Sunday, July 31, 2011

July 25, 2011

Dear Fam,

This week was awesome again.  A lot went on, it was kind of ridiculous, but at the same time it feels like nothing happened because I can't really remember an entire week back!  We met a lot of people that seemed really interested, but they never pick up their phones or answer their doors when we go back to talk to them.  One of the people that we set a baptismal date with is one of them, but then we got a call from her saying that she was in Palm Beach or something with her mom, so maybe everybody's just vacationing at the same time.  The work feels like it's going great always, but then at the end of the week we don't have new investigators because everyone that we talk to we can't get a hold of the next day to ask how they're doing. 

The goal for our mission for baptisms this year is 900, and it's kind of ridiculous, but I know that with the Lord's help anything could happen.  If we had two years where we actually made the goal, I'm pretty sure that they would announce a Temple here in Jacksonville...  That would be awesome!  I guess that can be my goal before I leave the mission.  To have a temple announced in General Conference of April 2013...  So I just really think that as a whole huge mission we can do it, so keep us in your prayers, along with all missionaries around the world.  It's tough work and we get rejected more often than accepted, unfortunately...  In the words of Elder Holland (Who's coming to speak to our mission on the 14th by the way) "This isn't Burger King, you can't have it your way."  Haha kinda funny, but so true. 

Last week we went over to invite some Spanish-speaking members to come to our branch because it's the only Spanish-speaking Branch in this side of Jacksonville and we just ended up reading in the book of mormon with their son because his parents weren't home.  And he didn't speak spanish, so it felt a little pointless, but then when we were about to leave we asked him if he needed us to do anything for him.  He asked us to vaccuum his house!  Haha what a punk!  He told us that there was only one vaccuum though and that we would have to take turns.  Kids trying to get us to do their chores...  We asked him if he had any friends we could talk to that spoke spanish and he said "I'm pretty sure my friend lives in this neighborhood," as he showed us a neighborhood on Google Maps, "But don't tell them I sent you."  Haha how helpful! 

It's good that you're trying to be better member missionaries, because I know I didn't do anything before my mission to help...  I really wish that I had though, because now I know how those missionaries feel when they ask for referrals and almost every person tells them that they don't know ANYONE that would possibly be interested in hearing the message of the Restoration.  I just feel like I'm going to be doing this work for the rest of my life, and I'm completely fine with that. 

So you're moving this week!  That's exciting!  I can't wait to see more pictures of the house, especially when it's filled with our things and furniture and everything.  I'm sure that it will be awesome in another week or two!  This week we helped a family move into an apartment just as an act of service, we didn't know them or anything because we figured that they would love to hear our message after we helped them finish twice as fast as they would have without us.  So when we finished we asked them if we could share a 10-minute long message with them and they told us that they didn't have time.  Ugh people are just so rude sometimes it's ridiculous, but we ended up talking to them for ten minutes anyway.  Haha that's one thing I love about hispanic people is that they talk forever and invite you in regardless of whether or not they say they have time.  So we just taught them and had a lesson and it was great!

So today is P-Day obviously and I'm just doing everything that we normally do on our P-Days.  WE get up and go over to the other missionaries' apartment to do our laundry and have our study time and then we come to the library to write e-mails.  I always feel so rushed because my companions don't like to spend a lot of time here, but it's fine.  After this we're going to the grocery store and then to wash our car and then to play Ultimate Frisbee in the church with our zone.  It should be an awesome day!  And then we're gonna go back and take a nap or something.  It just comes and goes so fast it's stressful!  I never have any time to just relax, but such is the life of a missionary! 

I love you a lot and hope that I didn't leave anything important out of this letter!  Just let me know if I did and I'll answer you in a week, haha.  I'm doing awesome and the work is great. :)

Love,

Eric

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