Well here we are. I have recently entered the final week of my mission!! That's pretty weird to be completely honest. I don't think the fact that I'm going home will hit me until I'm actually home so we'll see how that all goes.
This past week was pretty legendary, and mainly for two different reasons. One story is about Connie and another story is about going to the Temple.
Connie is someone we found on Sunday May 22nd. We were out trying to stop by a member who hadn't been contacted in awhile. We showed up and turns out that member had moved 4 years ago or something like that. Nice. So we carried on the conversation with the people who lived in that home. Connie is the mother of that home. She has her daughter, Chloe, and takes care of her Dad while he is in his final stages of life. We struck a conversation with her that transitioned over to what we do as missionaries and why we were there.
About halfway through our conversation her brother popped his head out the door. He looked pretty angry. He asked Connie in kind of an aggressive way who we were. She told him it was the missionaries. He kind of shrugged it off and went back inside to get something. Yikes. We kept talking to Connie and set up another time we could come over. Then we continued with some small talk. Her brother popped his head out the door again and then came outside with something in his hand. It was a jar of lollipops. He offered us one and we accepted. I was not expecting that.
Later that week, on Friday, my companions went back over to Connie's home to share a message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That day was also the day I went to the Temple with the group of departing missionaries.
It was the second time I have ever been through the Temple to do an Endowment. AMAZING!! I loved it and can't wait to go back. The London Temple was a cool temple and the peace felt there is indescribable.
My companions had an amazing lesson with Connie on Friday. We went back on Sunday the 29th with a member from the ward and shared another message with Connie. She is golden. We invited her to be baptized July 9th. She accepted!! Haha, very exciting. It's been a good last couple weeks of the mission. I'm grateful for everything God has let me experience as a missionary:)
-Elder Hayden Shockley
*I will be speaking in church on Sunday, June 19th at 9 am. Address is 1158 East 1240 South, Spanish Fork.
