Pittsburgh Mission Memoirs

Sorry, guys. This week might sound like a bit of a downer. If you read to the end, though, it gets better! You know that feeling that you get when you come to a point in a project where there is no way you can continue with it, and you've been working on it for so long that it's wasting your time, so you just get rid of it? Elder Nelson and I felt that 5 times with 5 people this week....

As with every week, this one was one of many ups and downs. Take this past Tuesday as an example: It was an exchange. Elder Rowzee and I were together again. It was great to be back with my old MTC companion, and together, we planned to baptize the entire area, all in one day. Unfortunately, the best laid plans never really work out. Our first idea was to tract in the richer neighborhood...

As I said last week: when a member gives you food, you eat it. No matter what it is, you have to eat it. No exception. End of story. We went to visit a Pennsylvania Dutch member family for a dinner appointment. They were nice and friendly, and had us sit at the table as they finished a few preparations. I saw the wife turn her back to us, and make some very secretive movements...

Every Wednesday, we have district meeting. This is where all of the missionaries in the area get together, discuss how the work is progressing, and our district leader (who is Elder Vallejo, if you remember him) gives us some instruction and counsel. And, since we're all together, we usually end it all by going out to eat. We went to this Chinese Buffet, and naturally stuffed ourselves...