(no subject)
Yesterday, Elder Cross met a guy named Carlos with a story to tell: Carlos lives in his car in the parking lot of their apartment complex. So Cross started teaching about prophets, and Carlos says, "I am the greatest prophet that ever lived!" We get a lot of this, so Cross says, "Okay," and keeps teaching. So he asks Carlos what his beliefs are on Jesus Christ; and Carlos (a large black man) says, "Man... I am Jesus Christ."
And at that moment, he threw his arms into the air and screamed, "Father, if I'm lyin', strike me down right now! Take my soul from me if I'm lyin'!"
So he starts speaking in tongues, at length, and then interprets himself. "What I said is, 'I am one, and the Father is one, and I am one with the Father."
"I cain't do nothin' wit'out the Father. I don't do nothin' 'less the Father tell me. I be gettin' in my car, and I be sayin' to the Father, 'Father, you ready to eat?'"
"And the Father says yes. So I say to Him, 'Where we gonna eat?'"
"And the Father says Wendy's."
I know I will miss this. Transfers are tomorrow; nobody's leaving, which works for me. We're struggling with the church here... I don't think they dislike us, but they want to change about as much as the rest of Orange Mound does. Don't care about much.
In nine days, I will be halfway done. I'm having a hard time 'living the dream' at the moment. I'm drifting out in some other direction from everyone, the time between letters is getting longer and longer... and I'm realizing that I won't have much of a life to come back to, after another year of this. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself. I've forgotten how to not be a missionary. Not that it matters--I certainly don't miss the old life--but sometimes you have to sit and count the cost. I'm looking forward to not feeling obligated for the spiritual growth and energy of everyone I meet every day.
There's an elder out here who joined the Church while he was a medic in Afghanistan; and he says that was easier than Arkansas. Makes sense to me; the people hate us just as much, but we don't get to shoot 'em.
Just kidding... mostly. Keep the faith!
--Elder Dolan
And at that moment, he threw his arms into the air and screamed, "Father, if I'm lyin', strike me down right now! Take my soul from me if I'm lyin'!"
So he starts speaking in tongues, at length, and then interprets himself. "What I said is, 'I am one, and the Father is one, and I am one with the Father."
"I cain't do nothin' wit'out the Father. I don't do nothin' 'less the Father tell me. I be gettin' in my car, and I be sayin' to the Father, 'Father, you ready to eat?'"
"And the Father says yes. So I say to Him, 'Where we gonna eat?'"
"And the Father says Wendy's."
I know I will miss this. Transfers are tomorrow; nobody's leaving, which works for me. We're struggling with the church here... I don't think they dislike us, but they want to change about as much as the rest of Orange Mound does. Don't care about much.
In nine days, I will be halfway done. I'm having a hard time 'living the dream' at the moment. I'm drifting out in some other direction from everyone, the time between letters is getting longer and longer... and I'm realizing that I won't have much of a life to come back to, after another year of this. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself. I've forgotten how to not be a missionary. Not that it matters--I certainly don't miss the old life--but sometimes you have to sit and count the cost. I'm looking forward to not feeling obligated for the spiritual growth and energy of everyone I meet every day.
There's an elder out here who joined the Church while he was a medic in Afghanistan; and he says that was easier than Arkansas. Makes sense to me; the people hate us just as much, but we don't get to shoot 'em.
Just kidding... mostly. Keep the faith!
--Elder Dolan