I guess it is week 5, because transfers are in a week. Nope, I'm not training, though I guess there's still a chance I get called beforetomorrow night. But probably not. I think all the sisters are staying but only two of the elders are. But exciting! No clue how long I'll get to stay in St. Augustine but I'll enjoy it while I can. Thanks so much for the recipes, Mom, I'll see how many of them I can do here!
My sign language is still nonexistent and I can't read the alphabet at all when people spell out words fast, so that's one of my study focuses this week. Funny story: it's a little scary to drive in the car when songs are playing that Sister Shumway knows well, because she starts driving with her knees as she signs the lyrics. But we haven't died yet!
I got a few questions about the Jehovah's Witness church so I'll first clarify that No: I'm not going apostate or whatnot, but turns out we're allowed to attend other churches' services as long as they don't conflict with our own. It seems that often the missionaries make deals with investigators that if they come to church this Sunday, they will attend their services as well. Makes sense to me, because it's a little hypocritical if we invite the whole world to our church but then refuse to go to any other church on principle. Only rule is that we can't proselyte and I wouldn't want to. But the JWs are great fellowshippers and I met an awful lot of them. So the funny thing is that this week we've been running into Jehovah's Witnesses all over the neighborhoods where we tract and being able to say "Oh, do you go to Kingdom Hall down on Wildwood? I was there last Sunday!" has opened a lot of doors that otherwise would have been slammed in our faces. A lot of people think Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are always at odds because our doctrines have differences and we are the two main proselyting religions but we're getting referrals from them, service opportunities, random people pulling over to talk to us and introduce their kids cause they recognized us... It's been really cool to see how the Lord works. Every Witness I've met has a really earnest desire to seek for truth, which I love and admire.
Another odd thing: more often than I would think possible, when we stop and talk to people on the street, they start telling us all about their past sins and lives of crime. And then they ask forgiveness. It's a little awkward because we have no authority to forgive sins; that's between them and God and we tell them that as soon as the conversation starts to dive that way. But it happens so often that it makes me wonder if this is a Southern thing? Because people consider us a form of clergy? No clue.
About our investigator, Josh, he's doing fantastically. He has so much desire to learn and be baptized and he loves every new thing he learns about the gospel. The elders are teaching him as well and he really hit it off with them, which is great. But it's not really us doing much at all; it's all the Spirit guiding everything. We were just the ones to extend the invitation. But he tells us that this message is the answer to his prayers, which is amazing to hear.
So for everyone who watched General Conference, wasn't it just amazing! I was kind of expecting a message about member missionary work, but I really wasn't anticipating two such energetic, ambitious talks in the same session. (Mom, I've gotta ask, are we related to S. Gifford Nielsen?) So in light of M. Russell Ballard's challenge for everyone to invite someone to hear the gospel by Christmas, I feel for ya. I'd love to help out if I can. My mission has been reading and using this amazing book called The Power of Everyday Missionaries and I challenge you ALL to find/check out/download it. I finally got my own copy on Thursday and I finished it Friday morning on a missionary schedule, so I promise you it's a fast read. It's written by Clayton M. Christensen, former Seventy, who you may recall that Elder Ballard mentioned, and this book illustrates why people often are afraid of member missionary work or do it clumsily and how missionary work can be natural and doable for ANYONE, no matter who you are/how outgoing you can be. It's inspired me to be the best member missionary ever but unfortunately, I'm a full-time missionary now, so I simply need to live vicariously through you all! So as you all work towards Elder Ballard's goal, I'll be sending you some of my favorite bits of advice and perhaps how I've seen it applied here in St. Augustine to help you out. Before, I would just be a pushy missionary trying to get busy folks involved in something uncomfortable, but I really want to help everyone fulfill the Lord's commandments. That's my only goal here, so I'll strive to be un-irritating!
The other sisters have a drainage pond near their apartment (Florida law states that there much be a certain number of cubic meters of runoff capacity for a certain square meterage of paved surface, so there are runoff ponds everywhere). Most attract all sorts of exotic animals, including flamingos, spoonbills, and in the case of the sisters' pond, an 8-foot alligator named Freddy. So the other day we went out to chuck bread to the fish in hopes of luring Freddy over and this time it worked like a charm. He scooted right up to the dock with his large pale mouth open, looking like some ancient behemoth of the deep swum right out of a fossil (apparently they look normal to Floridians who've seen them all their lives, but then again, armadillos look weird to me too when I see them out here). I was hanging right over to watch him while Sister Shumway clung to the back of my shirt, because he was less than 3 feet below us and I could have touched him. Now I know people always use crocodiles and alligators as metaphors for sin or the world's traps or whatnot, but I never knew they hunted like this. As Freddy came over, the thousands of small black fish knew he was coming and what he was and wisely swam away. But then he gets right up against the dock and freezes completely, allowing himself to drift. The fish forget he is there and start to get braver, swimming closer and around his head. If I drop a piece of bread right between Freddy's bulging eyes, some enterprising fish comes up, nibbles, and gets away safe. Still Freddy waits until suddenly there's a huge swirl and splash as he spins around and pops up again 15 feet away and there are a few fish missing completely. The fish are all agitated, especially when he comes back, but then they calm down and the whole cycle starts again. You can draw from Freddy whatever metaphors and conclusions you like, but it made me wonder: what about the missing fish? The other fish saw for sure what happened to them but they still went to repeat the mistakes that their fishy buddies made and maybe get eaten in turn, all for some chunks of bread I was tossing in. So I guess my goal from now on is to not get so excited over a piece of bread that I fail to notice that it's sitting on an alligator's head. It's a good thing I'm not a fish. But mostly I'm just excited I finally saw a gator. So anyway, sorry I can't be more powerful and inspiring in letters home but I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!
Sister Nielsen
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