Still in Greenville 4/24/06

This past week was okay. We had one day of knocking where we taught seven lessons in Stanton and Trufant. We gave a Book of Mormon to an older lady named Jo. When we asked her to read one chapter and we could talk to her about it, she said that she really wanted to read the whole thing! We were okay with that.

I set up an appointment to see one of the Funeral Boys tomorrow. His name is Ben, and he was the most excited of the three boys. I'll be glad to see him and see where we'll go.

Well, today is transfer day. Here's how it works: if you get a call from President Edwards, it means that you're being transferred. If you're not transferred, then later on in the morning you get a call from your district leader saying you are staying. Elder Chatwin was told by President that he was going to stay, so if a call came it would be for me. Well, up to this morning I didn't pack because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Towards the end my gut was telling me I was staying. So I was surprised when I got a call. It was Bro. Zima asking if I had gotten a call and if we wanted some chocolate cake (they're on a diet and had a birthday party). We were happy to oblige. Anyway, the morning was silent. We didn't know if Elder Hurst would call us because he had a doctor's appointment at 10:00.

Then the phone rang. I answered and said, "This is Elder Child." President Edwards said, "Elder Child! Elder Child? Now how in the world did I get Elder Child?!" I paused. Then he said, "Well, Elder Child, I don't know how I got your number. I was trying to get Comstock Park. Well, since I have you on the line..." He paused. "...I want you and Elder Chatwin to stay there in Greenville. Will you do that for me?" I said, "Sure, President. We can do that." So it was the transfer that almost was. It seems I'm probably going to be here well into July. Wow.

Our area is about 60 miles by 60 miles. We get 1100 miles each month and we have to drive to Grand Rapids each week, too. Not this week, though, since it was transfer day.

You have no idea how much change can happen in such a short time! I think I've grown a lot. I have become more comfortable taking responsibility and talking to people on the phone. It's amazing what you can do when you're forced to cook for yourself and clean and make yourself happy without TV and the radio and your best friends and movies and home. It's hard, but you learn how to do it. That was one of the things Elder Carlen said he learned on his mission, to make yourself happy. You end up being a little bit weird, but that's what you have to do to keep from being a sour grape or worse. I guess that's why missionaries seems so weird to the cool cats in high school. But no, you learn to be yourself with other people because you're with someone all the time.

Anyways, I am going into a grand soliloquy when I shouldn't. It's fun, being on a mission. It's a ton of fun and work. I'm so grateful I'm able to be out here. It's sad that most missionaries out here think it's stupid to be here in Michigan of all places. I'm glad I had the experiences I had before I came out that made it the right place to be. They just don't realize that it's just as much the right place for them to be as it is for me to be here.

Just a note: Elder Carlen was Chris' first companion. He was transferred 6 weeks ago and Chris got Elder Chatwin as a companion. Elder Chatwin goes home in 6 weeks. "So there's a comparison in the mission lingo to life. I was born in Greenville and Elder Chatwin will die in Greenville. Fun stuff."