Dear Family & Friends,
I've had a wonderful and spiritual week, intermingled with lightning and explosions for dramatic effect!
Monday(after I sent the weekly email): We went and played 9 intense games of Volleyball that lasted 4 hours, and my team won 6 games out of 9. Then we went to Applebee's for Dinner because this was Sister Y's last P-day with our District (and because we didn't have anybody feeding us). We were seated by a sweet girl named S_. When she looked at all of our name tags, she asked why all of our first names were "Elder" or "Sister". We explained that "Elder" means "Teacher" in Hebrew, and we are Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints. Stacey got excited and told us she had recently moved into the area and she was looking for a new church to go to! We told her where our church was, and we asked if we could meet with her and teach her about our church. She said yes, and we got her number & address. We called her later that day and set up a time on Thursday next week to come meet with her. I can't wait!
Tuesday: It was a crazy stormy morning, and we were teaching J_ at the church. Lightning kept flashing and the wind was howling outside. Suddenly, Lightning flashed and an incredibly loud boom shook the church, the power went out, and a window broke. The booming noise kept getting louder and rolling from the West to the East, and I ran outside to see if there was something tangible I could blame for this excessively drawn out thunder. But I could see nothing except smoke rising from the west in town.
Apparently, I found this out later, a transformer was struck by lightning and it caused a chain reaction, causing the transformers nearby to explode. So, the power was out for several hours until they were replaced.
Later that same Tuesday: We were trying to find a LA (Less Active) Member, and we knocked on the house that was his last given address. The door opened, and a Black guy was standing there. He wasn't the guy we were looking for, but I decided to open my mouth and talk to him about the Gospel. He was very interested in what I had to say, and he invited us in. His name is Dr. A_, he is a professor of Mechanical Engineering, and he has been living in the US for 30 years. We ended up teaching him for 2 hours! He is really interested, and we gave him a Book of Mormon. He promised to read it, and he's going to call us when he wants to meet again.
He is a Chief of his tribe in Africa, and he has to go back for the next month for a council meeting.
Wednesday: Nothing interesting happened
Thursday: Nothing interesting happened either...
Friday: I don't remember anything interesting, but I will tell whatever I remember... next week.
Saturday: We had a double baptism day, it was fantastic! I will tell more next week!
Sunday: I gave the confirmation blessing for C_, I will tell you more next week!
Monday(before I started my P-day emailing): Asians! I have to go crawling in a cave... so... I'LL TELL YOU NEXT WEEK!
Love, Elder Hegsted
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Here is the rest of that "Cliffhanger Email";
Friday: We spent the day helping members move into the ward, and helping members move out of the ward. In total, we helped 4 different families move (3 moved in, 1 moved out). I am so grateful that I am blessed with my size, and my strength. Both of them came in very handy during today! Except I ripped my pants when I was lifting a wooden dresser.
Saturday: So, both Elder S_'s and my own Golden Investigator got baptized today! Their names are J_ & C_, and I couldn't believe how much they glowed after they were baptized! It was so beautiful! After the Baptism, we went to J_'s house for Dinner and we got to meet her husband, F_. Apparently he had been against J_ getting baptized. After dinner we talked to him about our church. We answered his questions, dispelled the rumors, and gave him truth. After a bit, I looked at my watch and realized that it was 9:44! We had started talking to him at 6:38, which means we had talked to him for 3 hours! We wrapped up our discussion quickly, but he still had questions! So we are going to try to come back and teach him later. As we left their pretty little house in the backwoods of St. James, Elder S_ & I were filled with the spirit and we felt like nothing could bring us down!
Sunday: I got to give C_ her confirmation blessing! It was so wonderful, and yet I was super jittery. I don't remember much of what I said, but when it was over C_ stood up and she had tears streaming down her face. I love being a missionary!
I've had a wonderful and spiritual week, intermingled with lightning and explosions for dramatic effect!
Monday(after I sent the weekly email): We went and played 9 intense games of Volleyball that lasted 4 hours, and my team won 6 games out of 9. Then we went to Applebee's for Dinner because this was Sister Y's last P-day with our District (and because we didn't have anybody feeding us). We were seated by a sweet girl named S_. When she looked at all of our name tags, she asked why all of our first names were "Elder" or "Sister". We explained that "Elder" means "Teacher" in Hebrew, and we are Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints. Stacey got excited and told us she had recently moved into the area and she was looking for a new church to go to! We told her where our church was, and we asked if we could meet with her and teach her about our church. She said yes, and we got her number & address. We called her later that day and set up a time on Thursday next week to come meet with her. I can't wait!
Tuesday: It was a crazy stormy morning, and we were teaching J_ at the church. Lightning kept flashing and the wind was howling outside. Suddenly, Lightning flashed and an incredibly loud boom shook the church, the power went out, and a window broke. The booming noise kept getting louder and rolling from the West to the East, and I ran outside to see if there was something tangible I could blame for this excessively drawn out thunder. But I could see nothing except smoke rising from the west in town.
Apparently, I found this out later, a transformer was struck by lightning and it caused a chain reaction, causing the transformers nearby to explode. So, the power was out for several hours until they were replaced.
Later that same Tuesday: We were trying to find a LA (Less Active) Member, and we knocked on the house that was his last given address. The door opened, and a Black guy was standing there. He wasn't the guy we were looking for, but I decided to open my mouth and talk to him about the Gospel. He was very interested in what I had to say, and he invited us in. His name is Dr. A_, he is a professor of Mechanical Engineering, and he has been living in the US for 30 years. We ended up teaching him for 2 hours! He is really interested, and we gave him a Book of Mormon. He promised to read it, and he's going to call us when he wants to meet again.
He is a Chief of his tribe in Africa, and he has to go back for the next month for a council meeting.
Wednesday: Nothing interesting happened
Thursday: Nothing interesting happened either...
Friday: I don't remember anything interesting, but I will tell whatever I remember... next week.
Saturday: We had a double baptism day, it was fantastic! I will tell more next week!
Sunday: I gave the confirmation blessing for C_, I will tell you more next week!
Monday(before I started my P-day emailing): Asians! I have to go crawling in a cave... so... I'LL TELL YOU NEXT WEEK!
Love, Elder Hegsted
------
Here is the rest of that "Cliffhanger Email";
Friday: We spent the day helping members move into the ward, and helping members move out of the ward. In total, we helped 4 different families move (3 moved in, 1 moved out). I am so grateful that I am blessed with my size, and my strength. Both of them came in very handy during today! Except I ripped my pants when I was lifting a wooden dresser.
Saturday: So, both Elder S_'s and my own Golden Investigator got baptized today! Their names are J_ & C_, and I couldn't believe how much they glowed after they were baptized! It was so beautiful! After the Baptism, we went to J_'s house for Dinner and we got to meet her husband, F_. Apparently he had been against J_ getting baptized. After dinner we talked to him about our church. We answered his questions, dispelled the rumors, and gave him truth. After a bit, I looked at my watch and realized that it was 9:44! We had started talking to him at 6:38, which means we had talked to him for 3 hours! We wrapped up our discussion quickly, but he still had questions! So we are going to try to come back and teach him later. As we left their pretty little house in the backwoods of St. James, Elder S_ & I were filled with the spirit and we felt like nothing could bring us down!
Sunday: I got to give C_ her confirmation blessing! It was so wonderful, and yet I was super jittery. I don't remember much of what I said, but when it was over C_ stood up and she had tears streaming down her face. I love being a missionary!