" So today started out in the usual p-day. We did the usual stuff but then we went to a store called Tractor Co. We wanted to buy overalls, but they didn't have the size we wanted, so we went to lunch. The bishop called us and long story short-He wanted us to go find someone in the park who just got out of jail and the Bishop wanted to take him to the Salvation Army. I guess he is a member and knocked on the sisters apartment door. We tried to find him but he was gone. Fast forward like 8+ hours and it was 7:00 pm when we got a call from one of the sister missionaries and they wanted us to come right over. We call them and then went over because they said there was a stranger at their apt who knocked and then left and then came back again. We arrived and he is gone so we wait in the car outside the sisters apt doing some recon. We were both like, lets go out and look for whoever did this. We're looking around and we're both in short sleeves and it is super cold outside and their is this killer wind. So it is freezing! So we were walking around for about 7 min and this guy comes up to us. He said that we were who he was trying to contact all day. He was the guy we were supposed to find in the park earlier.
So we talk to him and he was the most humble guy. He got outta jail and lived with his mom's friend who ended up selling drugs. He choose to live homeless rather then live with her doing drugs and selling them. We talked with him and he was living in the park bathroom. We told him we would contact the bishop and get him a ride to the shelter. We then left and we bought him hot chocolate, a blanket, gloves and a pizza. We found him in the park on a bench and he had lit a fire to keep himself warm cause it was freezing outside. We gave him all that stuff plus some more cash for the next couple of days. He was so thankful and kinda embarrassed that he was so needy. He kept saying, "Well after this, hopefully y'all will see me in a better situation. While we were talking to him, suddenly a cop shows up. We were worried because here we were with a homeless man and there is this fire burning in the middle of a park. He told the cop what happened and the cop understood. He asked the guy if he had anything to put out the fire with quick. Then the homeless guy said he was really depressed and bought these beers, but after a couple of sips of one can, he felt horrible about himself. He took the beers and threw them over the fire. The cop was chill and we talked to him for awhile and then he left. We all just felt bad cause we just left him in the park in the freezing cold and honestly we wanted to take him into our apt but that would be a huge no, it just sometimes sucks. But we did all that we could.
The next day the other elders had to take our car cause they had to go to new missionary training. We had to bike to our recent converts house because we had a lesson with her that morning. So we walked out wearing our short sleeves . When we started to bike we realized that there was a constant freezing wind. Since we were already late, we just suffered through it. We biked exactly 5.2 miles in the freezing wind. It was even more annoying that there are no sidewalks in Orange cause the cars fly inches past us and honk or yell things at us. One of them honestly hit my bag that was just barely hanging off the side of me. When we finally got close to the converts home, we got chased by a ton of dogs. We taught her and then biked back. The bishop came and picked us up at home and we helped him out around his house for the rest of the day.
Today it is New Years Eve and we went and got breakfast at Sonic. We went to the Hammonds to eat and then bought sparkling cider and other things. We hurried back to our apartment because we had to be in by 6:00.
The next day we had district meeting and after we got home, the Assistants to the Mission President called the other elders and told them that they would be staying the night in their apt. This information got us scared cause they might also come into our apartments. So both of us cleaned our apartments super good. We had a lesson with our investigator, Josh. It was super good and at the end he asked what they do after worship service(Sacrament). We told him about gospel principles and Priesthood. He looked at his wife and says, "Honey, we have to stay for a couple more hours on Sunday cause I have to go to Gospel Principles." It was super funny. He is super solid. The only problem is that he is outside our ward boundaries but they are going to move in after he finishes training in Houston. The Stake President has told us that we can't baptize them until they actually move in. He also added that we are lucky just to be able to teach him. So now we have a really solid investigator who wants to be baptized and another three kids who really want to be baptized. All we can do is continue to teach them and keep them excited for baptism for a couple more months. They don't like the Vidor ward, so it is either our ward or they won't go.
After we taught them, we went to Orange Field and knocked on some doors and only one answered. He came to the window and said, "Not today" and motioned for us to go away. The thing is we were trying to find a house and were going to ask him if he knows Christina but he waved us away and closed the door.
We had interviews today with the Mission President. It was really good. I guess the mission is changing everything around and is simplifying everything so we are going back to the basics. Honestly, I think it is a great idea. Then we went to 'The Hut"(a BBQ place) for lunch. I got the smoked turkey burger on a jalapeno bun with spicy mayo. It was the best thing I've ever had. Holy Cow it was so good. We played basketball with some investigators and some recent converts and it was cool cause they invited some friends to come so we had 12 people there tonight. Then Elder Venche got really sick so we gave him a blessing and got him some medicine.
Last night the people above us apparently got a brand new stereo cause they have been playing it 24/7 for three days now. By now we are sick of it cause last night it was so loud that our apartment was shaking. I had to turn the fan on full blast just to drown out the noise but you could still hear it pretty good.
On top of that when we woke up Elder Hunter was super sick, so he and Elder Venche stayed home while me and Elder Lawrence went to church. Then Elder Lawrence and I went out and taught some people cause we both had set appointments and our companions were sick.
We stopped by their best investigator named Shelby. We came in and she had a list of 20 questions that she got when she read a couple of chapters in the Book of Mormon. Her mom came out (who is a member) and she told us that her son was at his grandparents who are Catholic. The grandparents gave him a cross that was supposedly blessed by the Pope which they bought in Italy. She asked us if he could wear it, so we explained to her that while our church honors the cross, we look toward Christ as resurrected. After that she goes and gives the heckles to her son and he grabs it and it breaks. Then Elder Lawrence said, "Well, that's what happens when things are blessed by the Pope? "
We then went to go see a potential investigator that has a massive No Smoking sign on their door. We knock on her door and she answers it and is smoking a cigarette, so we were confused. We then saw some inactives and she told us that in her church (Methodist) that a person came from the Mormon Tabernacle and blessed her churches organ. She then proceeded to tell us something about a mission and some guy that went to Utah. It was all so weird. We saw some more people and got back around 8:00. Elder Hunter looked like he wanted to kill himself cause he was stuck inside for 12 hours.
So here is a list of some of my Goals for this new Year:
1. Exercise almost every day
2. Have really good cursive
3. Know 'Preach My Gospel" better
4. Read a chapter of the Book of Mormon every day out loud
5. Have better people skills
6. Be able to simplify all the lessons so that anyone can understand them
7. Be healthier(green smoothies , vegetables , salads, fruits
8. Go back to Isaiah chapters and actually read and understand them.
9. Start reading the Bible
Love,
Elder Saunders
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