Dreaming in investigators

 It's the weirdest thing, All week long in my head I think of things I want to make sure I put down here, and then I come here and my mind is blank!  So it looks like we're going to have another random and disorganized email. Oh well!

Elder D and I have had a lot of cool conversations this week, just talking about like missions, or the gospel, or deep doctrine, or whatever, but it's been pretty cool and I've enjoyed it a lot.  We are pretty different in a lot of ways, but we both know the gospel is true, and are here on our missions for the same reason, and if you have that, I think any companionship can work.

It's hard for me to grasp that Elder W will be done with his mission this transfer.  that's like 4 weeks.  Even though i've only been out here for a couple months, I can't even describe how fast it goes when you immerse yourself in the work.  It feels like I've barely been gone in terms of time.  It feels shorter than a week at EFY, or a hike, or a day at school.  really.  So his mission will basically be over any second.  I recently made the transition where I now dream about investigators (in good dreams they like go on date, or get baptized or stuff, in bad dreams we get dropped, or cussed out on doorsteps and stuff haha)  and Elder W is now just having bizarre dreams about wakeboarding and snowboarding with one foot on a snowboard, one foot in a ski, and a parachute, and 200 foot drops, and our Mission President is on the mountain with him.  haha.

Here's an update on some of our investigators.  Our teaching pool is relatively massive.  I think its like 15-17 ish.  Unfortunately very very very few of those are solid, and the vast majority of our appointments fall through.  It's perfectly normal now to go to an appointment at 7, have it fall through, and then go to plans b, c, and d and have every one of those fall through, and now it's like 7:30 7:45, and we haven't taught anyone, and our plans are gone.  We still try and keep busy, but it's frustrating.  But anyways, here are some specific people on my mind, and I'd love if you get the chance to pray for some of them.

W: We met him tracting, It was actually a pretty significant door/night of tracting for me.  Why? because when I first started talking to him he basically said he was too busy, he is being deployed to Afghanistan in a few days, too stressed etc.  But I talked to him a little, and TTIP'd (Teach Testify Invite Promise!) And he changed his mind!  That whole night, but that door in particular, I just feel like I'm really improving at tracting, and getting better, which is really gratifying. Of course, I know that the Lord prepares people, the Spirit converts people, and all I really do is knock the door, but it's still cool to get better at my part, and better at inviting the Spirit so it can do the real work.  W almost came on a Church Tour right then and there (called an Insta-tour in the WATAC, i'm not sure about other missions) but then he remembered his dinner was almost done, and he wanted us to come back after dinner, but then he realized it would be 7:15 after his dinner, and he had to get up at 4, so he asked us to come back tomorrow.

AB: This guy is so legit.  He's from somewhere in the Caribbean I think, but not like a tropical paradise, it's a pretty bad area.  He and his family have seen like 6 or 7 murders out on the street in broad daylight.  The crime rate there is insane he says.  Anyways, so he's had a really humbling past, and about 19 years ago he found Jesus Christ, and really just turned his whole life around, and is just such a humble, sincere good person, I wish you all knew him.  He belongs to the 7th day Adventist church and loves the Bible.  He also really believes in the Bible, which is cool.

If you remember N who I wrote about before, she "believes in the Bible" but not really it turns out haha, she only believes in about half of it.  She hates Paul, for example, "because he never even really knew Jesus" and she disagrees with a lot of his teachings.  But anyways, AB does believe in the Bible, so thats really cool.  He shares a TON of our beliefs, and after he really understands the concept of Priesthood Authority, I think he will want to get baptized.

E: She dropped us, then undropped us, and then our last lesson she committed to get baptized (but not on a date)  and then she cancelled our last two appointments!  we should be going by there tonight, so hopefully that doesn't fall through, she is so close!  She wants the bishop to baptize her haha.  Whatever makes her happy!  If you get a chance, please pray for her that she will have clarity of mind in her decision making, and that she will pray with real intent.  Please pray for her that she will stick with her decision too, and not drop us again!

E&J:  E is the Dad, J is 11 year old daughter, and then Sis. G is the member in the family.  J has actually asked to be baptized before, so what we really want is just to help make that happen.  We are hoping to teach her everything she needs to know, and then she could really get baptized whenever, she has been coming to church for about 4 years.

L: Such a cool guy, He has been on a CT, had 2 lessons taught to him, and he really loves it all, he wants to get baptized, but just before we set a date, the baby spit up everywhere and the moment was gone.  but after we meet with him again, he'll have had 3 lessons, and I think he will want to set a date so we're excited!

N: she is 9, and way smart apparently, and her Dad is a member and got in contact with us awhile ago (last transfer)  and wants us to teach her, but then disappeared, but then undisappeared, so we're teaching her tomorrow! I'm very excited, because she wants to learn, her dad wants her to learn, and if tomorrows appointment goes well, she could be on date.

More investigators, but that's all I'm gonna write about for now.

Thank you so much everyone who writes me, I appreciate it so much, just makes my day every single time!!  If you get a chance send me a letter this week!

Love

Elder Chase Lonas