Missionary Friday

The latest excerpts from my brother's, Elder Field, correspondence as an LDS missionary:

Dear Viewers,

As 2009 wound down to a close we spent New Years Eve day doing stop-by's and trying to find more people to teach. New Years Eve we spent with the G. family helping them get ready for a mini-New Years party. Brother G. is a less active convert who we had hoped to reactivate. We got the privilege of talking to and meeting with his long lost daughter, who he hasn't seen in ten years, who was visiting for the holidays. She has had a hard life and we talked to her for a bit and told her a little about the church. We left he with a pass-along card and we hoped that she returns home that she will call the number so the missionaries in her area can start teaching her.

This week we also did some damage control with Sister G. She loves the missionaries but she hates the church. When Brother G. converted in New Mexico, her first impression of the church was one of bad attitudes, arrogance and false doctrine. We don't know the whole story of what happened down there, but we think that maybe there was some Flds influence involved, or they ran across some ill-tempered members. They have been living in Chicago for a while now, but she really doesn't like anyone from the church except for the missionaries. We've been meeting with them for a while and thanks to us missionaries, her image of the church has improved a little, but she is still a long way from liking the Church.

After some New Years fun with the Family G., we returned home for the night. I recalled last year waking up to gun shots and sirens. This year the noise I heard was real New Year's noise. (Editors Note: Fireworks and cheering?) after realizing it was New Years, I grunted out a "Happy 2010!", then went back to bed. I can hardly believe that its already 2010! I go home this year! Wow, the time really flies. I can't believe it has been 16 months already! (Editors note: LDS/Mormon missionaries serve for two years straight. So 8 more months to go) New Year's day would have been just another day on the calender except everyone we met wished us a Happy Year. We also picked up an old investigator who is living with his member girlfriend. They have three kids and he wants to be baptized, but sadly she is going through a divorce and and I will be long gone from the area by the time that's finished and they can get married. Such is life for a missionary, most people you never see get dunked, er, baptized.

Sunday we switched church times from 9am to 1pm. I find it extremely aggravating that all my wards seem to dance around the 11 am slot. Nobody likes the other two. 9 am is too early and everyone is still sleeping and 1 pm is too late, the day is over when Church is. 11 am really is the perfect time. When the family G. heard that the time was changing they refused to come back until it changed back!

This weekend we also got a call from Elder R. in Cicero and I hoped beyond all hope that it was to inform me that I could return there for a baptism. Unfortunately they just called to inform us that the elders in the Stockyards were getting a baptism. and since they called we decided to settle our curiosity about what was going to happen in the Stockyards. When i left, Elder E. was entering his last transfer and was having visa troubles, so it was settled that he would end up going home one week early. We found out from Elder E.'s greenie (Editor's note: Greenie is a mission term for new missionary) that with the shrinking mission Cicero and Stockyards didn't just combine for a week but permanently until after the mission increases in size again. They were in a trio for a week but Elder R. is going home, so it looks like Elder B. will follow up training Elder J. If I had stayed there, that would have happened to me.

Since I'm on the subject of transfers, we got the call last night about what will be happening to us. I had decided earlier to not worry so much about transfers but after a hard day's work and waiting for that call, it's like waiting to get a diagnosis for cancer. (Editor's note: ROFL!!!!!) On transfer call night you can't help but worry, especially with rumors of your area closing. So Tuesday night we got that life shattering phone call, which, after leaving Cicero really wasn't so bad to get. This time the call came directly from President R. Our district is getting torn apart! Only two members are staying in it and the rest are leaving. Wood-ridge 2 is getting combined with Wood-ridge 1, Elder S. got called to be a zone leader with his MTC companion Elder C. in Valparaiso. After only one transfer out of the city, I will be returning to it. My new area is South-Shore and I'm in another threesome! (Editor's note: He means trio. Honestly he does.) My new companions are Elders T. and M. but the best part is that that district here has already shrunken as far as it can, so I don't have to worry about them combining areas again unless they combine districts. Hopefully it won't get that low on numbers while I'm here, but this and the next four transfers are going to get ridiculous! We have way too many people leaving and too few coming in. Who knows what will happen. I've taken on a new attitude though, and even though its getting crazy, instead of fearing it, I'll just let it happen.

Stay tuned next week for updates on my new companions and area

Sincerely, Elder Fields.