Slam DUNK!

"First Baptism on the Books"

                                                            Saturday, September 27, 2013

                                  Elder Auaea, the Heeter Family, Elder Roderick and Elder Gilliat

September 29, 2013

Wassss gucci my friends!! I hope you're all having an awesome Monday in the 801 or wherever you are! I love receiving letters from so many of you and reading about how you're doing. Thank you for the love!!

            It was a slower week here in Hickory Flat. Not as many people were willing to talk about Jesus I guess! The weather has been super nice...70's with barely any humidity. PRAISE DA LORD! This makes our new mission rule of knocking doors for 2 hours a day a lot easier! Everyone is caught up in the middle of football season so I just walk around saying, "Go Dawgs" everywhere I go and it seems to make people like the Mormon boys in white shirts a little more than before. I'm still getting used to everyone staring at us for an extra 5 seconds. Ha-ha. You can tell they're sitting there wondering what in the heck three boys in white shirts and ties are doing walking around in the middle of the day knocking on people's doors. You'd be surprised how many people here have never had contact with missionaries! Most of them have talked to Jehovah’s Witnesses and think we're the same thing.

            This week I got myself into a few bashing sessions and had some interesting door approaches with some very stubborn Baptists! Like I've said, you never want to Bible bash, but every time I do I walk away literally laughing at some of the things people think the Mormons believe! Apparently, because I'm Mormon I believe in a different Jesus than the rest of the world. Ha-ha. JESUS IS THE SAME DUDE WHEREVER YOU GO PEOPLE.  Golly. I can't tell you how many times we've been called a Cult in the past week. It's awesome and, very funny.

            On Saturday we had the privilege to baptize the Heeter family!! It was such an awesome experience! First baptism in the books. Mrs. Heeter asked me to baptize and confirm her two boys who are 16 and 12 years old. I guess the Heeters think Elder Auaea is stronger than me or something because they had him baptize the dad who weighs.......more than his kids. Psssh. I could've done it with one arm. I went last, so I got to see how to do it, or how NOT to do it. Ha-ha. Our new companion, Elder Gilliat, got the job of baptizing the mom, and the kid pretty much double-dunked the poor lady. He didn't realize he would kind of have to push her under, so when he lowered her into the water he brought her up too fast, then you could see him think, “Crap!” and he pushed her back under again. I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD (respectively, of course...with the bishop laughing with me). Ha-ha-ha. I call him Double Dunkin' Gilliat now. So, by the time I was supposed to baptize the boys, I knew what to expect and everything went awesome.

            They also asked us to confirm them on Saturday night. Before we confirmed them, I was so nervous because I had no idea what I was going to say to these kids and what to bless them with. Just seconds before starting the confirmation, I was lost for words. When I laid my hands on their head and closed my eyes the Spirit came to me so strong and literally spoke the words for me. I had no idea what I was saying, but I know I just kept talking. It ended up going really well and after the program was over, Mrs. Heeter came up to me and told me I blessed her boys with the exact things that she was hoping for. It was an extremely humbling experience for me and a huge testimony builder!

We met again with Susan last night. Man, that woman is confusing!! We know she wants to get baptized and wants us to prepare her for it, but she told us last night that she never wants to go to church on Sundays or do service in the church, which is what our church is all about! So this will be hard. But, I know that as she becomes more converted, she will eventually come to realize the importance of attending church and serving. She is going to be helping her mom over the next few weeks by preparing her for surgery, so we aren't going to be able to contact her as much, which stinks. Last night though, she told us she would willingly stop smoking and drinking coffee if that were what she had to do! We didn't even have to fight it or anything. Ha-ha. Last night she told me that I'm going to make a good salesman one day because I never take "no" for an answer. The woman already knows me too well! Anyway, I predict it will be a couple of months before Susan has the opportunity to get baptized. She also got negative feedback from family members who mean a lot to her.  This puts a dent in the whole baptism idea, but its nothing a little faith and persistence can't fix. 

            On Wednesday I went on an exchange with the zone leader. Obviously I was way nervous, but it ended up being an awesome experience and I learned a ton from him. He told me I was very humble, which is possibly the last word I would ever use to describe myself as a human being.  

            Random thought: If I go bald on my mission, will any of you still talk to me?? So many missionaries in this mission are losing their hair left and right. It's mortally terrifying. 

            This week our apartment featured "Health and Safety Training: Food Edition". Elder Auaea hasn't seemed to grasp the concept that raw bacon and chicken need to be cooked BEFORE you start eating them. Tongans. I tell ya. Crazy people! He tries to eat any dog he sees on the road. I wonder what will happen when he actually catches one. Dog Stew I guess.

            I'm learning a lot as a missionary!! Serving a mission is definitely the most humbling thing anyone could ever do. As a missionary, you find that people open up to you and tell you their whole life story without even asking them a question. Every day I meet someone who has a crazy life story and is looking for any kind of guidance in their life. Even though it's still a long shot that they will accept the gospel, I know that whatever we teach them will help a great deal, and that's all I really care about. 

            I can't tell you how much your support and words of encouragement mean to me!! I've been amazed at the love I get from you guys! Thanks for being so awesome and please just keep doing amazing things out there. I love you all so much!!!

            Gotta go talk to some hicks out Jesus now. PEACE OUT!!

Elder Roddy