One of our investigators, Luz Trinidad, and her two daughters went to church this week and told us that she wants to be baptized within the next couple weeks. My comp and I are both hoping and praying that she'll get her heart set out and find a specific date that will work for her and her work schedule. Apart from that, we found quite a few new investigators from the registry list that the other Elders before us gave us and to be honest they look ready and prepared as well. We're definitely going to keep visiting them this week.
This morning was our weekly district meeting and they brought cakes for all of the missionaries that had birthdays this past month. As you know, that includes me so they gave all four of us the opportunity to take the cherries off the top of the cakes with our teeth. I was last to go and do that, and apparently my comp decided it would be funny that when it was my turn, he would shove my face into the cake as I was going for the cherry. Jump forward about ten seconds and before you know it my face is covered in chocolate frosting. Cool.
That being said, another cool thing happened today! Actually just like 15 minutes ago...my comp and I were walking over here and on one of the sidewalks were two extremely homely-looking dogs with their owner out on the front porch just watching us. Just our luck, they came at us barking and trying to bite our legs like crazy. They were within about three inches of biting my comp's calf muscle right off. And I mean these dogs aren't just your normal dogs, they're freaking huge and their teeth are pretty darn sharp. After about ten seconds of them trying to get at us, I just turned around and nailed one of them straight in the head with my foot full-force. The dog literally flipped and landed on its back and from there they both scampered away like all of the wimpy dogs here. I was pretty dang mad, like who just lets their dogs go running at people without trying to stop them or leash them? Anyways, I've seriously had it with all of these dumb dogs here haha.
That pretty much sums up what happened with me this week. There are these little kids that live pretty close to our house and every time we pass them they either 1. call me 'huero, huero, huero (white boy) 2. try and swear in English because they think it's funny or 3. swear at us in Spanish because of the church we represent. Our new area is more lower-class, and the amount of ignorance these people have and the things they say to us is honestly ridiculous. I understand that you don't like our church, but that doesn't mean you have to say dumb stuff to us and look like complete idiots while doing it. Nonetheless, I've learned that there is ALWAYS going to be opposition in our lives as members.
I continue to pray for you guys and hope that we can all hold strong to the gospel, no matter the price we have to pay. I've been reading a lot of the BoM lately, and I have no doubt in my mind that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. No ignorant, uneducated man could have written the words in such detail and intricacy that are found within that book. The amount of wisdom (not just knowledge, but true wisdom) that he must have had in order to write it could honestly only be comparable to Jesus Christ. I'm very grateful to have that book in my life that leads and guides me closer to my Savior. My invitation for you is to continue to read your scriptures, more particulary the BoM to strengthen your testimonies of the restored gospel. I miss you guys and think of you often.
Con amor, Elder Thayne