Hot, hot, hot.

If you have the "Meet the Mormons" DVD go to the bonus features and you'll see that there is a 7th story that didn't make it into the theatrical release of the movie. It's titled "The Artist". Watch it and you'll see that this woman now looks familiar. She lives in our mission and her Las Vegas Rescue Charity Service is in our mission. We got to go and help her charity out. And since we got our picture taken with her, Elder Walker and I are now practically movie stars. True story.

Look, Ma! Pictures for you!

Me and Elder Sefcik 

Sefcik, me and Walker

Hermana Jaccard, who was in my CCM district sent me an email with this pic. She
is a super awesome girl and it was uber nice of her to meet up with Sister Alley there!
This is what she wrote in her email:
Hey! Look who I found on Wednesday! I am training another missionary, and when I
went to pick her up I met your cousin! She's awesome and her trainer is, too. She got super
lucky! Hope all is well, keep on keepin' on. Que Dios le bendiga.

August 3, 2015

Elder Walker and I have been making a conscious effort to try and spend at the very least 1 hour tracting houses everyday. That doesn't seem like a lot, but with meetings, and Zone Leader stuff and lessons and all that it's actually a challenge to fit it in. It is super hot still down here and it is very uncomfortable sweating profusely in a shirt and tie and slacks, but I'll be honest, I love tracting because I feel the most like a missionary while I'm doing it!

It's exactly what I thought I'd be doing on a mission and it's fun talking to people. Plus it's really the only thing about missionary work that is saved only for those wearing the name tag. As home teachers we can sit in people's homes and teach the gospel and the church has plenty of meetings to go to, but knocking doors and talking to people in the street is the most unique thing we get to do!

So we had a fun week where we got to meet someone from the "Meet the Mormons" movie and give some service. We taught some good lessons and this last Sunday was the fullest I've seen the chapel in a long time! I'm hoping that it's been empty just cuz of people on vacations and such, but whatever it was, it was full this last week!

I often have these moments where I just have to stop and ask myself, "How did I get into this situation?" That happened on Friday night. It was about 8:45pm and we were out and about, but I really had to go to the bathroom. So we went to the nearest store we could, which ended up being Buy Low Market (the sketchiest, most ghetto grocery store you ever did see.) And so I go into the bathroom, which is the least sanitary one I've ever seen, and I'm doing my thing and then out of nowhere this Mexican guy just busts through the door and without a break just starts yakking it up in Spanish with me. Like, how did this guy even know I speak Spanish? So we talk about everything from the mission to Mexico City to the cartel to tacos and all in Spanish and in the world's jankiest bathroom. After leaving and going out to the car and actually giving the nice man from Tijuana a pamphlet and getting his info, we went home. Man....How'd I get here?? Missions. They be cray sometimes. Yupp, Yupp.

This next week is looking real busy as we have MLC on Wednesday and then Zone a Conference on Friday which Elder Walker and  I will be hosting. It should be a lot of fun!

Spiritual thought to end. My favorite quote by Ezra Taft Benson.

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."

The beauty of life is that we CAN CHANGE who we are. The world would have us stay the same and call it "tolerance" where as Christ would have us develop and call it "progression."

Much love from Vegas!

-Elder Alley

Note from Elder Alley's mom: He showed me the schedule for their upcoming zone conference and there is a "Sewing Room" that the Relief Society sisters have at each conference. It's set up with sisters and their sewing machines and the missionaries can bring things that need to be mended or slightly altered (hemmed, etc.) What a great idea! I need to find out if our stake does that and, if not, recommend that they do. What a blessing for the missionaries! Thank you, Las Vegas RS sisters. :)