This week was HARD. SO SO HARD. And just ridiculous at the same time. The mission is just putting me through the ringer right here at the end. Guess it thinks I need to toughen up a bit more before I go home.
Where do I even begin...?
Estevan. That will be a good place to start. Well he tried to drop us earlier this week. We texted him telling him that his baptismal interview was all set up and he texts back saying that he has changed his mind and is going to go to his brother's church because they have more exciting music......He told us that Sunday before that he gets bored in Sacrament Meeting and doesn't like it. We immediately called him and had a real long talk with him and testified harder than either of us probably have our entire missions. We helped him to see the importance of the gospel and of all that he has learned and come to know is true. We told him that now that he has a testimony of all of these things, it is up to him to act on it. We asked him what his ultimate goal is in life and he said, "To live with the Celestial Father." Well, that is only going to happen right here in this church. I told him why I live the gospel and go to church each week and then said, "Honestly Estevan, for me it is more important to live with Heavenly Father and my family eternally than to be entertained for an hour." He kind of sat there in silence for a minute and then went, "Well, it's different when you explain it that way." Thankfully he was back on board then. After that phone call we both felt like Lehi. We just wanted to go lay down. Oh but don't worry! Satan wasn't done working on him just yet. We had planned to meet with him Saturday at the park where we had met before. We got there and guess what was going on right next to our meeting spot. A gospel music concert.....REALLY SATAN?!?!?! REALLY?!?!?! My lanta...you've gotta be kidding me. After we were able to lure him away from it we had a good lesson. (And he smooshed a bug in my scriptures.....) We had scheduled a lesson for the next day after church with him and then the Elders were coming down from Lima for his interview. Guess who was M.I.A.!! So after church Sister Hemenway and I literally drove all the way to his house (about 20 minutes from the church) to hunt him down. He answers the door, looks at my face, and just goes, "Is that a spider bite??" (That's a whole other story....I'll get there) Really Estevan?? Where have you been?? Turns out he just over slept and decided not to go to church today. And he had completely forgotten about the interview. He follows us back to the church and we sit down to have our lesson. In the middle of the lesson he tells us that he feels like he isn't ready to get baptized.........Seriously?? The Elders just walked in 5 minutes ago....KNOCK IT OFF SATAN!! So we had a long talk with him about how baptism isn't the end goal, but it is a step in our learning and progression. We asked about his testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and the priesthood and he said how he knew it was all true. He kept saying how he just wanted to read more of the Book so he could learn more. Well yeah, we all do! That's why we keep reading it forever. I was just in tears by the end of it. It was so awful. I walked out into the hallway with tears streaming down my face to Elder Roundy and Elder Albaugh and could barely get out, "I'm so sorry. He doesn't want to get baptized." We really felt that Estevan should talk to the Elders though since they did drive all the way down here to come meet him. He agreed to and they went in and talked to him for a long time. President Bissegger gave us chocolate and showed us videos of babies laughing to try and cheer us up. It was so kind of him. Missionary work is just so hard and so heart breaking sometimes!!! After about 45 minutes the Elders and Estevan come out and he says, "We're good for Saturday!" Both Elder Roundy and Elder Albaugh have the hugest grins on their face and say, "He is ready." YYYYYYEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!!! I have never wanted to hug an elder so badly before!!! (Don 't worry I didn't.) We were so so so so so so grateful. After Estevan left we asked them what in the world they did to help him come to terms with it all. They said he pretty much came to the conclusion by himself. They talked about how baptism is his next step in order to learn more. They said that Estevan told them, "I feel like Jesus sent you two here to me today to let me know that I am ready for this." Yes Estevan! He did!! It was such an emotional roller coaster......We were so grateful that the Elders saved the day!! Please pray for Estevan this week!! These are going to be the longest 6 days of my life!!!!
In other news, Sam flamed our phone appointment this week (wasn't there) and we haven't heard back from him since, which is completely unlike him. He was planning on talking to his family this past week about his desires to be baptized and we are so scared that it went horribly wrong.
You guys.....my body knows!! It knows that we are coming up on the end and it is trying to give out on me!! I have been so ridiculously tired lately!! I almost feel like it is my first week again! One day I literally had to take a nap at breakfast, lunch, and dinner just to keep going.
Also, I had a ginormous, disgusting abscess on my face that I had to go to urgent care for 3 hours and get sliced open...Now I have to walk around with a band aid on my face. Surprisingly though I have gotten ,"What's wrong with your face??" as much as I did before I had the bandage...So that's good!
There were other hard things this week, but I am going to stop there. Want some good news? Kim is doing AMAZING!!!! I am so so so proud of her. She still hasn't drunk any coffee and is progressing so well for her baptism of June 13!! And Sister Thomas is going to be in St. Marys that weekend with her family so she will get to be there too!! Oh and guess what. John gets the priesthood next Sunday!!! Oh I just love them SO MUCH. I can't wait for all of you to meet them someday.
Well, after this week I most definitely have a stronger testimony of 2 Nephi 2:15
Peace (lots and lots of peace) and Blessings.
Sister Amber Olds
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
-Philippians 4:13
We were all crazy tired this week...
About to go under the knife!
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