Actually a pretty crazy week
Bear with me, this is probably going to be a long email. There is MUCH to discuss. First off, we ate the pig head. It was pretty good. We tried breaking the skull open to get to the brain and stuff but broke a metal butcher knife and a plate trying to do it, so we gave it up. We were blessed this week because we had not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 baptismal dates at one point this week. I haven't had that many at one time in my mission. Unfortunately one of them was dropped midway through the week because his mom decided she didn't want him to get baptized. This is like the second time it's happened since I've been here and she's gone back and forth several times in the last 2 years but we'll keep nourishing the seed and all that.
We visited a part-member family where the mom isn't a member and the dad is less active, we taught the plan of salvation, thinking she had been taught the Restoration already by past missionaries (Because I thought it said so on the teaching record) but at the end of the lesson we asked her if she had any questions and her only one was "So are you saying I have to be Mormon to get to heaven?" Which is a hard question but that's why we need to teach the restoration first, to show that we're just not another interpretation of the Bible or Joseph Smith created the church, but that God Himself has officially declared this church to be HIS church, and that only by following His gospel can we return to live with Him. That gospel, in it's true form, is only found in His church. Unfortunately our answer sounded a little flustered but she's still a nice lady and things.
We found the MOST prepared person EVER last week. Holy cow, seriously, I wasn't sure it was possible to find people as accepting and progressive as this lady. Almost every lesson we've gone by has shocked me with how willingly she accepts everything. We actually door knocked into here a few weeks ago but she was busy, then she moved, but we were finally able to catch up with her. Her name is Kaysan, she's a young mother who didn't really have any religious background but she's recently started making big changes in her life and trying to find God. On Tuesday, we taught her the Restoration. She committed to a baptismal date of Nov 12 which was shocking. She said she got a nice warm feeling when we were teaching her. Wednesday we taught the Plan of Salvation, and at the beginning of the lesson she started by saying how we were an answer to her prayers. At the end of the lesson, we were talking about the role of the Holy Ghost, and she said again that she felt a warm feeling inside and wanted to cry when she told us we were the answer to her prayers. Then she volunteered to say the closing prayer. Keep in mind, she has pretty much no religious background, so that was shocking. Friday we were able to bring a sister in the branch with us to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we first sat down Kaysan asked how she could get to church on Sundays. We hadn't even invited her to church yet! The lesson was full of the Holy Ghost thanks to the sister we brought with us. She has a really strong testimony. At the close of the lessons Kaysan said the prayer and started crying when she said she knew what we were teaching was true! What the heck, the next day we had a child of record baptism so she was able to attend that and she came to church on Sunday as well. Honestly, we would be so lost if it wasn't for the sisters in the branch who are so friendly and supportive. The priesthood needs to get more on it with helping us fellowship, haha.
We have another investigator who's YSA age and he doesn't have a religious background either, but he believes everything we teach. Plus he really doesn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses because one of the first things they told him was that he would go to hell if he wasnt a JW. So every lesson we have a "what can you do" chuckle about some of the darndest things the JWs say. Power to them, though, our church could learn quite a few things about member missionary work and scripture study from them.
I can't remember what day it was, but we were doing personal study when suddenly, the phone rang. It was the mission office. I answered it and Elder Bean, the vehicle coordinator, said he needed to talk to Elder Cummings. That was me. He asked to confirm our car's vehicle number. It was ours. He said I got a SPEEDING TICKET on October 1. The way those work here, basically cameras will just click a picture of your car when you're speeding and send the bill to your house or in our case the mission office. Elder Bean said our car had been caught speeding at 89 km/h in a 80 k/h zone! Ach! I started looking at my planner to see what we were doing October 1st that I would be so careless! And then as I started reading our plans for the day, I made a staggering realization. And because I really got into court dramas and this video game called Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney before my mission, I felt like I was in an intense courtroom scene. Here goes:
THE HONORABLE ELDER BEAN (the judge): Elder Cummings, it appears you have been accused of speeding on October 1st, to the amount of $162. Will the prosecution please proceed with opening the case.
THE PROSECUTION: Elder Cummings, you are the sole driver of the Atherton vehicle, correct?
ELDER CUMMINGS: Correct.
THE P: And is the Atherton vehicle, pray tell, the same one pictured in this photo, taken by a speeding camera in Walkamin?
ELDER CUMMINGS: Yes, but there must be some mistake! You can't even tell who's in the car!
THE P: There is no need for further discussion. Your Honor, the defendant is the only driver of the Atherton car, and as such there is no one else who could have been driving at this time. I rest my case.
THE HONORABLE ELDER BEAN: Well, Elder Cummings, it appears this is quite an open and shut case. You are hereby demanded to-
MR. CUMMINGS (the defense attorney): HOLD IT! The prosecution seems to have ignored one critical question: does the defendant-my client- have an alibi?
THE P: Impossible! Everyone knows missionaries aren't allowed to leave their assigned area!
MR. CUMMINGS: Let's look at the evidence, shall we? According to Elder Cummings' planner, on the day of October 1st, there are plans made for people who would NOT be familiar to anyone working in the Atherton area!
THE P: What? Where did you get that?
THE HONORABLE ELDER BEAN: What's this?
MR. CUMMINGS: Additionally, if we look at the "notes" section of his planner, we can see that Elder Cummings wrote "trade-offs with INNISFAIL Elders" Therefore, I claim that Elder Cummings was NOT in Atherton that day, driving the car, because he was in INNISFAIL on trade-offs!"
THE P: No!
THE HONORABLE ELDER BEAN: Incredible! Who would have thought!
ELDER CUMMINGS: That's right! I was in Innisfail! Ask Elder Acevedo-Crespo! He was in Atherton that day!
THE P: Wait, are you insinuating...
MR. CUMMINGS: Yes! It was Elder Acevedo, not Elder Cummings, who was driving the Atherton vehicle that day!
THE HONORABLE ELDER BEAN: My my! I have never seen such a strange turn of events! Tell me, Mr. Cummings, do you have any evidence that it was indeed Elder Acevedo was driving the Atherton vehicle that day?
MR. CUMMINGS: Indeed! We can call in Elder Acevedo, and get his testimony regarding his whereabouts on October 1st!
THE HONORABLE ELDER BEAN: Well, in this case, I see no further need to accuse Elder Cummings of speeding, seeing as he was in Innisfail that day. Whether or not Elder Acevedo was driving the Atherton vehicle remains to be seen, but for now, I declare Elder Cummings... NOT GUILTY. Case dismissed.
Okay, sorry for that, yeah basically I just looked at my planner and thought "what the...none of these names are familiar..." and then I saw "Innisfail for the day" written in there and remembered I was in Innisfail on trade-offs and Elder Acevedo from Innisfail was driving our car in Atherton. I kind of felt bad telling Elder Bean that and pinning the blame on Elder Acevedo but man, $162 for going 4-5 miles over the speed limit is OBSCENE. Luckily the mission has a policy where the passenger in the car at the time has to pay 40% of the ticket. Sorry, Elder Hausia! Good deal.
Elder Cummings
No comments:
Post a Comment