Here we are in week 2 of this new transfer. This week had it´s ups and downs. The lousy news is that I´m still sick with stomach problems. I´m getting better though. I had the fun experience of having to poop in a cup, hahaha. Hopefully they can figure out what happened to my stomach that doesn´t let me eat. I just have to remember what I always told myself towards the beginning of the mission when dumb crap happened. "It´s all part of the mission."
This week we actually had the leadership council again. Nothing crazy happened there, but what happens next week will be pretty awesome. We´ll have our zone conference with a seventy. I´m actually pretty pumped. It looks like it might be a triple-zone conference too which would be amazing. Me and my comp can train pretty well together, we´re gonna see if we can impress a general authority.
The good news is that our zone is doing amazing. 9 of the 11 companionships got changed and things just went up. An area of frito elders that hadn´t brought investigators to church in 9 weeks got changed to sisters. The sisters, without knowing the area, the members, the investigators, nothing, brought 2 investigators to church with a baptismal date. Every single companionship had investigators in church and as a total in the zone we had 38.
Here´s a funny experience for the week:
Yesterday my companion and I were waiting for a bus on the way back from the hospital. Two guys approached us wanted to talk. They were hipter-like mexicans wearing flat-billed hats. They started talking to us and they were pretty cool. After they got our confidence they started their sales pitch. Beforehand, we didn't even realize they were salesmen.
The guy opens a box and is like "you guys are super cool and awesome for doing the mission and all, it got me thinking that you guys might like to buy some super delicious flavored tic-tacs from the USA."
We looked at the guy and and his candy and my companion was like "umm, those are actually lemon heads, and we´re good. Thanks for the offer though."
The guy wouldn´t accept no for an answer after wasting 10 minutes talking to us. He started up "don´t you guys believe in the bible and the bible says that we should serve our fellow man? Look at me, and just trying to make a living and you folks don´t want to be Christlike and help me out."
Then my companion was like "Yeah, we believe in the bible. And the bible says something about the sabbath day. Thou shalt not work on the Sabbath day. Buying your candy would cause you to work."
Salesman: "The sabbath day is on Saturday"
Loveland: "Actually sir, the Sabbath was on Saturday, but it was changed to Sunday (The Lord´s Day) to remember the resurrection of Christ."
Salesman: "No, the bible just says that we need to dedicate one day of the week to the Lord and it doesn´t matter what day!"
Loveland: "Ok, then we pick Sunday as our day" Then the Saleperson gets a little upset, but continues on his sales pitch.
Salesman: "Alright then, what do you guys think you´re doing working on Sunday by preaching the gospel?"
My companion and I look at each other and I know we´re thinking the same thing, "Man, are you stupid or just really dumb" (Obviously we didn´t say that)
Steele: "They don´t pay us to be here. We´re here voluntarily to invite others to come unto Christ. Obviously it´s something appropriate to do on the Lord´s day."
Salesman: "You know the bible says that we should beware of them false prophets. What you guys teach is a message from a false prophet."
Steele: "Well yeah, the bible does say that. But it doesn´t mean that every prophet after Christ will be false, or it would´ve just said that. But it invites us to look for their fruits to know which one´s are true."
Salesman: "By their fruits ye shall know them. All right boys, answer me here a few questions." (I didn´t realize he was calling us false prophets). "Have you guys ever drunk alcohol?"
Us: "No"
Salesman: "Ever been with a woman?"
Us: "No"
Salesman: "Ever smoked mary jane"
Us: "No"
Salesman: "Ever smoked anything? Just a puff?"
Us: "No, what are you trying to prove?"
Salesman: (A little bit flustered) "Alright then! Have you guys are disobeyed what your parents have told you?"
Us: "Umm, yeah"
Salesman: "There we go! You boys are false prophets! So just buy my flavored tic-taks from the USA" He hands us the Lemon Heads again feeling victorious.
Loveland: "Dude, what is your definition of a false prophet?"
Salemsan: "Someone who preaches something and doesn´t live it himself"
Loveland: "Umm, no. That would be everyone in the whole world. We all make mistakes"
Salesman: "What´s a false prophet then?"
Loveland: "Well, a false prophet would be someone who tries to trick people into falling into sin and not keep Gods commandments. What exactly are you trying to do to us right know?"
Salesman: (Now completely defeated. In fact his friend thought all this was hilarious.) "You guys are so contentious!"
Steele: "Look man. We´re just been sitting here for like 30 minutes doing nothing. You came up to us. All you want to do is sell us your candy and we´re not going to buy it. Good luck with some other people."
Then he walks away super mad and his friend is laughing at him. We felt pretty awesome. What was cool is that 2 minutes later a lady sits down next to us and she was totally interested and she just asked about a thousand questions about the church.
I hope you got a kick out of that experience. I´m all out of time now. This week I´m hoping to feel a lot better. I love you guys a ton and hope you have a great week!
-Elder Steele
Extras to just family...
I´m hanging in here, but it´s been a pretty tough week. I´m pretty sure that Tanner weighs more than me now because yesterday I weighed myself and I weighed about 139 lbs. It was kind of a crappy scale but I think it´s accurate. That means I've lost like 21 lbs on my mission, weight that I didn't have in the first place. The treatment the doctor gave me apparently didn't work for what I have. We went to the hospital yesterday and I pooped in a cup, and they took out blood to test it. We should get the results soon.
I debated on whether or not to tell you guys that I´m still feeling pretty lousy because I don´t want you to worry. I feel a lot better today. I ate a bowl of oatmeal and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with toast. My stomach didn´t reject that. More than anything I´ve just been feeling super tired. Don´t worry though. Sister Myers is well informed and she calls me everyday to see how I´m doing. We were actually able to have lessons every day this week. I know this stupid stomach illness will pass soon.
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