WHAT?!?

I haven't gotten Dad’s package with the camera cable yet so still no pictures this week.

I'm sorry if this email lacks so much, but there's just too much and I don't know how to put it all into words.  I really need to take the time to journal at night because I can't remember what has happened this week. But first, you should know that next week p-day is on Wednesday so don't freak out when I don't email next Monday. Got it? Elder Pearson is coming to the mission, and things worked out for him in such a way that our zone is having zone conference with him on Monday, so that's why our days have switched.

We had three crazy lessons this week. The first was on Wednesday. Oh, Wednesday. What a day. Wait I take that back I don't think that particular lesson was on Wednesday. I don't know. Whatever, the point is at some point earlyish this week we shared a message with a part member family. The dad (who's the member) kinda, sorta anti'd us. Basically, he loves the book of Mormon but HATES the Bible. Thinks it's a bunch of "garbled garbage." Apparently, people usually feel the opposite way but not this guy. We spent almost an hour listening to him rant and realized pretty quickly that anger and contention really do drive the spirit away.

Okay but Wednesday. I'm relatively certain that on Wednesday there were two main events. The first is that we were riding our bikes in one of the neighborhoods when we saw this little old lady struggling with a garbage bag. We stop to help her, she invites us in for a water break and even lets us park our bikes in her garage. How kind. We get to talking and then suddenly we've spent the last 40 minutes being preached at. It turns out, she was a Jehovah's Witness (there are a ton of them out here). She didn't try to convert us, and she certainly wasn't mean about anything. She just talked a heck ton. And then when we would mention our beliefs on the subject she'd say "that isn't in the bible" and then would keep talking.

The second thing that happened was that the wind knocked my bike over and then my bike fell apart. The front wheel was making a funny noise, the kickstand was just barely holding on, the zip ties holding my basket to my bike popped off, and then my chain fell off. We were supposed to be having dinner with a member family in like ten minutes when this happened, and we were nowhere near them. Luckily the members we were eating with had a truck, so they came and picked us up. And the dad was some sort of "yay bikes and racing and fixing things" type person, so he fixed it up for me in no time. What can I say? I'm a mess, but God is good? Yeah that about sums it up.

Ok, the other crazy lesson. There's this potential investigator we have (maybe had). We met with him the same day my bike fell apart, and we took a laurel in the ward with us. It was a great lesson. He'd taken the lessons like three times before but kept backing out. It'd been a year since he'd last taken them though so we dropped by his house the other day to see if he wanted to continue and he did so we set up this appointment. The first lesson was great, he was open and receptive, and we committed him to read Mosiah chapter 2, and he did it. Our second lesson was more than a little interesting. This investigator (we'll call him Rick), is in his 60's.  He lives with and takes care of his who even knows how old dad.

For the second lesson, we took one of the young men in the ward with us. God really does know what to do for the people in this area including the missionaries. Can I just say how grateful I am that we took this particular young man with us? We'll call the youth Greg. Talk about someone large in stature; this kid is massive. Super wide shoulders and probably plays football. The lesson with old man Rick wasn't scary or particularly creepy. It was just strange. Strange in such a way that made me happy we had some muscle on our side. I'm pretty sure there's something not quite stable with Rick. He talked a lot about something really bad in his past (don't know what), and about him potentially assassinating someone, and justice will be found, and then suddenly he was telling us he was actually telepathic, and things were so bad that he would have been burned alive during the Salem witch trials, and apparently he has something in common with Joan of Arc. Oh, and something happened in Texas. But he might have been referencing a movie. I'm not entirely sure what happened.  All I know is that if we go back, we're taking priesthood brethren with us.

The other crazy lesson was with this part member family, and they have eight kids all under the age of 12, so that's why that was crazy.  The last main thing that happened was that we went on splits on Sunday so we could hit both wards and I taught the laurels in one of the wards.  We ended up having a really good lesson.  Also, sister Rowley and I are teaching the high priests in one of our wards this Sunday so I’ll have to let you know how that goes

 Ok I'm starving, and I need lunch. I love you all bye.