This week was kind of a crazy roller coaster week (ok I feel like that actually might be like every week on my mission). We car share with the Elders in Newton-Conover, the area right next to Hickory, and so it was there turn and we were on bikes. If you can help it, never ride a bike in a skirt. Luckily, I had the thought to pack some safety pins in my suitcase. There are many, many hills in Hickory so I sure am getting my leg workout especially with the 30 miles we put in and that was just 3 days. Sister Whitmer and I have been chased by 4 dogs so far, even though supposedly there is a rule about leashing them within the city limits. Seems like everyone here owns a dog. I can say that I dislike dogs more so now than ever before and I will never, ever own one. Other than the crazy four-legged beasts that chase us down, I don't mind the biking and can enjoy it. The elders in our ward are zone leaders so they have a car pretty much all the time, and I feel sort of bad because the ward members keep giving them a hard time about us being on bikes and in the dark on the busy roads. Except the elders can't do anything about it since we're not assigned to that car and if they could they'd hand the car over to us in a moment. Oh well, that's how the southern people are, wanting to respect women.
Well, we have a couple of investigators but they're not really
following invitations or commitments right now. One of them even
practically invited herself to attend church before we could but for
some reason didn't show up. And that little family I wrote about in my
last email? We went back for a second visit and they weren't there and
the girl who was, said she didn't know where they were exactly, but I
think she really did. Now we'll have to find them and I hope we can
because the boy showed a lot of interest that night and I think he
probably felt the Holy Ghost at least a little. All three of them need
the gospel.
So we're just left with a lot of finding new investigators and
finding less-actives to visit. It's hard stuff - just knocking on doors,
most people not answering and then the few who do open tell you they
don't want to hear anything cause they're Baptist or whatever church or
they are just so comfortable in their ways they don't want to give up
their lifestyle now to change. I am doing my best to keep positive
though, and I knew it would be this way, so hopefully I can learn to put
more faith in the Lord and improve my prayers.
This weekend, Sister Whitmer and I did have a fun opportunity.
Every year, Hickory has Octoberfest and our ward sets up a booth there.
We have pamphlets, pass a long cards, and family proclamations to hand
out. Also the patrons can order posters of Christ (like the picture with
Him knocking at the door, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene, appearing
to Mary at the tomb, etc) and we'll have missionaries deliver it to
them. I think we got lucky because we didn't run into anyone during our
shift trying to give us a hard time, people were very kind. Also, I got
some deep-fried oreos! They were yummy but most definitely not anywhere
near healthy, but I had to try it while I had the chance. There were
other vendors there and other religious denominations trying to raise
funds for things and what not. Oh and guess what? We passed by a street
preacher there. I have never in my life seen one except in a Joseph
Smith movie haha, and there he was shaking his Bible in the air and
screaming at the top of his lungs hellfire and damnation stuff.
Literally, I thought he would lose his voice within 10 min. There were a
couple others standing to the side too and Sister Whitmer said when we
walked by they were just glaring us down, I didn't see them though. We
met this sweet lady on sitting on her porch before she was going to
Bible study and we got to talking with her a little about our favorite
parts of the New Testament. Before we left we asked if we could pray
with her and she agreed. You know sometimes when people say grace and
they all hold hands? That's what she did with us and while Sister
Whitmer was saying the prayer, this lady kept saying "amen"s and "praise
the lord"s and I think even a "hallelujah". She sure was sweet and very
kind. Definitely this is different culture than back home in Utah.
Sunday
evening, the elders and we were invited to the wards youth fireside
that night. They asked if we would do kind of a missionary Q&A
panel. The youth had some great questions and it was great to get to
know some of them and hopefully now they'll feel like they know us and
will want to come out on team visits with us.
I think that is about it for this week. Thanks for the prayers
and I will keep on praying for y'all! Tell everyone thank you for the
letters I enjoyed reading them.
Love,
Sister Amelia Rust
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