"Into the life of Elder [Name Withheld], By: Elder [Name Withheld]
I am to that point of my mission that all my clothes are failing me. I threw a pair of slacks away today and every-time I use my running shoes, bits and pieces of the shoe fall off. I started using an old pair of dress shoes as service shoes. (I will be glade when I get home and get some new shoes;) but don't weary about it, I will be fine. We have been Tracting quite a bit...... well, we have to bike 45 minutes to get in to the area, so we don't really want to bike all the way back to our apartment, so we spend most of our time Tracting around our appointments and traveling. On Friday we helped a non-member hang somethings up on her walls and move some spider invested sections of a sectional. The three other elders did not want to touch the furniture. They wanted to us some rope and carry it that way. When I say saw what they were doing, I laughed. It was definitely not going to work. I came to the couch and grabbed it and carried it by my self to the curb. Then I came back for and saw they were trying to do the same thing again, so I grabbed that piece and started carrying it up. This time half way through it my companion helped me. Then we came back and both carried the final piece together. After we were done , we talked her and set up a time for the next day to talk to her. We had a member there to be with us in her house because she was a single woman that bore testimony about what we were saying. The next day we went back and taught the restoration and she said I can believe that's true. She told us that she did not like that there was so many interpretations of the bible. We invited her to be baptized and she said "yes." Although I got a few spider bits it turned out great! Sunday we had a lesson with the less active part member family. We told the oldest son that turns sixteen tomorrow that he could get the priesthood and baptize his brother. The family really like that and so did [Name Withheld] (the non- member). He told us when is the soonest that he could be baptized. We told him that we had to teach him the lessons and then he would be able to get baptized. It was a great lesson! The mission is great! During the course of life everyone is put in situations that we don't expect or anticipate, but there there to help us grow and learn. Especial as a missionary you are put in very interesting of dilemmas. Some maybe bashes, others maybe carrying spider infested sectionals out to a curb. We can take thing and learn from everything that may come our way. We can't predict the things that will happen tomorrow. If we did, we would do things a lot differently. If I knew that I was going to get bash on, I would not of Tracted the neighborhood I did. I wouldn't of learned or grow. What I am really trying to say is that we can learn from everything that is placed before us! So go forward with faith and diligence! Have a great last week of summer vacation!
Sincerely, Into the life of Elder [Name Withheld]"
Mom and dad need to buy that kid a new pair of shoes and some pants. That's just basic stuff.
Even though I didn't really like it when my stepson was on a mission, I always made sure he had shoes, socks, and needed clothing. Being a missionary is really hard on that stuff.
They are lucky to keep him in the field. I'm almost certain he is getting some sort of assistance. His parents have more kids than their income would be able to support and send twin boys on missions at the same time.
The only thing that I buy for my missionary nieces and nephews are a pair of high quality shoes. They always come back and tell me that those shoes outlast their missions.
When I was on my mission both my companion and I bought clothes , suits etc from the charity shop as we both were British converts and as such had no family to pay for our clothes! Things were always tough as we were constantly short of money . One day all we had left was some bread and onions, so we had onion sandwiches! Happy days eh?
In some of my areas the dollar to peso fluctuation at time of conversion didn't leave much money for food let alone buying clothing.
But in my pisos (apartments) there were always things others had left behind. I never had a problem finding clothing. Shoes were the only clothing I had to buy. I once wore a pair until they started to cut my feet up.
She said that she didn't like so many interpretations of the Bible.
Someone needs to tell her about the BoA, and the 7 versions of the first vision. That should take her mind off of the one more interpretation that the mormons have of the Bible.