I would love to tell you about some of the people we're teaching in the Canyone Lake area! The two people who are progressing towards baptism are Monique and James. Monique is planning on being baptized the 6th of September and was just one of those choice souls that was ready to hear and accept everything we had to say. In all honesty, she had already read the entire Book of Mormon before i'd met her. She recently moved back to this area to live with her Dad after graduating from high school in Arizona in 2014. She's 18. She lives in a little cottage behind her parents house (i emphasize the little because her parents live in a double wide trailer). She was introduced to the church by a friend in high school, she read the Book of Mormon, attended church some over there and upon moving to Texas found an LDS friend of her family, Sister Campbell, who is old and very sick, to be staying with her family. They hit it off great, and Sister Campbell helped her progress until missionaries stopped by looking for sister Campbell and met Monique. It's mostly a nice story. We attempted to meet her parents the second time we went to visit her and when the dad came home to see us sharing a message with his family he exploded and told us we could never come back on his property again. We haven't, and have been meeting with Monique at the church building as she's been able to get rides from sister Campbell and other ward members in the area. She's been to church that past 2 weeks and is one lesson away from being ready for the baptismal interview. I think the best way I could describe Monique is quick to apologize. We really do want to involve her whole family, that was the plan right from the get go. We'll just need to see if we can't coerce the father to attend his daughter's baptism.
Brother James is about 50. His story is quite unique. He has worked all his life, and yeah. Haha, he has worked very long days all of his life. He said most holidays and weekends were spent pulling telephone lines. He is one giant freckle (Peca = freckle). I am genuinely impressed by the man, as far as taking advantage of the light he had in his life up to this point, he has been living his life very well. I was quick to judge when I met him because of the huge about of cigarette smoked that filled my lungs when I walked into his house and the rough nonchalant attitude he exuded, but he is a genuinely good person. He came home from work for years and took his son up the mountain and showed him around the outdoors. His life aside from work revolved holistically around his son James Jr. His son James started dating an LDS girl in high school and he got very close to her family. He was baptized i'm sure over a long process and when he and this girl parted ways he was close enough with her family (Brother Haight's family who is my ward mission leader) that when she moved out of the house and he started fighting with his mom he moved into the Haight house and there put in his mission papers and ultimately left for a mission to Bakersfield California spanish speaking where he is currently serving. I guess as his dad inquired as to where he was going or what he was doing, he said dad, "you analyze thing too much, you just wouldn't get it." So that confused the heck out of him, and made him a little peeved, but he loves his son and supports him so he helps him pay for his mission. Brother Marshall the second councilor caught James senior by the arm and brought him in to Elder Quorum one sunday when he was quietly trying to sneak in, grab a donation slip, and sneak out. They took a picture and sent it to his son on a mission. The missionaries passed by his house one time before Elder Cunningham and I got here and when we went by to follow up on the visit I believe he let us in originally just to feel out what missionaries were all about, presumably to figure out what his son does. He grew up Nazarine, and went to plenty of church's and from all of his religious background he took all of the basic principles and applied them into his life. He pays 15 % of all his income to a variety of charities and organizations, he would read the bible pretty consistently but not really understand too much. He prays often and give thanks for what he has and believes that God helps a man who helps himself. He had rationalized some sin in his life by saying things like, "well God put tobacco on the earth, it's obvious he wants me to use it." Or my favorite, "If the wind blows up a girls skirt am I going to turn my eyes in shame? No, god has given us a beautiful world, and I will say thank you to God for the beauty in it."
Brother James is about 50. His story is quite unique. He has worked all his life, and yeah. Haha, he has worked very long days all of his life. He said most holidays and weekends were spent pulling telephone lines. He is one giant freckle (Peca = freckle). I am genuinely impressed by the man, as far as taking advantage of the light he had in his life up to this point, he has been living his life very well. I was quick to judge when I met him because of the huge about of cigarette smoked that filled my lungs when I walked into his house and the rough nonchalant attitude he exuded, but he is a genuinely good person. He came home from work for years and took his son up the mountain and showed him around the outdoors. His life aside from work revolved holistically around his son James Jr. His son James started dating an LDS girl in high school and he got very close to her family. He was baptized i'm sure over a long process and when he and this girl parted ways he was close enough with her family (Brother Haight's family who is my ward mission leader) that when she moved out of the house and he started fighting with his mom he moved into the Haight house and there put in his mission papers and ultimately left for a mission to Bakersfield California spanish speaking where he is currently serving. I guess as his dad inquired as to where he was going or what he was doing, he said dad, "you analyze thing too much, you just wouldn't get it." So that confused the heck out of him, and made him a little peeved, but he loves his son and supports him so he helps him pay for his mission. Brother Marshall the second councilor caught James senior by the arm and brought him in to Elder Quorum one sunday when he was quietly trying to sneak in, grab a donation slip, and sneak out. They took a picture and sent it to his son on a mission. The missionaries passed by his house one time before Elder Cunningham and I got here and when we went by to follow up on the visit I believe he let us in originally just to feel out what missionaries were all about, presumably to figure out what his son does. He grew up Nazarine, and went to plenty of church's and from all of his religious background he took all of the basic principles and applied them into his life. He pays 15 % of all his income to a variety of charities and organizations, he would read the bible pretty consistently but not really understand too much. He prays often and give thanks for what he has and believes that God helps a man who helps himself. He had rationalized some sin in his life by saying things like, "well God put tobacco on the earth, it's obvious he wants me to use it." Or my favorite, "If the wind blows up a girls skirt am I going to turn my eyes in shame? No, god has given us a beautiful world, and I will say thank you to God for the beauty in it."
Because he deep inside has a desire to follow the commandments and we could provide him with the restored doctrine it has been amazing to see as his attitude and perspective has changed. To not fault to him he started using tobacco because his dad started giving him dip to chew on when he was 4, he's a heavy smoker and there will be a wrestle over keeping the sabbath day holy by not working, so it's been a slow slow process, but I think in order to stay close to his son he wants to be baptized so they can go to church together when he gets back from his mission. At this point he's read up to Second Nephi, but not a lot was understood or applied.
To end, I captured a picture that epitomizes the man who is Elder Cunningham. A driven missionary who takes time to care for stray kittens.
Kittens for Everyone!
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
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