Week 3...101 More To Go! :-D

(July 21, 2009)

Hey everyone,

How is life treating you guys? Logan, is amazing! I love it!

Before I talk about my week, I have a question for Dad. Dad, is there anyway you can send me a copy of the book about Great-Grandpa trading with the Indians that I can have and give to an investigator? [note-Stephen's great-grandfather owned a trading post in Shiprock, New Mexico, where he traded goods with the Navajo Indians who lived in the area]. I told you about the Navajo man that we have been teaching and I really feel that if I give him that book he will open up more, and one day, become a member of this Church

Anyways, my week…

So, we got all the lessons set up that Elder Perry ask us to, all 18 with 6 pending.....they all fell through. :(

…Well, not all, like 15 of them, but check this out…

The 17th I was so tired! We must've walked like 20 miles, no joke. It was about 7 pm and we went and visited a PI (Potential Investigator). She is 37, single, and is really kinda hippy-ish, but, she's major nice. So we talked to her and set up a lesson with her on Monday. As we were walking away, Elder Norton suggested that we knock these apartments. So we did. At the first two there was no answer, the third door was the manger, the 4th door....

We knocked on it, and a man comes to it. The door is half-way open, and he has a look on his face like, "Great, this is all I need!" We introduced ourselves and he was kinda rude to us. He wasn't interested in what we had to say, but as we were about to leave I saw that he had the TOPPS basball card logo tattooed on his forearm...

(Role-Play time)

Elder Evans: So, I take it you like baseball cards?

Man: Yeah, I collect them. I had about 2,000 of them, but I had to sell them for rent, and whatnot.

Elder Evans: Really? That's awesome! I used to collect them too....

And Boom! We just started talking. It was awesome. He came outside with us and talked. He was smoking, but that didn't stop us. :D

He's 35, single, divorced, loves BMXing. It was so cool. I have Nate [Elder Evans' brother] to thank for knowing what to say in our conversation as he was talking about how he BMX's and all that. I asked him if he had ever seen the 80's movie "Rad". Yes, he loves that movie, and was so surprised that I knew about it. Then somehow we got on the subject of “Garbage Pail Kids”. I have Nate again to thank for that [as he used to collect the cards as a kid…yuck!]. :D

It was so cool to see him open up. So we asked again if we could share a message with him, and he agreed!! BooYa! We had a lesson set-up with him on Monday (yesterday), but when we called him to see if that was still on he had just found out that an issue with one of his ex's had come up that he needed to take care of. So he had to cancel..... interesting…so we had to reschedule.

On Sunday, we sang hymn #30 [“Come, Come Ye Saints”].....three times [apparently they must have attended three different Sacrament Meetings]!

We also met with an investigator again, he was drunk, but we still taught him. :D

Yesterday we had five lessons set up; four fell through, but the one that didn't was with the hippy-ish lady, and it was AWESOME! We talked about the Plan of Salvation, and she loved it! We committed her to be baptized on Aug 15th, she said yes. We committed her to live the Word of Wisdom (she smokes and drinks); she said yes, she'll stop cold-turkey. Then she told us that she has a boyfriend....oh dear.... We committed her to live the Law of Chastity....and she said YES! It was Awesome! Ahh, I love being a missionary in Zion. Just being here on my mission for three weeks, I have seen miracles, I have performed miracles, I have a testimony of miracles.

Anyway, that was my week.

Thank you guys for your letters. Oh, yes I did get the package. ....I got it Saturday [note-I sent it over TWO weeks earlier but it must have been delivered to the MTC after he left and then eventually forwarded to him!]. Thank you for the banana bread, even though it was mundo moldy, the thought was still there. :D

Anyway, let me know how things are going in Sierra Vista. Well, know that I love you, and I wish you guys could be here with me.

Love, Elder Evans

P.S. Oh yeah, one more thing. It's actually a funny story....my watch broke. The glass broke, then the watch itself broke. Me and watches just don't get along....at all [how true!…he and I actually have a running joke to see how long it takes a watch to break after he gets it! :-D]

So, if you could send me one, with 3 links taken out, that would be awesome. I don't care if it’s a cheap Walmart one, or a high-roller one. I just need a watch! :D