This week was ninety degree weather, which was not fun at
all. It was good to see the red and yellow on the ground, and the trees losing
green, but I was not fond of the infernal heat. Fortunately on Saturday it
cooled down a lot and this morning I feel quite happy with the chill in the
air. It used to be only clouds here could make me feel good, but there are only
distant clouds today and I feel fine. It's a good thing; our jackets come back
on in two weeks.[1]
Sister Knighten, the member we live with, has many old Church music books,
including "The Children Sing" and "Sing with Me," the
precursors to "Children's Songbook." ("Sing with Me" is in
a somewhat familiar orange binding--did we use to have a copy, if only of the cover?)[2] I have been playing the
songs in there on the piano and found a beautiful song called
"Autumn":
Leaves are falling, falling, falling, from the trees today
Birds are calling, sadly calling, Let us fly away
To the south, for winter's coming, [something][3] the insects cease their
humming,
Leaves are falling, birds are calling, winter comes this
way.[4]
And I don't remember the second verse. But it's such a
beautiful song that I copied it at the church library along with "In
Perfect Faith," "Oh Give Me Back My Prophet Dear," and holiday
songs not in the current hymns and children's songs. I sure hope we have a
piano when I get back![5]
Our little area has been struggling. President Clark has
given us "Standards of Excellence," and I've never met them
consistently, but one of them is ten Quality Gospel Invitations[6] a day. So we had eighty
this week. Typical is in generally in the thirties.
We had our fair share of drunks we talked to. We were
walking by a house and a totaled car sat in the yard. We turned the corner and
two guys and two girls about our age were in the backyard drinking and smoking.
They hailed us over and they couldn't believe we'd never drunk beer. The next
day we walked by the house again and I looked at the car and said, "That
explains it."[7]
We were walking by another house and a chubby shirtless man
started talking to us. He was more coherent than most drunks I've talked with,
but I could clearly smell the alcohol. He and his friend think we obey nine
commandments because we observe the Sabbath on Sunday, not Saturday. They're "Jews
for Jesus." He started yelling about it and soon the police showed up
because someone had called. He made up the excuse he was yelling because he had
a sore throat and had to talk loudly. He wasn't really unfriendly, just crazy,
so when the police saw we were fine they left. We talked with them yesterday,
and he thinks he's a prophet, that the world will end in 2012 (because it will
be 1260 days after Hurricane Ike),[8] and the sun shines on him
when he tells the truth. I think in our conversation Elder Duncan got a little
defensive, but after a while it was so ridiculous about what Nazis they were
about the Sabbath that I just started laughing. Just quiet, disbelieving
laughter. I laughed during his goofy prayer with his hands in the air, praying
as a "prophet of God," and all I can say is I hope he's not outside
when we walk by again.
It seems I was thinking of something I wanted for my
birthday, or at least I needed, but I cant think of it now. Maybe size 36
slacks (they can be cheap ones, although that might not be the best idea now
since I'll have to pack my summer slacks away soon).[9] Transfers are in two weeks
and I have no idea what's happening. Maybe I'll get a hint at interviews this
week.
[Line redacted]
Love,
Elder Melville
[1]
Our mission rule was that you took off your suit coat at April conference and put
it on at October conference. Except that after April conference, they told us
we still had to wear them if it was cold. But we still had to wear them even if
it was warm in October. I thought that was so dumb. Either make it only
weather, or only conferences.
[2]
Yes, we do have Sing with Me, and I
sometimes play songs from it.
[3]
“Haste” is the word I forgot here.
[4]
This song is by Evan Stephens. I understand why no one sang it, because the
lyrics are a little dark; the second verse talks about snow being a shroud for
the earth to lie in. But it’s a stunningly beautiful song. I really want it to
get more attention.
[5]
My mom had given our piano to my cousin. But I wanted it back so I could play
it after picking up some piano on my mission. We did bring it back to our house
a few weeks after I got home. But unfortunately, it had a number of damages
done to it. I can’t possibly understand how it got damaged like that.
[6]
Quality Gospel Invitations, or QGIs, were basically every time you talked to
someone.
[7]
Seriously, though, don’t drink and drive. Ever. If you do, you deserve to be
dead.
[8]
I think it was February 9, 2012, that he predicted would be the end.
[9]
I started my mission with a size 38 or 40 waist. Today I’m 32 or 33.
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