Everyone Knows Someone in Colorado: Week 76: 1/26/15

January 26, 2015

Longmont, CO

There is this man in the ward who we have tried to meet many times over the weeks which we have been here. No one ever answers the door. This week we were determined though. We rand the doorbell, no answer. After a brief finger warm-up I knocked very, VERY hard on the door. Another minute went past and he answered! Apparently he can't hear the doorbell if he is anywhere but the front room of the house, but if you knock really hard then it actually shakes the wall and he can tell that you are there :)

Luckily we had the Seyfis with us so we could go in and have a lesson which was totally guided by the Spirit. It was great too, because we actually got to say, 'hey, we are the missionaries, you know why we are here, we want to help you come back to church and receive all of the blessings of the gospel, how do you feel about that?' He isn't to the point where he is ready to come yet, but small steps lead up to big things.

We had exchanges this week and I went up to Berthoud with Sister Tafengatoto :) Fun fact, I really enjoy saying people's full names when most people just abbreviate it because it is long. Like when I was with Sister Zvirzdin, or Sister von Niederhausern :)

So we had many awkward experiences this week, which is part of what led to my resolution to not use the word 'awkward' this week. I'm trying to come up with other ways to describe things :)

One of these experiences included going to talk to J____'s mom. We tracted his house a week or so ago, he is probably about 14. Then we were walking down the street and saw him again and he told us his mom was home and would like to talk to us. So we went! Another guy answered the door, one of those questionably aged people where he looked maybe too old to be in high school, but maybe he was just big, but he wasn't old enough to be J____'s dad. So I asked the question, as I thought through all of those things, "Is your....mom...home? Sorry, I really can't tell how old you are!"

"No, she's not, I'm 24" (said with a smile at least, phew!)

"Okay....are you J____'s brother?"

"I don't know anybody named J____"

"Alright then...we obviously have the wrong house, but anywho..."

We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said we could come back :) Totally worth it!

Also, case in point that you never know who or when someone will be receptive to the gospel: After leaving an appointment on Thursday, we saw some people sitting outside their apartment, so of course we talked to them. They weren't interested at all, but they were still nice. A few days later we were walking down the same street and saw an older lady, a man, and two kids unloading a moving van. Having had much practice moving, and looking for opportunities to serve we offered to help!

Amazingly, they actually accepted. So we unloaded together and got to know them a little bit. The older woman was actually one of the people we had met before, helping her daughter move in to the apartment beneath hers. She wanted to get us lunch to thank us for helping, and as we ate we were able to discuss the gospel in a very normal way. We were able to also give her a Book of Mormon which she now knows a little bit about so it isn't so strange. Such a sweet family and I am so glad we got to talk with them!

Seriously, you just never know who needs a little more Jesus in their life!

love, Sister Emily DeFord

p.s. So excited about the package from Heather who will be having a BOY!! Sister Allen and Sister Seyfi are my witnesses that I knew it ;)