Hey Family!
This week was a pretty good week. It’s been nothing
but an adventure out here. I almost got a Bible chucked at me this
week. We had to take care of cockroaches, crickets, and weird spiders in
our trailer. We took on dirt hills and banks trying to get out to this
house. The truck life is fun. To top it off we had Zone Conference
in El Paso yesterday. It was just another week in wacky Chaparral.
Yep, a Bible almost got chucked at me. We somewhat
teach this less-active guy named Kenny Slaughter. He is the cemetery
keeper in Chaparral. His records are in the Hondo Pass Ward, which is the
English ward in Transmountian. There are sisters in that ward but they
don't really see him because he is literately a nut. So he texted us this
week asking when we would come over. We told him we would stop by that
night. Missionaries have been seeing him for centuries and can't seem to
get him back. He thinks the church is now false. The temple needs
some work, and it’s not true. He thinks Joseph Smith was a prophet but
then wasn't because he started translating the Bible, and that's why he
died. He has some crazy thoughts about everything. So we showed up
that night, and we sat down. Right off the bat he started yelling at us about
how the church is just false and he has the true church inside. I was
just hearing him out, but I was just baking inside because I don't like when
people start tearing down The Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith. It’s the
worst thing to hear as a missionary. It’s like in Harry Potter where they
don't like hearing Voldemort's name. That's how it is for me. He
was going off on how the church shouldn’t send 18 year olds out and just
complete crap. I have never felt the spirit of contention so bad, and he
is over there thinking it’s the spirit. I was just about ready to grab my
stuff and walk out the door, which I should have done. But I went into a
Stinny mode with him and just let him have it and bore my testimony to
him. I told him this church is true and everything and that it’s all from
God. He didn't like that so then he started getting mad about the laying
on of hands and how it’s not in the Bible. I shot back at him that it
was, and he was raising the Bible up to throw it at me to prove him wrong. But then he shot up and walked over and
dropped it in my lap. My companion knew I was upset so we just said a
quick prayer and we bounced. It was crazy and it was just a terrible
situation.
So he is one person we are dealing with, and we have a bundle
more of less-actives who we have to work with. But in the mess of all the
less-actives up here we have another inactive lady whose husband we are
teaching, and they are awesome. The lady isn't on the church records. The way we found them is through the listing
of former investigators in the area book. I just felt like we should go
see them. We showed up, and they let us in immediately. Their names
are Armando and Esther. Esther is the member, but I don't think she
remembers her baptism. The husband really enjoys it, and they love having
us over. It’s good to have someone who is normal. We have taught
them the restoration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they liked it.
They are by far the best investigators we have right now.
Yesterday we had Zone Conference, and it was really
good. President Miller always delivers great talks. He and his wife
together crack me up. They start talking about funny stories they have
had together, and it’s just great. They remind me a lot of you, mom and dad.
He is a great President.
Yesterday in one of our lessons a kid full-on kicked a door
open and broke it. We were teaching the Holguin Family which is just a
bad situation. The daughter who is a member is 18 and lives with her
other half at the house. Most of the kids have some problems. The
dad is in jail, and the mom is a trucker. The kid who we were trying
teach is 9 and not baptized. He didn't
want to listen, and they were trying to force him. We were like “it’s
fine.” They are also less-active. He got sent outside. The door to the outside is right by the couch
we were sitting on, and they locked him outside. The next minute we heard
this “pop”, the door frame snapped, and the kid came walking in. It was
crazy. One of ladies was trying to man-handle him and was body slamming
him. I was just in shock and awe during it. We tried to teach but
he didn't get much out of the lesson.
We went off- roading into the desert this week. We
were trying to visit former members who live in the boonies. We were on
paths that probably aren't roads. We were on tight banks and going over
just crazy things. It was awesome.
We had a pest problem in our trailer this week. We had some cockroaches,
crickets jumping around, and spiders. It was crazy. We had a bug
man come and handle it. It’s starting to become spring, so supposedly the
tarantula spiders start coming out. It’s also dust storm season so we are
supposedly going to get some bad storms. That's pretty much my week out
here in the desert.
It sounds like everyone is in
one piece at home. Thanks for all the emails and everything you do for
me! I hope you guys. Have an
awesome week. This gospel is so true.
I know it to be, and it’s crazy how it changes lives. I love you guys
tons! You’re in my prayers!
Con Amor,
-Elder Smith
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