Elder Balzer - 5/1/2023

Yeah yesterday was a pretty painful day and I'll get to why when I write about Sunday. 

Tuesday started with being in the right place at the right time. A service opportunity didn't work out so we went home to change right when the Elders called us asking if we are in the area to help them with a bike rack. We were amd after helping them we walked across the street to work in those homes. I made sure we were out longer to make up for lost time in the morning and because of that we ran intonthis cool family who talked with missionaries and will spread word that we're available to help anyone with service. Everything worked out perfectly and all because I didn't check my phone amd see the text from the first service saying we are good to start while they weren't home, perfect. 

Later we worked in Washington Square and visited the Ellis's while Brother Hammond happened to be there doing there taxes. 

The last biggest thing for the day was the nightly Book of Mormon class. It went well and Sister Petrenko made it. Afterwards we had a long level set talk with Rachael about the spirit, baptism, and church. She didn't say no to baptism, but it's way far out for her and she said it's definitely not gonna happen while Chandlers here. We are reaching a point where the ball is going to be on her court and she's just going to have to make a move, cause we're backing off. 

Wednesday started differently with some trail contacting. Walked the marsh trail and got some cool shells at the end. There were a lot of people on it, but they were all bird watchers looking at the owls and eagles so they were busy. They have priorities ya know, birds then Jesus. Towards the end I started sprinting back cause we had to help the other Elders with a ride, multiple actually. 

After getting to know all the new peeps in the zone we worked in the Square for most of the night. Tracked down Rene finally; he went home and I wasn't going to have him just disappear so I went secret agent and followed him all stealthy and got his apartment number, mission accomplished. Then a spiritual reading with Brother Edwards, they're so emotional now and I love it. 

Thursday we planned for the month of May, Chandlers last full month. He'll be leaving in the beginning of June, but his date was pushed back. You see transfers are different now and have been pushed back about a week, so its on Friday instead of Tuesday, it's weird.

So much stuff happened in the afternoon and honestly I don't remember most of it. Anything could have happened. 

We snuck around Spring Garden in the evening cause that security guard lurks there and I really don't want to deal with his bologna business. Then it was up to work in theses square townhomes under the golf course(Im giving specif locations cause it makes it way easier for my dad to secretly look up on the side, also so i can look back and know where it is, either way).

Friday we started with the MV Square and Cherry Arms. Then later to Jackie's Ln near Spring Garden to hunt a less active that got into some anti. Later we worked near our home cause some members were trying to set up a dinner with a nonmember family and so we needed to stay close and work Westhampton Dr. Sadly it didn't happen, next time.

We made up for it with more Square time and it's even better cause we sectioned it off(an apostate christian belief) and now use a 10 sided dice to knock it. Before the dice we say a prayer, and the first one we hod our hands behind our back then picked a number, it lined up perfectly with 8. 

Later Elder Chandler introduced me to D&D chess. It's just chess with extra steps and luck with duce rolling. I call it wizards chess. We only played a game cause that's all I was willing give for that. 

Saturday I called a miracle referral asking to come to church, he wants a church family to worship Jesus with, lovely. We'll be working with him this week big time. During our morning hunt we stopped by this less active. With the help of some guy walking the neighborhood we found out he moved down south cause of a note in his mailbox. That guy was a good samaritan for sure. 

Then it was just working in the Courts of Mt Vernon for the evening finding and talking. 

Sunday, oh Sunday. It was fifth Sunday and for the combined lesson it was going over emotional resilience. It was really cool and I got to sit at a table with some sweet members and had a really cool discussion with them. I kept the packet because it's too good to pass up. 

We jumped a couple places to try and see Eric and new guy George plus Sister Tandy(set up service as well). Finishing our afternoon with the Courts of MV finding people. We are marking buildings we fresh knock now to remember when we are back in apartment complexes. 

Then we have our evening which ended with a couple zoom calls, the ward and mission(house cleaning items like miles and social media). 

For the rest we were in the Square and we went to the sixth quadrant to work. As we were walking there next to these super spiky bushes with swords for leaves that cut and slash and poke, we joked about jumping into them amd I said I would do it for twenty bucks, sure it would suck, but I mean it's 20 buckaroos there. We got to our first stop ?????? After that whole thing went down, amd after setting them to DNC, I wanted to get out of there and walked to the next building and guess what, I found 20 dollars on the ground, I know what in doing later, the pain would probably help too. 

Then some guy said believing in God is restrictive and nonsense, while the devil is better and more free. The poor short sighted foolish fool. I walked away from that guy and started working in one of the last buildings for the night. While knocking I wanted to knock two doors at once, like in Clifton, cause it's fun. Chandler did not like it so he said he's gonna stop me on the next one, yeah right. So I got passed him and knocked it, but the sly guy pushed me in the back while I was going across and my arm just scraped the brick wall, ouch. I will do it again, but now he knows that I will push back.

So after all that I just said screw it and jumped in the bushes. The pain, while temporary, made my mind perfectly clear and for a moment everything else fell away. 

I ended up doing it twice, and now I'm a little addicted to pain. It is weakness leaving the body and I feel like a superhero afterwards, just beaming with epicness. 

Yeah I'm ready to have this week come to a close and move on to the next. Hope everyone else had a good week and it continues. Love ya