Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Week 16 - The Deming P's: Probation. Pitbulls. Pot.

[My apologies that this post is a week late.  We moved and I got behind on life.  -CB]

In the words of my 'dope' companion. "Let's baptize the hell out of people. Literally."
Fair enough hahah.
Our New Mexico Zone at Zone conference. Small world. I went to Cotillion one year with the Elder on the very bottom front's Sister. Awesome. Also found out that another Zone leader Elder Banner went to Layton High and we actually hung out with the same people a lot....we had a good time about that hahah.
The Deming 'P's':
Probation: almost have our dates for baptism have been on probation.
Pitbulls: they're stupid and mean.
Pot. Deming is known as 'Dope City' haha...another reason to why I love my mom's shirt so much :D 

This past week was an incredible week. So many things happened I wished I had an entire day to recount all the stuff that happened. 

It started out by after we got done teaching a lesson with Ashley, my comp's blood sugar was low and we didn't have much to eat at our place. Since he's diabetic (and we really wanted a shake for 1/2 off) we went around the block to the nearby sonic. We only had like 20 mins before curfew, and we legitally thought that we needed to go to sonic....we go there, and fare enough we met Orlando and April. Two awesome people who have been together for 5 years, he's also on probation, but you would never guess it. We've already taught today. One time we approached his motel room to teach him where there was tons of people (high schoolers) everywhere and a tricked out Chevy Avalance chillin' outside their motel with bass BLASTING like no other...it was awesome. There was a drunk black dude sitting outside...we had to talk really loud because of his bass haha. I started talking to him about his system where he was 2013 15" Kickers in a ported box running 500 watts RMS to each of them....ahem. We got talking, and we eventually went over hypocrisy within all these different churches...but it goes to show, you can teach in any situation and environment if you focus on what needs to be done.

We were out talking to anyone we could in the small town of Deming where we ran across 3 guys and started talking it up...we picked up a new whose name is Zack and he's pretty cool and accepted a BOM. His dad really appreciates what we do, and told us he was baptized in the Salt Lake temple....then he told me that he was a hardcore pot smoker.....and then he stared at me and put his hand on my head for like 15 seconds....when I asked what he was doing, he said he was showing me his appreciation....yup, he was high as crap. hahah
We just barely got done talking to a hardcore Jew. It's hard to reason with the unreasonable, not because he was Jew, but because of his outlook. The fact that they don't believe in Christ and that we just disappear until the "1st Coming" in their words, blows our mind.
We went to the "City of Rocks" yesterday for pday...Elder Vang was literally a few inches from stepping on a Rattlesnack. Earlier that day, the Sisters texted us and told us they had a surprise for us....as we went over (thinking they made us cookies or something) they showed us a huuge black widow that was in Sister Hale's (Hale not Hales...trippy I know) purse! Neither were bitten, basically a blessing from the good man above. They told me to climb this tree, and then soon as I jumped up and climbed up they yelled "SNAKE!" so I basically thought I was going to die. 
Here's a chorus to a song I'm making up.. 

"Success if a type of commitment.
We have to do our best in the given moment.
Faith if the future. Charity is key.
We have to live life right so we can see."

Boom. Missionary style.
Thanks to my Sister, I found some awesome facts out about Deming. 
There's an average of $20,000 of income/year.
New Mexico is the poorest state in the nation. Dope.
It's about 9 square miles big....hahahah
Got this shirt today! YESS! My mom thinks I'm dope! Our district will be jealous of this shirt.
While the weather has only been in the upper 90's lately, it sure is hot biking around in it...it's awesome. We've taught a few lessons in our Proselyting clothes out in the very hot sun, and during the hot part of the day. Tucson is supposedly 10 degrees hotter, then Phoenix is about 10 degrees hotter....sometimes....here I come!
Last night we went over and taught Ryan who was scheduled to get baptized on the 8th of June, but has had many doubts. Bro. Quintana from the Spanish branch called us up and invited us to their family home evening that night with Ryan. Ryan addressed many doubts as we were talking with him, and many of the people their had served missions, so the spirit was there, including the recent converts that were there as well. The spirit was so strong, and it was not possible to get through the first vision without choking up. Ryan had tears in his eyes, and has SO many challenges right now. But as we kept saying prayers within our hearts that we would be able to present something and teach something that would be beneficial to Ryan. I went on about our 'temporal controlled by the world' path and then our 'spiritual path.' If we trust God with everything, those two paths WILL come together and everything will work out. All we have to worry about really is our spiritual path, because if we're doing what God is encouraging, he will not let us down nor let us be disappointed. He has 4 kids and can't see any of them. We got him a new date for the 22nd and things are definitely looking up.

Once President Eyring gave a talk about how he prayed for a trial to help him become stronger....a few weeks ago I decided to try it out, but asked that I may be given a challenge/trial that would not distract from the Savior's work....the first day of the transfer is when it hit me, and now I'm able to focus more than ever. Trials...suck, but they're temporary. We had the most people at church we've seen and the whole chapel was almost full. People kept commenting on how many people showed up to church that day, it was freakin' awesome! Suck it Satan.

Ashley's date had to be pushed back, but is set for the 8th. We've taught her everything, so our job is to keep her going as Satan does wuurk. 

It's crazy that two of my dance dates in HS are engaged....wow. Congrats!
Our district at the "City of Rocks"
Pretty sure I lost like a gallon of freakin' blood from a bloody nose I got during dinner with a member. Good crap.

We duck taped our plates to the table once while eating with some members outside because of the crazy wind hahah.

We did "Red Shirt Contact" again this past week and we came across Andrew "Big Blue" who is super chill and was in the clothing color we asked to be directed too. Crazyiness. His dad is a pastor for a baptist church, and "Blue" later called us and said we couldn't ever come over...he probably talked to his dad. Suck. He was a sick dude.

We have some members who have tons and tons of training in music. We went over there and talked about anything from Music Theory, recognizing different cadences, and tons of instruments. It was great...we came up with a lesson that was revolved around music. 2Nephi22:2&5. It was sick hahah.

Sometimes I wondered if I was sent Stateside because of some effects of the past related to health...but to know that where you are because of a man called of God sent you here, is enough to overcome...anything really hahah.

1Nephi8:6
D&C 130: 18,19
..popping out scriptures like it's my job or something...

Have a good week erryone. Stay real yo.

:]

-Elder Dallin Hales

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