Death by Pizza

November 10, 2014

Polacca, Arizona

The first thing I have to say this week is never ever get the Little Caesar's Pretzel Pizza. It is disgusting. We got one last week and both got sick from it. It doesn't even have pizza sauce on it but cheese sauce instead. Just thinking about it makes us sick.

Well this week was really slow for us. We were hardly able to get any lessons. One day we had 8 set appointments and we ended the day with 0, they all fell through. It is really hard on the Rez, since a lot of natives just go with the flow and don't plan for things. Our senior couple is great but they don't know their place yet. There is a culture barrier between the US and the Rez and then one between Canada and the US so they are still trying to figure things out. They also don't keep appointments. We were supposed to go to a lesson with them and they weren't there to pick us up. We talked to them later that night and found out that they were in Winslow. We can only hope that they can figure this out with time.

We gave a blessing this week to a 15 year old girl whose family we are really close to, just before she got life-flighted to Flagstaff. Her Pancreas, Liver and Kidneys had shut down. She got to flag (Flagstaff, AZ) and all that they had to do was remove her gall bladder and then 2 kidney stones. Thank goodness, it was very scary for a time.

Well this week I broke a promise that I made to myself over the summer. I swore never to paint again. But this week I painted 2 houses. I guess that it is a talent or something that I must share with the rest of the world. A professional painter who we were doing this with actually commented on how good I was at painting and said if I ever need a job that he'll hire me on the spot. So yeah...

We have gotten our cold nights figured out. We have insulated the trailer better and have even more ideas on what to continue to do to make it winter proof, so no need to worry about that anymore. 

Now the funny story. Elder Barrett asked a brother for his last name. This brother then looked at him and said, "Wow that's the exact same thing that my ex-wife asked me. We all lost it. Boy oh boy the people out here have quite a sense of humor.

Well that's it for this week Love you all.

Love,

Elder Warnick

Canadians and drunks (not realated)

November 3, 2014

Polaaco, Arizona

Well they are here! The Barretts our new senior couple! They are from Alberta Canada and are awesome. They are very missionary minded and ready to go out with us and to help us wherever we need it. They got here on Friday and have already fed us 3 times. We are in store for some full days ahead. However is is scary to drive with him I glanced over at the speedometer and he was going 120 miles per hour! I thought we were going to die. Then I realized that his truck is in Kilometers per hour and that he was only going 70 the speed limit. Thank goodness. It is still kind of unnerving though.

The winter months have started and It is getting cold here in Polacca. When we woke up this morning it was 43 degrees... In our trailer. Outside it was 26 degrees. We are trying to figure out how to better stay warm and we have some ideas. It doesn't help that they disconnected our heat though so all we have is a space heater. But We'll make due.

As some of you already know I met a kind of relative this week. He is my mom's cousin's husband's dad. We came over to talk to us about our area just because we were missionaries and then we got talking and I realized that I knew the people he was talking about. It really is a small small world. (I hope you all sing that song to yourselves now)

We were shopping and on the way out of Bashas this week we saw a drunk getting arrested (alcohol is illegal on the reservation). He tried to struggle and when we were about 5 feet away (no joke) the officer swiped his feet out from under him and slammed him on the ground. It was quite a thump. And the guy just laid there after that, he couldn't  move.

We also had stake conference this week and it was awesome. Our broadcast from Salt Lake included Elder Cristofferson and President Uchtdorf (who used to live in Arizona). It turns out that there are 96 stakes in Arizona. We are in a blessed area. The church is also now starting a self reliance program in Tuba City. The first in North America.

We have found quite a few new great investigators this past week. So many that we had President Batt call us and congratulate us on it. Well thanks for all of your prayers. I love you all.

Love, Elder Warnick

Miracles, Pocahontas, and Hairy Pigs

Well our investigators who were all having a hard time are back. they are no longer drinking and the other is our of Jail. We are trying to see them more and more but the adversary is working hard and trying to make them doubt.

This week we were in a gas station when the cashier asked us if we have any pamphlets that we give out. Naturally we said yes and that we would be right back. She in turn left the register followed us out to our truck and then we gave her a restoration and a Plan of Salvation pamphlet as well as a Book of Mormon. She seemed really excited and we can't wait to see her again. Little miracles from working like the Lord wants and talking to everyone that we see.

October 27, 2014 

Polacca, Arizona 

Here is a funny thing when we teach about the restoration we have a lot of  natives forget Joseph Smith's name and they all call him John Smith. No this isn't a big difference but it always makes me thing about Pocahontas. I shouldn't laugh but I do.

We went to the Hopi High football game on Friday. Let's just say that they could use some coaching and some work in the weight room. They lost 0-56 and didn't hold Red Mesa to 4 downs ever. Every possession Red Mesa scored. It was painful to watch.

We ate a pig this week. Bro. Crowfoot had a freshly butchered pig (there was still some hair on it) from his inlaws when we went over to eat on Wednesday. The pig's name was Kevin (like Kevin Bacon) and was the best pig I've ever tasted. Food is interesting on a mission you think you won't eat well but everytime you go to someones house for a meal they say "I bet you never get to eat steak' or "ribs". Let's just say I've had ribs 5 times in the past 2 weeks. I never thought that I would be tired of them.

Here is this week's miracle. We got tied up in K-town because it took us an hour to get out the door of one guys house because he likes to talk (really he does we didn't get a word in for an hour). Well because of this we were an hour late to an appointment and missed the man we were going to go see, but because we were late we got to talk to the baby sitter. The same girl who we taught a couple of weeks ago and didn't get her name or address. Now we were able to find her, teach her again, and set up another appointment to go to her house. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Oh I'm also serving with and Elder Christensen in my district now. He is from Boise and graduated from Borah. He also knows the Hainsworths really well., It was fun to talk about home with someone.

Well that's it from Hopi this week. I love you all!

Elder Warnick

White trash whiteboard in our trailer

Dance

Millennium Falcon Kite!

Partly cleaned off chimney sweep

Sick new tie and dog fight weapon