Week 38: Not Moving!! - October 30, 2018

Elder Wright didn't send any pictures this week (again!) but this picture showed up in Mom's Facebook Memories. One year ago today was his first day serving at Save The Family here in Arizona. He loved serving there!

Hey everyone, time for my email for the week. So, not much is too different, but that's going to change in a few hours because transfers are at 4 pm. I don't know much that is going to happen this time around, but I do know that my companion is moving, while I am not, which is what I'm so happy about. The 'not moving' part, that is. This is the first time my entire time here that I will not be changing apartments, and I'm super pumped because that means I won't have to pack up and change apartments for the ninth time. I know it might seem like a small thing to be excited about, but this is something that I've been wanting for a long time now, so that's all that matters to me. It will be sad to not be companions with the guy that I'm currently with, but oh well. I know that he will be fine.

Another development is that one of the elders in my district, Elder Blanton, is finishing his mission today, which means that his companion is with my companion and I for now. Things have been going well, but hopefully I'm not going to be in the trio next transfer.

As for Halloween, we do have a thing planned for it. Instead of night zone, we will be going to the JSMB (we won't be able to go through temple square, though, so that will make that trip longer) to have dinner and watch a movie, which I believe has been confirmed to be Disney's Coco. I think it will be fun and I can't wait. I'm just mainly surprised that things have been going by so quickly. I mean, even Google has it's little Halloween logo/game up, yet it still feels like it's only the beginning of October. Things will also be going a lot quicker, since this next transfer is only going to be three weeks long so that they can do transfers right before Thanksgiving. What I'm trying to say is, is that things go by a lot quicker when you are doing all that you can while in it, which can apply to things both good and bad. Just remember to do the best that you can in what ever you do. Have a great week, and remember that I have transfers, so don't be too surprise if things change, even though I'm fairly sure they aren't going to change too much!

Till next week,

Elder Wright

 

Elder Wright also sent some more Q&A this week

 

Q: What is your schedule for a regular p-day?

A: Wake up and get ready for the day, do laundry if there is enough time, go shopping around 10 am, eat lunch, do emails, do laundry if it wasn't done in the morning, clean the apartment, and enjoy any free time that is left.

Q: What is your schedule for a p-day on transfers?

A: Do laundry the night before, then everything else as normal, but also making sure to be at the JSMB by 3:45 pm.

Q: Do you get hot in your work area? Can you take off your suit coat?

A: I don't get hot too often here, since it's still not as hot as Arizona, so I don't really take my coat off that often in my current zone.

Q: When you play dodge ball do you have the same team every time?

A: No, mainly because we have so many elders here and that would kind of get boring.

Q: Does your team ever win?

A: We don't really record wins and losses, but that have been a couple of times where I was the only one left, which was interesting/terrifying.

Q: What are the names of the elders in the mission from Arizona?

A: I probably don't know all of them, but the ones I don know are as follows: Elder Wright from Chandler (me), Elder Durrant from Mesa, Elder Haroldsen from Gilbert, Elder Perkins from some place that I've never heard of, and Elder Bastian from some town near Tuscon.

Hope these questions are helpful for those who want to know more about my mission.

This article was posted on his mission Facebook page about the young Elders service project last weekend

Week 37: This Is The Place Park and Other Stuff - October 23, 2018

The young Elders with President and Sister Fenn at This Is The Place State Park

(Insert witty opening statement here). I guess I could just offer the greeting that one of the other young elders here likes to use, but I literally would just be saying "I greet you". Anyway, things haven't changed much here lately. We recently got 5 new young elders, and we have two young elders going home next transfer, which is next week. This will also be taking care of the THREE trios that we have here, so that's good to hear. One thing that did happen recently, though, is that we had a service project at This is the Place Park, which is where Brigham Young said that famous phrase. We mainly helped with clearing out dried leaves and branches, but it was still pretty fun. I'm glad that we were able to help out and that we were able to have a really great dinner afterwards! We also were told some stories by President and Sister Fenn, along with President Unger, specifically stories about their ancestors and how they crossed the plains. It was really interesting and I really enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of the Children of Israel and how they had to start a new life after leaving Egypt. I hope you all have a great week and remember to read your scriptures!

Till next week,

Elder Wright

PS: I didn't know how to naturally put this into my email, so I'll just write it here. The other day we saw a dead owl on the sidewalk. It was sad, but thankfully it got cleaned up before anything could start tearing it apart.

Elder Wright also answered some more questions for us this week

Okay, here are some more questions:

Q: What was one of your favorite talks from General Conference and why?

A: It's hard for me to pick just one, so I'll say all the ones in the Sunday Morning session, because they were all really great and really touched me.

Q: Have you been able to hear, read and study all the conference talks yet?

A: Not yet. My zone keeps me pretty busy, but I'll try to do better on that.

Q: What are our thoughts on the new schedule for church starting with this next year?

A: Don't know. I will miss the 3 hour schedule a bit, but I think this is a great idea, since it will give us more of a reason to care about how we live our lives outside of the church building.

Q: Do you prefer cold or hot weather?

A: I really like it when it's in between cold and hot, but I can handle hot way better than I can handle cold.

Q: Do you get t spend much time outside every day?

A: Not really, except for when we are going to and from zone. I don't really mind that, though.

Q: How long does it take you to get from where you live to where you serve each day?

A: About 5-10 minutes. Our apartments are just across the street from the Family History Library.

Q: Are there any senior missionaries working in your area?

A: Yes. In our mission, we always senior missionaries working along with us, and each zone's Zone Leader is a senior couple, rather than a young elder.

Q: How often dare you chosen to help senior missionaries move in?

A: Not that often. They rotate us around a bit, so I've only ever help with doing it once.

Q: Where do the senior missionaries live?

A: They live in the Garden Apartments, West Temple, and Desert Apartments.

Q: What areas have you served in?

A: Church History Special Projects, Help Services, DIP, Data Services, and now Library Services.

Q: What areas haen't you served in?

A: I don't know all of them, but we have about 18 zones on the mission, so I haven't served in about 13 of the zones here.

Q: What has been your favorite area so far?

A: Data Services, because I had a work station there and it was fun getting to hear about the cases that people got.

Q: Where else would you like to serve?

A: I have no clue. I'll serve where ever I'm told to serve.

Q: Do you have to work with material that is in a foreign language, and if so, what languages?

A: Yes, I have to re-shelve the books on the international floor, and I don't exactly know what languages they are. Mostly European ones, with a couple of Asians ones as well.

Shout out to my Dad and Sister Crawford for these awesome questions!!

Week 36: A Year in Review - October 16, 2018

This may sound crazy, but I think you can see part of Elder Wright’s head just behind President Oakes. These are the lengths a mom will go to when her son doesn’t send pictures!

Hello everyone! So, not much has happened in the last week, other than the fact that yesterday I hit my one year mark! It's really weird to think that I have been serving for a year now, but it's also really cool. I didn't do anything special for my year mark yesterday, but that's mostly because I forgot all about it! That kind of stinks, but oh well, I'm making the best of it now!

It's been a long journey to get this far. I had to wait several months just so to be told that I wouldn't be serving a proselyting mission, which I didn't really mind because I knew it was a possibility. I then served 4 months at home on a service mission, which I really enjoyed and felt like it was a great experience that all missionaries should have at some point. I then came here in February, and it was really difficult for a while. Not going to lie, there were times that I considered giving up and going home, but I stuck it through to the end. I have had hardships, but I have also had many wonderful experiences. Made some new friends, learned about new hobbies, and gained a love of the gospel! Despite any trials, I would not trade this experience for anything else!

I hope you all have a great time hearing my adventures as I go through this mission. Also, hopefully you won't get tired of it either, since we still have a long ways to go till I finish, so be prepared to hear even more about this mission in the future. Have a great week, and remember to read your scriptures.

Till next week,

Elder Wright

PS: Shout out to former Elder Miskin, one of the elders that I served with while I was doing my service mission. He was a great guy to have around and I'm glad I was able to serve with him.

Week 35: Conference and Being an Adult - October 9, 2018

Elder Wright with Elder Hancock

Hey guys! So, I hope you all enjoyed General Conference, because I sure did! I honestly didn't think that they were going to change the church schedule to two hours, but they actually did it! I think my favorite session was the Sunday Morning session, because all the talks were really good and I got to listen to it outside in Temple Square. I hope you all realize how important General Conference is because it is the time when we get to hear from The Lord's mouthpiece and receive revelation for all of the church.

You're probably wondering why my title for this email talks about being an adult, aren't you? Well, I can't go much into it, but I can say is that being a district leader is difficult, mainly because all the people in your district are counting on you and expect you to be able to solve their problems. The best way I can put it is like this: "Oh no, I need an adult! Wait, they expect me to be the adult! Oh no!!" Oh well, it's not that difficult, but it is a bit stressful and does take a lot of energy. I know I can, however, be able to do all that I need to do with the help of The Lord. I hope you all have a great week and make sure to read your scriptures!

Till next week,

Elder Wright

I forgot to mention one last thing. So, a few months ago, an elder from the Provo MTC mission transferred here. His name is Elder Hancock, and he's a really great guy, even though he's been through a lot. He has dealt with brain cancer 3-4 time, and yet he's still very upbeat and is always willing to joke about his condition. So, why am I bringing him up? Well, recently, the doctors have found a mass in his kidney, so he's going home to take care of that. He won't be coming back to the mission, since he's been serving for 17 months, but he's glad that he was able to serve with us. I just wanted all of you to know that if you ever have any big challenges, just remember to take it one step at a time and to keep a positive outlook on life!

Till next week,

Elder Wright

 PS-Recently, I finished the Book of Mormon, so I was going to read it again, but when I was reading the 1^st chapter of 1^st Nephi, I noticed that it said that he was writing it during the 1^st year of the reign of King Zedekiah. I wondered if he was in The Bible, so I looked and he was! So I decided that I would read the Old Testament until I got to the point where it talks about him, then I would read the Book of Mormon from there. I just thought you might find that interesting.

Here are some screen shots of President Nelson waving to the young Elders of Elder Wright's mission. We think he is the missionary waving on the far left behind the cabinet with the TV monitor.

Also, Elder Wright hit the halfway point on his mission on Thursday, October 5, 2018. We’re super proud of him!!!

Week 34: Not Much Has Changed - October 2, 2018

Elder Wright didn't send any pictures this week, but he did say he's excited to watch Conference!

Hello everyone! So, as you can tell from the title, not much is different from last time I emailed. The only things that I've notice that's different is that the weather has gotten a bit cloudier, so that's interesting, I guess. I also held my first real district meeting yesterday! For those of you who don't know what that is, it's when your district (which in my mission's case, usually consists of 4-6 young elders) and you discuss the gospel and the happenings in the district. All I can say is that I need to plan these things out more. It wasn't terrible, but it was obvious that I was making it up as I went along. I think main thing that everyone is waiting for down here is Conference, which will be really cool. A lot of people say that a ton of changes are going to happen, but I haven't seen much evidence to support that. That being said, it will be a great opportunity for us to hear from a real life living prophet! Let me know what you all enjoyed the most out of it when I email next week! Have great week and conference!!

Till then,

Elder Wright

Here are some more questions that I have been asked:

Q: Do you have a new companion?

A: Yes, I do. His name is Elder Heath, and he's a nice guy. I hosted him in my apartment a couple of months ago, so we already knew each other. He mainly likes music and he plays the violin.

Q: In your new library assignment, do you interact with people very much?

A: I do, but not that option. Since I'm mainly working with the books and films, I don't really have much opportunity to talk, but if someone were to ask me a question, I probably would be able to answer them.

Q: Does filing the document and films, etc. fill up most of your time or are there periods when you wait for things?

A: There are times where we do have to wait for patrons, such as the window and doc center assignments.

Q: Do all of the elders get to say goodbye to the ones that are leaving?

A: So, this is what happens at transfer conference. We all meet in the JSMB for the conference, in which we have to wait till everyone gets there until we can start. Next, we do things like have an opening hymn and prayer, followed by the testimonies of the elders that are going home. After that, President Fenn give a small lesson and then presents the transfers. After the closing prayer, we all go down stairs where we all cheer for the elders who are going home as they go down the stairs to meet with their family. It's really cool because we all get to show support for our fellow elders!

Q: Do you have any traditions in the mission that you haven't yet told us about?

A: Not that I know of. I'll have to think about that and get back to you on it.

Q: Have you heard about the new security measures that will be implemented for General Conference?

A: Yes, I have heard about that.

Q: Whose talk do you want to hear the most at conference?

A: I haven't really thought about it. I'm mainly just looking forward to hearing from modern day prophets. So I guess you could say I'm looking forward to all of them.

Q: Will you get to hear or see all of the conference sessions?

A: Yes, I will. In fact, we will be attending the Sunday afternoon session, so that will be cool.

Hopefully this answered some more questions for all of you!

Week 33: Elder Wright the Librarian AND Questions and Answers for all!! - September 29, 2018

I was able to steal this picture from the mission's facebook page. The young elders did a service project replacing mulch in a local park. You can barely see Elder Wright on the front row behind another missionary!

Hello to all of you! So, as you remember, my mission recently had transfers, and I was not exempt from this. I did get a new companion and a new apartment, but the biggest change I have to tell you all about is that I'm not in Data Services anymore. I'm now the district leader of Library Services! Now, just like every other time I changed zones, you're probably wondering what that means. Well, if you were to read the title of this email, you would discover that it basically means that I'm a librarian. I get to put the books away, make sure all the books and films/fiche are put in the right spot, and help patrons locate the things they are looking for. I do miss Data Services a bit, but I am warming up to this zone since it's not too stressful. However, I would hope that I don't have to move around anytime soon, because it gets kind of annoying after a while with having to change apartments literally every month. I feel like with the amount of zones that I've been in while I've been here, I could do some sort of fireside after I get back. May I could even make a kids book series (similar to Curious George) about Elder Wright and His Wacky Mission. This month would be Elder Wright Becomes a Librarian! Let me know if you all have any questions! Have a great week and remember that your prays can be answered according to your faith!

Till next week,

Elder Wright

PS: Saturday will not be my usual p-day. It was just this week because of how things are in Library Services. My usual p-day will be on Tuesday, which means I'll be emailing again in 3 days. Looking forward to hear from you all then!

 And then he sent s second email too!

Hello again everybody! I recently received some questions from some of my family, so I'm going to answer them. Here we go!

Q: Where can I find the blessings of the 12 Tribes of Israel in the scriptures?

A: You can look in the first 5 books of the Old Testament, but if you want to know more about the blessings of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the Book of Mormon does an amazing job at explaining those.

Q: What have you learned recently in your study of the 12 tribes?

A: Recently, I was thinking about Ephraim and Manasseh, and then I came to a pretty interesting realization: Since I have Native American ancestry, that means I have connections to go all the way back to the Nephites and Lamanites, which lead back to Ephraim and Manasseh. This made me realize that as their descendant, the blessing that apply to them also apply to me. I did know this before, but it was this realization that made it seem all the more real to me.

Q: What do you go over every week at district meeting?

A: We mainly go over the White Handbook and Preach my Gospel, but since I haven't really had an opportunity to have a real district meeting since I became a district leader, I don't really know what exactly I would be teaching.

Q: Do you have treats at district meeting and what do your have?

A: We don't really have treats at district meeting since we usually have district meeting right after zone on Mondays, so we usually don't have to get any treats. Maybe I could start doing that.

Q: Does each companionship have an assignment for district meeting?

A: It mainly depends on the district leader. I, however, plan on having assignments for my district.

Q: Do any of the couple missionaries attend your district meeting?

A: No, but I'm not exactly sure why. My guess is because they might have their own meetings or something like that.

Q: Are you the district leader over any of the couple missionaries?

A: Young elder district leaders don't usually have any authority over any of the senior missionaries, so no, I do not have any senior missionaries in my district.

Q: Do you know of anybody in the mission that is from another country or speaks another language?

A: I recently discovered that you must be an American citizen if you want to be a young elder on this mission. That being said, we do have some missionaries that are dual citizens with other countries. For example, the elder who trained me has dual citizenship with Canada, and an elder that I'm friends with has dual citizenship with Peru. As for senior missionaries, they can come from all over, including places like Australia, England, and Japan.

Q: Do the elders in your zone associate with the elders of the Deaf zone of Translation zone?

A: The elders in my zone don't associate with the elders in the Deaf zone, mainly because of location and the personalities of the Deaf Zone Elders. We don't have a Translation zone, but we do serve on the International floor of the FHL, so there are people there who help people who speak other languages.

Q: Have you recently had any meals provided by the Mission? What did you have? Did you like it?

A: If I were to list all the meals that were provided to me while I was here, I would be typing all day. I will say that the last one that I had was a couple of days ago when I had the district leader meeting. We had sandwiches made by the Church Office Building (COB) cafeteria, which those were pretty good.

Hopefully this answers some lingering questions you may have about my mission!

And here's another picture with Elder Wright that was posted on facebook of mission transfer day.