week 36

Mommy & All,

"I complained because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet." -Unknown

Another cool and sad story about Juan Carlos this week. We were walking to lunch passed Carrefour (like a mini Walmart) and Juan Carlos was sitting there on the corner. He was looking down and didn't see us till we walked by so I just kept walking. About 5 steps passed him I did a real hard swivel because I remembered we were on good terms now.  He apologized for not meeting with us Tuesday because he doesn't have any food and the bones in his leg are really hurting him so he can't really walk.  He told us the street is a really hard place especially with he weather we were having because it was unusually cold here in the middle of summer. Then he looks at me and tells me he wants me to baptize him. I told him if he truly wants to change in his heart we will do everything we can to help him. So as we kept walked passed Carrefour, about 20 steps from Juan Carlos, this giant impression hit me like a truck that I had to go buy him food. I was shocked because that is something I NEVER would have done for him just a week before because of all we had been through haha. So I stood there for a sec thinking, then scrambled in and bought some food. When we came back out, he was gone. Not a trace of him. I was so mad. So we took the food back to the pension and went to lunch. After lunch we headed back to the house to decide what to do with the food and then left again. And of course just as we are walking down the road, we see Juan Carlos in our route sitting there. So I went and started talking to him and asked if he was going to be there for a minute and he told me yes so we ran back to the pension, grabbed the food,and ran back. When we got to him, he eyes got huge and asked if the food was for him. I told him yes and I don't think I've ever seen anyone jump so high while sitting down haha. All I bought him was bananas, facturas, a bag of Lays chips, a jug of juice, and some chocolate chip bread (because I like that stuff haha). I tell that because the next thing he said as he look's me right in the eyes was, "What am i gonna do with all this food?" I about started to cry. That was a snack for me. Yet he didn't know what to do with all of it. He thanked us and I told him that it wasn't from us but form a Father in Heaven who loves him and it just working through us. The feeling of helping people is unmatched. 

So just right after that we were walking down the road and it was getting hot so I took my jacket off. Right after, that a car comes driving by really slow and 2 ladies who looked about 40, roll down the windows and lean out and scream, "The shirt! Now the shirt! Take off the shirt! Take it off now! We want to see the shirt come off!" And I just stood there, smiling and waving like Penguins of Madagascar. I honestly couldn't make this stuff up.

Much Love,

Elder Christensen