Had three baptisms this Saturday! Baptisms are always the most stressful things ever. Pretty much Satan just goes ham on our plans and tries to make everything go wrong. I've had baptismal fonts lose their water connection right when we go to fill it up, ovens practically explode while leaving the house of an investigator to accompany her to her baptism, baptismal clothing disappear minutes before the service, etc. Pretty much, whenever we have a baptism, we just put a little more gel in our hair than usual, part that bad boy, stuff every piece of white cloth in sight in our backpacks, and bake a few cakes for good luck. But, heaven got a little more crammed with future residents this Saturday so that was awesome.
I usually give kinda random meandering thoughts about spiritual themes in my letters but I think that bores you guys so I am going to keep better track of the cool things that happen during the week and tell more stories so you all can understand better my life in Honduras.
This week:
Walking to eat dinner at 8:30 at night and we walk past this kinda drunk looking guy. After we walk past he asks us a question, so we slow to let him catch up, always trying to be great friendly missionaries. As we walk alongside him, he starts to tell me a story about how he was in the USA illegally and got deported and got in a fight with one of the immigration police (he described it wonderfully, complete with all of the colorful words they used in the interchange) and told me that he promised himself that he was going to fight the first American he saw in Honduras to repay them for deporting him. He got pretty excited about that goal and so I was kinda sketched out wondering if I was going to need to pull out some crouching-tiger-hidden-missionary and asked him if he was going to try and fight me then, but he just laughed and said that No, he now realized how foolish he had been and that he was trying to change his life around and look for God. DING DING WHIP out the GOSPEL!!! We got his info and sent the reference over to the missionaries near his house. And he walked away from the encounter alive. Smart guy.
Had a guy that we were teaching give us back the Book of Mormon and tell us that he couldn't meet with us anymore. Not meeting our eyes, he said that he talked with his pastor and his pastor told him that our message wasn't true, and that he shouldn't talk with us any more. Moment of silence as we listened for the Spirit to tell us what to say. I asked him, "Did you ask God?" "No" he replied, and turned around and walked back into his house. From the start, we say about a billion times to every person we teach, pray and ask God if our message is true. How can you ask a man instead of God for an answer about the truth? 1 Corinthians 2 talks a lot about that. Santiago 1:5: If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of GOD, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. If you want to know the truth about God, please ask God, and not your cat or your librarian or your pastor.
Got some sweet letters from the Primary children of my ward this week! The highlights were two letters from Brach Drew. The first:
"Dear Elder Moffitt, I'm scared for you in the murder capitol of the world. That's scary that you were in an armed robbery. I hope you don't get murdered while you're there - Brach Drew" with a marvelous drawing of a skull crossed out.
The second:
"Dear Elder Moffitt, how is it like hearing people die every day? Your sister told me to ask you if it's scary there so I can have something to write. Hope you don't die and be safe. Your friend, Brach".
At least I have somebody who understands the calamity and danger in which I live. Thank you dearest Brach.
Running in a close second is from the son of my cousin, Ethan Blayne Ency, who drew a lovely picture of a temple surrounded by USAF planes and heavily armed troopers and wrote,
"DEar ADam, This is my very own made up temple protected by the military. I just got baptized. Love Ethan Blayne."
Well there you have it folks. Militarized temples and baptisms. What more can you want in your quest for salvation. Thanks for all your love and prayers and support and letters, especially from Brach and Ethan. I'm putting them in charge of my sail out in a flaming kayak with my sword and scriptures over a waterfall funeral if I don't make it out of here alive. But I'm pretty sure I will.
Love,
Elder Moffitt
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