Dear Family & Friends,
This week has been a wild one! And when I say "wild" I mean that there were a lot of crazy animals out here!
On Monday, Rolla recorded over 11 inches of water... in under 5 hours of catastrophic rain! The roads were flooded and we couldn't get back to our apartment because the river was overflowing into the road! So, I went and got a Sno-cone in the torrential downpour. Elder S_ was yelling at me because his feet were soaking wet, because there was about a 4 inch deep river flowing in front of the sno-cone shack and he had stepped in it. As I was waiting for my sno-cone, I saw a fish swimming up the river that was flowing down the street. I don't know where it was going, but I really wish I had gotten a picture of that fish.
On Tuesday, Elder S_ went to Salem on a Companionship exchange and I got Elder H_ (from Salem) for the day. It was fairly normal day, I taught 6 lessons. Elder H_ goes home in 3 months, and he doesn't talk much.
On Wednesday and Thursday, nothing happened except that I got bit by a chigger on my ankle! It really itches, but I am refraining from itching it!
Friday, Elder S_ got a Root Canal. He was in pain, and he was very grumpy because he refused to take his narcotics. We saw a deer outside of our apartment when we got home. It didn't run away until Grumpy Elder S_ yelled at it and it ran away.
Saturday, was fun! We were mowing a member's lawn, the member was a single woman and she was having heart problems, and she lives out in the middle of a forest. I found an enormous spider, and I'm pretty sure it was a female wolf spider. It was 4 inches long, black and had an orange stripe running down the length of her body. I know it was a female, because her abdomen was covered in little baby spiders.
I picked her up, and Elder S_ began screaming. I was trying to show him that the spider was harmless, but the member began screaming as well. She came at me with a broom and was trying to hit the spider I was holding. I ran away and put the spider deep in the woods, so she could take care of her babies in a safe place. I got back to the yard, and the member called me a bunch of mean names. I tried explaining that Wolf-spiders are not poisonous, but she wouldn't listen to me. After she had rambled on forever about how dangerous spiders are and how they're destined to devour our flesh, I felt a suggestion pop into my head.
I asked her if she had 'studied spiders in depth'?
She said no.
I asked her how she knew so much about spiders?
She said she watched Arachnophobia, 8-legged Freaks and a bunch of spider-related horror movies!
After I heard that, I began explaining all the things I've learned about spiders. I knew that I couldn't force her to change her ideas, but I could bring the truth and allow her to make the decision for herself.
My biggest regret of the entire situation...
I was so caught up in my worries about the spider's safety, I FORGOT TO GET A PICTURE OF THE BEAUTIFUL CREATURE!!!!
I am making sure to carry my camera in my pocket from now on.
Sunday, I had a marvelous experience at a Member's house for Family Home Evening. I caught a frog that was sitting next to their dirty pool. I don't know why but the frog made itself at home on my hand. It was so relaxed, it started chirping and singing! I chirped back, and a bunch of other frogs responded to my chirping! A frog landed on my shoulder, and it was singing really loud in my ear! It was a really cool experience, even after C_ came running up to try and catch the frogs! The Member family dubbed me the Frog Whisperer!
I am having a blast! I can't wait to see what fantastical things lie in store for me!
I love you all!
Love, Elder Hegsted
This week has been a wild one! And when I say "wild" I mean that there were a lot of crazy animals out here!
On Monday, Rolla recorded over 11 inches of water... in under 5 hours of catastrophic rain! The roads were flooded and we couldn't get back to our apartment because the river was overflowing into the road! So, I went and got a Sno-cone in the torrential downpour. Elder S_ was yelling at me because his feet were soaking wet, because there was about a 4 inch deep river flowing in front of the sno-cone shack and he had stepped in it. As I was waiting for my sno-cone, I saw a fish swimming up the river that was flowing down the street. I don't know where it was going, but I really wish I had gotten a picture of that fish.
On Tuesday, Elder S_ went to Salem on a Companionship exchange and I got Elder H_ (from Salem) for the day. It was fairly normal day, I taught 6 lessons. Elder H_ goes home in 3 months, and he doesn't talk much.
On Wednesday and Thursday, nothing happened except that I got bit by a chigger on my ankle! It really itches, but I am refraining from itching it!
Friday, Elder S_ got a Root Canal. He was in pain, and he was very grumpy because he refused to take his narcotics. We saw a deer outside of our apartment when we got home. It didn't run away until Grumpy Elder S_ yelled at it and it ran away.
Saturday, was fun! We were mowing a member's lawn, the member was a single woman and she was having heart problems, and she lives out in the middle of a forest. I found an enormous spider, and I'm pretty sure it was a female wolf spider. It was 4 inches long, black and had an orange stripe running down the length of her body. I know it was a female, because her abdomen was covered in little baby spiders.
I picked her up, and Elder S_ began screaming. I was trying to show him that the spider was harmless, but the member began screaming as well. She came at me with a broom and was trying to hit the spider I was holding. I ran away and put the spider deep in the woods, so she could take care of her babies in a safe place. I got back to the yard, and the member called me a bunch of mean names. I tried explaining that Wolf-spiders are not poisonous, but she wouldn't listen to me. After she had rambled on forever about how dangerous spiders are and how they're destined to devour our flesh, I felt a suggestion pop into my head.
I asked her if she had 'studied spiders in depth'?
She said no.
I asked her how she knew so much about spiders?
She said she watched Arachnophobia, 8-legged Freaks and a bunch of spider-related horror movies!
After I heard that, I began explaining all the things I've learned about spiders. I knew that I couldn't force her to change her ideas, but I could bring the truth and allow her to make the decision for herself.
My biggest regret of the entire situation...
I was so caught up in my worries about the spider's safety, I FORGOT TO GET A PICTURE OF THE BEAUTIFUL CREATURE!!!!
I am making sure to carry my camera in my pocket from now on.
Sunday, I had a marvelous experience at a Member's house for Family Home Evening. I caught a frog that was sitting next to their dirty pool. I don't know why but the frog made itself at home on my hand. It was so relaxed, it started chirping and singing! I chirped back, and a bunch of other frogs responded to my chirping! A frog landed on my shoulder, and it was singing really loud in my ear! It was a really cool experience, even after C_ came running up to try and catch the frogs! The Member family dubbed me the Frog Whisperer!
I am having a blast! I can't wait to see what fantastical things lie in store for me!
I love you all!
Love, Elder Hegsted