hiiiiiii.
Another good week
in PA. A lot of my time this week was spent entering our area books online.
Soooo much work, and our area just condensed two areas so we have two area books
to enter, which means we're typing and entering every lesson and person ever
taught and recorded. Funnnn. We've tried to keep it entertaining by doing it on
Main, wherever we can find wifi. Despite the hoursssss spent entering info we
still had a good week.
This week was Jeep Festival downtown here. The Jeep was
actually invented right here in Butler of all places, haha. So the road
was blocked off and everyone with a jeep could drive down Main. Over 3,000 jeeps
showed. The line to drive through was like 5 miles. Kinda cool. I got
interviewed by one of the TV crews there representing Jeep, haha. Signed a
release form and everything. They asked me who I worked for, and I told them I
was a missionary for the church. Accidental advertising haha.
We
got to meet the Spanish speaking guy we talked to in walmart on Tuesday! We
really don't know how to pronounce his name... but it sounded something like
Guacamole, so that'll work for now. He brought his friend Alejandro. They are in
the US for the summer working. They helped us with our Spanish, and we helped
them with their English. Conversation quickly turned to them wanting to know
about the church. What is starting as language practice will lead to something
more. They both asked for Libros de Mormon. Fue muy bien para usar nuestros
Espanol! Finalmente. Ahora vamos a visitar con ellos cada semana. Las personas
Mexicanas son el mejor. Todos son simpatico y amoroso, es sus culturas. Estamos
ensendando a las tres personas en Espanol ahora! Estamos haciendo alguna cosa
correcta!
We
got to see Ivan again this week, he still feeds us dinners haha. Ivan is very
racist, he hates Mexicans, and gets a little jealous when we see our Mexican
friends, haha. Ivan is a special one!
Bill
has made so much progress since we met him. When we first met him I really never
thought I would be able to help him, the scientist with all his deep deep
doctrinal questions and concerns. He has picked the Book of Mormon apart, word
for word, line for line for 20 years, I felt so inadequate for the job haha, my
knowledge being very basic. I thought he would need a much more experienced
missionary, haha. I've come to realize my basic, simple knowledge is exactly
what he needs. He needs to get to the root of it.
Is it true or is it
not true?
His
baptismal date is still set for July 11, but we still have a lot to teach him,
including the Word of Wisdom. He surprised us by bringing his mom to a baptismal
service we invited him to on Saturday and to church yesterday. She was nice, and
by the end of the day she said "Wow, I'm really shocked. I didn't think you guys
were Christians."
Isn't that
interesting that nobody thinks we are Christians...? The Church of JESUS CHRIST
of Latter Day Saints? Hmmm. Our religion is possibly the most misunderstood.
Anyway,
Bill has really come around. When we first started teaching him, he would tell
us how the Book of Mormon was true, but the church today was not. He still has
some issues with D&C, but he is really a changed person since we first met
him. He understands now.
This
week at Katie's we met some more interesting people. We met another nice guy who
casually struck a conversation as I poured his drink. "Oh hi, you look very nice
today. Oh yeah, I'd throw the Book of Mormon in an incinerator if I
could."
Nice.
Haha. We actually ended up seeing him later this week and were
able to teach him and he said he'd read it. (1 Point missionaries)
I got to go
back and teach the family of seven. We were on splits that night, so I was with
a member in the ward. I was really nervous knowing I would have to do all the
teaching on my own, haha. But it went so well, and she will be bringing her
family to church this week (hopefully.) Her husband hasn't warmed up to the idea
of Mormon missionaries yet, but I think he will.
Kind of
funny. None of the members will even go with us into the areas we live in
teach. (Downtown Butler) Too dangerous. Hahah.
We had lots of
crazy weather this week. Flash floods all week and a tornado went though Butler.
The storms are so cool here, it doesn't rain here, it DUMPS. And the lightning
and thunder is awesome. Never more than a few second in between lightning. On
our way to our dinner appt Thursday we had to stop and walk because a huge tree
had fallen and blocked the road. (In the storm.) by the time we got to the
members house, they had all their things ready to take downstairs for the
tornado haha.
I have gotten
to see fireflies for the first time! They are just starting to come out, they're
amazing! Feels like you're in a movie.
The highlight of my week was returning to visit Phyllis, the Roman
Catholic older lady. First we asked her if she had started reading the Book of
Mormon. In 5 days, she had read all of first and second Nephi.. Not only that,
but she said she would pray after every chapter. She has been very sick, and has
quite a bit of pain when she talks, yet she said she reads aloud every time so
she "Understands and doesn't forget anything."
"I didn't know God
commanded someone else other than Noah to build a ship." (Nephi)
"I don't like how
those two brothers treated their brother." (Laman and Lemuel)
When we first met
Phyllis, she told us she does not attend her own church because of her bad back,
but when we asked her if she would go with us this week, she said "Well, I don't
have any skirts or dresses. Can I wear my blue jeans?"
She is so sweet and
cute. She told us she feels comfort when she reads the Book of Mormon. You don't
meet many people like her, let alone anyone that actually reads when you commit
them to haha.
We're still
teaching in the many halfway/ 3/4 houses in Butler, we lost Ryan this week
though. The guys are kicked out of the house if they are caught drinking or
doing drugs again. We've witnessed some pretty intense fights in those houses
haha. One night we were at Ivan's and some of the guys got home and first
started yelling at each other, then it turned to screaming, then it got realll
physical haha. Pretty crazy. But that's what you get here. Haha. Sometimes other
guys in the house will come out to smoke and join our lessons, so we'll be
sitting with sometimes five or six guys, all smoking and covered in tats,
teaching haha. What a sight.
Our new district is interesting to say the least. They
definitely live up to the Pittsburgh party mission rep... I'll leave it at that
haha. Don't worry, the only partying I do is at our halfway houses with all our
buds. Jk.
I honestly
feel like I have smoked after walking out of lessons, everyone smokes here,
during our lessons. I'm always struggling not to cough or choke haha. It has
brought our some asthmatic symptoms. Most nights when we get home we smell like
a casino... yummmmm.
Oh!! My other
highlight.. Thomas called yesterday!! We got a call from a number we didn't know
and there was a recorded message saying to press 1 to accept a call from Butler
Prison. We only had literally 30 seconds with him until it cut us off, but he
called to tell us he hadn't gotten out, but to keep praying for him, he has a
court date Tuesday and might have another chance. He sounded pretty down in the
dumps, I hope he gets out. Sister Davis and I were so bummed when he didn't get
out the first time, but then we started thinking- maybe it has given him more
time to read the Book of Mormon we sent in. We'll see! If he doesn't get out we
will be sending written lessons through the guy in our ward who goes into the
prison regularly.
Thank you for all
the letters and support! Much appreciated. Keep them coming💜
"...everyone needs
to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing
and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead.
It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away,
there is the promise of good things to come. My declaration is that this is
precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of
need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the
tunnel."
"Now, I wish to
encourage those who are in the midst of hard trials, who feel their faith may be
fading under the onslaught of troubles. Trouble itself can be your way to
strengthen and finally gain unshakable faith. Some blessings come soon, some
come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the
gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
Nos vemos. The
church is true.
Xoxo Hermana Sears
💜
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