Hello again everyone!
This week has been super busy and somewhat stressful leading up to Saturday night transfer calls. Neither Elder Low nor I will be transferred so it appears that we are safe(more or less[you'll see why in a moment]) for the time being. While we aren't being transferred, our car is. Well, sort of. A set of sister missionaries will be staying in our area temporarily and they will require the use of our car. As a result, Elder Low and I will be braving the streets of Grand Prairie on bikes. The size of our area is such that we will be pretty restricted as far as travel goes. Grand Prairie isn't exactly a very bicycle friendly city, so there aren't any bike lanes to speak of, and very few sidewalks. This transfer on bikes could be a challenge, but we'll be fine. Looks like I'm about to get back in shape real quick!
Last Monday, a group of us Elders decided to spend some time in downtown Dallas. I had an absolute blast. I made sure to take a bunch of pictures so y'all can see how much fun we had. We got to Dallas on the DART(train) again, so that's always fun. We got to see lots of cool things, like the spot where JFK was shot. Some of the more naive Elders were suckered into buying some overpriced pamphlets that these guys were peddling on the street there. I made it out with lots of pictures and a wallet that was no lighter. But like I said, downtown was tons of fun. We got to talk to lots of people on the street and it was interesting to see everyone staring at a group of missionaries as we walked through large groups of people.
On Tuesday we had interviews with President Smith. During the training portion of the meeting, I gave a short training that I'm told went really well. I never know how to gauge how well I did with those situations... Oh well! That night we went and taught Nate and Rosa again. The spirit was very strong in the lesson and I think it went really well. The member we took with us made it sound that way anyway.
Friday I got to go to the temple for the first time since the MTC. It was also my first time going to the Dallas temple. I absolutely loved it. It was such a refreshing experience and it made for a fantastic day. The temples are such amazing places, and the work that goes on there is equally amazing. I'm so thankful that we have temples!
On Saturday, Elder Low and I did some service for a single mother in one of our wards. Her son Aaron is 10 and has not been baptized, so we are going to begin teaching him very soon. The chance to do some hard physical labor was surprisingly welcome. We tilled out a spot of ground for a garden(manually), and did a lot of yard clean up. It was a lot of fun and Aaron was very excited to start his garden.
On Sunday, it being the 5th Sunday, we had combined meetings in our wards for the 3rd hour. In one of the wards, Elder Low and I were asked to give the lesson. In this particular ward, not only was it all the adults, but the youth were invited to join us in the cultural hall. So we gave a 45 minute lesson on member missionary work to the entire ward. It was a little nerve racking leading up to it in the week and that day, but I think it turned out well. We got a bunch of the members to role play with us and helped them understand how easy it can be to bear simple testimony in everyday situations. A ton of members thanked us for the lesson and expressed how impressed they were. I have found that I love teaching. I'm afraid I didn't let Elder Low speak a whole lot during the lesson, but he was pretty nervous. I don't know that he would have said much more if I had asked him to.
Well I hope you've enjoyed this somewhat longer than usual letter! Like I said, I had a very full week. It was lots of fun though. I still love being a missionary more and more every single day. Thank you all for your love and support. I love each of you very much as well and I hope and pray for your continued safety and success as you continue to exercise your agency righteously. I can't wait to hear from each of you some more! Until next time; be good, stay safe, and keep the faith!
Love,
Elder Michael P. Lyman
Texas Dallas Mission
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