying to make me a bit trunky. lol Nice try.
This week had its ups and downs. The big up is that I prayed to find someone that needed help, and I found someone. The down is that I can't help her if she won't help herself. It was one of the most spiritual and sad moments of my mission. I will never forget it. I have had dreams about it now, all the time. It's always on my mind. I think I can solve it, but I know I can't. She just has to pay the price. I would hate to see it. Maybe that's part of why I'm getting transferred, because it's going to be too hard for me to watch that play out. I wish people would just be smart and make good choices because it is easy to screw up your life.
Well on a lighter note, I helped ordain CX to the Melchizedek priesthood. I also gave the young lady a blessing of comfort this week. I also gave Elder Kennedy a blessing. Lots of priesthood blessings.
I also got a bench press this week. I think I'm going to try to flatter some members into helping me move it to my new home.....
I hope you like the end of transfers pix.
A shout out to Sister Mitchell for running her first and last marathon!
We asked Nick to share the first time he knew the church was true--here's his response:
I knew when I was little, and then I forgot and at times I would remember that I knew, but never long enough or well enough to really make me take deep thought into religion. I would have to say if I could pinpoint it, I was in the shop (at Fred's) and I had broken the grinder. I was scared to tell him that I had broken it. Fred Smith had told me that if I broke a tool, I needed to tell him. I made the awkward walk to Fred's office with tool in hand and told him. He said, "Well, I guess we will need to get a new one." That was the end of it. No giving me a hard time, or making a joke at my expense, or getting mad. He just wanted to know what was going on so he could help things move on. I left his office feeling good and relieved, and I had more trust and love for the man then I had had before I broke the tool.
I had felt this before. It took me a minute. I thought back to times when I had left Fred's other office as my Bishop. So I thought about it time and time again. Why had I had the same feeling. Is it just what Fred does that makes me feel good? Or was it something more? I soon later had the same experience with my dad, my sweetheart, my best friend and other members of the church. One day after that, Cameron Orr saw this moment in my life, I was putting away the tools in the shop, and it all hit me like a ton of bricks. That that is how Christ is going to deal with me. The Spirit hit me and told me that no other church could be true and that if I wanted to be a man of any kind of worth, I would need to be a solid member of the church of Christ. The more I study it, the more sure I am that I am His.
Love,
Elder Pinegar
*Nick is deathly allergic to honey bees--what is he thinking??