Dear Dad
Just so you know there are fewer than 6 months between now and Valentine's Day. Better start getting my birthday presents ready. #entitlement
The other day we were talking about how, because of the equalized missionary fund, people whose children go to places that probably actually cost like $12.00 per month and they probably sleep like in a hut or whatever and eat nothing but rice still have to pay $400 per month so that we can live in a two bedroom apartment in Mission Viejo California and cool our room down to 70 degrees at night. #datprivilegetho
I can justify not feeling bad about it because the people who live in those other missions afflictions have made them humble so they are in a preparation to hear the word.
Speaking of humility and being in a preparation to hear the word:
Remember how I talked about Zach? We had a really great pass off lesson with the YSA Elders. By YSA Elders I mean Elder Radeke, and Elder Anthony because they were on exchanges. Poor Zach, all these random missionaries showing up and talking to him. They didn't even get his number. Way to go Elders.
"Good thing he's mowing.... cause all this grass..... is getting out of hand...." -Sister Baker
Just so you know there are fewer than 6 months between now and Valentine's Day. Better start getting my birthday presents ready. #entitlement
The other day we were talking about how, because of the equalized missionary fund, people whose children go to places that probably actually cost like $12.00 per month and they probably sleep like in a hut or whatever and eat nothing but rice still have to pay $400 per month so that we can live in a two bedroom apartment in Mission Viejo California and cool our room down to 70 degrees at night. #datprivilegetho
I can justify not feeling bad about it because the people who live in those other missions afflictions have made them humble so they are in a preparation to hear the word.
Speaking of humility and being in a preparation to hear the word:
Remember how I talked about Zach? We had a really great pass off lesson with the YSA Elders. By YSA Elders I mean Elder Radeke, and Elder Anthony because they were on exchanges. Poor Zach, all these random missionaries showing up and talking to him. They didn't even get his number. Way to go Elders.
Anyway, Zach was great. He is super humble. The spirit was killer in the lesson. You could just feel it so strong. We talked to him about the plan of salvation. We asked him if he'd thought about the things we taught him last time and he said, "Yes definitely, I have faith now." He kept saying things like "I fee like I have a choice to make right now that will effect my life for eternity, but it's like a test of my faith at the same time." and "I've been struggling to make this choice for a long time, but my heart is definitely pulling me in this direction." and "Finding my faith is important to me, but like it's really important for me to find a way to make the outward commitment to God through like baptism but I'm just worried about what my dad will think." and also "I'm like 26 years old and I'm so dumb about this kind of stuff still. I just don't even know how to think of it or anything." He is just ready to make the commitment, but he's worried about being disowned, because he comes from a Jewish background. Apparently this is really common, especially in Mission Viejo. There are like 4 known Jewish converts in the zone. Some of them are currently disowned by their family. That's strong. I'm super glad nothing like that happened to me when I got baptized.
Remember when I talked about Helen? Probably not because we met her back in like June. Well we met her again this week. Twice. We were finally able to teach her. She committed to being baptized as soon as she finds out it's true. Helen is like Zach in that she is exceedingly faithful. She just wants to be baptized. We asked her if she would be baptized and she was like "Honestly I already decided that being baptized and having an outward commitment of my faith is the most important goal for me in my life. I just have to find the right way." She's really amazing. She moved to Texas from Iran when she was 24 years old. She's like 54 now, but she said that she's been following Christ her whole life, now she wants to find a way to thank him for everything he has done for her. She said that she has such a close relationship with the Savior, but she wants it to be closer by officially declaring that she is Christian through the outward act of baptism. She said that she has always accepted Christ her own way, but she knows that when He accepts her it has to be HIS way. She also said that when she finds the right way she will know because He will tell her in her heart that it is right. She knows exactly what the spirit feels like too. Mostly we just go over there and she teaches us about having a relationship with the savior and about having the spirit and the importance of baptism and we're like "yeah but did you know that before you were born you were with God."
Something I've realized this week is that when someone gets baptized the missionaries didn't find, teach, prepare, and baptize them. Missionaries just come in at the very tail end of YEARS of preparation by our Heavenly Father. We come in in the very last act of the play and do a bunch of big flashy stuff and take all the credit. I have a new deeper understanding of the promise in Preach My Gospel that as you are faithful Heavenly Father will lead you to people who are prepared to receive the restored gospel. Zach and Helen are both CLEARLY searching for what is right and for both of them we just didn't know what to do and decided to go contacting. The Spirit prompted us to go contacting in the places that they were in, and when we were there he prompted us to talk to them. These events aren't rewards to us for anything that we have done, but they are rewards for Zach and for Helen because they are humble and they are crying out for the truth.
Pretty cool.
Some other eventful stuff happened this week.
I was deaf in my right ear for like 3 days because.... just never put q-tips in your ears y'all. TRUST ME it's not a great idea.
We got a new ward mission leader.
I spoke in sacrament meeting.
We vacuumed our floor for the first time in like probably a year because the vacuum was broken and didn't work.
Side note: I pulled like 5 pounds of hair out of a vacuum this week. Good thing someone taught me how to be a little handy.
Quotes:
"I can't talk because of my dog." -A guy
"I messed up this 90cent pack of noodles? Better eat it anyway I'm not rich!" -Sister Baker
"He's from Northern Utah, HEAVY accent, mostly works with lambs." -Sister Wimmer describing Elder Rasmussen
"I promise I didn't wet my pants in case you were wondering. It's uh... mountain dew." -Elder Radeke
"How do you know!? Have you ever been a succulent!?........... This is the stupidest conversation I've ever been a part of." -Brother Yokochi
"Good thing he's mowing.... cause all this grass..... is getting out of hand...." -Sister Baker
"Where do you FIND investigators like that?!" -Elder Radeke
"Uh...... the park....." -Sister Baker
"Can you even grow a handlebar mustache?" -Me
".... The MOMENT I can I will!" -Elder Center
"It's Shakespeare, you would know except you're a preppy." -me
"NO!!! Or I'm just DUMB!" -Elder Mueller
"WHAT She tried to clean her ear but she done fetched it up!" -Elder Center
"No problem... I can carry a giant 50 pound baby!" -Sister Hobbs
"I'm gonna eat another tortilla.... I'm really stressed." -Sister Wimmer
Reading assignment is Alma 22 because I relate really well to the king of the Lamanites.
Love you guys!
#plottwist
Sister Baker's got mad skillz
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