Elder Carlton Baxter LDS Mission: First Week in Winston

Hello Everyone,

This was my first week in Winston and the city of Green, and it has been a bit tough. Coming in, I found that the previous Elder's had planned nothing for the upcoming week, so the whole week was us white washing Green's area (there was a second set of elders in that city that left for the transfer), as well as maintain Winston itself. On Tuesday we did a bunch of tracting as well as contacting. We met several of the members who are very nice, as well as the bishop and ward mission leader who are very supportive. It turns out that my trainer, Elder Borden, as well as his trainer, Elder Finlinson, both served in Winston, as well as his trainer, so I was destined to come here at some point during the mission.

On Wednesday we did service at a food pantry where we helped load and unload a bunch of food, and the rest of the day was spent meeting a bunch of the investigators we had. One of them included our On date named Rennie, who gets attached to missionaries very easily. She is nice and very blunt, but is interested in learning about the Gospel. Thursday we did a lot of tracting, contacting, and hunting down referrals who ended up having imaginary addresses. Friday we then had district meeting, where I had to go to another district due to the other elders in my district arriving several weeks late. Finally, I got to meet the ward on Sunday and here a lot of really good testimonies in Fast and Testimony meetings. Towards the end of the day I started to feel slightly sick, which I hope doesn't get any worse.

The week has been chaotic and confusing due to taking over two areas, but it has been fun. There is a lot of potential in the Winston area, and I know that as I rely on the Spirit that I will be guided to those who we need to see. The Gospel is great and I have learned that to have faith is to repent, which is to be baptized, which is to receive the Holy Ghost. It is amazing to get to teach people about this Gospel and help them see that as we live it in all aspects of our lives that we can accomplish the things that God wants us to do, and it is a miracle to see.

Thanks for all of the support!
Elder Baxter

Pictures from last week (when he was in Oakridge) since Carlton didn't take any for this week.