Another really fast week. We did pretty well in terms of investigators. Josefa (Abby's age) has a baptismal date for the 29th. We'll see, though, because the mom left too and so we may have to put off the baptism until the mom's come to church a few times. Josefa is ridiculously solid - tons of friends, goes to all the activities, everything you could want. The ward loves her. Javiera, the other one, is still in the South so it'll be a little later when we get her - but her family is fairly interested, so it will probably be mid-August.
This week we started teaching a recent convert's girlfriend who is also really good. What's more, this certain convert is a little lazy to come to church, but as we've taught his girlfriend, they show up together to everything consistently. Some kind of synergy thing, I think.
We had a spiritual guiedance this week that was very interesting. We got a text (unmarked - not from the office here in Chile) for a reference (in english) that only had a name and address. The person, when we contacted her, hadn't talked to missionaries for at least a year or two. We decided to go to the reference and we found her, her mom who was just recently thinking about coming back to church (they're both members). We had a really long and spiritual lesson, part of which resulted in us finding another young girl who has wanted to be baptized but hasn't been able to yet. I am still very wierded out - texts don't send themselves, but no one sent it. At least no one here. The number was ominously 5960. Not even a telephone number. A member, upon hearing the story, said, "That must be a three Nephites text."
The scriptures that they did rob of mine were spanish. I also gave Elder Guevara my english ones. For some reason I think I will still want physical scriptures. We can look at that later.
Speaking of things like that, it would be nice to have a computer when I get there because I will want to figure it out in time to use it. Is that possible? They've made a lot of changes and I'll have to set up a lot of stuff and copy other stuff to be able to work like before.
I am pretty serious when I say I can't remember what it's like to be normal. I watched with Elder Fernandez a talk by Elder Holland about converting one's self in the mission and I realized one very simply thing: I don't belong here anymore. I feel like my... operating system?... has been... updated?... to be a returned missionary. I feel so much older than my companion, or, for that matter, everyone in the mission! Like nothing surprises me anymore. I feel like my place is studying, working, going out with the missionaries, having a calling, going to church meetings, etc. While I was eating lunch with members the other day a brother was telling me about how he felt at the end of his mission. He said when he had a month to go he started to feel increasingly out of place daily. When they asked him if he wanted to stay on longer he said, "I am grateful for the mission and I will never be the same for it, but no." That's kind of where I am, as it happens. This week I will tip below one month. That is a terrifying thought, but more in the way a roller coaster is terrifying, if you "cachai" (feel me.)
I just do my job daily and take a few mates and the days rip past like rapids on the Colorado. See you soon, I guess.
Love,
Elder A Conrad Crist
Note A
Did someone make a recording of Jake at any point?
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