Chapter 4:  Where's the Time Gone?

Our new companion, Elder Melon!

August 24, 2015

Where do I even start?....the days don't feel like days anymore. 
It feels like one long time period! Let's see... Oh yeah! My exchange 
in Tompkinsville was super sweet. It was kind of weird being with the
district leader. I mean he still is a regular missionary but...he is
the district leader. The house they live in is too nice though. They
live in a mansion compared to our homey little trailer. But they had
NO FOOD! Elder Briscoe and Elder Richins ate like happy, fat kings
here! They had five meals in one day! How despicable. 
 

There are a lot of members up there though. They are super nice 
and helpful. We did go tracting a lot because the elders there literally 
have nobody to teach. We had one couple we talked to try to give us money. 
We said we couldn't except it so we asked for water and got soda. 
It was nice going back though. It felt like coming home to family. 
All we really have done this week was going around and doing referrals 
from the fair. We found a few good people that we feel are pretty 
interested. There was this one time that was pretty cool. 
 

We were trying to go to this one house for a fair referral. 
We made an appointment there just a week before and when we get there, 
no answer. So we were wondering what to do next. I had a subtle promoting 
to go across the street and knock on the door. The people who lived 
there were also referrals from the fair but we could NEVER get a hold 
of them. This time they FINALLY answered. That lesson we had then and 
there was probably the most I had ever felt the spirit and felt inspired 
what to say since day one of my mission! It truly was a miracle. 
I am glad because I don't feel like such a greenie anymore, 
even though technically I still am. 

We also have been really focusing on trying to clean out our the 
other trailer. We are in the sisters old trailer because it is a lot 
nicer and since Livingston sisters is closed we need to clean out the 
elders trailer...I did find Yugioh cards underneath the couch cushions! 
That was a crisp treat. 

We have been trying to teach Fred, a 75 year old man that has 
Alzheimer's. We were going to drop him but somehow he miraculously 
has a baptism date! We just kept talking about baptism and then finally 
asked him if he wanted to. We have been trying to go to all these 
antique shops and we did find some cool ties and what not. 
There are a ton of mystery items and shops in this area. 

For the most part we have been having a fairly good time here. 
Except for yesterday. We were at Fred's and his anabaptist(basically 
Amish) friend came in with his family. They all looked like they were 
from the 1800s. He tried to politely bible bash us and it went on and 
on and on... He kept saying he wasn't interested even though we never
tried teaching him and tried to say all this junk about Joseph Smith
and how he wasn't credible and all sorts of mischief. I was just
trying to be nice and end it, but Elder Richins was trying to stand his
ground and ask him questions. After about an hour his family finally
left. Elder Richins apologized to Fred for the contention in his home
and how the spirit was gone. Fred said that we still had the spirit
and that the other guy did not. This is why the south is hard, because
everyone believes they are right and nobody wants to be wrong. They
put their lives into what they know and they don't want to change
because they are afraid. The guy was nice though somehow through it
all. The biggest thing I learned from that though was JUST MOVE ON. 

We have had a fruitful week this week. Livingston is great. 
It has all you need. Good food, a warm hearth, and all the comforts 
of home. (Ten points to who can guess that quote.) Anyway, that's all 
for me today. It's good to talk to yal. Catch ya next week!

 
~Elder Weight

Jesus Christ

missionaries!

A strange fortune Elder Richins got at a Chinese buffet and he let me have it.

on a church we found...

the mansion!

Kentucky