I'm Sick of the Hot

I cannot wait for the fall weather to get here. Last week we had some awesome weather, but this week it was hot again. I'm sick of it. I guess I can't complain too much since I lucked out this summer with one of the mildest ones that this part of California has had in a long time. The hottest I saw this year was only 111 compared to the 121 from last year when I was in Cottonwood. I keep hearing people talk about football season starting, but it just doesn't seem like it's that time of year again already. Crazy. September is already almost half-way over and General Conference is only a few weeks away.

Our week has been as busy as ever. There has been appointment after appointment, and although the majority of them fall through or cancel, we were still crazy busy. Our Zone is doing very well. Out of 12 companionships, we set 7 new baptismal dates this past week and found 21 new investigators. Our missionaries are working hard and we are seeing great success. Elder Dowling and I have been busy helping three of our progressing investigators prepare to get baptized shortly. Paul Hurtado is still set for the 26th of the month, but Debbie and Walter Burton are going to have to wait at least another week after that to get baptized since they haven't been able to make it to church yet. We have been talking to many people and it seems that the majority of those we speak with are interested in listening. If we could make the transition from a street contact to an actual sit-down appointment where we could teach and help them feel the Spirit better we would be having even more success than we are currently. Getting that second visit is tough sometimes.

We spoke with someone this past week that told us that he really appreciates us coming around his apartment complex. He told us that our presence alone gives the people that live there hope. It's been cool to see the progression of events that have taken place in that apartment complex. We've spoken with just about everyone that lives there and we have taught a couple of them. One of them, Shanay, we taught the Stop Smoking Workshop. Another, Corina, we've tried to get to come to church. These people that live there are living in a trashy area, many of them have had problems with drugs in the past (and I'm sure that many of them still do), but I love them. Whenever we go over there the kids that are running around on the grass will come over and give us high-fives and start talking to us. One of them gave me 12 cents the other day as a "tip for God." We'll walk to the apartment that we need to get to and when we knock, you can hear inside someone say, "The Brothers are here." There have been all kinds of people we've talked to and they all seem to be cool with us. I don't honestly see anything really happening with them in the time that I will be here, but I believe that a group of people who would otherwise have turned their backs on missionaries in any other situation are being softened and prepared for a day when someone else knocks on their door and they invite them in. If all I can do is give someone who is down and out in life just a little bit of hope, then I've done what I needed to do.

As a side note: The same kid that gave me the 12 cents told us that he doesn't know why his parents don't take him to church. I told him to tell them that he wanted to go the the Mormon church. His reply was, "They definitely wouldn't take me there!" It was hilarious the way he said it!

Well, I am sitting here still totally smelly and gross from playing basketball earlier with the other Elders in my district. There are still lots of things that need to be done today. I love you all and hope that you have another great week. Be mighty!

Elder Justin Hammer