I am still a district leader, but I'll be getting another companion. An elder in my district will be a trainer. Perhaps I can steal the trainee away by doing exchanges all the time and teach him the ways of Elder Warczak! HA! It'll be a great transfer, it will take me to mid July, the summer will be halfway over! The only thing I'm sad about is that I'll still have the car as district leader, I want to be out on the streets, EVEN if I had to ride a bike, it would be a great workout and I'd get some color on my white Polish skin!
We have an investigator named Brent. Brent is a certified catholic priest, but is no longer practicing in the faith. He has native American ancestry, and so believes in many Indian traditions. He also believes that the Book of Mormon is true. Brent is one religious snowball, everything rolled up into one! He wants to be baptized, but wants to know FOR SURE if this is the right thing for him. Our lesson with him started off with the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which went off into many tangents. We held it at a members home, and the member was very good at not saying anything ridiculous. I did my best to keep the focus on Joseph Smith. The lesson ended well, but man, he is the hardest person I have ever taught. His questions come from everywhere, it is hard to plan for or think of what he might say. My game plan is to go in prepared for what it is we planned on teaching him, but really trying to say everything by the spirit, and not what Scotty Warczak would say. Obviously that's something missionaries are taught to do, teach by the spirit and allow the Holy Ghost to be the actual teacher, yet for Brent, I really have to be at my best and listen to the promptings that come to my mind from the spirit, or else I fear I will say something that will turn him off completely.
Our other investigators are not progressing, with my new companion we will need to do a great deal of finding, and working with the members. We are working with many less-active members of the church right now. With so many here in Utah, it really is a worthwhile thing to do, because all of them know non-members, and other people that we can teach. If I can help a person come unto Christ, whether they're members or not, I feel that I'm doing my duty.
This Thursday I hit the year mark. Hoe would I describe my first year? A roller-coaster ride really. I think most missionaries feel that way. I had some transfers that were amazing, others that were a struggle. When I think about when I first entered the MTC and what it was like that first day, meeting my other missionaries going to Salt Lake, meeting my instructors and beginning to learn the ropes of being a missionary, I can't believe I've come this far. I remember the second day in the MTC going to observe these role-plays, with a person pretending to be a non-member, and telling us about their lives. We as the missionaries had to think of what we would teach the individual. Some of them really stumped me, I had no idea what I would say to them other than, "Jesus loves you!" Now, looking back, I would know exactly what to say in each of those scenarios. I have had wonderful investigators. My best has to be Rico, my first convert! The friendships I've already made, I am anxious to see what the second year will hold in store for me!
Sunday we spoke in one of the wards. I told my story of getting a call to serve in Scotland, cancer, called to serve in Salt Lake, and all that jazz. Afterwards one of the service missionaries came up to me and handed me his card and told me after I'm done with my mission to save up my money and come to Scotland, and I could stay at his house. He's originally from Scotland, and is a lawyer here in Utah. I'm excited to go see Scotland, I still hold a place for it in my heart, I long to go there and preach the Gospel. That time just isn't now. Salt Lake is always keeping me on my toes with all that goes on. It's been the hardest thing I've ever done, but the most rewarding. I'll make sure to work even harder, so that my family and friends will be blessed for my service. I know I'm preparing the rest of my life right now, just like Elder Holland said, I'll be able to trace every good thing in my life as a result of me serving a mission.
I love you all, and I'll see you in a year!
Elder Warczak
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