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

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