Oh what a week! It was a pretty crazy one and a lot happened this week!
On Tuesday, we were finally able to
meet and have a lesson with Leah and Adam. Leah is a hard-of-hearing woman that
Elder Nelsen met on exchanges but we have been struggling with getting a hold
of her. We finally did, and had a really good lesson with her and her husband!
It was a normal first lesson but a good one! We have a lot of hope for Leah and
eventually for Adam! They are both really good people and we are excited to get
to know them! Hopefully we can start meeting with them more frequently!
Also on Tuesday, during our ASL
class, we had a non-member show up that had some questions for us. She is a
very nice girl named Heather and she also is hard-of-hearing and trying to
learn sign language because she is going deaf. She is also very, very
intelligent! She is in the middle of school to become a doctor or a lawyer (she
hasn't decided yet) and as such, asks questions that (this sounds prideful but
I am just being honest) normal missionaries have a really hard time answering.
So we had a good conversation with her and answered a few of her questions. By
the end, she said something that I
thought was pretty funny but kind of sad at the same time. She said, "You two are the
first....normal missionaries I've ever met. You are chill missionaries; I
thought that was an oxymoron. The rest are....bat crap crazy." So that was
interesting. Personally, I don't think she took the time to get to know the
other missionaries enough but I am happy that I am normal!
One of the big things that happened
this week was that we went to New Mexico! That was fun! That was my first time
being over there and it was very interesting. We went to contact some people on
the way and then we spent the night with Elder Kim and his new companion. It
was really fun! It was so freaking cold out there! Being in New Mexico....made
me happy I live in Tucson! Ha-ha Well....I need to say that a different way.
Being in Lordsburg made me happy to live in Tucson. We also went to Silver
City which was really nice! It was in the mountains and reminded me a little
bit of central Utah. It was really nice! It was a very fun trip! We had a real
good time with the other missionaries! Elder Kim and Elder Heiner went with us
to Silver City and while we were there we saw Sister Waters and her companion
and spoke with them for a little while and it was like a district reunion! It
was really fun! We didn't go out there just for fun but it was really fun! We
really enjoyed it!
The next thing to comment on was our
Branch Christmas Activity on Friday. That was an interesting experience! Ha-ha It
was President Krakowiaks responsibility and so the two of us helped him plan it
a little bit during the week but then we kind of left it up to him. Two days before the activity he found out
that he had to work so the running of said activity was moved to us.......yep.
It was good! It was a successful activity in which around half of the
people there were non-members. It just stressed the two of us out a lot over
things that didn't need to happen! Just little things that was hard to deal
with! Anyway, it was a very good activity and we learned a lot from it! We went
from one interesting and potentially stressful activity and into another one
that happened the day after. It was out
of the frying pan and into the fire!
On Friday morning, I received a call
from a member of the Rincon stake and he had an opportunity for us. Somehow he
had found out that there was a funeral to be had on Saturday where the daughter
of the deceased mother was deaf and they were looking for an interpreter. I
tell you, if that wasn't such a good missionary opportunity I would not have
accepted that assignment. I was very nervous for that all Friday and Saturday
morning. One of the only things I knew about the situation and everything is
that I would be interpreting for the only child of the deceased mother. I was
not excited about that. To really understand my apprehension you would have to
understand interpreting. Interpreting is a very interesting thing and for the
interpreter (at least for me who hasn't interpreted for long) it is a weird
experience in which you develop a "special friendship" for those you
interpret. This due to the fact that through the whole time you stare into the
other person's eyes and are their only source of communication and information.
I cannot explain it very well but I was nervous to go to a funeral where I
would have to stare into the eyes of this women for the whole thing and relay
every (at that point painful and tender) memory of her mother. On Saturday
morning we had that funeral. It was actually a lot better than I thought it
would be. It was very hard but it was a great learning experience. My
first non-Mormon funeral I've ever gone to was one that I had to interpret for!
Ha-ha they are a very nice family and I really enjoyed the opportunity of
getting to know them! It was not a very long service and for the most part the
women I was interpreting for was very strong. She was crying of course but not
too bad which helped me to be able to get through it! But at the end, after
everyone left, and as she went to give her last respects to her mother, she
broke. it was awful! I felt so bad for her! Very few times can I describe
experiences wherein I am associated with a tortured soul in the midst of agony.
That was one of those times. Afterwards I briefly had the opportunity to share
my testimony with her that this is not the end. That she will see her mother
again. But I'm not sure if it was able to get into that troubled heart. It was
an interesting experience.
Other than that not a lot happened,
Elder Nelsen was sick yesterday so we stayed home and I was able to finish one
of my books that was amazing! I think that is the first Sunday I have
completely missed church in over a year! It was weird and I did miss it! I
wanted to be there! Ha-ha But that's life. Also, we will be getting our new
missionary, straight from the MTC, either today or tomorrow! I'm not sure which
at the moment. As I think about that, I find it slightly odd that within 4-5
days of the Hobbit coming out I get a new greeny. I think I am being watched
over and encouraged not to do anything I am not supposed to. Ha-ha Well,
That'll do it! Ha-ha ;) And that was our week! It was a really crazy one! I
hope yours was great as well!
Till next time,
Elder Banner
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