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


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