Missionary Journal for May 21, 1971

 It's just getting to the point where I cannot back track and still keep my diary up to date.  Suffice it to say, Elder H. and I got along well, and had a good companionship.  He did not want to stay in La Conner and left April 30.  We did baptize S. and found Sister P.B., who'll be baptized soon.

Elder R. and I were not together long.  I found out the day he came in that I'd be going the following Friday.  We worked hard at teaching him the area.  Meanwhile, Elder C. progressed well on his co-equal.  He passed off his fourth on the day I left.

Elder D.H. is probably one of the most memorable characters I'll ever meet.  He's a good elder, and a great guy.  We spent many days together.  It's hard to put into words the love I have for him  It is great.

The past two weeks have flown by.  My companion is Elder S.D.  He's from SLC and has been out 7 or 8 months.  He is a likeable guy.  He needs experience in missionary work.  Unless something fires him up his mission could be mediocre.  Elder D. is sincerely interested in people and has a good testimony.   He needs to train a greenie, but must be better prepared.  We're going  to study hard, so he can really learn his discussions.

We are working a vast area, covering the northern half of the Olympic Peninsula.  There are a number of small Indian reservations in the area, and several small logging towns.  The logging industry supports this region.  Port Angeles has two large mills.  Due to its fine natural harbor all of its product is shipped from here.  There is a lot of merchant marine and fishing done out of Port Angeles.   

Last week we taught a lead first discussion.  The family wasn't properly screened and consequently were offended by the discussion.  That really hurt P.R. in Forks.  I'm going to have to be careful in my dealings with people out here.  Port Angeles Ward is almost 90% inactive.  This will be a great challenge.

Brother R., of Squim, set up a golden first discussion with a young couple living just out of Port Angeles.  They are really interested.  

I feel that as we become more spiritual we will be able to draw the ward along with us bit by bit.  It'll be a struggle, but well worth it.  

We work closely with Brother D. K. the stake mission president.  He's fired up.  He is a dynamic, demanding missionary. His leadership is helping the stake.

Puget Sound Stake is moving right along.  Recently it was split.  Most of the people I know from Bremerton II are in stake positions now.  Time flies by!

Yesterday was Zone conference.  The topic was loyalty to mission purposes.  The blast covered the D&C.  It was a wild blast--close competition.  I managed the high score on the written test ) high in the mission, tied with D. H.!!!) We'd have really wiped out H. in the Zone 1 Blast!  (I understand he got the wise owl in a cake! as planned.)

The discussions were well done.  I particularly enjoyed the talks by J. Iverson and Ashton.  (J.I. goes home today.)  In retrospect, it seems like the AP's were trying to re-establish good leadership, and leadership image in the mission.  Heretofore leaders have had a slipping image. A reversal of this trend is in order.  Elder Ashton's talk on amount of "light" given to a person was well taken.

This was President's last zone conference.  It seems hard to believe he is going to leave us.  We'll miss the Whitesides. Much of the testimony was dedicated to the President and Sister Whitesides.  They'll be leaving around July 1st.

Elder D. and I are going to have to start working harder.  We are putting in a full day, but waste too much time.  I guess he has never worked on Fridays.  We'll have to convert him to that before he trains his greenie.  We're having an open  house tonight in P.A.

Sequim is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains

Port Angeles is the gateway city of the Olympic National Park – one of the largest and most popular parks in America’s national park system.  We are also the departure point for the Coho Ferry, connecting us to Victoria, Canada. Port Angeles is situated at the center of the Olympic Discovery Trail, which stretches across 130 miles of lowlands from the Puget Sound to the Pacific Coast, bordered by the snow-capped Olympic Mountain Range to the south, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north.  The diversity of recreational opportunities available here for residents and visitors include a vast network of trails, high mountains, rivers, lakes, rainforests, sandy beaches, and rocky tide pools – all within, or within short minutes of, Port Angeles.