No Clever Title for This Week

I love Bloomfield, but I think I’ve tracted almost the whole town. I recognize people I've only had a two minute conversation with on the street! Anyway, we went to the Bloomfield Hot Air Balloon Festival this week. Since we might not get to see the one in Albuquerque, we figured Bloomfield’s might be the next best thing. One of our investigators invited us to go with her, so my companion and I decided we would get up super early in the morning and go with her since it’s only a few blocks from our apartment, and we’d be back inside before we needed to begin our proselyting.

I have really enjoyed being in Farmington a few days out of the week . It’s been refreshing to visit with a new set of investigators. Some of our investigators in Bloomfield have had the same attitude for the past five months, so it’s been refreshing to teach new people who I don’t already know how they are going to respond to commitments. In some cases I feel like I can be bolder even! I'm surprised that I don't feel quiet and shy around these new people...I must have grown more than I realized!

On Wednesday, one of the girls Sister Abney had been teaching in Farmington agreed to get baptized in August. She said she received her answer and was so excited that she wanted to get baptized the very next day after her wedding! (But then she realized that might be a little bit too hectic.) Anyway, she even offered to say the closing prayer, which Sister Abney said was a first for her!

We also contacted a media referral last Monday. We began to introduce her to the Book of Mormon and one of her very first questions was… “So, how would I go about joining the Mormon church?” Perfect! That’s what every missionary wants to hear. I hate how all the golden investigators are the ones who are super busy and are difficult to catch at home. We haven’t seen her in a week. Hopefully, we’ll get to see her today.

One of our investigators here in Bloomfield has a huge problem with the fact that we claim that there is only one true church. She says that God is a tree trunk, and all the different branches of the tree are different denominations that all lead back to our Heavenly Father. Well, we found her copy of the Book of Mormon (when she wasn’t around) and bookmarked Jacob 5 (the parable of the olive tree, how corrupt branches were taken out). We left a sticky note telling her to read it and pay attention to references to trees. I thought it was so clever of us to do. I hope she reads it. Her brothers are always standing up for the missionaries…they tell her to listen to what we say. She’s Navajo, and sometimes when we ask to set up another appointment with her for the next week, she’ll say: “White Man’s time or Indian Time?” She’s pretty funny.

We also helped one of the investigators in Farmington clean out her house. If there was ever an incentive NOT to smoke…this house would be proof. I just wish I had my camera with me. Her walls were all brown and orange. As we scrubbed the ceiling, big huge splatters of orangey/brown smokey grit dripped all over me! It was so disgusting. This was just second hand smoke that clung to the walls. I can’t imagine how black a smoker’s insides must be!

Sister Abney and I received the best compliment ever this week. We were teaching one of our families, and the dad told us that he could really tell that we LOVED sharing the gospel. He said he has talked to other religious people before who looked like they couldn’t wait to get done with it…they acted like it was a job. But that this time it was different. I do love sharing the gospel, and I told him that almost no other job is more important.

That’s pretty much the summary of our week. It was a good one, and I love having a companion who is a hard worker! Hope all is going well for you! You’re the best! And I love you very much!

Love,

Sister Waters