We Crashed a Party Before it Began

Looking Dapper at the Thrift Store

Well, we had transfers last Thursday, and I had to day goodbye to Elder Ruth.  Now my new companion is Elder Nelson. Even in the small time we have been together we have seen many strange miracles, many of the people who were left as potentials from previous missionaries are being found by us.

      The first of the people we found (literally the first door we knocked on this transfer) we were looking for this person named Eurma, but found Esteban instead. He is a very humble man.  He has suffered many rough and dangerous paths before coming to Airway Heights. He and his family was even shot at and suffered a few bullet wounds. "But we were safe and protected by God, I knew we would be okay." Wow! He is just an amazing man, and I say that mostly because he can play the accordion... This goes out to all the missionaries I send my emails. How many of you guys know a person who plays the accordion? It is such a cool instrument, but man, talk about an expensive and excessive hobby. Anyways. We have been trying to get with him again, but he has been too busy.

Good Bye, Elder Ruth

      Next we were walking around in an area we go to a lot. (We have lots of people being taught there) We walked d by a woman who seemed to be having trouble with her bags. We offered help, but she said she had it. Then from there we had a very engaging conversation about her life and how her and her husband Jeremy have been through lots of crap together. She was mostly concerned about her baby on the way at the moment but that didn't stop her from trying to get a job to support her husband, whom of which is trying his hardest to make enough money to keep his apartment, even after he lost his job.

      We were able to get a lesson in with them yesterday. Unfortunately the wife was not able to make it, but Jeremy was there and told us how he had had it rough since he moved out of his parents house at 18 and he had been misused and abused by people his use to trust. But he knew that he had gone through these tough experiences to become who he is right now, and he is happy with that thought.

My New Companion, Elder Nelson

 We taught him about how the church is centered on families, and showed him,The Family a Proclamation to The World, and shared Helaman 5:12 from the Book of Mormon with him:

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

After hearing what we had to say, he said he would like to talk to us again, and build his future family on a sturdy foundation, which is Christ.

      We had many more things that happened and people that we got to meet and talk to, but I have to explain what the title is about.

Elder Woodhead - who can whistle like me

We were looking for a potential in the area, and we like to talk to people as we see them and as we go. We met a few nice people that just brushed us off but just at 8:00 we saw some "college age" kids smoking on their 3rd level patio. It started as most average conversations go we asked them, " Hey, How's it going?" They said "What's up?" Then we told them we were missionaries and what our purpose was. Then we asked, " Do you believe in Jesus Christ?" They said, "Yea, I believe in Jesus." Around this time more and more heads were poking out over the balcony down at us. Some of them whispered and giggled while looking at us as if to say, "Look at those silly Mormons down there". At this point we asked them "What are you all doing up there?" and they said something in the lines of, "We are going to a party and get so used.." which translated from edgy young adult to English means, very very drunk.

      After a while, more of them started showing up, and some even came down to talk to us. We sat in the grass and just answered questions. If you have been on a mission you know what questions they asked, but for those who don't know they asked us: 

• Can you drink? 
• Can you smoke? 
• Why? 
• What's the word of wisdom?
• What do you think about repentance? 
• Why do you have the law of Chastity? 

This went on for an hour, and I would say there was about 20 people in this group setting in a circle. So that's how we crashed a party before it began. 

A Red Sunset

That's about the whole of what happened in the past few days.