Well this week has been one big crazy adventure! Although it is true that
we have had doors slammed in our faces, curse words yelled at us, and all sorts
of other rejection, I love Slidell. It is such a cool place with some very
interesting people. A lot of the people we talk to have seen a lot of
devistation (Slidell is basically a suburb of New Orleans, and Hurrican Katrina
had a huge effect here) in their lives. We ride our bikes by places where homes
used to exist, and now only a shattered foundation exists. Our area covers a
huge demographic range - from ghetto (kinda where we live) to very
wealthy bayouside homes. That in and of itself lends to an interesting
experience. There are some gorgeous areas - as we ride out to Eden Isles, an
upscale area, we pass Bayous that blow my mind with how beautiful they are.
We've had to stop to take pictures a couple times because it felt like it was
too good to be true. Hopefully I can send those pictures in the next couple of
weeks. There is nothing quite like having Blue Jays flying around everywhere. So
cool.
The ward here is phenominal. The members are all very cool, and I love
listening to them tell their life stories. Especially some of the older members.
This past week we talked to a man who was born in 1919, served in the war, and
builds his own boats. What a cool guy. And the old married couples that make fun
of each other after 50+ years of marriage. They are all so happy, despite the
huge tragadies in their lives. Because we are in a new area the work is going
slow, but momentum is building, and if we keep up this work, success can and
will happen. My companion is awesome - we are always finding a way to laugh
throughout the day. For example, we had 45 minutes before a dinner appointment,
so we decided to tract out the area around the park we were to meet at and some
guy answered the door, obviously weary from the nap he had just been
taking. Before I could stop myself, I found the words "Hi! Good Morning!"
leaving my mouth at 6 pm. He looked me in the eye and slammed the door in our
faces. We looked at each other, and just busted up. That was my first day of
tracting. What a way to start off the mission, eh?
No amazing stories yet, because the one contact we made that had good
potential was actually outside of our area so we had to turn her over to the
ZL's. I was not too happy, because she seriously had questions about the church,
wanted to learn more, and had us over more than once. Grrr. Really that is all
for this week, because a lot of our time was spent getting our bearings and
becoming cofortable with the area and members. Hopefully I will have more next
week. I love the people of Slidell, love my companion, love Lousiana and
southern sunsets, and love this Gospel. The church is true, I promise!!
Love,
Elder Thomas
PS - I also love Waffle House. If I ever go into business, I am making sure
that I bring one to Utah. Their waffles are straight from the Celestial Kingdom.
Huzzah!
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