8-9-10 Oak Mountain, Elder Chugg

8-9-10
 [Photo: Elder Chugg, Jon, and roommates]
MY NEW COMPANION IS ELDER CHUGG, A BIG WHITE GUY FROM WESTHAVEN UTAH (CLASSIC). HE'S REALLY COOL AND A GOOD MISSIONARY. HE ENJOYS FOOTBALL AND EVERY YEAR'S "ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH" CD. WHEN HE GROWS UP HE'D LIKE TO BE A... I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT. HE HAS A FAMILY SIMILAR TO OURS, 27 YR-OLD BRO, 24YR OLD MARRIED SISTER, HE'S 21, AND HIS 15 YEAR OLD LITTLE SISTER. HE TRULY CHERISHES EVERY CHANCE TO EAT, ESPECIALLY A GOOD SOUTHERN BBQ. HOW'S THAT FOR A LITTLE BIO? HE'S A DISTRICT LEADER (SO WAS MY LAST COMPANION ELDER LASIKE, THE GUY LEILANI REMEMBERS FROM BYU. HE SAID HE DOESN'T REMEMBER HER THOUGH HAHA) I LUCKED OUT AND THE AREA I GOT TRANSFERRED TO (OAK MOUNTAIN) STILL HAS A FULL TIME CAR, SO I MAY NEVER BIKE ON MY MISSION. BUT ANYWAYS ELDER CHUGG'S BEEN IN THIS AREA FOR 3 MONTHS SO HE KNOWS IT WELL AND HE HAS BAPTIZED A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE GREAT MEMBERS NOW. WE TAUGHT YESTERDAY A GUY THAT WAS JUST BAPTIZED AND I BET HE'LL BE A BISHOP OR SOMETHING ONE DAY.

THE WEATHER IS HOT BUT NOT AS BAD AS EVERYONE MAKES IT SEEM BY COMPLAINING. CHURCHES HERE LIKE TO PUT SIGNS UP THAT SAY STUFF LIKE "HOT NOW? HELL IS NOT FOR YOU" AND STUFF. LAST NIGHT WE ATTENDED A CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ROCK AND ROLL CHURCH! IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, AND MUCH LIKE A CONCERT. AND THE MUSICIANS WERE ALL PRETTY DANG GOOD. WE ARE ALLOWED TO GO TO OTHER CHURCHES SO SOME TIME WE MIGHT GO TO A HOLINESS CHURCH, I THINK IT'S CALLED, WHERE THEY HANDLE RATTLESNAKES. APPARENTLY IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH FAITH THE SNAKE CAN'T HURT YOU, BUT PEOPLE DIE THERE SOMETIMES. THE FAITHLESS DIE, THAT IS. EVERYONE WE TALK TO ALREADY HAS A CHURCH USUALLY SO IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO BRAZIL AS FAR AS A BELIEF IN CHRIST, BUT LOTS OF THE PEOPLE HERE ACTUALLY ATTEND THEIR CHURCHES REGULARLY.

WE GET TO MOVE TODAY INTO AN APARTMENT WITH THE SPANISH SPEAKING ELDERS IN THE AREA, AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A WASHER AND DRYER YET BUT WE'RE HOPING WE'LL FIND ONE.

SO ANYWAYS I GUESS I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT THE VARIETY OF SOME OF OUR INVESTIGATORS. THERE'S THIS GUY RANDALL, WHO IS REALLY GOOD ABOUT KEEPING COMMITMENTS AND READS PRAYS, IS CURRENTLY QUITTING SMOKING, ALWAYS GOES TO CHURCH, FEELS THE SPIRIT, ETC. THEN THERE'S THIS ETERNAL INVESTIGATOR, THE ONE LEGGED SMOKER WHO DOESN'T SPEAK SPANISH WHO LIVES WITH HER MEXICAN "BOYFRIEND" WHO DOESN'T SPEAK ENGLISH. WE HAVEN'T BEEN SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON HER, BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KEEP HER COMMITMENTS. [photo: "At least THEY keep their commitments!"]  

THEN THERE'S THIS COOL BLACK GUY WHO WE JUST GOTTA GET HIM TO TAKE A SUNDAY OFF AND COME TO CHURCH. HIS BEST FRIEND HAS AN "OLD PERSON CAR" WITH 26" RIMS. NO JOKE. AND OUR BEST INVESTIGATOR IS A LADY WHO CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY, TERESA, AND SHE HAS HAD AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE WITH THE GOSPEL SO FAR. SHE IS MUCH HAPPIER THAN WHEN ELDER CHUGG FIRST MET HER, AND SHE RECOGNIZES HOW MUCH JOY FOLLOWING GOSPEL STANDARDS HAS BROUGHT HER. WE HAVE HAD THE MOST SPIRITUAL LESSONS WITH HER, AND IT IS JUST AWESOME TO KNOW THAT WE'RE TOOLS IN GOD'S HANDS TO HELP HER LIFE SO MUCH. WE ALSO VISIT LOTSA PART MEMBER/LESS ACTIVE FAMILIES.

I LIKE BEING A MISSIONARY, AND NOTHING UNCOMFORTABLE OR ANNOYING OR HARD EVEN MATTERS. SOMETIMES IT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT I JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT AS LONG AS I'M DOING MY BEST IT'S OK WHATEVER HAPPENS. LIKE MY OWN DISCOMFORT, OR LIKE INVESTIGATORS NOT USING THEIR AGENCY THE WAY THEY SHOULD. IT'S THEIR CHOICE WHAT THEY DO, AND IF WE DO ALL WE CAN, WELL.. WE DID ALL WE COULD.

THANKS GUYS I PRAY FOR YOU TOO. HAVE FUN ON YOUR TRIP AND I'LL WRITE AGAIN NEXT WEEK!

LOVE YOU GUYS TOO, I GUESS [that's Jon!!]