Elder Joshua Thayne in Indiana: Week 67 - Zone leader and Branch Christmas Party

This week has been really busy and a little crazy. My new companion is Elder Weese from Logan, UT. He's been out just one transfer longer than me. Something a little shocking happened at transfer meeting. Elder Weese and I were both assigned as new zone leaders in Elkhart. President had told Elder Weese that he was going to be a zone leader this transfer, but he didn't tell me a thing. And since I had only been a district leader for one transfer, I wasn't expecting it at all. So E. Weese and I are still trying to figure stuff out as zone leaders. We are over a zone of 8 companionships, so it's one of the smaller zones in the mission. We have a lot more meetings now as zone leaders and I hope it will be a good learning experience.

Yesterday we had our monthly missionary coordination meeting with the stake presidency and a member of the mission presidency. It was such a powerful and spiritual meeting. The stake president testified of the power and authority of our calling and told us that when we go into people's homes they can feel it. Even though we may not realize it, we have a mantle that sets us apart from others. That was such a humbling realization to come to yesterday.

Our investigator pool has shrunk pretty significantly, so Elder Weese and I have been doing a lot of tracting to get things going here in Goshen. We talk to a lot of people, but we can't seem to get any return appointments lately.

We had our branch Christmas party on Saturday and it was a great turnout! The primary president asked me and Elder Weese to participate in the primary presentation of the Christmas story in the Book of Mormon. I played the part of Samuel el lamanita (Samuel the Lamanite) and E Weese was el incredulo (the unbeliever). It was a lot of fun! We each only stood and quoted 3 lines, but we had some pretty good costumes on and people got a good kick out of it. Sadly we didn't get any pictures. (Thankfully a couple of members sent me some pictures. :))

I love the Christmas season and I'm so excited to call you on Friday! It'll be good to see the fam. On Wednesday we have our mission-wide Christmas conference in Indy so we'll be driving down tuesday night.

Well that's all I really have to say. I've really enjoyed reading about the attributes of Christ in that countdown thing you sent me. I read them every night before I go to bed and it's a great way to end my day. I love you mom! Can't wait to see you and the fam! Have a wonderful Christmas and I'll see you on Friday!

Love, Elder Thayne