The Bridge to a General Authority

Monday, Jan 25, 2016  in Port Arthur, TX

"So we found out that our temple trip was canceled. I guess Elder
Russell M Nelson is coming for a tri -mission conference ( Houston, TX, Texas Houston East, and Texas Houston South) this Saturday to speak to us. Like that's way cool. He's like the 2nd string prophet. We're all so pumped. We just found out that he is speaking west of Houston, which is 6 hours away from here. We can't go the night before and stay in another elders apt to get closer, so we have to wake up at 5 am to go to the talk.

Hey, so I found out that my area is mid county and it's like 65% decent and 35% hood. It is pretty much all city. We actually had a good day, I mean we listened to Pentetonix Christmas album like 6 times in one day, but we saw a lot of people. One of them we were talking to is this mom and her kid. The girl is 9 and MAN she was freaken smart. We taught them the plan of salvation and she asked so many questions and they were good. Like we were almost being bashed, the questions were so good. We asked her if she knew about Adam and Eve, right down to Cain and Abel. She was so smart. After teaching we went to lunch with a Pentecostal preacher named Derek. I actually met him when I was in Orange a couple of times. He lives in our area so he takes us out to lunch a lot. Then we talked to some more people and then ate at a members house. We went and played basketball and like 8 black kids showed up and they were BIG! I was the third shortest person out of 12 people. Like I got slaughtered at first, then I warmed up and started to make shots. But yeah it was fun and I got a street name. We then came home and planned.

So we started off the day with a missionary broadcast and it was great. We then helped this guy move a TV. So we moved it and then this guy takes us into this huge barn he has. We go in and it is full of old sports cars, old posters, signs, license plates, etc.... It was so cool. Then we see this super old jukebox, so we're like, "Hey, does this still work?" and he's like, "Yeah". He flips on a switch and all the lights turn on and then he asked us what song we wanted. So I look and see 'Surfing USA' by the Beach Boys. So he presses the button and it starts to play. It's good quality and it was so cool. After that they took us to get Pizza( quick side note: this is the first time in 8 weeks that we have had two dinners in a row with members). So at the Pizza place I sat down and he tells me, "Son, I don't wanna sound rude, but I gotta sit there." Then he explains that the chair I was in faces the door and he is right handed. So if a guy comes in with a gun, he can draw quick and shoot. So yeah, we think this guy is pretty cool. Then we went to a less actives house and he said that he hadn't talked to missionaries in months. I then found out that my trainer, Elder Knebel, was the last missionary to talk to him. We then went to Ward Correlation and I found out that Sister Madsen(who was in my district in Orange) followed me here and is also in my district here in Port Arthur, so that was a surprise. We also listened to that cd another five times today.

Today was another good day. We taught this girl named Courtney, and she was a bit crazy. We were talking about Sacrament prayers, so I had her read this scripture in Moroni and then I asked her what she thought. She went off on a tangent for about 25 min. We were on her balcony and it started to pour down rain and then the wind would change so rain would slap us in the face. 

After that we met this guy who really was crazy and when we finished teaching him, we asked him to say the closing prayer and so he starts then he looks at us and says, " And please give the devil another chance to do good." Then he looks at us and says, " Maybe it is because he has no friends, maybe that's why he is so mean." I was about to laugh because I thought it was a joke, but he was dead serious. So we're like please finish your prayer and we will tell you more. So then he continues his prayer and goes, "Thank you for the missionaries and again give the devil another chance, Amen" 

We then did an hour of power and we knocked on this house and this Chinese person answers and she told us she doesn't speak English. So, my comp's like what language do you speak? She couldn't understand him and it goes on and on and Elder Ericson is like playing charades and trying to get her to understand. I am like leaning against the wall and thinking about how this scene looks like a foreign movie with all the sub titles off. 

Then we knocked on this other person's door and this black lady answers and we talk to her and she is pretty smart and she asks us about black people in the Book of Mormon and about being gods and other questions but hey she invited us back. Hey, new investigator. 

After seeing her we were driving by the gas station and we see our friend who works there. He is getting into this argument with another guy and then the guy runs and jumps in this car and drives away and his friends drive away. So he cut through the grass, so we knew he stole something. We wanted to help our friend so we tailed him and he didn't have a license plate. We went back to the gas station to talk to our bud, and he told us he stole a piece of candy. So we felt stupid cause we just wasted money and gas for candy. So... Yeah.

We went to Zone Meeting today in Beaumont and then went to Golden Corral and for those of you wondering, yes it sucks in Texas, too. We were starving, though, and we had a sweet Polynesian with us so ya we did it. We biked to the edge of our area and we met some interesting people. It was getting late so we went to a members house to see if they could give us a ride. We get there and they were like, "We're going out to eat, wanna come? We were like well we have dinner at 6:30 and he's like, we will be back before then. Get in the car. He wasn't going to budge, so he takes us to this high end Chinese place and orders for us. We were sitting talking to the members when a 8 year old girl comes up to us and says, "Are y'all a Mormon?" And we're like Yeah. She said her Aunt is Mormon and can I take a picture of y'all and send it to her?" So we're like, yeah,sure. She takes it and we turn around and start talking to her mom. The girl asked if me and my companion were twins. I said of course not, I am much cuter than him, don't you think? She said she wasn't answering that but then she picked me, haha. So they had to go so we gave her our number and asked her if we could teach her and she said no because I'm baptist. She leaves and we finish eating.

We were on our way home when we get a call from Utah! So I answer it and I'm like, "Hi, this is Elder Saunders." She's like, "Elder Saunders from Layton, Utah?" I'm like okay, who did my mom give my phone number out to?( note from mom: I do not know his number :) But then she explains that she is the sister of the person who we contacted at the restaurant. She told us how she has been praying forever for the missionaries to get in contact with her sister and as she was praying that night, she got a text from her sister and it was the picture of me and my comp. She said her sister sent the phone number over, too. So we talk to her and she is super excited and gives us her sister's address and gives us pointers on how to act and stuff like that. She also told us a story about when her sister's husband was in the Baptist church and they were trash talking Mormons. He stood up and told everyone that what they said was a lie, and he is friends with some Mormons and they don't believe that. He then walked out and they never went to church again. We thanked her and searched up the street and it is not in our area! We contacted the other elders and told them everything that went on so hopefully a miracle story comes from this. 

We had spoken pedal today. We go outside and it is super cold cause the wind is blowing non stop. We were biking in traffic cause Texans don't believe in sidewalks and people are honking. We finally arrived at these apartment complexes. We go to the door and there is no one there, so we see a person about two doors down and she is outside her apartment and when she sees us she grabs for the door but it is locked, so she is looking for her keys. I asked her how it was going and she looks down and swears and turns to us and goes, " I have a church. I know Christ and accept him as my Savior, and I am saved." I told her that was way cool. I said,"Y'all know our message is in Christ. Would you like to hear it?" She said, "NO." We were like cold and we biked so long so  I was like, "Well how do you know and accept Christ when you won't even listen to a message about him? Christ died for all of us. The least you could do is strengthen your testimony of him by hearing our message." Haha.
She looks at me and says nothing and then walked in and closed the door. I turned to my companion and I'm like, well that is one contacted. Then the door opens again and her daughter comes out. She is about 17 or so and she says," Do y'all go to Nederland?" So we're like, "Yeah. She told us her mom's sister needs help right now and could y'all go over and share your message with her?" So we were excited and we got her address and will visit her next week. 

So we bike back and take into account that we are talking to everyone and we would write their stories, but honestly people cussing do not make a good story. 

So we get lunch and then go back out and contact some more people and we contacted this one girl. She was super happy and she said how much she appreciates us and stuff like that and how she loves Jesus. Then she's like, "Y'all the ones who I saw playing basketball with those little black kids?" And we told her that it was us. She starts crying and said, "Wow, that is so kind of you that you would do that." And then she goes on and says, " I would hear your message but I am so drunk right now. Just come to Subway at 3 and I'll get baptized." So ya.

Then we rode down the street and talked to a guy that was high off his mind and let me tell you, we mentioned Jesus and he gave us a sermon. He was like, I'm SAVED, I'M SAVED, Y'ALL I'M SAVED! It was actually pretty intense, I'm not going to lie. He was even quoting scripture. I mean he made it up but he told us it was scripture. Then I figured out I left my beanie with the family that took us out to eat yesterday, and so I grab my hat and the mom says, "Do y'all have dinner today? " And we're like, No. She's like sit down and we'll feed y'all, but we had an appointment so she settled for feeding us tomorrow. Then we were going to the adult session of stake conference but the zone leaders said no, so we went and played volleyball at a Pentecostal church instead. And that was our day.

So today we had Stake Conference. After we went to a rest home and talked with some members there. We went to a members home for dinner and they fed us the best ribs I've ever tasted. Like I know that I've said that before but hands down these were amazing. I ate so much and honestly I could have ate a lot more, but then she served us these cookie ice cream sandwiches and those were super good but she gave us like 3 of them and that was a lot and then she made us eat more and that killed me. Then after that we went to a Pentecostal church and let's say it was very interesting :(

Love, 
Elder Saunders

Mom googled the Bridge to get to Houston. It is the tallest bridge in Texas and is called the Rainbow bridge. It is only one lane now because of construction. Can we say, HEART ATTACK- Port Arthur, TX  Jan 2016

This is the Houston Freeway-Oh my Stars! Please tell me that Elder Saunders is not driving. Jan 2016