Week 9: I receive an inheritance

District Council/Death Day Party

My mission dad died today! (This simply means that my district leader went home, but "died" is so much more dramatic! On my second day here, my trainer told me that both of her previous companions died in this area. She did NOT tell me that that means they went home. I was ... afraid). We had a happy death-day party for him at district council and ate snacks and sang God Be With You Till We Meet Again. And he read us his last will and testament! He bequeathed me his Christlike attribute poster and told me that he, like most absent fathers, was sorry that he didn't spend more time with me, his youngest daughter. He also told Sister Bangura to "raise our daughter right". It was lots of fun. We had cupcakes.

Last Thursday, we had retrainers, which is a big meeting at the mission home for all of the new missionaries and their trainers, and the highlights of the event were 1) President Keung telling this elder that he could sit in his chair because we were out of seats and then being like "you look so good up there with the APs! Doesn't he look so good up there with the APs? He doesn't know this yet, but he's actually our new AP! I'm being serious!" The poor kid looked like he was going to cry. But he really is the new AP. He's in our zone now. Highlight #2 was that we moved upstairs and all the elders were sitting on the couches and the sisters were setting up chairs and the mission president came up and was like "no, no, no, this is unacceptable." And then he was like, "Elders, if the Savior was in your position, what would He do?" They looked so confused! It was so embarrassing! He made them give us all the soft chairs and then he made us read Proverbs 31 and told all the boys that girls like pink roses better than red roses. It was very enlightening and not at all awkward!

We found 3 people last weekend who were willing to meet with us and learn more about Jesus Christ, and so we taught the restoration at 11:00, 1:00, and 2:30 on Saturday. We teach the restoration a LOT. The other lessons? ... not so much. We almost always teach the same points, so when I was saying that "Jesus Christ organized His church and called apostles and gave them authority to act in His name" for the third time, I felt like I was gonna fall asleep. Being emotionally invested is exhausting! But I didn't! The guy dropped us the next day anyway, so I'm not sure if it would have mattered if I had.

We also taught this guy named Emanuel who is literally my father's age and does not belong in YSA and he somehow found out that he knows Sister Bangura's stepdad, and the whole lesson he kept saying "who would have known that I'm sitting right next to my sister! I'm talking to my sister!" He is ... a chatter. We showed him the picture of Christ holding the lamb and were like "what do you see here?" And he talked for 10 minutes about how he doesn't believe in pictures and he knows who Jesus Christ is but the picture is not really of Christ! Which means he clearly recognized that it was meant to portray Christ, which is the whole point! He also gave us a GIANT bag of food out of his cupboard and we kept telling him that it was okay and that we don't need a canned vegetable medley, and he was like "You're broke! Am I wrong? Am I wrong? You girls are broke and you need to eat!" So we walked home with cans, plantains, a whole loaf of bread, and ice cream. This made street contacting Difficult.

The excuse of the week was "sorry I can't talk to you my kids are sleeping" (the door was open approximately 1 centimeter and was promptly shut in our faces). Which, I don't know much about raising kids, but that seems like the time you COULD talk to some strangers at the door. Oh well. I hope the kids got a good nap.

On Sunday night, we trekked downtown in the pouring rain to meet our friend Daniel, who gave us his number like 4 weeks ago and always says he's going to call us and then never does and then texts us the next day to say he's so sorry and that his phone broke or he was sick or he was sleeping and he feels so bad that he missed our call! We finally set up a return appointment with him and he gave us his address and we showed up and he hadn't told us which apartment number was his! And he didn't pick up his phone! So we rang every apartment and one lady came down and we asked if she knew Daniel and she said she did not. So we went back home. It was very cold and wet, and I do not own a raincoat or rain boots. I am currently trying to remedy that.

A cute sunset I got off my bike to take a picture of.

On Monday we played chair soccer! I'd never played chair soccer before! It was so fun! I definitely hit several ward members because my aim is Bad. Adrenaline is great for power, less so for accuracy. And there is a LOT of adrenaline involved in YSA chair soccer.

Last night, we met with one of the people we've been teaching for a long time and talked more about faith. He talked about how people in the church are the nicest people he knows and about how we're so lucky to have the gospel because it makes us so happy! I love him! He's so right! 

Forbidden Fruit!

This week's scripture is John 16:33 -- "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." This is my favorite scripture to share when we talk about how the gospel blesses us because Christ promises that as we draw near to Him, we will have peace and joy despite the trials and tribulations of the world. I know this is true! All good things come from God!

I'm staying in Brentwood for 6 more weeks, so hopefully I start learning people's names, haha. My p-day activity is buying a coat! It's cold in Canada! But I hope you all are safe and warm.

Love,
Sister Willis

 P.S. I have survived TWO MONTHS as a missionary! I'm practically a senior citizen!