Monday, May 30, 2011

Suit Run

Jordan finished his first transfer this week.  Luckily he is still with Elder Stokes (who has been in the area for almost nine months) but Elder Stokes got promoted to District Leader and is staying with Jord for probably six more weeks.

Jordan visits an old lady named Betty about twice a week just to say hello and talk. She is a member, but can't make it to church, so they bring her the sacrament, chat for a while, and then give a spiritual thought.  "She can never remember American names, and doesn't like to call us Elder, so she gives every Elder a name that she thinks fits them right. She calls my companion Dory and me Dumas. For some reason she always wants to arm wrestle me, (if I say no, she gets mad and insists) so we end up arm wrestling about twice a week. She is about 100 years old, but somehow beats me every time. She also likes to learn American slang gangster phrases  (or Yankee thug words as she calls them) and then after we teach her them, shouts them really loud over and over and over again. The last time we were there, I taught her "yeahhhhhhhh boyeeeeeeeeee". Now she shouts it at us whenever she sees us around town. Keep in mind that she is about 4´5 and 100 years old."

Jordan and his companion have been having so many appointments a day they can't keep up with them all.  They end up having to skip about two a day.   They have to be home by 9:30 p.m.  On Friday they finished their second to last appointment at about 8:45. "Our last appointment was super far away, so we decided to run the 35 blocks to the nearest bus stop. We looked so stupid running in suits and with huge backpacks. Everyone was honking at us or shouting as we ran by, but I felt really good about it. I have never felt more like a missionary. We got to the bus stop sweating so bad and breathing so hard.  There was one other guy at the bus stop who looked about the same age as us. Right when I saw him, I felt like I should talk to him. I ignored the feeling at first. As we waited for the bus I felt the feeling stronger and stronger until I leaned over to my companion and told him that I felt like we needed to talk to him. Elder Stokes smiled really wide and said he had been feeling the same thing. Just at that moment the kid came and sat right next to me and asked how I was doing. I was so surprised and probably looked at him really weird. We started talking and HE asked for OUR number and told us to come by his house to teach him about our church. He said his name was Diego and 20 years old and that he had been looking for a church to go to. I couldn't belive it. It taught me a good lesson. We, as missionaries, will be guided to people who are prepared if we just listen. If we had not ran, we would not have talked to Diego. I know he was put in our path for a reason. I have been thinking a lot about finding people to teach. It is such a comfort that I am not in the work alone. I will always have a helping hand from the heavens to help me find people if I am worthy of that help. It was a huge testimony builder and an experience that I will not forget anytime soon."

 "I love the work. I am so happy where I am now. All is well. Life is good."

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