December 30, 2013
Missionary Slim is closing in on 2014. Happy New Year! (Week 99 in Pennsylvania, Week 10 in Wintersville, Ohio)
It was a delightful Christmas for Missionary Slim. Few presents except an overload of candy and goodies, no snow, but still good company and good fun.
Through it all, the work has been moving on. The day after Christmas, we paid a visit to Paul and Melinda, the blind chap and his wife. We explained the Plan of Salvation to them, tying in Christmas and our own personal Spiritual gifts which we have had given to us. Towards the end of our lesson, Melinda piped up with a great question: "After we die, I've always been taught that we will see people we knew in this life, but we'll be praising God so much that we won't bother to remember them. What do you think?"
We talked about Temples and eternal families. We told them that, if they were worthy, they could be sealed as a family for eternity. We talked about baptism as the gateway to this great blessing. They were excited about the temple, but were hesitant about baptism. Believe it or not, that's a good sign - it means they take it seriously and want to make the right choice. We shall see what come of this, though. The spirit was definitely there.
Same goes for a visit we had with a less-active family, the Bolithos. Their daughter who is attending college was home for the holidays and is very active in the church, whether at home or at school. Her parents, on the other hand, haven't been in a very long time.
We just talked for a bit, learning about each other, and then we watched a short Mormon Message. We talked about priorities and what is important to them. Then, Sister Bolitho, who is a very shy woman, just started talking. But it wasn't her words - it was the words of the Holy Ghost which touched her and told her those things that she knew she should be doing. It still amazes me how much the Holy Ghost plays a role in this work.
We also visited a less-active part-member family, the Briggs. Sister Briggs has been struggling with her testimony of the 'one true and living church.' She told of how she listened to the Book of Momron and prayed for three years, and still hasn't had her spiritual manifestation. As we listened and talked and taught and testified (over delicious cake she made for us), we felt that she just needed to know she was loved. She might have a bunch of questions and concerns and stuff, but Heavenly Father still loves her. He wants to bless her with an answer, but in His time and in His way. She did come to church, which was awesome! She put forth her faith to find her testimony for herself.
One more: Luanne. We got word from one of the members that there was a non-member who wanted to feed us, and like the missionaries that we are, we jumped on it. It turns out that Luanne is the sweetest, kindest, most lovable, motherly lady you could ever meet. She let us right in, sat us down on our couch, and started... mothering us! She asked us about our missions, told us that she knew a lot of Mormons. "How?" I asked. "Oh, they just kind of pop into my life!" She's recently changed churches, but is still looking for answers, and while she doesn't want us preaching at us, she is perfectly fine with us talking about the Gospel. Ha! Little does she know, that's exactly how we are taught to teach! So, like King Lamoni, she was caught with guile.
We talked about families and their importance. We talked about God and his love for his children. We talked about all the different churches out there. Most of all, we just listened to her tell us about her children and their triumphs and struggles. And she fed us. That's a pretty good deal to me.
As the mission winds down, I am pretty confident that the Lord loves all His children because of how much He loves me.
Happy New Year, all!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
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Through it all, the work has been moving on. The day after Christmas, we paid a visit to Paul and Melinda, the blind chap and his wife. We explained the Plan of Salvation to them, tying in Christmas and our own personal Spiritual gifts which we have had given to us. Towards the end of our lesson, Melinda piped up with a great question: "After we die, I've always been taught that we will see people we knew in this life, but we'll be praising God so much that we won't bother to remember them. What do you think?"
We talked about Temples and eternal families. We told them that, if they were worthy, they could be sealed as a family for eternity. We talked about baptism as the gateway to this great blessing. They were excited about the temple, but were hesitant about baptism. Believe it or not, that's a good sign - it means they take it seriously and want to make the right choice. We shall see what come of this, though. The spirit was definitely there.
Same goes for a visit we had with a less-active family, the Bolithos. Their daughter who is attending college was home for the holidays and is very active in the church, whether at home or at school. Her parents, on the other hand, haven't been in a very long time.
We just talked for a bit, learning about each other, and then we watched a short Mormon Message. We talked about priorities and what is important to them. Then, Sister Bolitho, who is a very shy woman, just started talking. But it wasn't her words - it was the words of the Holy Ghost which touched her and told her those things that she knew she should be doing. It still amazes me how much the Holy Ghost plays a role in this work.
We also visited a less-active part-member family, the Briggs. Sister Briggs has been struggling with her testimony of the 'one true and living church.' She told of how she listened to the Book of Momron and prayed for three years, and still hasn't had her spiritual manifestation. As we listened and talked and taught and testified (over delicious cake she made for us), we felt that she just needed to know she was loved. She might have a bunch of questions and concerns and stuff, but Heavenly Father still loves her. He wants to bless her with an answer, but in His time and in His way. She did come to church, which was awesome! She put forth her faith to find her testimony for herself.
One more: Luanne. We got word from one of the members that there was a non-member who wanted to feed us, and like the missionaries that we are, we jumped on it. It turns out that Luanne is the sweetest, kindest, most lovable, motherly lady you could ever meet. She let us right in, sat us down on our couch, and started... mothering us! She asked us about our missions, told us that she knew a lot of Mormons. "How?" I asked. "Oh, they just kind of pop into my life!" She's recently changed churches, but is still looking for answers, and while she doesn't want us preaching at us, she is perfectly fine with us talking about the Gospel. Ha! Little does she know, that's exactly how we are taught to teach! So, like King Lamoni, she was caught with guile.
We talked about families and their importance. We talked about God and his love for his children. We talked about all the different churches out there. Most of all, we just listened to her tell us about her children and their triumphs and struggles. And she fed us. That's a pretty good deal to me.
As the mission winds down, I am pretty confident that the Lord loves all His children because of how much He loves me.
Happy New Year, all!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
December 23, 2013
Missionary Slim wishes you a Very Merry Christmas! (Week 98 in Pennsylvania, Week 9 in Wintersville, Ohio)
'Twas a rainy week, as Missionary Slim worked his best to be prepared for the coming feast of Yule and celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. Nevertheless, the cheer of Christmas rang through the air in people's hearts and homes.
We paid a visit to Mick and Annette, a hysterical part-member family. Annette has been a long-time member, but drifted away shortly after joining the military. Mick is Roman Catholic, but he's even more Irish, which makes him all the more delightful. We gave them a heads-up that we were coming for a visit, and in no time, Mick whipped up an honest-to-goodness mincemeat pie. It was pretty good too, considering it was the first time I had eaten it.
After a bit of entertaining, the Mullens sat back as we shared with them a tale of wonder - the story of the boy-prophet entering the woods seeking light and knowledge from the Lord. His thoughtful seeking through the word of the Lord lead him to ponder and act, desiring to know what the Lord willed for him. The light he sought literally enveloped him in that sacred, outdoor place.
Just as the glory of the Lord shone round about the shepherds that still, silent night, just as it illuminated that field of Judea, just as it brightened the tomb near Jerusalem many years later, it filled that grove of trees and since has spread through the world.
While we weren't nearly as poetic, our captive audience was indeed impressed. Annette had been absent from the church for so long that she had nearly forgotten it. Mick was very interested, though, and had great desire to come and learn more at the church itself. His wife is reluctant, but I'm sure with time, she'll come around.
For some people, just the invitation and the expression of love in their behalf is enough to bring them back. For the Higgins, that is all it took. We visited Brother Higgins and found him caring for his young, rambunctious grandchildren. In the moments we were able to settle them down, we shared bits and pieces of the Gospel - messages of love, of Christ and Christmas, of diligence and enduring to the end. We spoke of the things that matter most in life and of giving freely.
With but a small bit of effort on our part, they chose to come to church, and sure enough we found both Bro. and Sis. Higgins there, their daughter and the three grandchildren. It was certainly a pleasure to see them there.
This time of year, there really is nothing more precious that we can give than our love and the love of our Father in Heaven. What do those gifts and favors we give to those around us really represent? Why is it that we give them? What motivates us to sacrifice our time and our resources to give these gifts to those around us? To see the laugh of a child? The smile of one who receives? These things are nothing more than love. It is the only thing that really was given that first Christmas:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Christmas can and should be one of the happiest times of the year. I hope it is for all of you. I can't give a lot, but at least I can give this:
I love you all! Merry Christmas!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
December 16, 2013
Missionary Slim reminds you to keep on keepin' on (Week 97 in Pennsylvania, Week 8 in Wintersville, Ohio)
It's been a slow week - with Christmas, the hustle and bustle, the busyness, the finals and tests in school, the cold and the snow, it's been slow.
One low-light. The Browns, the ginormous family that we've been teaching the gospel to, decided to quit investigating. The hard way. After numerous attempts to visit them, call them, and get in touch with them in general, Elder Almond and another missionary on exchange finally were able to talk with the dad on their porch. He opened up the door with two Book of Mormons in his hand, and extended them to us.
"Guys," he said, "I had a vision where I saw that I needed to stay with my church. This isn't right for us, so I'd appreciate it if you took them back."
This isn't the first time this has happened to missionaries; they knew what to do. They bore powerful testimony, told him that they knew that he didn't even try to read the book, and asked if they could talk to him about it more. He let them in from the cold, they sat down, and started talking. Long story short, he said they'd look into it more. We haven't been able to get in touch with them since.
If I had the wish of my heart, I would go back there at least one more time and add my testimony to those that were borne already, the testimony which millions of others have felt and acted on - that book is true, and is the word of God Himself. There is no doubt to me of that. It has changed my life, and it has changed the lives of countless others who I have taught. Every time I read from it, without fail, I feel the Spirit pour out into my soul. It's true.
We had another visit with the same less-active family that I mentioned last week. The wife works on Sundays, but is free on Fridays, so we stopped by to see if we could have a visit. They were both home, and after generously feeding us a bunch of tacos, we sat down and talked about the Gospel and the church. The ward Christmas party that evening came up, and we asked if they were going. They looked at each other and seemed like they felt it was possible they could go, but they weren't sure if they wanted to put in the effort to come. After a little bit of prodding, they agreed to give it a shot.
Sure enough, they were there. It was an awesome party too, but I was especially glad to see them and even more happy when I saw that the members were showering them with attention - it was great. It was like coming home after a long trip. That's what it's all about - That feeling that we get when we come home. You feel it at church; you feel it at the temple. I'm going to be feeling it literally in a few weeks. But all of it is just a fore-taste of that feeling we will have when we enter that Celestial Kingdom and embrace our Father. That will be a good day.
Until then, keep on keepin' on!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
December 9, 2013
Missionary Slim puts his "Magic" black name badge to good use (Week 96 in Pennsylvania, Week 7 in Wintersville, Ohio)
Our week has been pretty exciting, with one or two amazing experiences here and there.
We went to visit a less-active brother. We've been over to his house many times, and have enjoyed his... interesting humor as we do service or try to teach a lesson. This time, though, we found his wife at home, something that isn't a usual thing. This was the first time that I met his wife.
She herself was a very friendly lady, very funny. The relationship between the two was an awful lot like Punch and Judy, but you could tell there was a deep love there. She was very involved in the church at one time, but due to work had slipped away.
As my companion talked to the husband, the wife started talking to me. We began by talking about the second coming and the world and such, but then our conversation shifted to more personal matters that I'm not at liberty to disclose. As I sat there listening, the Spirit was very strong and I knew precisely what to say to her. She described the situation she was in, and then informed me "I don't know why I'm telling you this - I haven't told anybody! Not even family!" I jokingly explained that there's something about our magic black name-badges that makes people feel comfortable trusting in us, even when they only met us a few moments ago.
I told her what the Spirit was saying to me, and she listened intently. It was almost as though you could feel the tension being relieved a bit, as she saw the glimmer of hope that my words offered her. She thanked us profusely for coming to visit, and I once again thanked my Heavenly Father for letting me be a part of that experience.
Later that night, we went out with a recently returned missionary to go and visit some people he thought would like to hear about the gospel. He brought us to see his second cousin, Paul, and his wife Melinda, two very good people who love God and want to do the right thing. Paul had a pretty bad past - his drinking addiction cost him his heath and his sight, due to diabetes that he developed. Since then, though, he's quit drinking and trying to be on the right path. We didn't have a lot of time to chat with them, but we did give them a pamphlet. "Melinda," I said, "I want you to read this out loud so Paul can hear it. And be sure to tell him about the pictures - I love the pictures!" They agreed. Hopefully you'll hear more about them in the future!
I'll close with one thought of Christmas. We went to the church last night to pick something up and found a family hard at work making some little presents for the Young Women - blocks with a Christmas saying on them. It's too good not to share:
Are you going to stick with the INN crowd, or be one of the STABLE few?
That was accompanied with a picture of the nativity. Think about it.
Have a great week too! It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
We went to visit a less-active brother. We've been over to his house many times, and have enjoyed his... interesting humor as we do service or try to teach a lesson. This time, though, we found his wife at home, something that isn't a usual thing. This was the first time that I met his wife.
She herself was a very friendly lady, very funny. The relationship between the two was an awful lot like Punch and Judy, but you could tell there was a deep love there. She was very involved in the church at one time, but due to work had slipped away.
As my companion talked to the husband, the wife started talking to me. We began by talking about the second coming and the world and such, but then our conversation shifted to more personal matters that I'm not at liberty to disclose. As I sat there listening, the Spirit was very strong and I knew precisely what to say to her. She described the situation she was in, and then informed me "I don't know why I'm telling you this - I haven't told anybody! Not even family!" I jokingly explained that there's something about our magic black name-badges that makes people feel comfortable trusting in us, even when they only met us a few moments ago.
I told her what the Spirit was saying to me, and she listened intently. It was almost as though you could feel the tension being relieved a bit, as she saw the glimmer of hope that my words offered her. She thanked us profusely for coming to visit, and I once again thanked my Heavenly Father for letting me be a part of that experience.
Later that night, we went out with a recently returned missionary to go and visit some people he thought would like to hear about the gospel. He brought us to see his second cousin, Paul, and his wife Melinda, two very good people who love God and want to do the right thing. Paul had a pretty bad past - his drinking addiction cost him his heath and his sight, due to diabetes that he developed. Since then, though, he's quit drinking and trying to be on the right path. We didn't have a lot of time to chat with them, but we did give them a pamphlet. "Melinda," I said, "I want you to read this out loud so Paul can hear it. And be sure to tell him about the pictures - I love the pictures!" They agreed. Hopefully you'll hear more about them in the future!
I'll close with one thought of Christmas. We went to the church last night to pick something up and found a family hard at work making some little presents for the Young Women - blocks with a Christmas saying on them. It's too good not to share:
Are you going to stick with the INN crowd, or be one of the STABLE few?
That was accompanied with a picture of the nativity. Think about it.
Have a great week too! It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
December 2, 2013
Missionary Slim Wishes you a very Happy Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Advent? Is Slim getting confused? (Week 95 in Pennsylvania, Week 6 in Wintersville, Ohio)
Happy Turkey Holocaust Day, everyone! And happy Hanukkah. And Advent. All that jazz.
We had a crazy week. We were walking around in downtown Stuebenville, you know, the place where everyone says "Don't go there at night!" And it was night. We hopped out of our car to visit a member when a guy walked up to us. "What's on your nametags?"
"Oh, we're missionaries."
"Oh, great! I've been looking for a church. You see, I have some different beliefs about different things, so I'm trying to find whatever fits."
He went off to talk about how he believes in reincarnation, magic, 'special abilities', etc. He said he had visions of the future, sold his soul, his girlfriend was a demon, and that he might even be the one and only prophet on the earth.
We talked for him for a bit, and tried to take him seriously - he was super dramatic about everything - but we told him about the true prophet on the earth, about the priesthood, and about repentance and forgiveness. We mentioned to him the prophecy (since I'm an official representative of the church, I'll have to classify it as 'Mormon Myth' till I can get a reference) of the Constitution hanging by a thread, and he went crazy. "I've been waiting for someone to say something like that!" He offered to have us join him on a quest to seek out some ancient alien artifacts, and then join him on a council of every religion which he was planning on forming to combat the wickedness in the world.
Yeah... That was a fun conversation.
We got thrown out of a house too! We went to visit a less-active member. We got into a pretty good discussion with him about his experiences in the church, and gave him a solid invite to come back. Right when we asked him, though, his room mate came out swearing up a storm. "You **** HYPOCRITE! GET OVER HERE, NOW! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" We said "Hey, Jim!" as friendly as possible, but our less active friend got up and went over. Jim talked to him animatedly for a few minutes, and then our friend came over to us. "You have to go now." We did, but not without giving him an invitation to the Christmas Party. We'll see if he manages to make it out.
Thanksgiving was a good day for us, as usual. Two dinners, completely filled with food by the days end, and good company with the church members that we visited. We were well taken care of.
In all, it was an exciting week.
Oh, one final note. We are teaching a great family, the Browns. They have 6 kids and no car and live 6 miles from the church. We realized early on that the ward would have to give us their commitment to take complete ownership of the fellowshipping of this family, because we missionaries can't even do anything to help them get to church. So, we asked the Ward Mission Leader to make it happen, and it happened. In Priesthood, they announced that this family needed a ride and a father and son both committed to pick them up and bring them... and do a team-up this coming week so we could introduce them. I'm pretty thrilled about that. Once they start coming to church, it'll be no time before they get baptized outright.
Thanks for all the prayers on my behalf. It really means a lot to me.
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
PS. I've been doing this blog for nearly two years, and still have no idea who's been reading or if it has been helpful for anyone. My parents have told me a couple of things, but I would love to hear it from the readers. It would be great if you readers just left a comment in one of the posts about why you read this blog, what you enjoy about it, and if it has helped you at all. It would really mean a lot to me! Thanks!
We had a crazy week. We were walking around in downtown Stuebenville, you know, the place where everyone says "Don't go there at night!" And it was night. We hopped out of our car to visit a member when a guy walked up to us. "What's on your nametags?"
"Oh, we're missionaries."
"Oh, great! I've been looking for a church. You see, I have some different beliefs about different things, so I'm trying to find whatever fits."
He went off to talk about how he believes in reincarnation, magic, 'special abilities', etc. He said he had visions of the future, sold his soul, his girlfriend was a demon, and that he might even be the one and only prophet on the earth.
We talked for him for a bit, and tried to take him seriously - he was super dramatic about everything - but we told him about the true prophet on the earth, about the priesthood, and about repentance and forgiveness. We mentioned to him the prophecy (since I'm an official representative of the church, I'll have to classify it as 'Mormon Myth' till I can get a reference) of the Constitution hanging by a thread, and he went crazy. "I've been waiting for someone to say something like that!" He offered to have us join him on a quest to seek out some ancient alien artifacts, and then join him on a council of every religion which he was planning on forming to combat the wickedness in the world.
Yeah... That was a fun conversation.
We got thrown out of a house too! We went to visit a less-active member. We got into a pretty good discussion with him about his experiences in the church, and gave him a solid invite to come back. Right when we asked him, though, his room mate came out swearing up a storm. "You **** HYPOCRITE! GET OVER HERE, NOW! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" We said "Hey, Jim!" as friendly as possible, but our less active friend got up and went over. Jim talked to him animatedly for a few minutes, and then our friend came over to us. "You have to go now." We did, but not without giving him an invitation to the Christmas Party. We'll see if he manages to make it out.
Thanksgiving was a good day for us, as usual. Two dinners, completely filled with food by the days end, and good company with the church members that we visited. We were well taken care of.
In all, it was an exciting week.
Oh, one final note. We are teaching a great family, the Browns. They have 6 kids and no car and live 6 miles from the church. We realized early on that the ward would have to give us their commitment to take complete ownership of the fellowshipping of this family, because we missionaries can't even do anything to help them get to church. So, we asked the Ward Mission Leader to make it happen, and it happened. In Priesthood, they announced that this family needed a ride and a father and son both committed to pick them up and bring them... and do a team-up this coming week so we could introduce them. I'm pretty thrilled about that. Once they start coming to church, it'll be no time before they get baptized outright.
Thanks for all the prayers on my behalf. It really means a lot to me.
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
PS. I've been doing this blog for nearly two years, and still have no idea who's been reading or if it has been helpful for anyone. My parents have told me a couple of things, but I would love to hear it from the readers. It would be great if you readers just left a comment in one of the posts about why you read this blog, what you enjoy about it, and if it has helped you at all. It would really mean a lot to me! Thanks!
November 25, 2013
Missionary Slim is in West Virginia? How did this happen? (Week 94 in Pennsylvania, Week 5 in Wintersville, Ohio)
I was on exchange down in Wheeling, West Virginia, going around with Elder Coleman, and missionary who came out with me. We had several visits lined up, and most of them worked out, almost miraculously.
One was pretty remarkable. It was a former investigator who didn't know that we were coming. We knocked on the door, and she was home and invited us in. We sat down, and started getting to know her. I asked her about a tattoo that was on her arm, and she said "Oh, that's for my mom. She died a year ago, and it's been really hard for me to reconcile it and I really need some help." It's always great to be able to sit down and talk to these people who recognize their need and are seeking for help. We started teaching the Plan of Salvation, and got to talking about the purpose of life. We gave one or two, like preparing to meet God, or learning as much as we can, and then she said "Well, I don't think that's my purpose." We asked her to elaborate, and listened as she explained to us that she didn't have any kids, but wanted them. For some reason, though, she couldn't have them. "Why?" was her question.
Again, it amazed me how much faith she put into us 20 year old kids who know so little about 'the world'. We didn't answer her question; frankly, we couldn't She needed that answer for herself. But I was impressed by how much she desired to learn.
Carlene, an investigator we've been working with, was supposed to be baptized this past week. Well, she wasn't. It didn't work out. Long story short, she wasn't ready. We were going to postpone the baptism, but she wouldn't have it - she basically said it was now or nothing. It was too bad, too, because she had come so far already. But the ordinance didn't really mean enough to her to make the sacrifice. Hopefully she comes around sometime.
We did meet an amazing family, the Browns. They come from catholic backgrounds, but are really interested in finding the truth. In our first visit, they told us "We want to be baptized, and we want all our children to be too." Wow. Again, I love the people out here, and how much they love the Lord and want to put their faith in him. Sometimes, society makes them choose otherwise, but when we find those honest seekers of truth, I love it!
Have a great week, all
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
One was pretty remarkable. It was a former investigator who didn't know that we were coming. We knocked on the door, and she was home and invited us in. We sat down, and started getting to know her. I asked her about a tattoo that was on her arm, and she said "Oh, that's for my mom. She died a year ago, and it's been really hard for me to reconcile it and I really need some help." It's always great to be able to sit down and talk to these people who recognize their need and are seeking for help. We started teaching the Plan of Salvation, and got to talking about the purpose of life. We gave one or two, like preparing to meet God, or learning as much as we can, and then she said "Well, I don't think that's my purpose." We asked her to elaborate, and listened as she explained to us that she didn't have any kids, but wanted them. For some reason, though, she couldn't have them. "Why?" was her question.
Again, it amazed me how much faith she put into us 20 year old kids who know so little about 'the world'. We didn't answer her question; frankly, we couldn't She needed that answer for herself. But I was impressed by how much she desired to learn.
Carlene, an investigator we've been working with, was supposed to be baptized this past week. Well, she wasn't. It didn't work out. Long story short, she wasn't ready. We were going to postpone the baptism, but she wouldn't have it - she basically said it was now or nothing. It was too bad, too, because she had come so far already. But the ordinance didn't really mean enough to her to make the sacrifice. Hopefully she comes around sometime.
We did meet an amazing family, the Browns. They come from catholic backgrounds, but are really interested in finding the truth. In our first visit, they told us "We want to be baptized, and we want all our children to be too." Wow. Again, I love the people out here, and how much they love the Lord and want to put their faith in him. Sometimes, society makes them choose otherwise, but when we find those honest seekers of truth, I love it!
Have a great week, all
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
November 18, 2013
Missionary Slim teaches us that everyone has a great story (Week 93 in Pennsylvania, Week 4 in Wintersville, Ohio)
Monday evening, we went to go visit with Nancy. Nancy is a very outspoken, opinionated and quick-to-the-point kind of lady. She's a baptist by faith, and regularly attends her Sunday meetings, revivals all that jazz. Oh, and she's an avid coffee-aholic. Seriously, ever time we've been over there to visit her, she's had a pot brewing. (And it smells so good!)
We finally got the chance to go over there to chat with her for an extended period of time. She sat down and started telling us about how much she loved Jesus, about how her siblings and children have made some poor choices, and, of course, about coffee. We just listened, trying to glean as much as we could from it. Then, she asked, "So what can I do for you gentlemen?"
We started telling her about how we are here to draw people closer to Christ, to which she replied "Well, I'm already close to Christ!" and she went off again for a few minutes. When we got the chance, we asked her "Why did you invite us in?" and she said "Because you asked!"
Thinking that this lesson was going nowhere, I pulled out the Book of Mormon and said to myself, "Well, at very least we'll share this with her!" And I started talking about how it testifies of Christ and how important it is to gain a testimony of it. I said "I know for myself that this book is true, but that won't be enough for you. We don't want you to take our word for it; we want you to go to the Source." To my surprise, she told us "Why shouldn't I take your word for it? I believe everything you've told me. I wouldn't have you sitting here talking to me if I didn't trust you two. And yes, I'll read it and pray about it."
I was stunned, but overjoyed! I'm still not sure about where things will go with teaching her, but at very least, she's trying. We'll see where this goes.
Tuesday, I went back to Washington, the area I was in last year. I was on exchange with the Zone Leaders, and the one that I was took me to several of the people that I've taught in the past. We ended our exchange by visiting Bro. Anderson, a member that I grew very close to while I was there. We didn't tell him that we were coming, we just stopped by. As I came into the house, the whole family was very shocked and surprised to see me. Bro. Anderson came from upstairs and said to me "Brother Anderson! Come here!" and embraced me like a father. That moment was certainly one of the best of my mission. I don't think I can explain it, so I'm not even going to try. But it was wonderful.
Wednesday, we were back in Ohio, trying to track down some people. I was on exchange again, this time with a brand-spankin'-new missionary, Elder Gates. Remembering my tender days on the mission, I decided to try something which I learned early on. "Elder Gates," I said, "There is someone on this street who needs the gospel. Which three houses are we going to knock on?" After looking around for a minute or so, he said "How about those three there?" Awesome.
We knocked the first house. Nothing. So, we left a card. As we were coming down the steps, though, a car rolled up and a 17 or 18 year old girl came out, looking very confused. I called "Hey! Is this your house?" She, very sensibly replied "What are you doing at my house?"
When we told her who we were, she said "Oh, a friend from school (one of the ward members, actually) is a Mormon. He told us all about how he's going to go on a mission." As we talked with her, we found out that she really was very interested in learning about the Gospel, and especially why we would do something as crazy as a mission (I wonder that myself sometimes :P). We swapped her contact info for a Book of Mormon. We'll see what happens.
Sunday, I learned an incredible lesson, and this is what I'll close with. Everybody has a story - everyone came from somewhere, has had a slew of experiences. All too often, I forget that, and just think that wherever I'm coming from is the same place as everyone else. It's not. We often hear the cliche "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." Well, part of that caring is knowing the details about people's lives - their birthdays, their pet's names, their hobbies, their fears, their hopes, their destinies. And then actually making all that stuff mean something to you. When that happens, it's like magic. I've seen it time and time again.
Elder Ballard gave a commitment to us all. "We are not asking everyone to do everything. We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just “one” between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior."
Let's do it. Let's care about someone the way Christ cares about us, and then reach out to that 'one'. It'll make a world of difference.
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
November 11, 2013
Missionary Slim is the Wizard of Wintersville (Week 92 in Pennsylvania, Week 3 in Wintersville, Ohio)
What a weird week...
On Monday, we went out to old man Zook's house. He's a great old guy who's been around for a really long time, and has seen the ward grow from a twig to where it is now. He's got a lot of random tricks up his sleeve too. While we were out there, he pulled out his old 'Water Witching Rods'. You know that thing that they do where they get two 'L' shaped rods, hold them straight out, and find water or treasure or something underground? Well, this guy says that it's legit, that it really works...for water at least.
He brought us out to the front of his house, puts the rods in my hand, and says "Now, walk." And I started walking. The trick is apparently to hold them perfectly straight ahead, but loose so they can turn every which way. So, I held them out and started walking, slowly. As I walked, the rods began to turn inward, completely on their own. Pretty soon, I passed the center point and Whoop! they pointed right at my chest. I reset them, and started walking back. At the exact same point Whoop! the rods turned towards me again. I held them high over my head the next time, and when I passed the point WHOOP! they swung right around and I was a helicopter.
You do some pretty weird things on the mission...
You see some weird things too, like this:
On Monday, we went out to old man Zook's house. He's a great old guy who's been around for a really long time, and has seen the ward grow from a twig to where it is now. He's got a lot of random tricks up his sleeve too. While we were out there, he pulled out his old 'Water Witching Rods'. You know that thing that they do where they get two 'L' shaped rods, hold them straight out, and find water or treasure or something underground? Well, this guy says that it's legit, that it really works...for water at least.
He brought us out to the front of his house, puts the rods in my hand, and says "Now, walk." And I started walking. The trick is apparently to hold them perfectly straight ahead, but loose so they can turn every which way. So, I held them out and started walking, slowly. As I walked, the rods began to turn inward, completely on their own. Pretty soon, I passed the center point and Whoop! they pointed right at my chest. I reset them, and started walking back. At the exact same point Whoop! the rods turned towards me again. I held them high over my head the next time, and when I passed the point WHOOP! they swung right around and I was a helicopter.
You do some pretty weird things on the mission...
You see some weird things too, like this:
I'm not even going to offer comment.
This week has been a great one. We had some awesome visits with some of the less-active and returning members of the church out here. Saturday, we had the Elders Quorum president drive us around for 8 hours during the day, completely on his own accord. Apparently, he was touched by President Monson's comment about now being the time for members and missionaries to work together. We went out to visit some people the Bishop suggested would be good to sit down with.
The first gentleman, Brother Boyd, was pretty dodgy. He let us in, but wasn't very thrilled to talk about the Gospel. He was very friendly, and open about his history in the church, about how he has flitted in and out of activity and eventually was the means for his wife and step-daughter to be baptized, but as of right now, coming back to church isn't a priority, it's only on his mind. It was plain, though, that as we left, he had more thoughts on his mind than when we came.
Another brother we visited, Brother Fray, is preparing to get the Melchizedek priesthood. He's been thinking about it pretty strongly, but after we came and sat down with him, it was plain to see that he knew what a blessing it would be in his life. We three talked about the great blessing it has been in our lives, we showed a quick video, and when the movie was done, the Spirit was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. His 15 year old son was there, and both of them seemed to be very close to tears. It was pretty awesome.
Earlier this week, we were in an area that we don't frequent very often. We looked at our maps and saw that there were a couple of less-active members that we could stop by. Neither of us knew any of the names, so we just picked one and drove over.
The name was Annette, and we had no information about her. When we rolled up, we saw a lady cleaning out her garage. We came up and almost scared her, but after we got introductions out of the way, she warmed up and said "Come on in!"
We sat down and started chatting, and one of the first things that she said was "How do you people keep on finding me?" She was born into the church in Ogden, but the hypocrisy which she saw in the church drove her away from any church at all. She's been all over the place in her life as a military woman, but finally settled down about 5 years ago. This was the first she's been visited by missionaries since then.
Then her Irish husband, Mick, came in, and boy, did we think he was going to come down like his namesake mascot. (Notre Dame Fighting Irish reference there) He took one look at us, with an unsure look on his face, and then started cracking jokes. "Oh! I thought you were INTERPOL coming to get me after all these years!" He sat down and was more than open about his feelings towards the church. Of course he's had some interaction, but has never attended. However, he seemed to be pretty open to the idea, much more than his wife. Both of them, however, were incredibly friendly to us. As we walked out, Elder Almond said "We'll have to come out this way more often." I say yes to that!
In all, a great week. And a great area!
Have a great week, all!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
This week has been a great one. We had some awesome visits with some of the less-active and returning members of the church out here. Saturday, we had the Elders Quorum president drive us around for 8 hours during the day, completely on his own accord. Apparently, he was touched by President Monson's comment about now being the time for members and missionaries to work together. We went out to visit some people the Bishop suggested would be good to sit down with.
The first gentleman, Brother Boyd, was pretty dodgy. He let us in, but wasn't very thrilled to talk about the Gospel. He was very friendly, and open about his history in the church, about how he has flitted in and out of activity and eventually was the means for his wife and step-daughter to be baptized, but as of right now, coming back to church isn't a priority, it's only on his mind. It was plain, though, that as we left, he had more thoughts on his mind than when we came.
Another brother we visited, Brother Fray, is preparing to get the Melchizedek priesthood. He's been thinking about it pretty strongly, but after we came and sat down with him, it was plain to see that he knew what a blessing it would be in his life. We three talked about the great blessing it has been in our lives, we showed a quick video, and when the movie was done, the Spirit was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. His 15 year old son was there, and both of them seemed to be very close to tears. It was pretty awesome.
Earlier this week, we were in an area that we don't frequent very often. We looked at our maps and saw that there were a couple of less-active members that we could stop by. Neither of us knew any of the names, so we just picked one and drove over.
The name was Annette, and we had no information about her. When we rolled up, we saw a lady cleaning out her garage. We came up and almost scared her, but after we got introductions out of the way, she warmed up and said "Come on in!"
We sat down and started chatting, and one of the first things that she said was "How do you people keep on finding me?" She was born into the church in Ogden, but the hypocrisy which she saw in the church drove her away from any church at all. She's been all over the place in her life as a military woman, but finally settled down about 5 years ago. This was the first she's been visited by missionaries since then.
Then her Irish husband, Mick, came in, and boy, did we think he was going to come down like his namesake mascot. (Notre Dame Fighting Irish reference there) He took one look at us, with an unsure look on his face, and then started cracking jokes. "Oh! I thought you were INTERPOL coming to get me after all these years!" He sat down and was more than open about his feelings towards the church. Of course he's had some interaction, but has never attended. However, he seemed to be pretty open to the idea, much more than his wife. Both of them, however, were incredibly friendly to us. As we walked out, Elder Almond said "We'll have to come out this way more often." I say yes to that!
In all, a great week. And a great area!
Have a great week, all!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
November 4, 2013
Missionary Slim is in the right place at the right time to help people feel the power of the Spirit (Week 91 in Pennsylvania, Week 2 in Wintersville, Ohio)
We've had a couple of really great, cool experiences this week. Tuesday, we had an appointment with a less active brother, Jason. He's a hip, hair-stylin' Mormon who either joined the church later in life, or fell out of the church pretty hard. But don't let his appearance fool you - his tattoos and earrings only adorn the outside warmhearted family man.
He's working on quitting smoking - he has been for a while. This past week, we decided to take his former bishop, who was released about a year ago, over to visit him. Jason has been trying for a long time to come back and to fix his life, but he just needs a few pushes every now and then to get him going in the right direction. Well, the bishop gave him that push. It was incredible to see this brother testify, a testimony and conviction so filled with love that all in the room could feel it. As the bishop encouraged and invited this brother to work towards priesthood advancement, my companion and I were silent. Then, my companion gave a strong invitation to follow a stop-smoking program. Jason accepted, and sure enough, the next day we got a text saying "Only one cigarette today!" By the time he came to church this Sunday, the first time in a while, I believe, he was holding on strong.
Did we do a lot? No, not really. It was all the Spirit. We just got Jason in the right place at the right time with the right people so the Spirit could be felt.
Another story: The next day, we had a dinner appointment with an active family who is notorious for having less-active members over at the same time. After dinner, we sat down and just started talking - about the Plan of Happiness, the temple, etc. We didn't have any specific plans, we didn't really even teach anything earth-shatteringly awesome. It was just talking. We brought up the death of the less-active sister's grandmother, and then bore simple testimony that her death was temporary - it wouldn't last forever. After the lesson, we got a text from the active brother who invited us over saying "Thanks for coming over - we really felt the spirit."
Finally, we've been teaching the Gospel Principles class during Sunday School, and our class has been packed both weeks! We've been having two less-active brothers, two recent converts, three investigators, a toddler, the Ward Mission Leader, and, of course, the missionaries. Well, this past week, we had a young woman randomly invite her boyfriend to come to church. After Fast and Testimony (which was great - it was centered on cat stories, and how people have learned the gospel from their cats), I asked the boyfriend if he liked it and if he was staying. He said yes to both, so we brought him in.
Come to find out, this young woman was a little nervous about him being by himself, so she came to the class. And, come to find out, she was a little nervous about being there 'by herself', so to speak, so she brought THE ENTIRE LAUREL GROUP! That class was seriously filled to capacity. It was incredible. We had a pretty good lesson, and tried to include everyone, but it did seem a little hectic with all the people, the toddler taking away everyone's attention, and the room temperature quickly rising.
After church, we went to the home of one of these young women who was in the class. Completely without prompting on our part, she said "Class was really good today. I really felt the spirit strongly." Wow. That felt really good to hear.
So, moral of the story -
Be in the right place...
At the right time...
With the right people...
Doing the right things...
And everything will generally work out.
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
He's working on quitting smoking - he has been for a while. This past week, we decided to take his former bishop, who was released about a year ago, over to visit him. Jason has been trying for a long time to come back and to fix his life, but he just needs a few pushes every now and then to get him going in the right direction. Well, the bishop gave him that push. It was incredible to see this brother testify, a testimony and conviction so filled with love that all in the room could feel it. As the bishop encouraged and invited this brother to work towards priesthood advancement, my companion and I were silent. Then, my companion gave a strong invitation to follow a stop-smoking program. Jason accepted, and sure enough, the next day we got a text saying "Only one cigarette today!" By the time he came to church this Sunday, the first time in a while, I believe, he was holding on strong.
Did we do a lot? No, not really. It was all the Spirit. We just got Jason in the right place at the right time with the right people so the Spirit could be felt.
Another story: The next day, we had a dinner appointment with an active family who is notorious for having less-active members over at the same time. After dinner, we sat down and just started talking - about the Plan of Happiness, the temple, etc. We didn't have any specific plans, we didn't really even teach anything earth-shatteringly awesome. It was just talking. We brought up the death of the less-active sister's grandmother, and then bore simple testimony that her death was temporary - it wouldn't last forever. After the lesson, we got a text from the active brother who invited us over saying "Thanks for coming over - we really felt the spirit."
Finally, we've been teaching the Gospel Principles class during Sunday School, and our class has been packed both weeks! We've been having two less-active brothers, two recent converts, three investigators, a toddler, the Ward Mission Leader, and, of course, the missionaries. Well, this past week, we had a young woman randomly invite her boyfriend to come to church. After Fast and Testimony (which was great - it was centered on cat stories, and how people have learned the gospel from their cats), I asked the boyfriend if he liked it and if he was staying. He said yes to both, so we brought him in.
Come to find out, this young woman was a little nervous about him being by himself, so she came to the class. And, come to find out, she was a little nervous about being there 'by herself', so to speak, so she brought THE ENTIRE LAUREL GROUP! That class was seriously filled to capacity. It was incredible. We had a pretty good lesson, and tried to include everyone, but it did seem a little hectic with all the people, the toddler taking away everyone's attention, and the room temperature quickly rising.
After church, we went to the home of one of these young women who was in the class. Completely without prompting on our part, she said "Class was really good today. I really felt the spirit strongly." Wow. That felt really good to hear.
So, moral of the story -
Be in the right place...
At the right time...
With the right people...
Doing the right things...
And everything will generally work out.
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
October 28, 2013
Missionary Slim doesn't have to use his ruby slippers to get home, just the power of prayer and a tank of gas (Week 90 in Pennsylvania, Week 1 in Wintersville, Ohio)
"Gee, Toto, I don't think we're in Pennsylvania anymore!"
And isn't that the truth! After a wild turn of events, I finally made it to... well, maybe I'd better explain those wild events.
Monday, a preparation day like any other. I worked hard to pack and do laundry while saying my goodbyes to all the wonderful people that I'll be missing as I go to my new area. Tuesday, I was off. Another missionary (on his way to home, actually - he was at the end of the two years) hopped into a car and took off down the Pennsylvania Turnpike with somewhere around 200 miles to drive just to get to Pittsburgh and about 4 exits along the way.
I had arranged the day before to have lunch with a family that I taught in Somerset, which happens to be a convenient stop on the way. As we were driving, reminiscing about the mission and our areas, I took a look at the dashboard to find the fuel low light on. I quickly took a look at the digital display with the fuel range information: 12 miles. I looked at the GPS to see how far Somerset was from our current location: 20 miles.
Oh shoot.
We were panicking just a little bit, mainly because we were on a pretty tight schedule and really weren't in the mood for walking 8 miles to get a gallon of gas. The Turnpike is a toll road, too, so it would be very difficult to expect anyone to give us a ride one way or the other.
We pretty much had only one option - pray.
You know that story of the Savior blessing that bread and those fishes and it suddenly multiplying, or at very least sustaining itself long enough to feed a massive group of people. Well, that kind of miracle still happens nowadays. As we drove along, trying our best to keep the mileage as high as possible, we noticed that for every two miles we drove closer to Somerset, our fuel range only went down 1 mile. Miraculously, we made it all the way, and were able to fill up and get to Pittsburgh in safety.
So, now all the exciting stuff. I ended up getting transferred to... an area to work with a guy named Elder Almond. He's a Tooele native, born and raised in the church, but fell off in his teenage years. After a couple of years of 'riotous living', he decided that his life wasn't going anywhere good, slowly got it turned around, and is now on a mission serving the Lord. He's been out for about 6 months, and has been here for a transfer.
The work here is going great. The investigator pool is low, but I'm sure that's going to change - we found three new investigators this week. A recent convert named Jasmyn pretty much invited all of her friends to meet with us, and two of them accepted the invitation to learn more about the gospel; one of them even came to church yesterday and loved it!
An investigator named Carlene is getting ready to be baptized. She's a sweetheart with a big heart and is really good on picking up on the Spirit. She's had a rough life, and it shows, but she's got such a great desire to follow the right thing. She's had some great friends in the church mentor and guide her along, and now, she's telling everyone that she's going to become a member. I was helping her with her wheelchair yesterday, and I caught her talking to another member saying "I'm getting baptized soon!"
One more thing: This morning, we got a call from the senior couple that works in the ward with us - they got a call that one of the elderly members was in the hospital and requested a blessing. We got there, and he was in pretty bad shape. He was in his 80s, a native of Scotland, and in a coma. His health had been declining for a long time, and his granddaughter who was there felt that he was wanting to go home. She requested that we release him from mortality - the senior missionary, Elder Monson, performed the ordinance. There is always a very special feeling that comes when the words "I bless you to know that your Father is pleased with you and is calling you home" are pronounced over someone. The granddaughter was very grateful, and I'm sure that somewhere, bagpipes were playing 'Danny Boy.'
And all this happened in sunny Wintersville, Ohio! (I bet you thought I'd never mention it, huh?)
Have a great week, All!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
October 21, 2013
Missionary Slim likes photoblogging (Week 89 in Pennsylvania, Week 13 in Dover, PA)
This might be mostly a photo blog post. Lots of
great things have been talked about in the blog, but I haven't put up
pictures in a while.
A recent hurricane blew through, causing this flooding. It was pretty intense!
Kyle's baptism!
In other news, Transfers! Tomorrow,
I am off to different climes. Yep, I'm being transferred. All that I
know is I'm going to be somewhere in the western side of the mission,
but that's about it. It'll be totally different than what I've been up
to lately, though. New area, new ward (or branch), new investigators,
new companion, new everything! Except toothbrush - I'm hanging on to
that.
For the record, this is going to be my sixth area.
Probably my last, too, but I'm not going to say one way or the other for
fear of getting jinxed.
I'm leaving behind a
bunch of great people, which is the worst part about being transferred. A
ton of people who I wasn't expecting came up to me at church and
sincerely told me goodbye. It was super touching.
Wherever I go, though, It'll be good. It'll be where the Lord wants me to go. That, I'm excited for.
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
October 14, 2013
Missionary Slim sees a TON of fish but is having the best success being a 'Fisher of Men' (Week 88 in Pennsylvania, Week 12 in Dover, PA)
Missionary work is going well. We pulled out our
area book this week and found this name under the potential investigator
section:
Valentin. Contacted August 2007. Note: "This guy is SO prepared!"
And with that to work with, we stopped by. Sure enough,
we found him at home. Actually, he was leaving in about 5 minutes, but
he had time to get to know us a bit, tell us that he could visit with us
in the morning, and get our phone number.
We stopped by two days later in the morning and he let
us in with this greeting: "Guys, this is going to be the first and the
last time, because I'm just so busy, I can't commit to anything. But
come in for today." We sat down and he just started talking to us, with
us making comments here and there. He talked about his work, his family,
his homeland Mexico, his wife, his church that he doesn't attend. You
know, all the important stuff. We just sat and listened. Every now and
then, he'd stop, think for a bit, and then throw our a super-inspired
question. "So, what is it with you guys? What makes your church any
different from any other?" or "What happens to us when we die? Coz my
kids have been asking and I don't have a good answer." And we answered.
We gave him a Book of Mormon, and he seemed thrilled to give it a read.
We'll see what happens.
Same goes for the wife of a less-active member who we started teaching this week. We've gone over in the past to chat, to help them with their fish (they have a TON of fish), and other stuff. This time, though, we were going to teach. She had a TON of questions too (not as many questions as fish, though), and we were able to answer every single one. She's going to think about what we shared and decide if she wants to learn any more during this coming week, but I'm hopeful and confident that she'll choose to keep learning.
Also, we had the chance to visit with Noel again.
Without going into detail, she told us one of her biggest hang-ups with
coming to church. It was incredible how the conversation just naturally
flowed into the gospel and the love which Heavenly Father has for us and
how much He wants us to just make good choices and follow Him. He knows
what will make us happy, and He's going to try his hardest to help us.
She seemed a little bit more comfortable after that.
Finally, we had an awesome baptism this week. Kyle, who
I mentioned many weeks ago, has been taught by the sister missionaries
in the ward. They've worked through all his concerns and questions until
he finally decided to be baptized. It was a great baptism. Like the
baptism of Sarah a few months ago, we were able to have a Skype session
with the missionaries who taught him online. They were awesome guys too -
one was paralyzed from the hips down and the other had cerebral palsy.
Both were dedicated servants of the Lord, though, and were trying their
best to share the gospel.
Kyle gave his testimony as well. He explained how he
came to find the church after taking a survey online about which
religion he affiliates with the most. Turns out that the result was
"Mormon." So he got online, got in touch with those missionaries, they
got us in touch with him. He said that his first visit with us was
"intimidating." (ouch...) But the sisters came in right after that and
softened him right up. He's totally dedicated to the church and gospel
and is ready for his new life! That's just testimony to me that the Lord
really is in charge - He'll make everything work out.
Anyway, it's been a great week. I hope yours has been too!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
October 7, 2013
Missionary Slim has a few words to pass on to everyone (Week 87 in Pennsylvania, Week 11 in Dover, PA)
Today, Slim has been extremely busy and didn't have a lot of time to write. Here are a few of his own words to sum up his week:
-General Conference. Two words: HOME RUN!
-Remember
Kyle? I mentioned him weeks ago. He's been taught by the sister
missionaries, and will probably be getting baptized this coming week. Do
like one of the seventies (I can't remember which) told you, and pray
for him by name. He'll appreciate it.
-Cody, who I mentioned last week, came to Priesthood session. He really liked it.
-Noel is contemplating joining the church more and more every time we visit.
-By the time you read this, Elder Bowcut will be on an airplane to Australia.
-The Church is still SO true!
That's about all! Hope your week is as exciting as this coming one should be!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
September 30, 2013
Missionary Slim encounters a new opportunity and an old one. Coincidence? I think not. (Week 86 in Pennsylvania, Week 10 in Dover, PA)
We were walking down the street. It was a pleasant
day; the sun was shining, and clouds glided by, creating shadows here
and there occasionally. A gentleman we had passed earlier when he was
tinkering with a lawn mower was now out walking his puppy. We decided to
say hi. Here's the gist of the conversation:
"Hey there!"
"Oh, hi guys. How are you doing? I was wondering when you were going to talk to me."
"Oh, have you talked to missionaries before?"
"No, but I've seen you guys and I know what you do. But
I've never talked to Mormons before. Hey, I'm not busy. If you guys
want, you can come by the house in about 15 minutes and we can sit down
and chat."
"....Sure!"
We went over and had a
great discussion. His name was Tom, and he made it clear that he just
wanted to get some information and was mostly interested in what made
our church unique. But he also said that he was going to seriously
investigate it. We introduced him to the Book of Mormon and he told us
"Well, good thing I like to read!" When we asked if he wanted to meet
with us again, he said "Give me a couple of weeks to get through this,
and then we can talk." That sounds fair to me!
Later that day, we stopped by the home of a former
investigator. Actually, it was a family. The had missionaries visit them
YEARS ago, like 5 or so, and it looked like they hadn't been touched in
about that long too. Oh, and they had two pages of notes attached -
these guys were investigating pretty heavily.
When we went over, we met Cody the adult son. He was
pretty awesome and open. "Oh, sure, guys. You can come back. I remember
when Sister Basian and Sister Frey used to come over." My jaw probably
dropped just a little bit when he said that. My thought was "You
remember the missionaries that taught you that long ago?"
We met his mom, Kim, when we came by the next day. She
explained that she was raised in her parents church, but had a lot of
questions and such. She said there were a lot of things that she liked
about her parents church, but a lot of things she didn't. I decided to
focus on the positive and asked "What do you like about your parent's
church?"
"Oh, well.... I guess just the familiarity. I mean,
it's what I always grew up with. I like how comfortable the worship
service is. I don't know." Hmm...
Come to find
out, she hasn't been attending any church for a while, and Cody has
actually been doubting the existence of God for some time. They haven't
been praying or reading the scriptures. "When the other missionaries
came by, they really helped me through a really hard time," she said,
also explaining that they were close to joining the church, but her mom
had a fit when she found out. They've been going through a rough time
presently, though. Then, after a pause, "Maybe that's why you guys came
over now."
They both listened intently as we talked about faith
and prayer and about how much their Heavenly Father loves them. That
small home was full of the warmth of the Spirit - it was awesome.
Following our visit, they were more than happy to have us come back and
keep teaching them. Also, they told us the names of several ward members
who they knew. We'll see where this goes.
So, the work continues. Alas, it will continue without
Elder Bowcut come the 8th. He got his visa to Australia and will be
leaving then. All I have to say about that is Godspeed!
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
September 23, 2013
Missionary Slim forgets that it was ' International talk like a Pirate Day ' last week (Week 85 in Pennsylvania, Week 9 in Dover, PA)
There's an awesome family that we've been able to
visit, the Gonzales'. And don't let the name fool you - they're
Filipino. The son is a security guard working nights and has a really
hard time getting to church because its right when he's supposed to be
sleeping. He hasn't come to church in several years. Well, we had a chat
with him and found out that he's really been thinking about serving a
mission. He's getting pretty old, around 25 years old or so, but he's
still technically eligible. All three of us were able to teach and
testify about how much the mission has meant for us and encourage him to
do everything in his power to make it a reality. Hopefully it happens.
We went to visit a guy that I mentioned a few weeks
ago. His name is Harvey, and he REALLY wanted to watch 17 Miracles with
his wife. Well, we got them a copy, they watched it, and then we went by
to visit this week. Actually, I went by myself with another member of
the church. It was pretty incredible what happened.
As it turns out, this member that I brought lives just two houses down
from Harvey's brother. They both were in construction and
transportation, both lived out in the mid-west and Wyoming areas and
loved it there. They clicked like two lego blocks!
I asked about how they liked 17 Miracles. They loved
it. It was so touching and so moving for them. They were incredibly
impressed, and it was plain that they felt the Spirit. We spent the
majority of our visit watching the Restoration, a film about the Prophet
Joseph Smith, and talking about it. They ended up telling us that they
felt very good about it, that it might be true, and then told us "You
know, since you guys have been coming by to visit us, we've been
thinking a lot about our church. It's been really hard to go there for
the past few months because our old pastor left. We've really been
thinking about visiting your church." That was awesome to hear.
We did visit them later that week and they told us that
they were planning on continuing to attend their church for the time
being, at least until they got a more permanent pastor (their current
pastor is only there for the time being while they find a replacement).
Still, they've been touched. It's only a matter of time before that
touch of the Spirit turns into a testimony which will become a full tree
of conversion.
So, the work continues! Until next week,
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
September 16, 2013
Missionary Slim has a week of many changes and adventures (Week 84 in Pennsylvania, Week 8 in Dover, PA)
It's been a really fun week. Seriously. Incredibly fun. Here's the rundown:
Monday
I went up to Harrisburg. Because Elder Ramos is training during this
new transfer, he needed to drive out to Pittsburgh to be part of the
trainer's meeting. I was going to be babysat by another elder in
Pittsburgh, Elder Brady.
We did work up there. He's in the walking area, so
we hoofed it on bikes, walked, talked to dozens of people. He himself is
waiting for a visa to Brazil, so he knows Portuguese, but not very much
Spanish, so I was able to speak to some of the Latinos on the streets
of Harrisburg. That was cool.
Tuesday
I continued working with Elder Brady and we were joined by another
misfit missionary waiting for a companion, Elder Staple. Again, we hit
the streets, visiting less-active members, chatting with people,
teaching the Gospel. Late that night, we met back up at the Harrisburg
chapel so I could meet up with Elder Ramos and the new companion, Elder
Bowcut.
Elder Bowcut is awesome, by the way. He's a Mandarin
speaker going to Sydney, Australia (my dream mission, by the way). He
was in the MTC for 11 weeks waiting for a visa before they finally gave
it up and shipped him here. As soon as his visa arrives, he'll be on a
plane headed out there. Until then, this Highland, Utah native will be
working with us. And boy, is it a pleasure to work with him. He's got
the lessons already down, he isn't shy at all, but is super humble. He
came pre-trained.
Wednesday,
we went to work and had one of the most successful days of missionary
work I've had in a long time. I blame that good, old fashioned MTC Fire
coming out with Elder Bowcut. We had a great lesson with a couple that
we've visited several times. They're older, and had a lot of Mormon
friends when they lived in Wyoming. Since coming back to PA, they've met
the missionaries here and there, but as far as I know, we're the first
ones that they've let in. He's really interested in pioneers and such
(come to think of it, I might have talked about them before... Oh well,
anyway). We came over to give him a copy of 17 Miracles and ended up
talking our way through the entire Restoration. Pretty nifty. We'll see
where this goes.
Thursday,
we chatted with a great guy named Jerry. He's not quite so interested,
but he does like the idea of a modern prophet. He's interesting though -
his neurosis in his feet has removed most of the feeling in them. When
we stopped by, he had a cast on. "What's that for?" we asked. "Oh, it's a
long story..." He then launched into a story about how his little
ankle-biter dogs did just that - to his toe! Gnawed it right to the bone
before he realized what happened. The only reason I tell that story is
because it isn't something you hear every day!
Friday,
we stopped by the home of Noel, an investigator who we taught a few
weeks ago. She opened the door and stepped out for what she thought
would be a 10 minute visit. Fortunately, she had time and was looking
for a distraction from her house cleaning because we ended up talking
for 45 minutes and gave her the whole run-down of the Restoration of the
Gospel. Best of all, she agreed with most of it! I was floored, which
you would expect wouldn't happen so much now that I've been out for a
long time, but it still happened.
Same goes with the mother of a less-active member
who we visited. She herself is a very cheerful, lovable lady, and a
devout Methodist, but she still listened intently as we explained the
loss of priesthood authority and the Book of Mormon. When we asked if
she would be baptized when she found out that these things are true, her
reply was a very positive "yes." Again, floored. In a good way.
Saturday
was spent doing service at various homes, the library, and attending
the birthday party of Brother Bill, whose wife, Dee, is seriously
contemplating baptism. Despite our lack of lessons, the day was still
productive.
And finally, Sunday.
After a week like this one, a good Sabbath was definitely needed. After
church, we had the pleasure of teaching Desiree, who we haven't seen
since her confirmation two weeks ago. Still, she was just as happy and
just as full of joy as she was then. That was a pleasure and a blessing
to be a part of.
We also visited Ferne, a great older lady who I've
mentioned before. Out of the blue, she started talking about the Lord's
law of health, which launched us into a discussion about the Word of
Wisdom. Now, this wonderful lady hasn't been able to come to church yet,
but regardless, she still had the faith to say yes when we invited her
to give up her only vice: coffee. She gave us a hard time about it too,
but in the end, she said she'd pray about it.
In all, a good week. The work really is moving.
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
September 9, 2013
Missionary Slim and his new-found mascot (Week 83 in Pennsylvania, Week 7 in Dover, PA)
Like our usual work, we've been finding, finding,
finding. Oh, and finding. Even with all of the awesome new investigators
that we got last week, we're still in the midst of an investigator
crisis. All of those people we were teaching who were close to baptism
did just that. So, we go and find.
We knocked on the door of a home and immediately
regretted it - football was on, and when football is on, you do NOT
interrupt it. A middle aged man came to the door and said "How can I
help you?" From my experience, people who say that aren't looking. As
usual, though, my snap-judgment wasn't entirely accurate.
"Hello," we said, "We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ..."
"Oh, well I go to church already."
"Oh. Great! How has the Gospel blessed your life?"
"It's helped a lot. My father just passed away, and we just had to put down our dog..."
And
then the tears started coming. I was surprised. I mean, it's not
unusual to see a woman cry in front of you, but here was a grown man
bawling in front of us. He explained that over the past few years, he'd
lost an uncle, a brother, a grandfather, and now this. As we talked, he
softened up. He admitted that he didn't have answers to the questions
he's been asking, but did say that God has been helping him.
I told him "We want you to know that God has a plan for
you. Part of that plan includes families being together forever. I want
to promise you that you can see your father, grandfather... even you
dog again." He felt a little better after that and we got an appointment
to see him again next week.
We found a mascot!
We
were weeding at an elderly members home, and found this guy scurrying
around the garden. When he first zipped past, it scared me half to
death! (Although I'm sure he was much more frightened than I was).
After a short game of cat-and-mouse, we nabbed him to take the picture
you now see. He was a clever guy, hiding behind the webs of giant
spiders (seriously, they were huge, and there were many of them) and
making a bolt for the bushes. In the end, we got him. We only hung onto
him for a little while, though, and then left him in the tall brush of a
nearby field. Hopefully that cat we saw prowling around doesn't get
him. Either way, the woman of the house was more than happy to see him
gone.
I'll close with a short sermon. We just taught a class
yesterday to a number of members of the church about how to help
fellowship new and less-active members of the church. One thing which
came up over and over, again and again is how they NEED to have friends.
Not just one person here and there who visits once a month, but they
need to know that they are really cared about, that they are wanted at
church.
We gave an invitation, and I'll repeat it here. If you
see someone at church who you don't normally see, say hi to them. Talk
to them. Invite them to your house for supper. What will happen will
astound you. I'll leave you to find out what happens though. However,
I'll say this. Actually, I'll quote Elder Andersen (the apostle, not
myself) "You will never be closer to your Lord and Savior than when you
are sharing His gospel with others."
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
September 3, 2013
Missionary Slim finds out that giants really do exist and they are friendly! (Week 82 in Pennsylvania, Week 6 in Dover, PA)
This blog post is probably going to sound like a Shakespeare comedy or a daytime soap opera. Just sayin'.
Earlier
this week, we called Bolvina, the Mexican lady that we started teaching
last week. I'll give a rough paraphrase of what she said: "Oh, I talked
to my husband, and we're Catholic. We believe in the Bible. He doesn't
want to meet you guys... Bye!" Yeah, that's never fun.
Another investigator left a note on the door, which
very simply said "DO NOT KNOCK ON MY DOOR AGAIN. DO NOT COME NEAR MY
HOME AGAIN." Ooooookay. Great.
We had a member
tell us to knock on his neighbor's door, which we did. What ended up
happening was an hour and a half discussion (debate?) about various
points of doctrine. That is to say, a bible bash. Bruce R. McConkie is
quoted as saying "We NEVER Bible bash... but when we do, we win." Well,
we ended up talking about some of the very basic teachings of the Bible,
such as the resurrection, spirit world, etc. and he simply verbally
refuted our claims. Hmm... Either way, even though the Spirit was
present when we testified of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, he
didn't catch it. We did leave on good terms, though, but I certainly
wasn't proud of myself that we got in the bash to begin with.
And that was our week!
That is,
until the weekend. We felt strongly impressed to fast for Bolvina, in
the hopes that something would change and we could get in just one more
time to meet her husband. It felt really good, so we went over there
after church on Sunday
and knocked on her door. A man opened it and we asked if he was
Bolvina's husband. "No, I'm her brother." He invited us in and we sat
down and got to know him. We got into a lesson and had an opening
prayer. As soon as we said 'Amen', the door opened and in walked Bolvina
and a giant of a man. I wasn't worried per se, but I really hoped that
this all went well as he gripped my hand in a handshake. They both sat
down, and her husband, Benjamin, started firing away. "Who are you
guys?"
Now, before I go on, I do need to say that this entire
exchange was in Spanish. I picked up a little bit of it, and certainly
got the spirit behind it all, but my companion was the one doing the
talking.
My companion explained that we are missionaries, and
immediately fired back, asking him about his family, his background, his
history. Boom. From that moment, it was over. He realized that we
weren't fierce fanatics trying to get converts - we just wanted to be
their friends. He opened up, and listened intensely as we explained the
Plan of Salvation for them. When we got done, we talked a bit about
church and our Spanish Book of Mormon class, and he was thrilled. He
told us about his addiction to alcohol, and how he wants to be a better
father for his kids. Perfect. That's exactly what we are looking for.
Prayers are answered, for sure.
Later that day, we had another appointment with another
family. Seriously, two, nuclear families all in one day. When does that
happen? I'll probably talk about them a little bit more in the future.
Yesterday, for Labor day, we had a barbeque with a
part-member family, the same member who had us knock on his neighbor's
door. They got married just a few months ago, and the non-member wife
has been coming to church, and as far as we can tell, loves it. For some
reason, though, nobody has gotten a solid answer whether she wants to
be baptized or not. Well, as we were chatting, there was an almost
perfect blend of Spirit and tender mercies of the Lord which allowed the
topic to come up perfectly. We asked; she answered. Someone is going to
be baptized in the near future!
Oh, and they served us a peach pie. It was baked by their neighbors. :D
So, as usual, it seems everything seems to turn out alright in the end.
Have a grand week!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
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