Week 79

"Well, I think we should tract ridgeview" I wisely suggested to my companion. "Okay." it was as simple as that.  The plan: Tract on Ridgeview from the hours of 2:30-3:30 where we would find 1 person who was ready to hear the gospel.  Didn't go as planned.
Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock. (I usually like to knock 7 times).  "GET OFF MY PORCH".  Okay lets try again.
Knock x 7 "You guys Mormons? Not interested." SLAM. Okay, no worries.
" " " " " "    "....." SLAM.  We'll try again.  2 more, just like it.  and again! Knock x 7 "Ooooh hey look at that, you guys are mormons huh?" "Yes sir, what gave it away?" "The goofy outfits.  Tell you what guys, you're wasting your time, I don't have any imaginary friends."  "Well that is very reassuring sir, we teach a message about the reality of God." "Oh I know, but I'm sane, I have my head on straight.  You should try my neighbor, he'll convert YOU!" "Oh you mean Paul?" "Yeah you know paul?" "Oh  yes, we know him... he tried to convert us." "Well, that's all I have to say, goodbye fellas" closes the door... I may have slipped in "Good luck in life." before he closed it and "Good luck in the next life" after he closed it.  His neighbor we knew to be a "Super-Basher!" so we skipped him, and continued to have EVERY SINGLE DOOR SLAMMED.  I was shock-ed.  On the other side of the street, we had pretty good success though.  Let me just say... the most un-elect street in all of cottonwood... next to hermits lane.

Ah, another good story.  This has been a good week by the way.  So, actually its not a good story, its a very sad story.  Baptism of a great man named Jerry.  1 o clock on Saturday.  He is not our investigator, but the investigator of some other missionaries in a different ward... so we get everything ready, and he shows up and is all excited to go! but his best friend can't make it cause she was really sick.  That's a bummer.  Oh well, certainly the ward will support him.  We call the man who is supposed to baptize him, who came from a very long distance.  He heard the wrong time! he heard 2 o clock, but we can't wait til then because there is another baptism at 2 o clock.  So its 12:45 and we go into scramble mode.  He didn't yet confirm that he would be late... but we call later around 12:55 and he says he cant' be there in time.  Ugh! So we say "Okay Elders its gonna be you.  Jerry who do you want to baptize you?" "Oh I don't care, it doesn't matter who does it, it just matters that it happens." What an AWESOME attitude! so its 12:55 and NO ONE is there.  Not a single person other than the Ward Mission Leader and his wife.  So I look at the Elders and say "Who's going to baptize him?" and they say "We don't have time to get a change of clothes." so how it ends up is I live right around the corner from the church.  I was elected/told that I would be the one to do it, I was on exchanges so it couldn't even be my companion.  So the first person I baptize is someone who isn't even my investigator! but I did teach him before and I really like the guy.  So I rush home and get my clothes and get there just in time for the baptism.  Total of 8 people in attendance, 4 of them missionaries.  It was really sad, but a good experience for me.

Yesterday we had an equally bad street that we tracted, but it was worse because I slammed my knee into a stupid door, it still hurts. The person was rude too, so I had to pretend it didn't hurt til I left the area.  Good things happened this week too.  We found someone who will be baptized named Cody.  That's always exciting.

Well I have to go...

Elder Martin