Sorry, unless you want to see all the bloody pictures of Elder Romney's ingrown toenail
"surgery" this is the best I got.
So Saturday morning we were cleaning the church and Elder Aquino was outside cleaning the steps and a drunk guy in the street came up and started talking to him through the gate. They´d already been talking for a few min and by the time I got out there he was screaming at my Comp and I was like what the heck. Apparently he asked Aquino where our "Pastor" was because he wanted money to go buy a sandwich (or more beer) for lunch. Aquino told him he was at work and the guy asked how could he be at work when he just lives off our money. We were both just thinking oh boy here we go. So Aquino told him we didn't have any money to give him. So he looked at me and asked how can Aquino be a Saint if he is snot even helping people. So I told him again we didn't have any money to give him. He told us we had no right to be in the church because we really weren't helping people we were just hoarding all this money from them. Then he looks at us and tells us that when Jesus cones and when the Apocalypse happens that we are going to Hell and we are going to remember him. He also called me Aquino´s boyfriend haha. So at that point we told him to have a good day and turned and walked inside. He then told us to have a very bad day and called us every Spanish bad word he could before we got in. A neat experience for sure haha. But if I'm being honest, its just another day in Comodoro for us as missionaries.
Mommy & All,
"When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness....Our hate is not hurting them at all, but our hate is turning our days and nights into a hellish turmoil." -Dale Carnegie
This week I wanna write about a new friend that I made thanks to an old missionary. A new friend who I used to hate. Good ole Juan Carlos. But I've written about him in past emails as Crazy Carlos.
So Saturday we watched a movie as a Zone in my Church La Prensa. Holmes, Orellano, Romney and I were sitting there waiting for the rest of the Zone when Juan Carlos walked in. So Orellano with his quick mind told him we were just leaving and we were able to walk him out. For those of you who don't remember, Juan Carlos is the drunk guy who lives in the street who has almost fought me twice, and who told me I'm going to Hell and I will remember him. So we have had our encounters before. So after we walked him out he starts talking to me. He grabs my hand and starts crying and saying "forgive me forgive me I want God to forgive me too...." I have no clue if he even remembered me or not from before, I didn't know if he was drunk or not because he always smells like alcohol, and it didn't even register to me that he was saying sorry until after he left because every time we talk he just says whatever so my ears kinda shut off. So I just told him it was okay and he left. He also saw my name tag and asked if my name was Jesus Christ hahaha. I laughed for about 5 min after.
So he wandered in right at the end of church yesterday as well. I'm not the only missionary in the Zone he has battled before so of course Holmes, Orellano, Romney and I did our very best to avoid him and let the members handle that one since he usually hates us. So Eric Aphoriseth, the bishops son who just got back from his mission in Uruguay on Thursday, finally gets him outside and talking to him. He then leans back through the door and motions for me to come over and I thought here we go again. I walk over there and he asks me when we can sit and teach him. I thought he was joking me. So I stared at him for a couple seconds waiting for him to laugh and say just kidding, but he didn't flinch. So i said "7 tonight here" and they agreed. So we got to the church at 7 with Eric and we sat and talked and got to know him more. He is way cool. We were sure Juan Carlos wasnt gonna show up, so we were about to leave for an Asado when he came at 8. He sat down outside adn so we went out and talked to him for a few min and then Eric and I looked at each other with the same question: Are we really gonna teach him? It was the least drunk Id ever seen him (he may not have drank at all he just has the same smell) so Eric said lets take him inside and just talk for a few min. I had the Word of Wisdom all ready since he told us he wants to stop drinking, but I asked him what he wanted to teach. He told me, "lets just listen to what he wants to tell us, and that will help us feel what we want to tell him." I thought that was really cool. So he told us he really really wants to change and doesn't wanna be like his street friends. Said he has 4 kids and he had a life before. we talked about baptism and he quickly accepted a baptismal date for February 4th and was pumped about it. He knew before that baptism can take away all your sins and really help with change. After, I taught him the simple form of prayer and he prayed for us at the end. I don't know what happened, but its the most powerful thing I've felt in my mission. The spirit was incredible. One of the sincerest, most heart felt prayers I've ever heard. Maybe, just maybe, he really does want to change.
Much Love,
Elder Christensen
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