Things are going pretty good down here in Georgia. It ain't too awful bad. =)
We've had some pretty cool experiences this week. Unfortunately some/most of the people we've been working with have been really busy these past few weeks but we've been able to find more new people. It's all good. I've been reading Jesus the Christ quite a bit recently as I've been trying to finish it soon.
I am approaching the sunset of my mission and it's a bittersweet kind of thing much like a real sunset. It sure it beautiful though.
Hence, I've been focusing on my missionary labors and talking to everyone I see if the time is right and if the Spirit prompts me to do so. It's been a big source of blessings.
I'm going to take a step back into the distant past. I know you've heard about this stuff already but I didn't get all the details I wanted in the email last week.
The 19th of July was a very good day. We had a lesson with D and J which was amazing. Her boyfriend was even there (she was much more interested than he was though). D was explaining things that J wasn't quite understanding at first (more difficult things like the finer applications of agency) and she was explaining things that he hadn't heard yet. It was amazing because at the end J said "I always had a lot of questions but I feel like this has answered them. Do you think God prepares and leads people to find this?" We of course responded in the affirmative. It was just a neat experience.
The 20th of July was the Pioneer Days as you know. There was butter making and a sack race. Elder S and I would hold the finish line while 20 or 30 kids would make a mad dash towards the finish line. They really got into it. They would all dive to make it to the finish line quicker. One time one of the younger kids came out of his bag and just started running. It was super funny. Then it got funnier as they had an adult race. It was funny because they were calling out who they thought would win "I think dad will win!" "I think that missionary will win?" "Him?" "No the other one!" I actually beat Elder S slightly. Even with his sweet dive such that I almost squashed him I won by a fraction. However, we were both beat by Brother S (the 2nd Counselor in the bishopric). He had a great dive that got him across the finish line quickly.
Sunday 21st was a great day. My favorite quote from church came from someone talking about enduring well and using the example of Job. "Job had 10 kids. I guess back then 10 kids made you happy". The other good one was "Don't put your head down and just make it through! Don't you want to be happy?"
There we go. I know I'm really far behind but I'll do my best to catch up today.
Tuesday (the 23rd) I was tired. We went to the Agrirama as there was a potential investigator that asked us to come by a Tuesday morning (not open on Mondays). It's the Tifton county agricultural museum. We saw some really cool houses and talked to some people. The Tift House was beautiful. The wallpaper was actually made out of silk.
We talked to some interesting people. We had previously run into the blacksmith who wasn't interested and it was kind of weird to see him. We had a dinner lesson with a young man named S at Ranchero's which is a Mexican place. I got super nachos. Cheese, meat, chips, all sorts of veggies, and they were really good. Unfortunately, the lesson wasn't as good. When we first met S he was quite interested. He had gotten anti-ed. He gave us the pamphlet to look through and it was pretty comprehensive. He mostly talked about salvation and we cleared up misconceptions. It was difficult because he just wouldn't accept some things. We'll keep trying and keep working with him. He's a great young man who really wants to do what is right and is really close to the Lord. We'll say something and he'll say "Oh yeah- that makes sense. Hadn't heard that before... cool!" and then we'll keep going on and he'll just shut down. "No. That's not how it is." We had dinner at the H's but when we arrived Brother H wasn't there since he had to work late. I really had to use the restroom so we walked and it took a while to find one as most of the stores were closed. I thought I was going to explode or something. We found a CVS and life became good. Brother H called and explained that Sister H would drop something off that night. We got back and they dropped it off. There was barbecue chicken and it didn't have lid. I was walking in to our apartment and my hands were rather full. Then something happened and the chicken just fell. I almost caught it but to no avail.
It was pretty bad. It went everywhere! We spent a good hour scrubbing with all sorts of chemicals. It did come up though and it looks pretty good.
Wednesday (the 24th) began with something new for me. Our door was knocked on by Jehovah's witnesses. They gave us a pamphlet. I wish we had talked to them a bit but they were kind of scared of us and ended the conversation after we took the pamphlet. I think they're interesting- there's a cool picture of squirrel on the back I really liked.
Arctic ground squirrels. Go figure. We had a good lesson with A. He's a good guy. We got DQ since I had a coupon and we got replacement shoelaces as we weren't going to be by Walmart for a while. I did learn that S T is active again in Alma (he had gone through a period of inactivity due to various circumstances). The missionaries have been working with him and it's been a bit source of happiness for me lately. Unfortunately he moved to Missouri last week. They found the church there though. =) Coordination meeting was good though.
Thursday (the 25th) I'm usually a missionary in my dreams. So usually I teach a lesson or two in my sleep. I awoke from a teaching dream and decided that today was the day for a haircut. I had really needed one but didn't get to it on Monday.
I decided I would do it after exercise since I usually had time in the morning and I could do it before my shower. I borrowed Elder S's clippers and grabbed a number eight. I started on the back, looked down and noticed, wow. It was taking off quite a bit of hair. I felt the back of my head. It was very short.
Then I more closely inspected the clippers as I was devoid of my glasses. It was a number two, not a number eight! That was when I started freaking out. I finally decided I would just have to go short all the way around. It's shorter than I expected but it turned out okay in the end.
It was actually kind of funny looking back. Elder S vacuumed up a spider which was funny. It was on his bike and he didn't want to touch so he vacuumed it up. But then it was crawling around in the container and I wouldn't let him put the vacuum in the apartment if a spider could crawl out of it. After much trepidation and freaking out he finally shook it out and stomped on it. I thought it was kind of funny but I don't think he thought it so. We had a great lesson with a lady named T. Brother J came along with us and did a great job! He was just a great fellow shipper and he a great testimony! We visited D and we're working on becoming better friends with him. Our ultimate goal is to help him go on a mission. We were biking back when Elder S hit a parked car on his bike. He flew quite a ways and landed on the pavement. I actually didn't see it as I was at the bottom of the hill (he was right behind me then he wasn't). After talking to many lawyers (the car was outside an attorney's office and belonged to one of the assistants there) and two police officers we got on our way. We met a very nice lady named M outside reading. I asked if she enjoyed reading. She did. So I offered her a Book of Mormon. She had some great questions.
That's all the time I have. Take care. I love and miss you all! Things are great. The Lord leads His servants where they need to be. I have a great testimony of that this week. If we listen to the Spirit, it directs us to who we need to talk to. It's all worth it. If we do something enough with enough willpower, desiring to like it, we will come to love it. I'm working on liking olives. I'm making progress but I've got a ways to go. Such it is with the Gospel. As we live we will do not because we are told but because we want to.
Elder Matthew Carlson
