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07/21/2003
Dear Family,
Well, I have survived a complete week in Nixa. I also passed my one year mark, amazing. Mom's hump day card arrived right on the day, so good timing. I also received a nice package from Marjorie. So, thank you to everyone.
Elder Slatter is working me hard. There hardly seems time to do much of anything. Luckily I have gotten him to take a few more meal breaks (though not long ones). The bad news is our Ward is shrinking drastically. From our list of members dated June 1, there are about 128 families. Of which, 46 have either moved, are pondering getting their name removed, or just demand no contact from the Church. So, this area has very little in-active work for missionaries. It makes it really challenging, there are practically no in-actives to visit, which means more time for tracting. Though, Elder Slatter loves to tract and we did have a few interesting experiences this week, some uplifting, others not.
On Thursday, we were out tracting and a guy comes to the door and says, "I think I know what you want." Elder Slatter replies, "We are missionaries, sir." The man then responded with a "Get off my porch, now." We started to stagger off his porch. Before we got off the porch he yells, "Salute the flag", which was hanging in his yard. We eventually stopped and saluted before leaving. This was just a weird experience, and we are left to assume that the man had heard that Mormon's are anti-government or something like that.
On Friday, we were tracting in Clever, MO and a man comes to the door and explains that he has some ruptured discs and that it is painful talking with us. We share a little bit of our message with him still, and Elder Slatter mentions how he has a little bit of the problem and that his dad has had it for years.
The man invites us in and shares a little of his life story. He had belonged to a church and was an active part of a break off group from them because the truth wasn't being taught. Due to his pain, he hasn't been able to go for a long time. He was kind of feeling bad since he couldn't be the example of faith that he should be as the father of his home. We talked with him and found out that a lot of his ideas about religion are exactly in line with ours. We even offered him a blessing, which he accepted. He said that his oil was on the other side of the room. He said he was feeling a lot better and even started to clean his house. We will try to meet with him again this week and share more of our message. He already agrees that praying is the only way to know for sure, so is an exciting prospect.
On Saturday, we had a good experience. We knocked on a guy's door saying that we are "Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." The man responds, "I am one." He had just moved here from Las Vegas but he had company over. So, he told us to come by some other time. Elder Slatter was so happy that we found another member (in our shrinking Ward), he was jumping in the air.
On Thursday, our exchanges took Elder Slatter and I out for ice cream at Braum's, since it was my hump day. I got a single scoop of Pralines & Cream on a sugar cone. It was pretty good, and the member had remembered it was my hump day from my 2 second introduction in Sacrament meeting the Sunday before.
Also interesting was Elder Slatter got some poison ivy (or sumac) from our service on Wednesday morning. He got it on his neck mainly. He says it is only bad because we have to wear collared shirts. Luckily, I escaped that little problem. We were cutting down tree limbs and loading them up to be taken away.
Hopefully, Dad is enjoying retirement. I have to keep reminding myself that he is. So, what are you doing to keep busy? Does this mean an organ recording might be closer?
Thumper does look big. I guess we just end up with the non-social rabbits. Though, yeah I assume it will get better. The real question is, does he enjoy yogurt covered raisins? Are Squirt and it getting along okay?
The Titanic and Rolls Royce exhibits sound exciting. Hopefully, there will be something similar in the future. Though, mom's chances of surviving as a first class woman were extremely good, so that is no real bragging right.
I never received a letter from Jeff Fortune, so that is the reason I have not responded. I don't know even know where to write if I were to respond. So, let him know that I did not get his letter. Though, it is nice to hear that so many people say 'hi'. Though, I doubt I will ever get the 10 year patch that Mike Simpson is getting at Chawanakee.
Anyways, that is about it. Take care, I miss and love you all ever so much. See ya in about a year y'all.
Happy Birthday to Squirt!!
Love, Elder Mike Robinson
