Starting from Scratch

February 25, 2014

our district in Cambridge

Even though there are elders in our branch and they are super helpful, we are having to basically start from scratch as far as teaching. They gave us a huge stack of papers in a binder called an area book. Basically it is all the records of people that have been taught in the area (if the missionaries are good at keeping records). We went through loads of papers to see if we might be able to try to teach those people and see where they are at. We found a few that we are going to try to find and get in touch with this coming week. Also in the stack of papers we found a few media referrals (the person was on church's website and requested some supplies or wanted to know more). We were able to get in contact with one of them yesterday! Raquel. We weren't able to talk long because she already had people over at her house, but we made an appointment to come back Tuesday.

The people here are so nice! The members come from all over the world yet have become family. This week there were 85 people in our small little branch. We meet in the upstairs of the Cambridge stake center. I love this chapel because it is so modern. There is underground parking! I think that it was the most expensive chapel built in the US... at least that is what I have been told.

Friday we spent most of the day in Somerville, looking for less active members. It was around eight and we were almost ready to go home, but there was one more on the list. So we went to the address and found a parking spot (sometimes it is a really big task) and walked to the apartment. We found the door and could hear people inside so we knocked. The problem was that they had the TV up so loud that they couldn't hear. We knocked and knocked. Finally after the 8th or 9th time a man answered the door. We asked for Maria, then he looked at us weird. "Oh why do you want her? She is not a good woman." then he laughed and let us in. We talked for a little while and he told us that he was so happy to have us in his house and that it has been a while since they have seen missionaries. We were so happy when we left because we had finally found one person! (most of the other people had either moved or weren't home when we stopped by). We got in the car and then headed home. We were going to stop by the elder's apartment to drop something off, but when we tried to call them....we realized that we didn't have the phone with us. It was late and we really needed to be home, but we can't do very much without a phone. We searched all over in the car and in our bags, but nothing. I said a silent prayer that we could find it and get home safe. We decided to retrace our steps and went back to our parking spot. There it was! On the ground. Wow was that a blessing! Not only to find a family, but also to be able to find the phone again. 

That same Friday evening I thought that it would be a good idea to park the car and walk to two of the houses. It was a warmer evening and I didn't know we should be expecting anything. It started to drizzle. Still we walked. It started to rain. Hmmm... Then out of no where I saw a flash. Then it started to POUR! Lightning and everything. We were a couple blocks from the car and hadn't found anyone. When we got back to the car we were soaked. I felt so bad because it had been my idea. Also, playing the piano during Sacrament meeting didn't go very well... The problem is that the congregation wants to lead the music. Which leaves me to try to keep up or slow down the pace to get to them. It is like a train wreck! But I just have to smile because when else am I going to be the pianist trying to follow? Never. I have learned that I have to smile and enjoy even the hard things or the embarrassing things. I have to learn to take what comes and enjoy it.

all the missionaries got together on P-day to play UNO