I have wicked long fingernails and have been unable to locate either set of nail clippers that I have acquired on my mission. This bothers me. I will be purchasing a new set today, which means that I will locate the old ones shortly.
Sometimes we get stuck on little things like how annoying it is to try and type with long fingernails, that we forget the much more important things. Like how flipping awesome it is to get emails from old friends that I love so very dearly. And even though they are a thousand miles away, I can still smile and feel their warmth when I read their words in my inbox, here in the dairy farm desert wasteland of Hemet, California. Where the air smells like cow poop and the old people ride their golf carts on the streets with their shihtzus and chihuahuas on their laps.
I have my flight itinerary already and I know exactly when I will be landing in Greenville/Spartanburg Airport. That's a scary thought, but in a way, I am glad that I don't really have to worry about that. Like everything else in the mission, it's been taken care of by someone else so really all I have to focus on is the Lord's missionary work, from 6:30am to 10:30pm.
I wonder what my investigators would think if I told them I was thinking about them while I shower. I'm speaking purely in hypothetical situations right now, because I have no real investigators right now, but in the past that situation has been far more real.
I had the distinct pleasure of dedicating a missionary apartment this week. I made sure and brought a team-up with me and had the AP's approval before I set foot in the apartment because Sisters live there. I got to deal with a little more drama related to a Sister and Elder who are romantically involved with each other. We had our MLC meeting in Riverside with all the zone leaders, our ZDM to inspire our zone, and our stake MLC meeting to try and inspire our bishops to do better at leading the wards in their missionary work. Our stake missionary specialist and had me play a big part in that meeting again.
I found a potential investigator in the boyfriend of a less-active daughter of one of my favorite families. Sister "B" is currently a science teacher. She's a huge nerd and I love her to bits. Her daughter is kind of scary-looking, with piercings everywhere and the gothic motif going on. But I think I did a good job of treating her like a beloved daughter of God, and I hope she and her boyfriend will be with us when we teach the family again tonight. Seeing that whole family active again would really tickle me.
Our Medicinal Marijuana Expert investigator started meeting with us again. I didn't put him on date again because I want to see him read and pray first, but he brought up again that he wants to be baptized this year. He also talked about his marijuana sprouts and the different strains and a lot of stuff related to that. He didn't read the assignments we gave him because his book got left out in the rain. I gave him a new pamphlet and we came by the next day. He hadn't read because he knew he was drunk and didn't want to read it and not retain it. I'm glad he realizes that much, at least. Sometimes I wonder if he has enough brain cells left to count as an accountable adult at this point, but I'll keep teaching him just in case.
I realized two slightly scary things this week: I am a huge wimp when I feel sick, and I really, really like the taste of Nyquil. I spent all day Wednesday on exchanges with a sick elder, and then spent the rest of the week fighting off my own sore throat and achiness but still managed to lead a pretty sick Zone Development meeting and inspired the ward with my testimony of missionary work. Yay for me. I'm going to buy more Nyquil today.
Oh yes, and things are looking up for the Parking Lot Miracle. The woman not only spoke in conference, but she met with bishop about a calling, came to church, and was called to work with the Young Women. She attended New Beginnings on Tuesday and is keeping appointments to meet with us now. I'm so glad that we didn't lose that family for good. I've learned that the following: faith has a very short shelf life, about 48 hours or so. New converts need a lot of nourishment. It's easy to fall off when you sin. And having members involved in conversion is CRUCIAL. You really need to get Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers assigned at the baptism or sooner, and getting the new guys callings as soon as possible helps a lot. Take notes, sports fans, I speak from personal experience.
What stuck out to me this week is Alma 13: 27. In fact, I stood in front of the whole ward and told them about how I hope when they hear us teach in their homes, that their attitudes about the gospel change. Much like when I stood in the water with my arm at the square with my very first family I baptized, and my heart changed forever. I want the ward members to have that hunger for gospel knowledge and to share that knowledge and comfort with others. I want them to quake and tremble at the thought that their brothers and sisters should perish or endure endless torment. I want them to wish from the inmost parts of their hearts, with great anxiety even unto pain, that their friends will repent and come unto Christ.
And I wish they would let me teach their friends so that all my experience and teaching skills can be put to better use... but that's probably selfish of me to think that. All in good time.
Pray hard, my friends. We are praying for the drought to end and had an area 70 sponsor our area to fast for rain. So we heard a lot about that tomorrow. Guess what? The roads were wet this morning, and it's still pretty cloudy out. God is indeed a god of miracles, and with God, nothing shall be impossible.
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