Worth the Read.... 12-12-2022

What up with ya'll? Thank you for the package mom, yall already know she's the best. Anyhow Christmas is upon us, kinda crazy how fast time is flying by. Seems like just last week I was still camping with my buddies reminiscing on the good ol days and talking about our futures (flashback to the cliff) then I woke up with the realization that yes I do live in a bum apartment and yes I am a missionary and for 1 whole month at that *mind blown* I'll admit it's weird living the missionary life instead of watching it from a spectator pov. This week has been interesting to say the least, started off wonderful and then it snowballed (pun intended) into some dreary times. Lets start with Monday... my first real preparation day. Got together with the district to play some pretty intense basketball, wallball, pickleball, and dodgeball. Here's some advice, do not buy the Goodyear Tire shoes at Ross for $20, there is zero traction. Between my rusty skills and these shoes I missed every layup opportunity in a game of basketball, eek. 

Enter in Tuesday.... we had a service opportunity at an older sisters home helping her organize her cluttered cupboards, most the food found and tossed was older than myself, I did a few bicep curls with the trash bags full of cans seeming most every other form of exercise equipment is banned in this mission. Gotta get those gains somehow. Every day our district leader sends a daily photo challenge to the chat, Tuesdays was the biggest icicle. In his own excitement he saw an absolute lunker of an icicle dangling on a dilapidated Catholic church building downtown, as he went to fetch it he legit got stopped by a cop and interrogated a while. Wish I was there to have seen it, gnarly times. My comp and I taught a lesson to a 85+ year old woman whom we practically to yell at for her to hear us. That was a decent day. 

Along came Wednesday...whilst in the middle of a mission wide zoom meeting, one of the elders heard a rustling in the..oven. So we all meandered our way to peek, and lo and behold there stood a mouse in the stove top burner munching and crunching on tinfoil, mice don't generally scare me but the fact that this one was in the oven where we cook our food gave me the heebie jeebies. We set a trap and a few hours later he was departed from this world. And then Remy the dog who lives upstairs hopped upon the dead mouse and tried to play with him, what did I say, interesting week for sure. Later in the day we got our hands on a "Anti-Mormonism" book from a inactive member, I skimmed through it and pardon my French, that was full of bs. So we burned it, in the backyard. 

Thursday was uneventful and might I add monotonous and kinda depressing, it really wears on a person to knock doors and try to interact with everyone in the most friendly Christlike manner to only be glared upon and rebuked in their eyes. Most everyone around town hates us, I wonder if they know that I love them nonetheless. It's proving difficult to persevere through the hard times and maintain that smile. Friendly reminder to be kind to all people.

♡ Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ♡

Friday came to pass with a zone conference with which I had been assigned a lesson which I was not informed about, so I freestyled about Christ's love and shared some tips on how to spread Christmas cheer specially this season. Afterwards we got Roger's Burgers, pretty good food I'd say, then we balled up for a quick minute. The zone leaders are goofy individuals who have a lot to learn and teach, I enjoy their company. That night we visited a young family who exemplified the word love. Their young children taught me boat origami and we played catch with a lil foam football and taught a sweet lesson on David and Goliath. Kids are so sweet and innocent and we older people have so much still to learn from them. Brings the story of Christ suffering the children to come unto Him to my mind, I love that story with every fiber of my being. If you know me you know I love kids, they're so awesome and cute. I love covering the local family wards because there are good people here, one thing I've learned is that the Church is the same every where you go. I love it

Saturday was wild and not in a good way. There was this one street that I will never go back to, to preface my experience let me start with saying every door we knocked on this road people were rude and blunt and slammed doors. As we're walking and doing our thing I turn around and in this huge window on a second story of this home I see a man standing looking down on me. I wave all friendly like to him and his response was the angriest glare I've ever seen, then he proceeded to angrily point and motion for us to leave what I assume is "his" street. Homie was mad for no reason. A few houses down a man opened the door and stepped outside, I could tell from his hoodie things were about to get crazy. (His hoodie said Christian Karate Ninja) He instantly laid into me how "I'm deceived of the Devil" and I oughta read the Bible (jokes on him I read the Bible that morning and every day) and he got in my face and said I'm going to hell. I shoulda said "rather be there than freezing my butt off on your porch" but that wouldn't have been Christlike haha. He challenged me to read the Bible and pray to know for myself if the words therein written are true, I said bet. I replied "I challenge you to do the same with the Book of Mormon" he got so mad, and said its an apostate book. First of all what up with double standards these days, smh, and don't be a hypocrite. My first bible bash, yayyy. In hindsight I shoulda literally bashed him with a Bible, jk. People are rude and difficult but I gotta keep my head up and reciprocate with kindness, keep me in yalls prayers.

Sunday the fun-day....Sister Oliver is so clutch with a homemade scarf, took her 5 days to knit. I'm eternally grateful for her love and kindness, also she's a better member missionary than most full time missionaries. She also made some pretty bomb salad. 

If you've read this far, thank you, I love you and so does the Lord. I'd love for yall to keep me updated on yalls ends, I love receiving pictures. DM or email me, till next time