Um...what? I don't understand...

Date: June 16, 2009
Area: Hurricane, WV
Companion: Elder Wright

 

 



Hey y'all!
How's your week going? I am happy to report that mine has been great! Nothing much has changed surprisingly, except maybe my attitude. Isn't that what it always comes down to? It's funny how that works. One minute you'll be thinking one way, and then the next you'll change how you think and everything is different yet the same. Strange...I guess we really do have a lot of power in effecting how we go through life. It's really not all bad.
I heard someone this week say "I hate life". How can you hate life?! It's a gift from God, and WE chose to come here and go through it. It was and still is neccesary to our devlopment and progression. I was reading in the Book of Mormon this week (like always) and I've been in Alma. What an incredible man! His testimony is something that we should all be striving to recieve. And then when you look at where he came from, it makes you see that people are always changing and that we can become so much more then we think we can. It's really crazy...
I'm not sure why things have felt different this week. In fact, if you really wanted to look at it, some would deem it as a bad week. We invited like 5 people out to church with us and they all said they would come. Sunday morning comes around, and not one of them comes to church. However, one young man who we weren't expecting to show up did! Crazy! His name is Sam and he is only here for the Summer. He's working for APX and a bunch of the guys he works with are returned missionaries, so that's how we were introduced to him. He's very smart and understands what we share with him. It makes sense to him. The lessons are crazy, but somehow the Spirit is still able to confirm truth. I guess it comes down to teaching truth. The Spirit will be there when truth is present.
Definitely a testimony builder to me on the Lord's hand in His work.
Hmm, this email seems a little frazzled. For some reason things seem really frazzled to me. Maybe it has to do with my companion leaving for Virginia tomorrow and me getting a new one. His name is Elder Monson. Yes, Elder Monson. And before you ask, I have no idea if he's related to the prophet. I'm sure I'll be hearing that question a lot, so when I find out I'll tell you all.
From what other missionaries have said about him (darn that mission gossip!) he is a lot like me. So that should be interesting. Two of me living in the same house? That's a lot of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...and singing.
Wouldn't it be weird to live with yourself? I don't know if I could do it. Isn't that a strange thought?
Anyway, I have a funny story to tell you all.
So we had a follow up this week with a younger girl named Samantha. She's in her early to mid late 20's and is WAY nice! In fact, I would dare to say that she is one of the nicest people we have ever tracted into or even spoken with! And best of all when she has a question about something, she asks! She doesn't just believe everything that people tell her about us, she asks us if it really is what we believe. It's great! So that's Samantha. We went back to see her for the second time just this last week. We talked to her for a bit and ended up giving her a Book of Mormon. Then we started talking about various principles of the Gospel. After a little bit, she asked us a question.
She said "So what about all the high doctrine?"
"High donctrine?"
"Yeah, like things you wouldn't normally tell people at first."
"Oh, you mean like deep doctrine!"
"Yeah, deep doctrine!"
So we proceeded to explain how you can find those doctrines in the scriptures. For example, we used 1 Corinthians 15:29 which says "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" Basically Paul is telling the Saducees (who do not believe in the ressurection) in this scripture that it is pointless to do baptisms for the dead if there won't be a ressurection, so why do the baptisms then?
This means that the primitive church practiced baptisms for the dead.
When we explained all this to Samantha, she said:
"Oh, that makes a lot of sense. I get it!"
Then I asked her a question. This is where it got funny. I said:
"Was there a particular piece of deep doctrine that you were wondering about?"
"Actually yes. I was wondering what the deal was with Moonbabies?"
"....um...what?"
"Moonbabies!"
"Moon...babies?"
"Yeah, like the moon in the sky!"
"Um...what are Moonbabies?"
"That's what I was asking you!"
"Well, can you explain what they're supposed to be?"
You see, I have never heard that one before. Ever. And niether had my companion. We were at a complete loss! In fact, it took us so completely off guard that we both laughed! Then we had to explain that we weren't laughing at her, just that we had never heard of that before.
So she proceeded to tell us how her friends had told her that "Mormons" create Moonbabies. These babies are somehow given a glory of the moon and created so that they grow up to be gods.
Well, I didn't know we believed in "Moonbabies". Haha!
So we proceeded to explain how we had never heard of that, but that it may have come from other things we believe. Such as how we are children of God. And that's not just in the Book of Mormon, it says it flat out in the Bible too!
We explained how a colt will grow up to be a horse, or how a child will grow up to be like his parents. He will never become his parents, but he will be like them. It's the same way with us! We are children of God and have the potential to grow up to be like our Heavenly Parents.
She really liked that idea. And hopefully we cleared up the whole "moonbaby" thing as well.
Isn't that a funny story? I thought it was hilarious!
Anyway, it definitely brightened up my week. Rather an odd thing to brighten up my week, don't you think?
Well, not much else to say!
Actually, there is one thing. I may be getting a car here! Yeah, my mission president decided that since I was crashing so much on my bike it might be better to get me in a car where I tend to have much better luck. Funny!
So for future reference, if you want a car, just crash your bike a ton! Someone will eventually feel sorry for you.
Tonight I am going to a bonfire at a members home. They always hold a bonfire when a missionary gets transferred, so they're having one for Elder Wright tonight, my comp. And that new convert I mentioned last week? Jacob? He's coming too, and he makes what are called "digiridoos" or something like that. You know, that Australian instrument that sounds like "wahhhhhhwahwahwahhhhh"? Well he is giving each of us one. Cool! The things you pick up on your mission...
Well, love you all lots!
Thanks for the letters from those who sent them. Those who haven't, shame on you! Haha, I'm kidding. I know that if you really loved me you would send a letter...so now I know who my REAL friends are...hehehe....
*cough* oh, look at the time! I've gotta go! People to see, places to go, bikes to crash, it's a busy life!
Have a great week everyone! You're all amazing in my eyes!

Sure love ya all!
Elder Johnny Rowley

 

<<Previous Letter Go back to letter index Next Letter >>