Well another week has come gone and I've kept on keepin' on. Not a whole lot is new, unfortunately. I am keeping very warm. McDonald's LOVES Elder Norris and I, particularly because we eat there ALL the time (like 6 times a week) and because of my stupid burger, we've managed to build a decent relationship with their crew. I order the formerly renamed "Animal Farm". I order a double cheeseburger with ketchup only, bacon, and a chicken patty on that. So now you've got the chicken, cow, and pig existing harmoniously as a sandwich on it's way to my inhabit my bowels. For the first several times I ordered it, McMoron had to have the manager show them how to put it into the computer because I guess "Animal Farm" is not a preexisting option. But now they'll punch my order in when they see us walk through the door because they've done it so much. There's an elder or two plus a few members who have adopted my idea so now I've begun a trend!
And then there's a fellow by the name of Don M. who is our newest alligator. For the first 4 or 5 weeks of being in this area, there's a street we drive down every day and there was this guy in his yard who would say hello to us every time we passed. We'd always wave back but we never stopped because we'd be in a hurry to get somewhere. Finally we stopped and talked with him and as it turns out, he's unconsciously been waiting for us to find him, befriend him, convert him, and baptize him. He said his eyesight was almost completely gone and all he really does for entertainment is read books. On that note, we offered him a copy of the Good Book and he said he'd read it! He's been a fishing gear salesman and inventor for the past 50 someodd years and our first visit was spent being taught about all the different oddsnends you can buy to make fishing a much more gooder experience. He's very sociable and friendly and really a neat guy! He hasn't ever really had a lot of religion in his life, which is kinda good because it'll illuminate our message so much more.
There was one day last week we went by to help him out with some yardwork he's had on his list. He's got a back problem so he couldn't do it on his own. After that had been done, he told us he'd be going to the doctor the next day to get an MRI and a general checkup to find out just why the heck he can't feel anything from the waist down. So, stepping out on a limb of faith, I asked if he would like a priesthood blessing. I was kinda apprehensive - for obvious reasons: he didn't know nothin' about Mormons - but after I finally spit it out, I dug up some confidence and faith and put it on the table. He said, "Sure! Figure it wouldn't hurt to try." It was clear he didn't understand exactly what it meant, not to mention the deal with the oil and the laying on of hands, and so I gave him the abbreviated Cliffnotes rundown of the priesthood and how it works. And so we blessed him and then went on our way. We visited again a couple of days later and asked him how it went. He said they'd found out he's got a couple of compressed disks in his back - which explained the difficulty walking around and bending over - but, oddly enough, that blessing we gave him helped out quite a bit! He said he's not quite ready to run a marathon but that blessing appeared to help exponentially.
This past weekend was "The Testimony of the Believers". The Meridian West Stake had been planning this shindig for the past year or so. It was a stake choir musical performance, followed by presentations from each of the 8 wards in the stake. Each ward had prepared a short Mormon Message-format home video on DVD telling the story of a member in their ward who had overcome life's obstacles by faith in the church. The object of the function was to teach nonmembers more about our church. Flyers were posted all around town, members invited nonmember friends, and a whole lotta efforts were put towards exposing those darn Mormons for the good-natured, fun-loving folks they really are. It was the nights of Friday and Saturday the 18th and 19th and we had a fairly decent turnout! Don attended - thanks to his neighbors and fellowshippers, the Hernandez family - as well as a handful of other alligators and less active members. It was a beautiful thing.
In closing, add "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen to your reading list. Unfreakingbelievable.
May the Force be with us all...
Elder Tay
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