Cheerio all,
First off, how lucky are you guys in London right now? Not even fair, but then again, I get to live in a foreign, poor, third-world country for two years, and you only get a week in a super historic, super pretty place. So, really, who's the real loser?
This week was a little tough for us, we had some troubles come up with investigators, but that's how it goes sometimes. This guy, Esteban, from Cuba, is super awesome. He came to church in a suit and tie yesterday, and he's reading through the whole Book of Mormon, he's reading the manuals, watching the videos, and is super, super smart. He's a nuclear engineer, speaks Russian, Chinese, the whole nine yards. I wish every investigator could be like him. We have two, maybe four, people getting baptized this week, and we're pretty excited for that. The two who are getting baptized have been listening to the missionaries for years and years, one man for 15 years, and they're finally getting baptized. I'm not sure what was different this time around, just that it was their time to accept the Gospel. Their families are super, super, super happy, and the ward members didn't believe us at first when we said these people were getting baptized. So, I think a lot of people will show up to the baptism just to see if we're liars or not. Next week (16th), Esteban is getting baptized, too. We're really happy with the progress we've seen these people use, and are excited to see them one day in the temple with their families.
Someone asked me what "machetied" means. There's a verb we use, machetear, whenever we just destroy someone and chastize them for not progressing. We had a good machete this last week with the husband of a return missionary. The dude wasn't doing anything, and even his kids (not members) were doing what we left. What stinks is that he doesn't let his kids come to church, even though they want to. I have a few "machete discourses" in my quiver of lessons, and I pulled out the real intent machete. I love that one. I was just like, "Brother, nothing good will happen if you don't do things with the intention of acting. If you don't act, you are a terrible person and God won't give you his answer." Then, he said, "The Book of Mormon can't make me happy and I know that God made my marriage eternal without some temple." Oh, boy, game time. First off, we said, "How many times have we read the Book of Mormon and you said the verses were wonderful and speaking to you?" "About every time." "So, you lied there." Next, we spoke to his wife. "Is your marriage eternal?" "Nope." Scriptures about being sealed on earth to be sealed in heaven. The guy is silent, nothing more to say. I felt like pulling out the scene in the Joseph Smith movie where he rebukes the guards, but that would have been a little too much, I think. I finished with Elder Paz, bearing our testimony, and he basically said that he doesn't care about the truth and he's staying in his own church. His own daughter, 14, told him how important it is to have a prophet, and he still wouldn't listen. Some people, woof.
Also, someone asked about "Gringoville," which is just the place where everyone who works at the embassy lives. It is America... This Thursday, I'll be in that sector again, and Elder Nelson said that the Dowlings are gonna have us over for dinner that night. I was in that sector with Elder Nelson's companion this week, and we had another good, straight to the point lesson with a lady who is preventing her boyfriend/husband/butonlyboyfriend from being baptized, and she has a baptismal date now. I'm doing divisions at least once a week to help out the other sectors, because we have the goal of 20 baptisms for March, and I want to help out each sector however I can...
What else happened this week? I'm still a breakfast champ, and the Captain Crunch that I got only adds to the greatness. I learned that it's really not that hard or expensive here to eat healthy. The eggs are the most expensive thing, 30 eggs for $4, and everything else doesn't cost much, especially the avacado. Whenever I have an omelete, I always think about going to the Embassy Suites in Chicago every year and eating my fill with free breakfast, so breakfast makes me trunky. I make pancakes sometimes, too, just for you, Dad. The jacket you sent is great, and Elder Nelson said that the package he has has another jacket and like $15 of snacks. Way to go! Is it way cheaper/easier to send the stuff to the Dowlings?
Heather, my favorite ties are the wedding ties of the sisters. I have all three here, and they all get me compliments. Tonight, I will be sporting the Stephens family wedding tie, with a nice, jet-black suit.
I think that's about it for this week, not much more that I can think of. Elder Paz is getting really good at Monopoly Deal, a little too good, and we still have great times together. He'll train after this change... Tonight we have a special meeting with President Ghent, and no one knows what it's about, but we lose some P-day and won't have any time to work today, so it's gotta be something big or important. Some people think that the zone is getting split, but I'm not so sure. But it'll be noteworthy. I'll let you know what it was next week.
Love you tons, Happy late birthday Nikki, love you, happy early birthday Eliza, I am real and am your uncle, and Heather, congrats. Live it up, have fun in the happenin' places, from Iowa (woo!) to London, and Bob´s your uncle!
Con amor,
Elder Thomas
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