September 26, 2011
Hello Everybody!!!!
So, I had quite a few fun things happen this past week, the Ward here in Winter Haven has the work taking off!!! It's so nice to be able to go on splits and have the ward members help out again! I've missed it to be blatantly honest. We have also a couple of really good investigators (it's hard to find gold in the south)! The first one is Michael, he actually was in the area of Lake Wales when he was being taught (just after I left) and he is pure gold as an investigator. He loves the gospel and knows the church is true, but alas to make a diamond some rough edges need to be hewn. A couple years back he had some trouble with the law and now he is paying for it, so if he gets jail or probation time the closest date to getting him baptized would be two years from now. T_T But we did find a loophole, if he lives a temple worthy life he could be baptised before the hearing even begins, so we are keeping our fingers crossed!!! The next one we have is Amanda, she had relationship problems with her husband for many years, and since he has passed away, she has been kinda lost as to what she needs to do, so cue the missionaries! We've been helping her out. :D And then there's Willy, a very interesting fellow. We've been trying to help him out so that he can understand the Lord has a love for him and that there is a prophet on the Earth today, he's a tad stubborn, but at least he tries to pay attention! As far as progressing investigators that's all we have for now. (what can you expect, being in the bible belt, but you GOTTA HAVE FAITH) The work presses on.
Here in Winter Haven we have actually been seeing a lot and I mean A LOT of people feeding us. Almost every day in the month is taken up by some new form of casserole or green beans, so we are all staying healthy! Due to the 'effects' of such love, my companions Elder Sims and Elder Meiners decided to go on diets. As for me though, I still have yet to gain any pounds. But I may have to figure out a plan for getting rid of face blub because that seems to be the only place that food actually gets stored.... to me, it's pretty bizzare. Maybe it's just me.
So, anyway this past week we went to have dinner over at our Bishops house. It was pretty amazing! I thought I had walked into the house of the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. The double doors were 2 or three times the size of a regular door. and the house seemed to be like a mansion. He has a room upstairs that looks like a smaller version of a theater (I had been here before on a P-Day we watched The Work and The Glory). His pictures and portrait took up the size of a regular house wall, and on top of that had had a beautiful grand piano matte black sitting in a custom built music room. As I looked out the back doors (there were 3 pairs of them each going to some other part of the house) I saw a 1 acre back yard (just one acre shorter of his front) and a pool that took up about a third of it. With three TV's over looking the pool. We later found out that his wife was an achitectural designer and she custom built the house, and her husband (being rich through the nose) paid for all the supplies. She guided us through this castle of wonder into her library, which was something that reminded me of the boardgame of clue. She had many books. They seemed like a wallpaper that perfectly in every inch covered the walls of the room. Then she pointed us to a hidden tv in the wall as she opened a hidden bookcase to an excercise room. It was something I only dreamed of! And then she asked us what kinda of music we liked, and Elder Sims being a musical prodigy, asked her of some obscure classical artist. She then tapped on a keypad on the wall and music flowed from a series of speakers lining the ceiling. As we walked out I noticed that the speakers not only lined the library walls, but the halls and the walls of the entire house! One time they asked us if we'd like dressing from the fridge, and told us to get it.
WE COULDN'T FIND IT! The fridge, stove, and dishwashers (that's right, two) were all covered and designed to look like oak cabinets, so it was a game to them. Heaven forbid we throw away a used napkin into the oven! They had two trash cans, they watched as we scrambled to find the right drawer. It was funny. On, the other hand they cooked us gator for dinner and it was awesome! It's like chicken but tougher.
So, the rest of this letter is fun things that happened this week. One day we were talking, with some members, and we had made some jokes about getting hit "where it hurts" and how MUCH it hurt, and Elder Sims proceeded to screech one of those high notes in consequence of the action. but when he sang this HUGE saliva bubble blew out of his mouth and kinda popped all over us. We died laughing!
I got him back though later in the week (accidentally). I had coughed up a lugie, and had spat it on the ground, and so Elder Meiners was about to step in it and I told him to watch out, so he stepped around. But, elder Sims was totally oblivious to the conversation and he was practicing flipping his backpack over his shoulder and catching it. So when I told Meiners about the spit, he had asked "Where?" and I pointed and said "right there" just as Elder Sims backpack fell right in the spot where I was pointing. Meiners and I just stood and stared, and Sims said "what? why are you pointing at my bag?" And that's when Meiners and I just busted out laughing so hard! He had no idea, but we broke the news to him as we walked inside the apartment.
Well, my time is up and I gotta go, but I figured I'd share this stuff with you guys to give you a smile and hopefully help the spirit linger a little while. And maybe crack him up too!
Love you all!
Elder Nessen
P.S. I love having extra time to email!
