If I closed my eyes and tried to picture a traumatic experience in a typical missionary day, I would merely need to think back to Tuesday of last week. It all started with the fall, the bicycle kind, the kind where my companion is involve, not me. Don’t worry. It’s more comical than serious but, at the time, it seemed quite dramatic. Ha I’m already laughing just thinking about. Be prepared to have one of those “I guess you had to be there,” type reactions to this story. It’s worth the risk.
It was raining pretty hard last Tuesday while we’re riding around on our bicycles. We decided to take a short cut that takes us through a dirt road and over a bridge. I was behind my comp as he went down the dirt road. Before I reached the bottom I heard a loud noise and some groaning. I went down the hill and saw my companion sprawled out on the ground with this bike flipped on the other side of the bridge. I just knew it was coming as soon as I saw the dirt road and the speed that he was going towards it. He couldn’t walk or get up for a long time. Finally he mustered up enough motivation to bring himself to his feet and started limping around. He’s a tough guy so just figured he’d walk it off and it’d get better. Eventually, after my nagging he said, “We should probably call someone. This isn’t getting any better.” I agreed. So there we were at the bottom of all these hills with a disabled leg, in the pouring rain, trying to get a hold of someone that could help us. First call, no one answered. Second call, no one answered. And so it went for about forty five minutes. We finally rode/limped our way to a member’s house: wasn’t home. We were stuck again. We repeated the same steps for another member and… yeah they were home actually. We got him all iced and medicated and went on throughout the day with our lessons and what not.
Time sure seems to be picking up its pace again. I also like the way the weather is behaving lately. Almost like all the elements of space and time are coming together to reward the citizens in Everett, Washington for being so wonderful. There are many things I’ve learned since I’ve been here in downtown Everett. Things like, “Don’t shoot, civilian-” while throwing my hands in the air. It tends to work. Mom that was a joke, I promise. But I have learned other things like patience, disappointment and love. I like the times on my mission where I feel a need to rely on God. Not just a desire, but I feel like I need to submit to him or I won’t survive (spiritually survive, again, Mom, I’m just fine over here.) “Revelation rarely comes without a righteous desire to know and do the will of the Lord.” I just heard that playing from a speaker next to me. I like it. I think I’ll keep it in here.
I’ll just share one conversation with someone I had the honor of meeting this week, since I've had some requests. I liked this one.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Boo, man, what’s your name?”
“Boo? That’s a cool name I’m Elder…”
“Hey you guys don’t mind weed right?”
“What?”
"You don't mind weed.... you know, weeeeeed..." He said very clearly and distinctly to make sure I understood what he was saying as he showed us a hand full of weed and joint that he was lighting up…
“Oh,” I said, “umm nah it’s good man.” I didn’t know what to say ha.
“K cool, yeah you guys used to come over to my house and just kick it with us. Ya’ll are pretty cool ya know? Come by anytime.”
The conversation went on, but the highlight for me was that you would have expected him to have a cigarette in his hand. Nope, not anymore, it’s evolving here I Everett. Middle of the day has no shame or secrets on the streets. Things are a changing, for better or for worse. I’m just kidding, definitely for worse. I really will miss this place.
Well, I don’t have much else to say.
Until next time
Cheers
Elder Trent Jay Merrill
