Day 159-Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark-09-03-06
The time: 6:55a.m. The place: Outside A’s window. We tried knocking on A’s door to wake him up. No answer. So, we went around back to the other side of the apartment building and knocked on A’s window. At this point, I’d like to say how grateful I am that A lives on the lowest level of the building. If he lived a couple of flights up, we might have had to try throwing rocks to get his attention, but that is neither here nor there.
The window blinds were raised. The window was opened by…D. “Oh! Uh, hey D,” I said. “Is A around?” D said, “No, man. I don’t know where he is.” D gave us a number where we could reach A. Walking back to our apartment, I thought, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Where on earth could A be at this hour of the morning?”
We got home. I took a shower. My companion called the phone number D had given us. Ring...ring…ring…ring. “Hello?” came a familiar voice from the other end. My companion said, “Uh…This is Elder Pierce, A.” The response came, “No man, this is D.” As it turns out, A was home all along. He was just asleep in the other room.
Brother S, our ward mission leader, gave us a ride to church. Brother W was at church. Always good to see him. We plan on stopping by later this week to share with him a spiritual message. President P was there as well. Some quick background:
On Day 156 we taught S. President P’s son, S went with us. President P was disappointed that he could not go with us. He was our scheduled exchange. He told us that if we ever got a chance to talk with S again, even casually, to let him know because he really wanted to speak with her. After we got through meeting with S, President P’s son, S gave S an envelope. “Oh, what’s this?” said S. S said, “It’s a note that my dad wanted me to give you.” I never found out what was in the note, but today at church he told me that S had called him. He said that they had a nice conversation.
J(an investigator) came to church today. He’s been pretty good about coming. His girlfriend, M was there. M came home from school this weekend to celebrate her older sister’s birthday. We mentioned coming over after church for a missionary discussion with J. Brother N said that would be great and would give us a ride.
Church starts at 8:30. At about 8:25, Brother C and his family show up-without A. “What happened?” I asked. “Well, said Brother C, “we went by his apartment building and waited a few minutes. He never came outside.” “Did you knock on his door?” I asked. “Well, that’s the problem. We did not know which apartment was his.” I got a mental image of A sitting in his apartment, all dressed, looking at his watch and wondering when the missionaries or someone would come knock on his door to let him know that his ride was there.
“If you want to run back and knock on his door, I can give you a ride,” said Brother C. “Yeah, let’s do that,” I said. As the three of us were getting ready to leave, Brother C said that there was no need for all three of us to go. Just then Brother B came in. Perfect. I said, “Elder Pierce, you stay here with Brother B and greet people. I’ll go with Brother C to check on A.”
So Brother C and I sped off to go pick up A. We got to his place at about 8:40. I was about to knock on the door, when the door suddenly opened. It was D carrying a bucket of soapy water and a sponge. He was going to wash his car. “Alex is still sleeping,” D said. (sigh) “I tried to wake him up, but he fell back asleep. Wanting to see for myself, I went inside. He was asleep. He looked so peaceful. I did not want to wake him. He would not have time to get dressed and make it to church for much of the service today. Best to let him sleep.
On the way back to church, Brother C and I talked about different things that happened to him on his mission. “Yeah, he said, “don’t let what happened to A today get you down. Conversion’s not easy.” “That’s true,” I said. “Never forget that the door to personal change turns on small hinges.” “Wow,” said Brother C. “That was profound.” I do the best with the tools I’ve got. Also, I like to read a lot. I write what I like about what I read.
Brother C and I got back to church around 8:55am. I sat down next to my companion who was sitting with the B family. He filled me in on what had happened at church in the first 25 minutes. Brother S had been released as the ward mission leader and Brother C had been called. My companion told me that when Bishop T made the announcement, he said, “Well Brother C is not here right now. He’s out helping the missionaries. He doesn’t waste time jumping into his new calling!” So, wow. Brother C is the new mission leader for the Herndon ward. I’m going to miss working with Brother S, but I know it’s for the best. Brother C and I get along really well. I’m sure he’ll do great in his calling.
The window blinds were raised. The window was opened by…D. “Oh! Uh, hey D,” I said. “Is A around?” D said, “No, man. I don’t know where he is.” D gave us a number where we could reach A. Walking back to our apartment, I thought, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Where on earth could A be at this hour of the morning?”
We got home. I took a shower. My companion called the phone number D had given us. Ring...ring…ring…ring. “Hello?” came a familiar voice from the other end. My companion said, “Uh…This is Elder Pierce, A.” The response came, “No man, this is D.” As it turns out, A was home all along. He was just asleep in the other room.
Brother S, our ward mission leader, gave us a ride to church. Brother W was at church. Always good to see him. We plan on stopping by later this week to share with him a spiritual message. President P was there as well. Some quick background:
On Day 156 we taught S. President P’s son, S went with us. President P was disappointed that he could not go with us. He was our scheduled exchange. He told us that if we ever got a chance to talk with S again, even casually, to let him know because he really wanted to speak with her. After we got through meeting with S, President P’s son, S gave S an envelope. “Oh, what’s this?” said S. S said, “It’s a note that my dad wanted me to give you.” I never found out what was in the note, but today at church he told me that S had called him. He said that they had a nice conversation.
J(an investigator) came to church today. He’s been pretty good about coming. His girlfriend, M was there. M came home from school this weekend to celebrate her older sister’s birthday. We mentioned coming over after church for a missionary discussion with J. Brother N said that would be great and would give us a ride.
Church starts at 8:30. At about 8:25, Brother C and his family show up-without A. “What happened?” I asked. “Well, said Brother C, “we went by his apartment building and waited a few minutes. He never came outside.” “Did you knock on his door?” I asked. “Well, that’s the problem. We did not know which apartment was his.” I got a mental image of A sitting in his apartment, all dressed, looking at his watch and wondering when the missionaries or someone would come knock on his door to let him know that his ride was there.
“If you want to run back and knock on his door, I can give you a ride,” said Brother C. “Yeah, let’s do that,” I said. As the three of us were getting ready to leave, Brother C said that there was no need for all three of us to go. Just then Brother B came in. Perfect. I said, “Elder Pierce, you stay here with Brother B and greet people. I’ll go with Brother C to check on A.”
So Brother C and I sped off to go pick up A. We got to his place at about 8:40. I was about to knock on the door, when the door suddenly opened. It was D carrying a bucket of soapy water and a sponge. He was going to wash his car. “Alex is still sleeping,” D said. (sigh) “I tried to wake him up, but he fell back asleep. Wanting to see for myself, I went inside. He was asleep. He looked so peaceful. I did not want to wake him. He would not have time to get dressed and make it to church for much of the service today. Best to let him sleep.
On the way back to church, Brother C and I talked about different things that happened to him on his mission. “Yeah, he said, “don’t let what happened to A today get you down. Conversion’s not easy.” “That’s true,” I said. “Never forget that the door to personal change turns on small hinges.” “Wow,” said Brother C. “That was profound.” I do the best with the tools I’ve got. Also, I like to read a lot. I write what I like about what I read.
Brother C and I got back to church around 8:55am. I sat down next to my companion who was sitting with the B family. He filled me in on what had happened at church in the first 25 minutes. Brother S had been released as the ward mission leader and Brother C had been called. My companion told me that when Bishop T made the announcement, he said, “Well Brother C is not here right now. He’s out helping the missionaries. He doesn’t waste time jumping into his new calling!” So, wow. Brother C is the new mission leader for the Herndon ward. I’m going to miss working with Brother S, but I know it’s for the best. Brother C and I get along really well. I’m sure he’ll do great in his calling.
posted by Garden Anywhere Box | 6:08 AM
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