Missionary LIfe

March 11, 2013

So we have had an okay week.  A lot of people couldn't be home this time around for reasons I can't explain, but we had an interesting experience this week.

One of our investigators is very much into the Baptist church, and he invited us to a Wednesday night service over at his church. So we actually got to attend his Baptist church. It was pretty different than I expected. They didn't sing "hymns." More like Christian rock music with lots of "yes yes Lord" thrown into the lyrics. You'd also be surprised how many of the hymns in our hymnbook are also in theirs. They have "How Great Thou Art" "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" and a lot of others. They probably don't sing them too often though. Anyway, the pastor wore regular clothes, nobody wore Sunday clothes, and they basically talked about not saying the same prayer over and over. They told us to imagine what would come out of our mouths if we were to see God. (which I don't know how they believe that you can "see" God in the first place, as they believe God is a spirit that exists everywhere simultaneously). It was different, and I left being really glad that our church has the truths that we do. Anyway, hopefully by us doing that, we can get this guy to come to OUR church :)

We are also teaching this lady who believes that the church is true and that she needs to get baptized, but because of smoking and a lot of other things she told us she will get baptized "when God tells her to do so." Well, I hope we can tell her that her fence sitting philosophy won't really get her into the waters of baptism. But she's one of those people that just talks and talks. It becomes really difficult to talk to her and teach her because we are only allotted 5 to 10 minutes each time we go over there! Anyway, we are praying to find a way to take control of the situation without offending her.

Also, we have this lady in our ward who comes with her daughter. She has a lot of "strange" philosophies. She's trying to create this hybrid catholic-mormon religion. All of this may not seem too much of a problem except, she attends the gospel principles INVESTIGATOR class. Boy is difficult. She'll say things like "I really don't like how this church condemns suicide! It is a mental issue that is due to abuse as a child! I hate how only the "leave it to Beaver" perfect families get into the celestial Kingdom and the troubled people are condemned!" She said this in class yesterday. It’s completely not what the church teaches.  I’m afraid she is scaring our people away!

Anyway, that's all I have this week. We really do have an awesome ward! I love it here!!!!

Elder Bringhurst