2 March 2015

So, I actually remembered my journal AND my camera this week, but not much has happened... On Tuesday after we got back from P-day, we went on splits with the High Priests, and I went to visit a couple people we knocked into a few weeks ago. Both times it had been the wife of the person who lived there, and they said their husband was a member. Then both times this time, the husband answered!! One was baptized when he was 8 and moved in with his dad after a divorce, and they stopped going to church, but his mom is still a member... I guess that's just how it goes.. But he wasn't really interested at all, but he was nice! Then the other guy hasn't gone to church for only a couple years. I suspect he either had an affair or something along those lines, because he also got divorced a few years ago and at one point, he said, "I've made a few choices in my life, and I just don't think church is really cut out for me anymore." But he was super friendly and really nice, and we got his number and he said to give him a call whenever, and we could drop by any time he's not busy, so maybe we can reactivate him or something or get them out to church at least! Wednesday when I was reading the old testament (I'm gonna read the bible straight through now haha), I was reading where God said to change Sarai's name to Sarah, and in the footnote for Sarah, it said "i.e. princess", so I think I know what I want to name my first daughter!! haha Then later we dropped by this older lady who we had given a BOM a couple weeks prior, and she let us straight in!! We found out she is from Newfoundland (anyone from Canada knows "newfies" basically have their own language haha) and had Catholic background. She hadn't gotten to read the BOM yet because she had her grand kids over most of the time, but we explained what the BOM was and she seemed pretty interested, and she said we can come back any time. So hopefully that's a new investigator! WOOHOO!!! Not much of any success of any kind on Thursday. We did some stop-bys with no success. The only nice thing that happened Thursday was we got a call from the ZLs and they told us that I get to be the designated driver and now I'm driving!! FINALLY!!! I was getting pretty sick of Elder Keck's driving haha. Friday we went and translated for a former investigator at the car shop while he was getting his car fixed. I found out that they charge .8 of whatever it is they're doing just for labor... So like if you buy a $100 part, they charge .8 just for labor, so you're basically doubling the price JUST to put it in... IDK what it is in Texas, but that sounds ridiculous! Then we did more stop-bys... No success. We also tracted for several hours with no success again. It also started snowing pretty hard while we were tracting, which was pretty fun, except it was flippin WINDY, so that made it pretty miserable. Also, I've been forgetting to say how insane this weather is up here. In Med Hat, which is like an hour East of us, it could be +10 C or warmer on P-day when we get there, while here in Brooks, it's still like -3 C!! Then we got up to +6 C in Brooks for a couple days, then this past week, it dropped back down to -12 C.... It's worse than Texas!!! haha Saturday we did some more stop-bys and some tracting with no success again. One guy was a drop by, and the first time it had been his wife who answered. But when he came to the door, he looked at us and goes, "who are you guys with?" And I said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and he goes, "nope, sorry" and slams the door so hard I felt the air around us move and the ground shake!! Like bro, no one deserves to be given that little respect, especially if you literally just BARELY met them. But whatever, he'll be apologizing some day haha. Yesterday we didn't get much done, although we FINALLY got to go back by Alaina to see how they're doing. She's so nice and inviting, but this divorce sounds like it's flippin heck for her. Like the guy (a Muslim by the way) had an affair on her with someone at the police office he works with, and is a total jerk and is just trying to get the kids away from her. Like that literally sounds like it's the only thing he wants, is to get them and make her suffer. The number of things he does is just redonk (ridiculous). I don't want to delve too much just because of how pathetic it is and how long it would take to explain, but he's flippin lame and doesn't deserve anything. But I really feel like we can help her a lot because she is going through the same thing I have sort of gone through so I can relate in a lot of ways and I feel for her. But we spent like 2 hours over there last night and talked the whole time, and she really seems like she is seeing God's assistance in her life through all this. But this week has been pretty lame and unsuccessful, except we hopefully picked up a new investigator!! Also we are dropping Amanda for now since we can never meet with her or get a hold of her or catch her at home, so we will be trying to focus on finding other people and the people we have now :) Thank you guys for all the support and letter you've sent. I will continue to keep you guys up to date and hope you're all doing fine without me!! haha I love you guys, and you have all blessed me in so many different ways. Love, Elder Levi Windham 7044 Farrell Road SE Calgary, AB T2H OT2 Canada