Cool Experiences
Well, it was a pretty interesting week. Honestly, I don’t know where to start since last week’s e-mail was so short. I don’t know if I ever mentioned that Hurricane Ernesto came through here. There were lots of winds and lots and lots of rain. It really didn’t destroy anything, but it was a cool experience. Well, a lot happened this week. Started out on Tuesday:
We had our ZDM/interviews with President Wallis. That was really cool. I helped out a little bit in ZDM and everyone loved it..but I can’t tell the story about it or it would ruin the surprise when I get home…hehe. Anyways, the highlight of Tuesday was in the evening, we finally got to go see the Lopez Family and teach their daughter (Michelle) and her aunt (Guadalupe). They just arrived from Mexico about a month and a half ago, have already gone to church a few times. But, the problem was that we could never go up to visit them (they live a good 30 minutes away, about 25 miles through rural areas). So, we finally arranged an exchange to take us up there. And it was a sweet lesson. All of the family (all members with strong testimonies) were all sitting in with Michelle and Guadalupe, backing up our lesson with their testimonies. Like Elder Guerrero said, it was one of those lessons you only teach at the MTC. Everything went perfect, we taught all the principles in about 45 minutes. We did not extend the invitation to be baptized as we wanted to do it in the next visit. But it was sweet. Then on Saturday, we returned to teach them (due to some lucky circunstances). We were planning on going but we couldn’t get a hold of our exchange (Bro. Garcia). So, we went ahead and canceled the appointment at around 4 pm Saturday (the appointment was scheduled for 6:30). We went out again to do some contacting at the mall and we returned at the house at around 5:30. Brother Garcia called us a few minutes later and told us that he could still give us a ride up there…he was just returning from the temple in Apex. So, we called Angel Lopez again and rescheduled the appoitment in the evening. It was another sweet lesson, this time just with Michelle (who is 15 years old), we talked about the book of mormon mostly and then we extended the invitation to get baptized. She hesitated for a few seconds (seemed like forever), with the whole family looking on, and then she yes. It was sweet. So, we set the date for the 30 of September, general conference weekend. So, hopefully everything will go well and we can teach all of the lessons by then (it might be the last weekend in Wilson).
Well, on Wednesday (Sept. 6th, 2006, the date I turned 21 years old), we had tons of appoitments…knowing it was going to be my birthday, we had some good appointments with less-actives and also with a good investigator. I was super physched, I ran hard in the morning exercise, had a great study, even finished the book of mormon in spanish again. We were going to visit with a preacher from another church, Pastor Cacho at 11, then with Sister Berlanga at 2 and then with the Pennell Family at 4, and then in the evening, Brother Houston at 7 and Jorge Leon at 8. Well, I called the first appt., Pastor Cacho and he told me he was in Raleigh and couldn’t talk with us…Cancelled appt. #1. So, for the back-up plan, we went to the library to make a map with the directions to get to the church. That didn’t work out so, we ended up going to lunch with Christina (a recent convert, who remembered it was my birthday). That was awesome. Afterwards we went to visit Sister Berlanga…she had a visitor and couldn’t talk with us…Cancelled appt. #2. After than we did a few stop-bys with less-actives, no success, and then other stop-bys, no success, and then went to our appointment with the Pennell Family. We were invited in the trailor by their daughter but she came and told us that the parents were sick in bed and also they had to work at night…Cancelled appt. #3. Also, to add fuel to the fire, they live way out there in the country, so we wasted tons of miles to go see them. Afterwards, we tracked a trailor park we saw on the way..no success. So, we came home and ate a quick, small dinner (mostly the contents of the package I recieved from the family), and we headed off to go see Brother Houston. He was not there…Cancelled appt. #4. Then we went to go see Jorge Leon a little early, but he told us he was going to the store and he would be back shortly. Then, when we returned he told us he had a drink before and didn’t feel like he should study under his condition. Nevertheless, we still ended up teaching him a quick lesson about repentance. So, we finally taught…but just but pity…Cancelled appt. #5. Well, we decided to go to a mexican tienda to buy a piece of Tres Leches cake, because it was my cumpleanos. But the first one we went to, they didn’t have any left! Then, we went to another…they also didn’t have any!! I couldn’t even get a piece of cake! But, all was well, we bought a shake, so that kept me satisfied. But all in all, it was a very entertaining day, I wasn’t down or anything, it was just another day of missionary work, but it was kind of funny how nothing worked out…hehe.
Well, yesterday, we gave talks in sacrament meeting. That went pretty well, we only had 23 at church, kind of low for us. Michelle came to church, but not Guadalupe. Michelle is really cool, at first, she was very timid, but she is starting to open up to Guerrero and I. I think that she thought it was weird that a tall american was speaking spanish to her (cause she just got here from Mexico), but seems like it’s all good now. Wilson is going good, but I hope to be changing…I don’t know if I can keep up the work for another transfer here.
Thanks everyone for the cards and package from the family. Elder Hardy