September 4, 2012

Missionary Slim and the Pentecostal Minister (Week 30 in Pennsylvania, Week 12 in Pittsburgh, PA)

It's been a long week. It's been a hard week. But it's been a good week.

For those of you who were biting your fingernails and worrying about where Elder Anderson might be transferred this time around, the answer is: He won't. Yep! I get to stay here in good ole Pittsburgh for a few more weeks, till mid October. Hopefully I'll see some baptisms while I'm here.

We've been visiting with that woman who was interested in Family Search. Her name is Rhonda. She is crazy. She is probably one of the most energetic, fast talking, and very confused people I've ever met. She has a stream of questions which just come out of her mouth constantly, good questions. Questions which we can answer. 

So we did.

We gave her a Book of Mormon, talked a little bit about it, and shared with her Moroni's promise. She looked at it, read it, and said "Oh, I HAVE to read this book. I know it's true. Truth speaks to truth." She's so excited to learn more about it and have her questions answered. And, in case she really is crazy (she likes to dance in front of her house to relieve stress), we have a member who works at Western PA Psychiatric coming with us to visit her tonight!

I was on exchange again this week with Elder Lucio. Elder Walker and Elder Van Der Spek needed to go to West Virginia for a dentist appointment (it's a really long story. I'll tell it when I get home). So, nobody was in my area, and the plans which Elder Lucio and I had consisted of ... Tracting. Well, we got started when we got a call - it was Tim, the guy who was excommunicated and recently re-baptized and ordained a priest. He was so excited about his newly-restored priesthood, he wanted us to let him know how to give a healing blessing for his wife. "Uhh, Tim," I said. I tried to think of a way I could tell him the bad news without making him sad. "You... can't give her a blessing. You have to be an Elder to do that." Yeah. Probably too abrupt.

Yet this guy never gets down and never gets sad anymore. Since his re-baptism, he has been nothing but joy and laughter. Seriously - I'm not joking. "Okay! Not a problem. I understand. Can you two come over here to give her that blessing?"

We had nothing better to do, so we got permission, went over and did it. It was a cool experience, being able to bestow those blessings on his wife. That family is preparing to go to the temple, his wife in a few weeks and him in less than a year. The joy and excitement they have is so infectious. Tim got up to bear his testimony during fast meeting this week, for the first time in 34 years. Just being around him is an incredibly humbling experience. 

Anyway, back to giving the blessing. Right after we blessed his wife, we got a call from another member of my ward for us to give another blessing, this time to a patient of his who was actually a Pentecostal minister. We get into his hospital room, and this guy looks the part - really long hair, braided beard, the whole nine yards. Despite his appearance, he was such a soft-spoken and kind-hearted man. It was so apparent that he was devoted and dedicated. This man was a studier of many faiths, and tried apply the truths from all faiths he encountered. He read from the Book of Mormon and actually used it in his preaching (although he didn't say where he got the words from. I suppose he would just say "It says here, in the words of the Prophets...") He knew that we performed blessings by the laying on of hands, and requested that of his doctor. We came, administered, and following that he gave each of us a huge hug and said "Thank you, my brother," followed with a kiss on the cheek. This guy was legit! Really. I intend to check out his online ministry when I get home, just for curiosity's sake. (Am I allowed to make confessions like that as a missionary? Hmm...)

Sunday was super great too. Along with the testimonies and everything, we had great classes which Brenda finally came to! She wasn't able to come to Sacrament meeting, but she did stay for and enjoy all the classes afterward. She even begged us to go and see the Baptismal font, just to see what it was like. We visited her again yesterday and she seems to be moving closer and closer to her answer, but with one major caveat - she thinks she can be baptized without joining the church. We'll help her get over that. But your continued prayers on her behalf would be great.

One final thing. I've mentioned that I'm going to be working on the video for the mission this year. I've started, and will be working on it every week on Saturdays. It really isn't all that cool or glamorous, but it does give me a chance to take a break and focus on something else, which is definitely a blessing. If anyone has any ideas for the video, feel free to let me know.

To close: I know the Church is true. I know that God is real. I know that becoming Christlike is a choice. But it's more than just a choice - it's a way of life. It's a series of choices. Yeah. That's more like it. Every day, in every way, we choose whether to be Christlike or not. Check out 2 Nephi 2:27.

Take care, everyone.

Love,
Elder Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim

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