Hello!
Well that was a ridiculously long week. It was spring break so that made it a little more interesting. For some reason all of our investigators are men and all of them are barrachos. Every once in a while they surprise us though.
One of them is "J". We met him the other week when we were on our way to another lesson and he yelled “I WANT TO GO TO CHURCH” at us as we walked by and he was drunk so we set up a lesson and taught him the next day. He was pretty sincere about wanting to change. The lesson was alright. Then we ran into him a few nights later. We were with "Joe" (new member that's really excited about missionary work) and we said a little prayer with him in the middle of the neighborhood. THEN he surprised us all by showing up to church on Sunday! He biked there all by himself and he was all clean and dressed nicely!! He stayed all three hours and all the lessons and talks were perfect for him. So that was cool.
We have a potential investigator that we have been trying to contact that is never home and the other day we went to his house. His roommate "P" said “He isn't home but I'll talk to you.” He's is around 20 years old. So we taught him anyway. He kept giggling the whole time (a little drunk), which kept me entertained, but he was listening pretty well and he said he would read the Book of Mormon. We didn't take him terribly serious and went back the next week to try to contact the original guy again. "P" answered the door and said “Oh hi let me grab my book.” So we looked at each other and said “I guess we are having a lesson with P.” This time he was sober and he actually read! He started telling us about the introduction and Mormon and the plates. Big surprise to us. He also said that he tried to find our church on Sunday. Down the street from our chapel is another church. So he figured it was that one and went in and didn't see us so he left. But he walked 3 miles to get there. The lesson we had yesterday was pretty cool. He had been thinking a lot over the last week and seems pretty sincere.
We had another lesson where this kid came out and said "teach me!" Once again we think “alright, why not.” But he was golden! He has so many questions and he almost cried and kept saying “I am a child of God? But I’m a bad person. How am I special?” It was really sad. Granted he was drunk, but he sobered up and started asking really good questions and repeating it back to us. He said he had been looking for something lately and had wanted to change but he just didn't know where to start. He kept saying he felt something, but he didn't know if it was that we seemed more convincing because he was drunk or because it what God wants for him. It should be interesting next time. Hopefully he remembers it.
Remember "Y" less active from last week? Well, we went back and taught her and she was a different person! We brought a couple from the ward and she started telling them how she was coming back to church and how her whole life she has planned on going on a mission! So then she goes on telling us how it is more of a sacrifice for her to go on a mission and her age than it was for us to go. It was hard to bite our tongues and not say anything. She didn't come on Sunday and she says she refuses to come on fast Sunday because she hates testimonies…?
Oh we had this really bad lesson. There is a family (the "S" family) that is less active and apparently the Sisters that were here before us always stopped in and taught them once a week. So we stopped by. The mom was really sweet. I think she wants to come back to church but her husband maybe doesn't. Apparently they had some bad experience and someone offended them or something and they stopped coming. Typical. So I don't even know what happened but this lesson turned ugly. Hermano S walked in and he was such a jerk. All he kept talking about was other people so all I kept trying to say was to forget about other people and focus on you and God -nobody else matters. But every time I said this he would start talking about how terrible the people are. He contradicted himself around 15 times. They have the cutest little 3 year old, 2 year-old and new born and Hermana B was distracting them while I talked with Hermano S. I don’t' even know how to describe what happened. I was trying SO hard not to get frustrated or cause tension. I just kept praying that I would know what to say and be able to feel love for him. But he was intentionally trying to get under my skin. He was being anti-Mormon with me and it was so messed up. He was all over the place. Hermana B tried to bear her testimony about how it's important for the kids to go to church and how she was thankful she grew up in the church having a relationship with Heavenly Father and knowing she was a child of God and how it changed the way she made decisions growing up. And he went off on her too, so she stopped talking and played with the kids. Every time I tried to testify even of something simple like the atonement, he would anti me. Then I got so frustrated I asked “Do you even believe in Jesus Christ?” And he paused and was answered “well, no.” I don't think I have ever been so frustrated. He believes in Christ and he knows he is being stupid but he is just trying to get under my skin and he knows that it is working. I stayed pretty calm, even though he interrupted me every time I opened my mouth. Then it got to the point where I was done so I was told him “Well this is pointless, we aren't here to have contention, we are here because we love you and He loves you. We can't convince you of anything and we wouldn't want to, but we hope that you open your heart just a little, if nothing at least for your family.” He didn't say anything - for once - and so I asked if we could leave with a prayer. I got on my knees. I didn't think he was going to pray with us or get off his stool, but we waited a minute and he actually came over and knelt with us. His wife came back in (she left for a while because she knew he was being a jerk.) I was really hoping I didn't have to say the prayer because I was on the verge of tears of frustration, so I started to ask who would you like to offer it and before I finished the sentence he was answered “Usted Hermana Norton.” Of course. It was probably the hardest prayer I’ve ever said. I didn’t know what to say. I was so mad and frustrated and flat out offended, I had to pause a couple of times so I would cry. I think if softened him a little though because after the prayer I said “Well the doors of the church are always open wide for you and your family when you change your mind”. and he responded “Our door is open too if you guys ever need water or anything and to talk stop on by.” All the sudden he was all nice? So now we don't know what to do if we should go back and teach them or what?
On a lighter note... We had another investigator at church, "S", who came and brought a cooler with tamales and was selling tamales in church...yep.
Speaking of tamales…
We had a good lesson with "M" and "A" (our only investigators that are technically progressing and serious) and we had just had dinner before her lesson and we got to her house and she's made us tamales, hot chocolate and doughnuts. They talked in Relief Society about passing around our dinner schedule and she asked if she could sign up which was really cute. But I think she thinks we are starving now and I’m afraid she is always going to try and feed us.
We had a really sad lesson with a mom that we are teaching. She started crying about how hard life is for them. Literally their lives are hard and it's kind of impossible to better their situation. They have been trying to pass all these ridiculous laws, like if the kids don't have Social Security # they can't go to public school here. Luckily that didn't pass. It's impossible for them to become legal because they need to learn English and to learn English they have to have proof of citizenship or have a lot of money. Not to mention they work crazy hours. Her husband works 3 jobs. They have 4 little kids.
All the laws make it hard to find work. The Hispanics are so hurt, rightfully so, it really isn't fair to them at all. Most of them want to work and want to be legal, but we make it impossible for them.. Anyways so stories like that break my heart and we hear the same story everyday from different little families. It's sad.
As for your questions…
My zone is pretty fun here. We are all little 5 year olds when we get together. Last p day we were at a park and for a joke we started playing "lava monster" on the playground. You know the game you play when you are little where the sand is lava and the ground is lava and if your feet touch the ground you are it? Yep, we played that. Two hours later we were still playing it, but we added over 15 more rules. It was hilarious because it was on this tiny little playground set, we clearly don't fit on it and there was 10 of us trying to keep our feet off the sand. We got a text this morning saying "lava monster 2 o’clock, be there."
This is what my social life has come to. I'm 21 and I’m playing lava monster.
I love you.
Um - write me! I didn't get a single letter this week!!!
LOVE YOU
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