And the Skies are Grey

It’s been pretty overcast the last few days and I’m sick of it! At least it’s not cold any more. :)

Well, this week went fast! It feels like not too long ago I was in the house of a Catholic family who dominated me. lol

Let me explain. Last Monday we went and saw Ben Scott and had a great lesson with him (we're taking a different approach) more of a bible study, he doesn't seem to respond well to anything else. He doesn't have the attention span if it’s not right out of the New Testament.

After the lesson we looked up potentials (Mitchell and I call 'em pots) and the first one we went to let us in. It turns out that it was not the potential we were looking for, she moved, but we were all excited cause a family let us in with no hesitation. Things started well and we began from the top of the plan of salvation so that we could explain to them the way that our families can be together forever. It ended pretty fast cause this man and his wife practice teaching when their kids go to bed (I am joking but, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true). There really wasn't a way to defend ourselves without bashing and so the spirit constrained me from speaking. The only things I could get out were questions and occasionally a brief explanation of our doctrine concerning whatever subject they brought up and questioned us on.

Fortunately my companion was able to testify a few times, but he realized that they were very, very set in their ways. That there wasn't much we could say to get them to just listen to our message without an interruption in the form of a rebuttal. I think if I were to have tried to defend the doctrines I would have done so emotionally and not by the spirit and would have dug us a pit. So our whole purpose was to just try to leave with a neutral, "Hey, this is what you believe and makes since to you, this is what we believe and makes since to us. All we are here to do is invite you to read the book of Mormon. Have a nice day. Yes we will accept one of your books or pamphlets, thank you. Thank you for your time. Here is our number. Thank you for your number. Give us a call if you need help with spring cleaning."

Wooooohhhh..... I'll tell you I felt like a man with the palsy in a cage fight. We were beat down by a tag teaming WWF defending champions’ duo. I'll give them credit. 90% of the people we talk to have no Idea what the doctrines of their religion are, let alone how to defend it. Of course they said some contradicting statements and some silly things, but they knew just how to change the subject or flip it onto us when we called them out on it. Needless to say, the rest of my week was spent studying the apostasy. I thought it was interesting that they defended their church using almost word for word things I've said to people in the past. I am more motivated to follow the council of our prophet from General Conference now; that is to learn the doctrine and the doctrines of the priesthood. Hard times are coming, we will be tried and persecuted and we have to know how to be like Abinidi. I want to be able to stand firm and confound the wise all the way to my burial if needs be. I can't afford to simply take the beatings with as skinny as I am, I've got to learn to deflect them or redirect them. Dragon Ball Z style YO! Ha-ha. I encourage all of you to do the same.

Well, I have recovered mostly and am continuing to recover thanks to the amazing contrast to those feelings that i have felt in lessons and church and studies since then.

Let me tell you, Tito Rocks! the way he understands and uses the spirit is refreshing. When we have a lesson with him the spirit is there and like D&C 50 we are all edified together.

Good things are happening. We met with our branch President and our coordinator and the elder’s quorum president and are developing a plan to help two part member families progress and become complete. The Hollister family is one, and they rock, I know good things will happen, I pray they are receptive. The other is the Catrons.

In attempts to make an appointment with the Catorns yesterday however we discovered that she is in the hospital!!!! :( So we went right over and gave her a blessing, we told her home teacher who is going over today and we told the branch president who told the Relief Society to take advantage of the opportunity to start supplying some relief, to do what they do best. :) I'll keep you posted on the outcome. Pray for these two families.

That’s all I have for you but to end I'll tell you a funny thing that happened last week that I forgot to tell you about.

We went to the church and the guy downstairs in the library told us that they were having pluming problems... well he asked us if we were having problems, so I responded, "I don't know, we will go check!" he didn't stop us. It seemed totally normal to me. We flushed every toilet... we flooded the library with poopie-pee-pee-water. :S The guy was totally flabbergasted at our stupidity and the extra work we caused him. I felt stupid so I got to work mopping up the nasty water in my suit. The guy tried to stop me but I insisted. That put us back to neutral ground. Hopefully he will see us as stupid but harmful and respectful until the next missionaries can come along and show him that most of us aren't stupid. lol. That’s all.

Love,
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris