January 28, 2013

Email 1/28/13

Hey what's up guys!? I don't expect anybody to answer these questions or statements I post at the beginning of my letters, I just don't know how to start them.. haha. I hope everybody has had a great week. It was a pretty weird week for us, but it was still pretty good. The flu has hit San-B and is affecting almost everybody! Most of our appointments this week fell through because people were sick with the flu and we couldn't visit them. We only got fed twice out of the seven days this week, so many people were sick it was ridiculous! Elder Monk and I started feeling sick, but after we went back to the apartment and took a nap we were able to feel better, luckily we haven't caught it yet.

I decided that I'm going to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, the month of February. I planned it all out and I wrote down all of the pages I need to read and what days. It will end up being about 19-21 pages a day. I'm pumped to do it! Anybody who wants to join in, join in! Any Takers?

So this week, we were ready to drop Phillip. He wasn't making any progress and every time we would go over there we would pretty much just be counseling him. The day we went over to drop him, was the day he was ready to make changes. He has had a problem with smoking weed, and combining pills with it, that would give him the same affect as a very serious drug would do. Unfortunately he lives in a retirement home with his mom, and so with all of the old people around it is very easy for him to find those certain pills. He has a medicinal marijuana card (they give them out here if you say your back hurts). After a lot of talk, and trying our hardest, we finally left his house that night with a "Today is the day I stop" promise. When we left his house we left with his medicinal marijuana card, ripped up, and his pipe he would smoke from. We were feeling pretty confident about him and his progression we were hoping he would make.

Melvina is doing really well. We were able to teach her a couple times this week before she ended up getting sick too. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation, and that answered a lot of her questions. We had the lesson at a members house and they sat in and put a lot of good input in that she was able to understand and take to heart. She told us, she prayed about the Book of Mormon and knows it's true, and also that it has already helped her with some of her trials she has run into. Her and Billy had some drama going on this past week, (due to his mom) and she said that she went home and got a whole bunch of answers to questions she had, and has been reading it when she feels down, and always is comforted by the spirit. It was awesome to hear her say that if it weren't for the Book of Mormon, she wouldn't be with Billy anymore. Ah, the church is true!! Melvina is awesome too, she always prays for understanding on the Book of Mormon and said that she has had a lot of help understanding it after she prays. She's already ahead of me, I have a tough time understanding sometimes! Stupid ADHD!! haha.

Adam... Adam is a challenge for us sometimes haha. He does a whole bunch of stuff to drag everybody's attention towards him, and if he doesn't get the attention he wants, he'll make something up. This past week he made something up, at least we hope he was making it up. We were sitting there teaching him and Jessie, and he talked about his past and about how he used to associate himself with the devil. He told us that he sees demons, and there was one in the room, sitting there in-between Elder Monk and I laughing at us. And then he went on to tell us how he thinks the house is haunted because there are like three other demons that live there that are like half man, half animal. I believe in evil spirits and everything because those are the ones who didn't follow Jesus Christ's plan in the pre-Earth life and weren't born on this earth but still exist as evil spirits, but I don't believe in the spirits most people think of, the half human half animal, Narnia stuff. haha. He asked for a blessing on his house so we gave his home a blessing and then like ten minutes later, he said the room was empty. I feel bad for him, and I really feel bad for him if he really is seeing demons, but he just does so much stuff for attention and makes up so many things, it's hard to know what is the truth and what is a lie.

We taught Melvina about the Law of Chastity, and she was super excited and pumped about it all! She agreed to live it without any hesitation. She was already living it anyways because Billy was living it, but she was excited to say she was living it and would be living it for herself, and not be doing those things because Billy couldn't. I always thought that teaching the law of chastity would be awkward, but it's not when everybody acts like adults haha.

We went over to Phillips yesterday and the day before and taught him, we found out that he had gone three days cold turkey without any drugs. He stayed up three consecutive days, he couldn't eat, and he threw up a lot. He went to the hospital and the doctors told him that he needed to "weed it out" he was having the biggest problems combining the two drugs. He used to take the pills and smoke until he would pass out, but now he smokes when he needs it, and doesn't abuse it. This has made such a big difference in teaching him. You can automatically see a new glow in him, and I love teaching him now! When we go over to his house we have the best discussions and lessons, and the spirit is so strong there, when before it wasn't ever really there. He's already made a bunch of progress, and I can't wait to see how he does this next week.

So this statement is probably pretty obvious, but I never really said it before, I love church!!! As a kid, and even a couple months before my mission, Church wasn't my favorite thing to go to haha. But now, I look forward to it every week, church is awesome. The spirit is always so strong there, especially during the sacrament. I Definitely wish I would have realized how great church was when I was little. It's the best three hours of the week, you get to learn more about Christ, recharge your batteries, and most importantly take the Sacrament, and renew your baptismal covenants. I love it!

I hope Everybody has an awesome week! Take into consideration the February Book of Mormon challenge. I can promise you you'll see a difference in this next month if you are reading it everyday, then if you weren't. This is a challenge from L-Bell! I hope all of you will accept it.

"Peace and Blessings",
Elder Bell

P.S. I don't have any new pictures this week.. :( Sorry!

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