OH, WASS UP, FAMILY? (That is from Hermana Arellano. She always says
"OH, WASS UP, _____?" to everything. Like, "OH, WASS UP, HERMANA
THOMAS?" or "OH, WASS UP, PLANT?")
So we'll start with the kicker of the week: we almost got the cops called on us Saturday. Yep. Fo sho.
On
Friday, our District Leader (Elder Jacobson...he is dying next week!
Poor guy) told us about this one part of our area that apparently had
some great Spanish work. (He said.) We were like, "really?" and he was
like, "oh, yeah, tons of Spanish work, you can just tell."
As Spanish missionaries working in a
nearly-all-white-people zone, we jumped on that invitation the very next
day. We biked over to that apartment complex and started knocking
doors.
White people. Everywhere. Not a single door we knocked had someone
who even recognized the word "hola." But we were DEFINITELY in the right
place! So we kept knocking, and getting some pretty solid referrals for
the English elders who work in that area, too. We even had a little
miracle of running into a guy and his daughter who are inactive members
of the church and said that they would LOVE if the elders went by to
visit them...miracle! Good for the English elders. And everyone we
talked to was pretty darn nice. But we were getting a little tired of
not speaking Spanish, so we decided to try a few doors more and call it
done.
So we knock on this one door, and a lady immediately
opens it up, and has this super grumpy face, and is like, "what." So we
just say, "oh, well, we are missionaries from the Church of--" and she
just cuts us off and says, "this is a model home, and I'm showing
someone around, no one lives here." Like...super grumpy. We kind of did
this awkward laugh, like, oh, ha ha, sorry...? And she closes the door.
So Hermana Johnson and I look at each other, like,
that was weird, oops, and move on to the next door. As soon as we've
knocked, however, the lady comes out with the two people she's showing
around. The two people move on ahead, and she sticks behind, and Hermana
Johnson and I are trying to avoid awkward eye contact with her, and as
soon as the two people are out of earshot, this lady angrily whispers to
us, "I'm going to have to ask you two to leave, you are not allowed to
be here, this is a strictly no-soliciting area, and I don't want to have
to call the cops, but I will, and I know that a lot of people who live
here will, and you two need to leave immediately, I'm asking you not to
come back, or we will call the cops, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah
threat threat threat" and the whole time, like from the beginning we are
both nodding our heads to show that we understand, I keep trying to say
that we will leave peaceably, but this lady is just fuming, I swear
smoke must have been coming out her ears, I'm like, okay, okAY, OKAY! WE
GET IT. So finally we just walk away, she's still kind of telling us
off, I'm like WOW. So...yeah. We left. Thanks Elder Jacobson.
It's like...okay, lady? Sorry, it's just that I saw
your little dust-pile of an apartment complex and I thought I'd offer
you your salvation, but that's okay, we'll move on. I'm sorry, I just
don't understand people like that. It's like...how fun is it to be you??
So we're not going back there, but not even that big
of a loss because there were no Spanish-speakers there! So...jokes on
her. I guess.
Now on to a new topic...I have a little something to say this week about pick up lines from random strangers. Guidelines:
If you ever consider dropping a pick-up line on someone please do the following:
1) DON'T DO IT YOU WILL LOOK LIKE A FOOL
Okay, I'm sorry, I feel like this email is turning into criticizing people. I love everyone. We are all children of God.
But seriously, twice this week...we got some doozys.
First,
we were walking to a lesson across this apartment complex and we passed
some guys talking about football or something, and one of the guys says
to us, "hey, are you two from church or something?" Another one of the
guys recognizes us as missionaries, and says, "man, they're sisters." So
we say, "yes, we are missionaries," and then the first guy says,
"...oh....well, my next question was going to be if ya'll were headed to
a beauty pageant...er...somethin."
...yes, sir. I woke up this morning, threw on my
bike-torn skirt and lazy shirt, smeared on some lazy mascara and
purposefully did my hair to look like I just biked 4 miles in the
Arizona sun with a helmet on because I'm going to a beauty pageant.
Also, I feel so flattered right now.
Then the other night we had a few more minutes
before we had to head home after a bit of a long day. We were debating
just biking a little slower so that we could call it a day and head out,
but then I felt this push of diligence inside me and we decided to
contact one more house. So we knock on this door, expecting a miracle of
some sort, I dunno, something AMAZING, I guess, when a white guy opens
the door. He's like, "who are you guys," and we say, "we're missionaries
from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," and he's like
"oh, wow, you are really good lookin."
Okay, here's a card, peace out, good night.
We've
had quite the experiences this week. But it's been fun! We've also done
more service, helping people clean their yards mostly. It's been really
fun! I love service! Even in 108 degrees!
So. More quotes:
"Fruit
snacks hurt my teeth so bad." --Hermana Johnson (she claims that this
was not a weird thing to say. Will someone agree with me, here?)
"You are an oven with legs and shoes!" --Hermana Arellano, after feeling how hot Hermana Johnson's hands were.
"Shame on you, Church." --Hermana Arellano, after watching a Mormon message that is way too corny to be true.
"Ears sick me out. I think it's because I've had bad experiences with ears in my life." --Hermana Johnson (yep.)
As
for teaching, things are still the same. Jesus still hasn't gone to
church. :( We are pretty darn down about that. We can teach someone why
something is good all day long, but you can't make someone be motivated
to act. But we are going to keep working with him and do whatever we
can!
Blanca and her family are still so cute! We helped
her clean her yard for a party she had this Saturday, and you can just
tell that service is one of the best ways to show your love for other
people! We really love her so much, we are hoping they can continue to
progress.
We found another family who actually have a brother
who is baptized and goes to our ward! It was a complete accident. But we
are teaching them, and we will see how it goes!
I
have been learning a lot about the Atonement in the last few weeks.
It's something that is so incredible. If anyone has some insights on the
atonement, I would love to hear them! Talks, quotes, thoughts,
experiences...I love it! I was studying the enabling power of the
atonement yesterday, and it was amazing.
I LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH, DID YOU KNOW? I can't wait
to see you all again, but honestly, I love being a missionary so much.
It's something that I can't describe. You have to have a name-tag on to
understand just how special this calling is, and how precious your time
is in these few months. I have learned so much in these eleven and a
half months, and I know that this is still only the beginning. The
atonement is for all your life! And it heals and changes your very
nature! The miracle of your mission can very well be the miracle that
you see within YOURSELF.
I LOVE YOU AGAIN. READ AND PRAY AND GO TO CHURCH AND TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LIVES PLEASE.
Con Tanto Amor, Hermana Thomas
PS: what does soliciting even mean.
