Bruton Gaster

Greetings,

This week was cold and sometimes rainy! We keep hoping it will snow soon. So we had many a person tell us it's too cold for them to listen. I agree! If I could I would also just stay huddled in my house and deny all strange people who knocked on my door. What is your favorite season? 

Monday was good, we did a lot of shopping and relaxing. When shopping my process consists of grabbing a variety of foods and snacks that I want, and then slowly putting item after item back on the way to the register, as I realize the unreasibility of my decisions--Until 70% of my grabbed items are back on their respective (or other item's respective) shelves. :) I also made the mistake of responding to and answering a couple calls, meaning I ended up coordinating and taking care of things that I would rather not deal with on my ONLY free day. Peoples favorite day to bother me is Monday, and it's very irritating. I am happy to drop everything if it's ANY OTHER DAY haha-- I've had to start ignoring people on Mondays.

We were able to get a temple trip with the Flowers set up though which was cool! Now we can go with them even though we couldn't go to their Sealing. When it was time to get to our appointments my phone stopped working suddenly. So we spent the next hour trying to figure out why it suddenly crashed. I will never buy or use an an Android again if I can avoid it. I have never had so many digital trials and tribulations in my whole life until I was forced by the mission to use an android! Luckily I know that Jesus Christ knows just how I feel and will help me be free of all my trials some day! :)) Who would have thought that something as small as a phone could create so many problems in the Lord's kingdom? 

We finally figured out how to hard reboot it, and got it back to its normal hardly-functioning self. All joking aside, We felt like it was an answer of prayers when we got it working because my phone is the device that is holding the entire area together. Later on we has a really good sit-down chat with Shardae who works at the jail. She told us all about how the jail works and reaffirmed my resolve to avoid living there at all costs. Many of the prisoners complain about the food, but it isn't exactly a restaurant so I don't know what they expect! We watched a Book of Mormon video and talked about prophets too.

Tuesday we went to district council and drove with the Millers. It was sooo cold and windy so it felt like a Costco freezer except turned on turbo haha--walking outside immediately freezes you. District council was fun, I got to give a training on teaching which was cool. I focused on the importance of knowing your audience and teaching to needs. I also talked in depth about the importance of respect. Missionaries are rarely good teachers but also with the spirit it doesn't really matter. We had a good lunch at Subway! The person making my sandwich was very generous on the Guacamole and mayo and so it was extra good. 

We drove to Cullen, LA and stopped by a media referral named Kevin, and he actually knew who we were and was interested! He was working on replacing the engine for his truck so we just stood around his engine and talked. He said he's really interested in the Book of Mormon, and even told us his favorite scripture is James 1:5 unprompted by us. Later in the day we got a panicked call from Sister Mass because she had lost her wallet but hoped it was at the church. So we went over and found it for her on the organ pedals! In the evening we taught a lady named Zay the Restoration, and we were standing out in the cold so we taught it faster and simpler than ever before! We also taught Jarriod again, and he kept trying to see if he could throw me a "party I would NEVER forget" before I leave but we said no haha--he finally seemed to grasp that we read 2 books and not just "the mormon version" of the Bible which was good though. We also got to know his backstop a little more and we think that he has some obstacles to overcome. I kept having to repeat what Elder Bradshaw was saying because Jarriod could not understand his accent haha--even though it's just a slight southern Utah accent.

On Wednesday we ate with Royce at My Kitchen Table again. This time they had some fantastic lasagna, which I was surprised to find out. Usually lasagna is incredibly mediocre no matter where you get it. This could also be due to the fact that I have had SO much lasagna on my mission and wouldn't be sad to not see some again for the next 2-3 years. Also had some amazing baked beans and pecan cake there! We went with the Millers and had a lesson with Joyce (who we ran into a few weeks ago), and that was really fun! Her house was incredibly cluttered but she made space for all of us to sit and then stood herself. She was very very animated and "praise the Lord"-ey and said amen loudly after every point we made haha--it was great! She also wants to cook for us sometime and sing in our church. She's very active in her church but is open to going to other places. She thought the idea of more scripture was cool and told US that the only way she would know if it were true was to pray about it. She promised us she would read and then promised us that she doesn't promise things unless she's going to do them. So we will see! I also got to talk with Jack and coordinate for us to meet for dinner with him after the temple on Saturday! We went up to Waldo and talked to some people, including a lady named Jamila who is interested in learning more. We drove all the way up to McNeil to visit a less-active member as well, and then had a great lesson with Debbie and Brooklyn. We taught them a full Plan of Salvation lesson and Debbie told us she had basically already believed all this stuff beforehand. They are both really interested and Brooklyn always kinda hides her face, but her questions and interest in everything show that shes really seeking truth. We also encountered several cute I mean nice girls walking around the campus. Nobody who wanted to stand in the cold and talk about Jesus though haha

We stopped by a former named Kevin and gave him a Book of Mormon. He was confused why we hadn't come in a while. He must not remember ignoring us 6 visits in a row 2 months ago haha--We also went and taught Octaviona or whatever his name is and he was tentatively interested. Still a bit nervous to branch out but didnt turn us away either. We visited Vonn who had loud music thumping, and he told us he was having a party and to come back another day. Even though he was the only one there hahaha

Overall we had a good day and found several new people to teach as well.

On Thursday we walked the dogs and they kept chasing after cars. Some of them must have a death wish. One of the dogs named Buck always knows immediately when we get there and is so excited that he performs various stunts to try to get out. He was opened the gate to his enclosure several time and this time he broke the door that separated one side of his place from the other just so he could come bark at us. Naughty dog. We also helped move a small fridge in our truck from Royce's to Wade O'Neals room at the nursing home. We had to Stand outside the door and wait for 30 minutes while the nurses tried to IV his arm haha--must have had an elusive vein. Then I spent the next couple hours working on agendas and organizing my office filing cabinet, which doesnt SOUND very interesting but it actually was because I found lots of angry letters, old church resources, court transcripts, and funny old church pamphlets. In the evening we walked around a lot and talked to some people. Got told to leave from an apartment complex unless we have an appointment with someone. Which is always infuriating because what can they do? Especially since it was government housing haha

We also talked to Chris again and ate some good Jimmy John's. 

Friday morning we went and saw Mike Jones in the nursing home. He seemed sad and depressed when we got there so we just talked about football and Nick Sabin retiring and stuff and that cheered him up considerably! By the time we left he was a lot more jolly it seemed. Sometimes people need to just tall about normal things. Then we also went and had lunch at My Kitchen Table again with Royce! As usual he knew half the people going in and out of the restaurant and said hi to every one haha--he literally seems to know half the town. In the afternoon after some daily contacting and administrative work we went out in to the FRIGID windy cold and attempted to do missionary work. We had a good lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Chrict with Brooklyn and Debbie at the church which was really good, one of the best sit-down lessons I've led in a while! Brooklyn is finally coming out of her shell slightly as she becomes more comfortable with us, she promised to pray next time. Then we also talked to a guy named Blake who seems interested in the Gospel, though he is an awkward fellow. We ate breakfast for dinner with the Masses at the church and Royce was hanging around checking the pipes on the building since its getting so cold. Worrying aloud about the pipes and hoping they wont burst has quickly become one of his top favorite conversation topics, if not THE top favorite! I had to make a call to the Stake and our FM group to get some final instruction on keeping the building safe since it is supposed to get REALLY cold in the next few days. After that we learned that Wade O'Neal had gone into Cardiac arrest and that when they had revived him he had been mad they hadn't just let him die. So after being on life support for a bit they finally let him go. Which was very sudden, we didn't know he'd been sick enough for that, feel bad for his family. 

We attempted to visit some more people in the evening but it was to no avail. Everyone's doors must be frozen shut! We did have a lesson with Becky, Farod, and Fatima which was fun! They let us in their house again! 

Saturday was one of the best days ever, we spent the whole day basically from 9 am to 10:30 pm driving to the temple with the Flowers. We had a blast, stopped and got food from Wendy's and Buckys, and had a really good endowment session with them. Logan also had to get a new backpack so we had to stop at a giant mall with them, and then on our way back we stopped in Rockwall and ate at Canes with Jack! It was so fun getting to hang out with some of my 3 best mission friends! Jack's almost done with his mission papers which is really exciting. We also had permission from the Mission President to shop for essentials today because of a freeze and big storm coming through apparently. So we went with the Flowers to Walmart and sooooo much was out of stock. Empty shelves everywhere haha it was crazy! I dont know why people are this way-- we are literally getting at freeze that gets down to 8⁰ or 4⁰ one or two nights and some potential snow. Nothing major but that's the talk of the town. Every person we talked to is like, "you heard about that dagum storm we have comin' in?" I want to reply, "Oh yeah I heard we are getting mild cold front coming through." But maybe people know something we don't, we will see. It is getting pretty cold but nothing unusual. We will see. So shopping we got what we could which wasnt much, but now we will survive the INCHES of only potential snow we get should our door get sealed shut but 4 inches of snow so dont worry about us!

Sunday did get extraordinarily cold, so that was not fun, but surprisingly we still had a good turn out at church because of a bunch of visitors! Becky and Fatima and Farod came too, and after showing him the Baptismal font now Farod wants to get baptized! Had several setting apart to do and went over the records with Royce. Then it started raining ice haha and so the roads are now covered with it. We also after Ward Council we helped Logan Jumpstart his Mustang which died. It was fun working on it in the cold!! Overall we had a pretty busy and cold day. 

-Abe