Well in the matter of
about 2 weeks we have gone from too much sunshine to too much rain. Well, you
can never have too much rain but it’s definitely been a bit of a change. Monday
night for example, we started work after P-Day at 6, and since it was only a slight
drizzle we decided we would walk to save some miles on our car and because it’s
easier to talk to people that way. Well, we get into a lesson on the other side
of town and come out of the house only to find that it is pouring outside.
Since our car was a mile away across town (I don't know what we were doing
thinking this whole walking thing was a good idea; I mean come on this is
America not some third world country) and it was getting late we couldn't
really wait it out so we zipped up our jackets and started walking. As luck
would have it, as soon as we got back into the car the torrential downpour
stopped, but it did teach me a few things. I have now learned that my backpack
is 99% waterproof. My jacket is about 90-95% waterproof. Shoes are about 80%.
Pants are about 0%. But alas, such is life. Sure made for a fun night
though.
So out here in Othello
there are enough members to have release-time seminary (another thing I learned
- you can get paid to be a seminary teacher and make a career out of it; who
knew?) So this past Thursday they had a Pancake Palooza where the seminary
students invited their friends to come have pancakes for lunch in the seminary
building and since there were gonna be over 100 kids coming the seminary
teacher enlisted our help in making 300+ pancakes. It was a lot but between 9
of us - err 7 the zone leaders never do anything - it was pretty light
work.
Now for a little
teaching experience for all of you future missionaries (or just anyone in
general). When you want to get somebody to do something, especially in the
religious sense, make sure you end with an invite. Let me explain. Last night
we were out knocking some doors since that’s all missionaries ever seem to do,
when we came across this one guy who spent 5 minutes explaining very animatedly
why we need to be baptized (keep in mind this was all in Spanish which made it
that much more entertaining for us to try and understand). I then asked him a
question about something then he went off for another 5 minutes (with just as
much if not more animation) on a round-about answer that didn't really answer
my question, when all of a sudden he extended his hand and thanked us for
stopping by and wished us a good night. Since we weren't getting anywhere I
took his hand, bade him farewell, and we were on our way, rather confused
because he just talked at us for 10 minutes and didn't ask us to do anything.
Nothing happened. It was just a waste of
10 minutes. That is precisely why, future missionaries / teachers / etc., we
extend invites.
And in other news,
Elder Risenmay of the 70 just casually showed up to church yesterday. We were
talking with our Bishop and had just turned around to head out when all of a
sudden out walks Elder Risenmay. Not every day you see a general authority of
the church just walk out of the high council room like it was nothing.
In closing, I quote a
member quoting someone else. He had just taken us to show us our new place we
will be moving into shortly and we were then sitting in his truck just talking
when somehow we got onto the subject of money and retirement, when he offered
us these words of council:
"Retirement is
doing what you want, when you want to, with who you want."
If that means doing
the job you want, I guess you can retire as soon as you find said job. Makes
life seem a little bit more pleasant to face.
Until next week!
Elder Kupferer
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