[1]This
past week fog has been the predominant weather pattern. One day we got a light
dusting of snow in Ritzville and nowhere else. Usually it doesn't snow in
Ritzville without it snowing elsewhere. The fog can be annoying to drive in,
but it flocks all the plants and looks pretty cool. We tracted a dead end in
the fog. We didn't know how far it went; the houses just kept popping up.
Elder W. was sick this week so that inhibited a lot of our
actual finding time, but it was actually one of the best weeks I've had in a
long time. We had a lot of good lessons, more than I'm accustomed to.
We put a 15-year-old girl named Cassandra J. on date
for baptism. Her family was baptized in August but she wasn't (she didn't like
the missionary I replaced, nor did most members). The family hasn't been to
church for a long time but they came yesterday. We asked her what she thought
about what we've been teaching and she said she feels it's true. We asked about
baptism and she said she wants it. They just need to keep coming to church. Her
dad smokes. We would want him to baptize her but I don't know if he can stop in
time and our branch mission leader wants us to be careful talking about smoking
with them, lest they get offended.
We got a new investigator, Jessica [Here I listed her last
name and a pronunciation, because her name looked like . . . something else].
We are hopeful, although the members seem a little less enthusiastic. She
investigated in Alaska a few years ago and almost got baptized. Now she's
married (we think) to a less-active member, and their kids are usually at
primary (they come with members). Last week she and her husband came with the
kids (which was a first for him) so I asked her at church if we could stop by
that week. They live in Lind, about thirteen miles south of Ritzville, so we
don't get out there too often (we try once every two weeks). She was excited
for us to come over, and though she didn't make it to church, she called us
after and asked if she could read more than the chapter we gave her from the
Book of Mormon. We don't have records of her being taught since she's lived
here, but that doesn't mean anything. The members are glad we're teaching, but
it seems they don't think it will last long (she's been to church once in a
while). But she liked what she felt as she read, and she's quite interested.[2]
We were in Ritzville two weeks in a row because yesterday we
had to speak for high council Sunday. It was the first time I've spoken on my
mission. I talked about testimonies and cited Paul, Nephi, and Alma the younger
as examples of good testimonies, even though they had different experiences.
The closest thing I got to a laugh was when I inferred that Alma was baptized
at eight and then went less-active. I find no account of him being baptized
after he repented. They also liked my sharing of your parents' conversion, some
of which details I didn't know until their letter to me (such as Grandpa
reading to argue but finding it to be true).[3]
The members we have stayed with in Davenport asked us not to
stay there anymore because they are in poor health. We're not sure what we'll
do now. Davenport will be quite neglected. We might shortly get a place in
Reardan, thirteen miles east of Davenport, where missionaries were staying with
a family before, but their daughter's family moved in. They're planning on
moving out again soon, but not as soon as we need it.[4]
We had interviews on Friday and from what President told me
with the just-mentioned situation, to work in Davenport less, my speculation of
them splitting the area now seems much less likely to me.
I do think I'll send back your picture frame. I know with
the stick I might get pictures more frequently, but honestly I'll probably only
look at the pictures once because it is too annoyingly slow to go through all
of them. I'm much more likely actually to look at pictures on my own frame
because I can immediately go to the ones I really want to see. Sorry. Whenever
I get that sent, it will include all my Christmas stuff.
I have become very depressed knowing I have no more
Christmases or New Years. I had a dream about Allie the other night. She was
very cute but it made me sad--not that I'll be seeing her, of course, but sad
that before the end of this year I'll be home, and my two years will be all
gone. I liked my other dream this week better; riding on a portable house with
other missionaries and soaring above the Columbia River with a blanket as a
cape.
I can't think of anything else. I love you all!
Elder Melville
[1]
Now I know that “Its” in the title should be capitalized, but I didn’t know it
ten years ago.
[2]
Jessica did get baptized after I got home, but I doubt she remained active. I
was Facebook friends with her for a few years. Then once she posted a profile
picture that I thought was quite inappropriate (i.e. not allowed on Facebook),
so I sent her an automated form message asking her to change it, and she
unfriended me.
[4]
We often spent nights with missionaries the next area over, and I think that
was mostly because my companion was good friends with one of those elders. I
think it was an unhealthy friendship, at least for those of us who weren’t in
the circle. Later the missionaries would spend the night in the branch building.
Then later, they moved from Ritzville to apartments in Davenport. After I came
home, I visited the Davenport Branch the following summer, and I saw the
missionaries there. There had been a house in Ritzville with a rude old couple
who lived next to a mortuary. The old couple died, and the owner of the house
(who also owned the mortuary) decided he would rather have missionaries as
tenants next to a funeral home, so he made a deal with the Church. The elders
thus had their own places to stay in both Ritzville and Davenport. I have no
idea what the situation is like now.
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