Everyone Knows Someone in Colorado: Week 28: 2/24/14

February 24, 2014

Longmont, CO

Funny thing about Mormons. No matter what time church starts (9am, 11am, 1pm, 10am) or what time you are at the building, if you are attending a meeting which is not a fireside or mutual (7pm) then everyone will say good morning at the beginning of a class or talk. Even in an interview or passing in the hallway. Maybe it is to remind us that time is relative. Perhaps we delight in a cheerful "good morning!" over the more serious "good afternoon." Whatever the case may be there seems to be something to compel one who is in the church building to, though they may have noticed the 2 o'clock hour come and go, continue to say even as their mind corrects their mouth, "good morning!"

Alright, let's see if I can come up with a rundown of the week. I brought my journal to the computer today so maybe that will help :)

Cleaning up after lunch at the OUR Center I cut my hand on a vacuum cleaner. It wasn't anything too bad, but the vacuum wasn't done with me. As I went around the room between the tables and chairs it swelled up in preparation for a good "poof!" Like in a cartoon it poofed dust right up into my face. I should have looked around for a tunnel to Looney Toon land!

To continue in the childhood flashbacks, at dinner that night we acted out "The Three Little Pigs" so many times I lost track, but if those kids ever decided to go to Broadway I can say they would be some of the most dedicated, never tired of rehearsals and improvement, actors in the place!

Speaking of mothers, (we weren't but not we are!) someone this week (and she must be excused, she was in the midst of a big upheaval in her life it seems) addressed me as Sister Carbno's mother. Luckily I was able to contain my laughter until we left the house!

I have a love/dislike (remember I am not using the word hate) relationship with the last 10-15 minutes before anything where it is too early to arrive for certain things but to do something else might make us late! It was in one of these times in which Sister Carbno and I experienced the good and the bad of inspiration. Can there be a bad? You may well wonder, but let us examine this together.

We had a few minutes, and I knew the address of someone in the area whom we have never been able to meet yet. I couldn't remember his name, but R.C. did pop into my head. When we got to the house we looked up the name, and that wasn't it, but then Sister Carbno said something about R. C. It took the whole time of praying, going to the house (he wasn't home) and getting back into the car before I realized it was strange that Sister Carbno and I had thought of the same person.

Spend enough time with someone and them hearing the things you think to yourself really doesn't seem so strange.

Of course this happenstance must be addressed as inspiration so off to R.C.'s house we went! He is listed in our ward directory but we really don't know much about him. Coming up to the house however, Sister Carbno and I each had the vague feeling of a memory that we had come here before and R.C. had been very not interested in talking to us. Now, some people may disagree, but we really try not to be annoying as missionaries and respect the decisions of other people to believe what they want to believe and not talk to us if they don't want to.

We must have stood on that doorstep for a good two minutes debating whether or not to announce our presence. This is what I would refer to as the bad of inspiration. Have you ever noticed that an uplifting, revelatory thought is often followed by one which seeks to dissuade you from the light you have so recently received?

We decided not to ring the bell. However, we did call the phone number listed in the directory and had a great conversation with R.C. The Lord provides a way!

On another note, we have been trying something new this week as an experiment. Dislike of talking on the phone seems to be a common problem as it appears difficult to set appointments via phone unless someone actually answers. Messages seem to simply disappear into airspace. Except! If you leave a message saying "hey it's the missionaries, we are going to be coming over at 4pm on Wednesday, call us back if this doesn't work!" then your chances are greatly improved of: actually having the lesson occur at the time you stated or having them call you back to cancel the lesson, thus increasing your chances of talking to them on the phone and being able to set an actual appointment. This is one of my fun games which Sister Carbno might actually agree is fun :)

Another fun game we have started is that when we get distracted, during companionship study, planning, or whatever else then at the point we notice we have been distracted, we have to relate whatever we were talking about back to the gospel. Preferably it will relate back to whatever we should have been talking about. Already there has been an improvement in our focus :)

I love you all and hope you have a splendid week and do happy things!

love, Sister Emily DeFord