Man, we've had a crazy time trying to keep up with Jon. He had his incredible change of heart last week, and then promptly went and got himself a job. It's a good thing, but it does make it difficult to get a hold of him when he is never at home and always has his phone off. After we missed an appointment with him, we decided we would stop by his work.
We get to his work, a fast-food pizza restaurant, and watch a little scene play out. The girl on the register calls back for some buffalo sauce. The manager mishears and puts together some buffalo wings. She corrects him, to which the manager replies "Well, you'd better sell these wings then." I'm feeling like being a little angel, and was planning on buying something anyway, so I say to her "I'll buy your wings," which she was very grateful for. I mention that we are there to see Jon, to which she replies, "You're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, right?" I was a little taken aback. Not only did she know exactly who we were (big surprise, we've got name tags), but she just spat out the entire name of the church. "Yeah," I said.
"Oh, well, I used to go to church there all the time when I was in Florida."
"Really? How long have you been here?"
"Oh, about a month."
"No way! Do you want to get back into it?"
"Sure. Here's my number."
Yep. Things like that don't happen every day. That was just another case of being in the right place at the right time. Or, perhaps, it was all planned out by the Lord from the beginning, including both her and Jon getting jobs at the pizza place (because I would never intentionally buy pizza there, meaning little chance of running into her there). Or it could have been a big coincidence. Who knows? Anyway, we should meet with her this coming week.
Another quick story about following the spirit. We had another night when everything we had planned was falling through. So, on a whim, I just said "Lets go see sister Southern." Just a reminder, Sister Southern is the Louisiana native who probably has decedents who persecuted the saints. Just saying. But she herself is the warmest, friendliest, kindest, most outgoing and crazy and interesting member I have ever met. And she's been away from church for a while. So, we packed up, and drove out to go see her. We get there and pound on the door (shouting "OPEN UP! IT'S THE MORMONS!") We come in and sit down, and then she and her husband tell us "You know, we were just talking about you. We were wondering when you were going to stop by again." Hmm... Funny coincidence...
We had a fun time on Sunday. We got the ox stuck in the mire.... Pretty much literally. We went to visit a family out in the boonies, and being the polite driver that I am, I pulled over to the side of the road when we got there so that the cars could drive past. We had a good visit with the family, and leave.
Quick side note: We had a really good snowstorm the day after Christmas, and it was snowy from then until last Wednesday. Since then, it's been really mild, with temperatures between 40 and 65 degrees. That means mud. I tried to reverse out. Nothing. I pulled forward a bit. Slid all over. I tried to drive back up to the road and nearly slid down the hill into some trees. The guy that we visited noticed us and came to the rescue! With his trusty Bobcat, he chained up the old (gutless) Malibu and towed us to safety.
On a more spiritual note, we had a wonderful opportunity this week to visit with a woman who truly needed a little spiritual uplifting. She is a longtime friend of a member, and her twin brother, whom she lived with, died recently. She's been heartbroken ever since. The member brought us over and she sat us down. We began explaining the plain and precious truths taught in Alma chapter 40. Our spirits return to God, and live in paradise if we do what's right. Eventually, we will be resurrected and have our bodies back, perfected and glorified. Then came her question. "Will my brother look the same when I see him?" With reverence, I looked her in the eye and said "Yes. You will. And he will recognize you." Then, (almost prophetically) I told her "When you see him, he will be the same, fun loving joyful person you knew when he was here." The waterworks opened and she cried tears of longing. Still, a sweet spirit was present.
There was another woman we talked to at the hospital. Her daughter is a member, and she herself is Lutheran. She has many questions, though. For example: "If we lived in Heaven with God before we came here, and we are trying to make it back, why did we ever leave in the first place?" Oh, what a good question! And what a pleasure it was for us to be able to tell her that the purpose of existence is to gain more knowledge and intelligence and experience, so that one day, when we return to our Heavenly Father, we may be like him.
The Church is true. The answers have been revealed. We have a prophet and living scriptures. It's true. It's all true.
By the time you hear from me next, I will have been a missionary for a full year. It's incredible to see how far I've come, and the things I've been able to do, but especially the lives I've been able to touch. My mission has meant so much to me - it's meant everything. I've tried my hardest to put everything that I have and everything that I am into it, and it has given me one of the greatest returns I ever could have wanted. I have gained knowledge, skills, experience. I've learned about life, death, marriage, divorce, apostasy, faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost. I've truly learned who my Father is, who my Savior is, and who I am - a Son of God, a foot soldier of righteousness and an advocate of truth. It has come with a price - no longer can I deny what I know. No longer can I sin in ignorance. No longer can I keep my testimony within myself. With the light and knowledge which I have been given, I have no choice but to share it with others. The irony of it all is no matter how much I share, no matter how much I sacrifice, I am continually blessed, sustained, and uplifted.
I've seen a lot of missionaries - some excellent, some mediocre, and some downright apostate. One thing that I've found - the mission (and life, I suppose) is what you make of it. Some things you can't change - there will be rejection, there will be trials, there will be weeks where you don't teach a single lesson or all of the people you are teaching decide to stop talking with you, or months where you have to endure the companion from your worst nightmares. But, like the Lord said to Joseph Smith: "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." By trusting in the Lord, but turning my life over to him, I have found the peace and comfort that can only come from service in the vineyard of the Lord. It's been a hard year, but it's been a good year. And the best is yet to come.
Take care!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim
