Hello loved ones,
Life is good. Its hard but good.
Thanks alie for the snacks and the sweater.
So transfers are in a week. My companion is like presidents favorite
spanish missionary so they talk on the phone about whats going to
happen. Sounds like most likely we'll be staying together barring any
last minute inspiration. Fine by me. This is definitely a favorable
area.
Not too many interesting things to say about the last week. We had
rotisserie chicken at the shirmp house so things are a little more
tame on that front.
I cant think of too many specific things to say so I guess I'll tell
you a little about some of my investigators.
Margarita is our number 1. We found her tracting a month ish ago. She
doesnt look that spanish shes got a pretty fair complexion. She spoke
english to us at first and we werent going to do anything other than
ask here where hispanics lived but I felt impressed to ask where she
was from. After she said Panama the dynamic changed a little and we
started speaking spanish to her. Shes about 45 maybe give or take a
little. Shes from Panama (uncommon) and she is widowed and has no
children. We've found out stuff about her in a strange sequence but I
dont have time to explain all the details. First we taught her plan of
salv because of her husband and she cried. (I was on exchanges and
wasnt there) The she got Antied by a friend who told her you cant get
remarried in our church so she tried to drop us (again I was on
exchanges) They went striaght to her house and cleared things up with
the scriptures and watched "Together forever" movie about eternal
marriage. ANd she cried. We have taught here many times since. (I have
been there those times)
She really feels like the things we share are true. Shes reading the
book of mormon and she likes it. SHes well ish read in the bible and
she likes the similarities shes finding. SHe listnens to some crazy
pastor though anmd always tells us random stuff he says. Like jesus
lived in the mines in england while he was a kid and the queen of
england is a descendant of his line. (who knows?) She is awesome
though.
We've mowed her grass and picked up here perscriptions. She says we're
angles that God sent to her. SHe gave us some mary kay acne spot
treatment yesterday because she "noticed we have some pimples" haha
she came to churhc once. She liked it. SHe liked sacrament meeting.
SHe is suuuuper self concious and a little awkward though and she felt
reallllly uncomfortable in relief society. It toook us a while to get
to the bottom of that doubt.
Turns out her husband was actually quite wealthy. He owned an aparment
complex and now she's quite poor. SHe doesnt want to come back to
churhc because she only has one churhc outfit and she things that the
relief society ladies will jedge her and that she's from a defferent
class than them. She also thinks they're kind of uneducated and not
well read in the scriptures and that she cant learn anything in that
class. She has on friend in the RS that she used to work with and that
used to clean her house.(when she was married) She is coming to an FHE
with them tonght
We've taught her about the role of the spirit and how even the prophet
is still leaning and that we all learn at our own level from the
spirit.
Whenever we read scripture with her and teach her things she always
says. "Eso es verdad" (that is true) she is also sincerely praying for
a confirmation that this is true.
Man I feel a little weird writing all this about her but this is my
life right now. She didnt come to church the last 2 weeks and after
the first time she didnt come the next week she apologized personally
to me because she could tell how sad I was and she hates making people
sad. But then yesterday she "wasnt feeling well"
Please pray for her. She's getting baptizxed the 17th and I think she
really already knows its all true. She just needs to not worry about
the relief society ladies.
Sometimes as missionaries we have to say strange stuff. I think I bore
my testimony that though the church is perfect the members (referring
to the RS ladies) are not and that we are all trying to learn and get
better.
I guess that brings me to my closing exhortation. As soon as these get
self righteouss or preachy someone tell m,e and I honestly will stop.
But something I did not understand until I came out here is how much
members make a difference. And I am not going to tell you to go out
with the missioanries a bunch and feed them everyday. But saying hi to
someone new at church makes an insane difference. Investigators feel
so uncomfortable and nervous its craaaazy. One nice person can make
such a difference. Another investigator came to churhc yesterday and
after chuch this sweeet member lady put her arm around her and invited
her to stay and eat with the ward at break the fast. SHe sat with her
at talked to her and I wanted to cry. (That lady also asked for mom's
phone number becayuse she likes to call missonaries moms or something
so if some lady that only sort of speaks english calls you mom that
would be why) But she made such a difference in that ladies life.
TO contrast I heard a story about a priest age young man investigator
that came to churhc and one of the priests sat next to him and called
him gay and a fag the whole time and that boy has never come back to
church (personally I dont blame him) (it was a long time ago the story
happened) I know none of you would obviously do anything like that and
nor is it our place to judge those who do. But be a blessing to the
lord and his work
Love you all!
Elder Davdison
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