sweetsweetTRIUMPH!

Dear Family,
What an EXCELLENT week I’ve had. Do you happen to remember Veronica? The woman I found on in the street my first transfer here? Yesterday, she and her two children who are old enough were baptized. I got to go back to Sixth Ward to take part in the program and see the miracle go down. I will send pictures as usual, it was BEAUTIFUL. Utter triumph in motion. She cried, I cried—there was a lot of crying. And babbling “gracias” and hugging. She’s such a sweet, humble person—I feel so lucky that God trusted me to teach her. But we didn’t even really do anything, she was so prepared—before she ever met us, she was being prepared to receive the gospel.
It was a really great day.
And her children are such angels, Karen is almost fifteen and gorgeous, she always has a flock of about 12 young men sort of hovering a few paces behind her just watching her sit there are look adorable. She’s a lot like her mom though, sweet and kind and very in tune spiritually. It’s too bad it sounds like she’s had trouble making friends with the young women in the ward. She’s so shy and their all really loud and crazy… but they like her and a lot of them came to the baptism. All the young men showed up. The over-sixteens all tried to earn the privilege of baptizing her. She had Elder Herrman do it:) Jason is eight and he got baptized too. I LOVE this kid. He’s such a good son. The two weeks near the beginning when she didn’t come to church she said he was asking her “Aren’t we going to go to church? You told the sisters we would go… Mom, I want to go to church.” he’s a way sweet kid. He was so excited to get baptized. And his little brother Eduardo (who’s only four) was so into it. He was watching the whole thing from over the edge of the fount with a big smile on his face. Her baby Kevin is really well behaved, he loves it when we sing and just stars at you with big black eyes. So sweet! I love this family… now we just have to work on dad. He seems nice (I’ve only met him once) but he’s done the reading assignments with Veronica before and she thinks that with time he’ll open us to the idea a little more. He didn’t come to their baptism, which was really disappointing,
That’s the big news of this last week… Other than that, the week was still awesome. We had exchanges—I went down to Louetta with Hermana Bastion who came out with me on the plane. The two of us had a lot of fun together—I really think I’d enjoy being companions with her sometime. I had to go to a ‘drop-lesson’ though. (A lesson when the missionaries and planning to say, “Bye. We’ll probably visit you again sometime.” and disappear mysteriously into the night to fill their record away under “former”.)
I am generally against ‘drop-lessons’. I know their necessary sometimes, but as a general rule, I like to at least stop by once a week to see everyone who is still WILLING to let us inside and listen to us. And this particular guy, I actually know personally, which made it even more uncomfortable. Hermana Frieszell met him last year when she was serving bi-lingual in… I think Navasota or maybe College Station. They taught him once and it was a really memorable ‘not-cool’ lesson, in which their ward mission leader, who was with them, argued with him for about an hour and a half, while poor Hermana Frieszell and her companion couldn’t get a word in edge-wise to calm the situation. They left and didn’t ever go back… then, during one of my first weeks here, working the Pulga with Hermana Frieszell, this guy walks up with his friend and the two of them start flirting, so we get him to give us his new address and Hermana Frieszell writes a big “SEND ELDERS, NOT SISTERS!” note next to the address. Then she turns to me and says “Of all the people I never thought I’d ever see again in my life…” and re-tells me this story that she’d just told me, but now adding “AND THAT WAS HIM! RIGHT THERE!”
Crazy.
So.
Then… I met this guy again at a Zone conference, he was there for the mock-teaching session. We had me and Hermana Forsling, with Elder Meade and Elder Richards, and we were supposed to take turns and the Elders went first. But there was no teaching, Elder Meade and this man (His name is Ediel, I think) just sat and argued for like a half-hour, while we wondered what we should do to stop this, as we were supposed to have already returned to the conference…
So, the guy’s really contentious. And, I just happened to go on exchanges to the area where he is, on the night the missionaries are planning to drop him. (The silly referral people did NOT take Hermana Frieszell’s advice and went ahead and gave him to the sisters in that ward. Which is silly, because they have two sets of Elders nearby.)
So… we were just supposed to drop him and leave, but I decided to go ahead and be that crazy ‘missionary-on-exchange’ who screws everything up, because I figure, we can’t be repeatedly running into this guy without a good reason, right? So… I ended up, sort of, kind of, maybe arguing with him for only like forty minutes and in such a way that was not contentious and tried to settle his doubt. He finds the idea of modern prophets distasteful. This is the same subject that he’s continually argued about with everyone else.
Anyway, it kind of worked, because, for once, I think—I finally saw him speechless and at least seriously thinking about what I’d said, rather than just getting angry. And Hermana Bastion didn’t actually drop him, she just refused to make a return appointment. He kept asking when we’d be back and she said “I don’t know, in a few weeks… when you’re ready to listen.” and wouldn’t actually pull the trigger.
So… mission accomplished. Ish.
I’m not sure how much I helped. But it was interesting. Maybe I’d get transferred there someday and can beat him over the head with that two-by-four of the holy spirit that Hermano Anthony mentioned.
The fourth of July was fun. We didn’t stay in all day—we had to be in at 7:30 though. We had the Pulga in the morning. Some guy tried to get me to simultaneously teach his son everything about God and go out with said son, which was entertaining but uncomfortable. I think he just wanted him to behave better and thought a majorly religious girlfriend would help. I also think he thought I was about twelve, because his son was probably thirteen.
After Pulga we went to visit some members. Their converts of a couple of years and we ended up getting into three very different doctrinal discussions. The oldest son has decided he likes what other religions believe about hell and wants us to explain how emotional/mental turmoil is really worse than physical torture. We explained pretty clearly and he started to sort of see our point even if he wouldn’t admit it. Then we had to convince them all that they really want to go to the celestial kingdom and that the terrestrial is really not that great, we promise.
Sister Bastion has a funny poster that I’d really love to have a copy of. It’s really subtle, just a picture of the two actors who play the devil in the temple films standing together smiling with a note that says something like “Just a friendly reminder to visit the temple!” quite hilarious.
Ask Grandma and Grandpa if they remember the Anthon family at all… Because Dr Anthon is a podiatrist here in Texas now and he totally knows the Lillywhites! Apparently he was very much in love with Kim when he was 5-6 years old. He lived next door to Grandma & Grandpa Wade? in provo? He referred to daddy as “That little guy” so this was a VERY long time ago.
Oh yeah, I was having some trouble with my foot, so I went to see a podiatrist. Hence the above story… but it’s fine now. Pretty sure it was just a pinched nerve. It was really annoying for about a week, but I started icing it every day and if it keeps giving me problems he says a steroid shot will probably fix it.
Aside from that… I’ve got a note about how I need thigh highs. And the inserts for my shoes are getting pretty manky and crushed and useless… That’s all I can think of.
That’s SO good for Nick. I’m glad his mission was such a positive experience for him. Assistants to the President… in MY somewhat limited, but not-all-that-much experience, are typically some of the nicest, wisest and funnest Elders in the whole mission. I love it when we get to serve around the APs and I look forward to when they come to visit. So, that’s way good for him that it sounds like he’s grown so much.
How is everyone?! Your trip to St. George sounds fun. Sorry about the lame bikeride daddy, but cool that you met a nice Samaritan. I bet I’d like the play, and I think I remember the trailer for UP. Looked REALLY cute. I sure do miss you all, and Grandma and Grandpa and trips to St. George. I totally want to take a spin in that little car when I get back. My companion is teaching me a little about cars. I’m probably a bad influence on her, because she says so. She had left behind her days of sneaking out and street racing in downtown LA and I keep asking her perfectly innocent questions like “What if I’m looking for a real, good, little car… stick, and affordable?” and then she goes off on “OH! I remember when I won 4,000$ in a(insertmakemodelyeariknownothingaboutcarssoicantprobaberlyimmitateher).”
I LOVE you all, so, so much my lovely, wonderful, beautiful family. I can’t wait to see all these pictures! I know, I know, you all look the same, which is good, but I. want. PROOF!
Mwah.Mwah.