Yes I got the sleep mask. I like how it "helps you sleep better naturally". The adjustable straps don't work that well but it's fine how it came out of the package. I ran into a new problem with my sleeping now, (my companion) is a very loud sleeper. He flops all over the place when he's trying to get to sleep and then once he is asleep he moans and groans really loudly (he claims that he had no idea he made noise when he sleeps.) So it looks like I'll need earplugs next because being blind isn't enough.
It took about 20 minutes of waiting at Dr. Yamashiro's office just to get a mold that took about 1 minute and 30 seconds to do. So yes I don't have the retainer yet. I don't think I've mentioned how weird it is to go there as a missionary, especially since I have to bring a companion with me now. Also the construction up there right now is really bad. Also also we used to be able to walk right in and the guard wouldn't care but now the guard at the desk always stops us and asks where we're going, this might just be because he's concerned about 3 men in suits entering a children's hospital though.
When I study the Good Samaritan I notice that there's a lot more to notice aside from the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans at the time. It says that a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. When biblical scholars started studying the trail from Jerusalem to Jericho they noticed that you literally do go down. There are a lot of cliffs and places to hid so it was well known by everyone that it was a road where bandits ambushed people all the time. James E Talmage points out that since everyone knew how dangerous the road was people often took a longer but safer route, and if you're using that road it must be because there's some sort of emergency and you're pressed for time. So from this we can assume that since the man was taking such a dangerous road he must have already been distraught and in need to get to Jericho fast. I just thought it made the story sadder for this man and how he was probably already in need of help. This is a really good video that gives the best depiction of it that I've seen: http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/parable-of-the-good-samaritan?lang=eng
When I told Elder Pickering that you and all of that side of our family grew up in West Virginia and the adjacent eastern states for generations he asked where you were from and I said Parkersburg and a lot of my family is from the Harrison County area. He said he didn't know where that was and just sort of stopped the conversation at that. Even after a week I'm still having a really hard time getting him to say anything to me. Hopefully things will get better.
I had a very interesting experience yesterday that I think you will enjoy hearing about. Elder Dominguez and I were walking from the Joseph Smith building back to the Library through Temple Square when 3 men beckoned us to come over. 2 of the men introduced themselves and then introduced the other man as a new convert to the church; they then told us that he's been going through some really difficult challenges lately and he requested a blessing, and then right as he had they noticed some random missionaries walking by. Obviously shocked but not trying to show it we said that we should find somewhere private, so we walked to the South Visitor's Center and asked the sisters if there was a room we could have, so they gave us one. Once in I asked the man what was happening in his life and he told me that he suffered from Schizophrenia and that the voices inside his head were telling him to do horrible things. He said that he used to rely on smoking to keep his mind off of it so he started doing it again, only this time he told me that it's only been making things worse and that he just realized that's because he knew smoking was bad yet he wanted to try it again and stuff like that. This is the most startling situation I've ever been in but realizing that I just couldn't say no I looked at Elder Dominguez and he mouthed that he's never given a blessing before. So I gave a blessing to a complete stranger who was going through some significant trials. Afterwards he was in tears and told me that he was so grateful to feel the Spirit and the powerful manifestation of worthy priesthood authority. After talking for a bit he assured me that he was going to be better now and then we left. I told my APs about it and they said I did the right thing and that giving priesthood blessings isn't against our calling at all. I'm still amazed that something like that happened to me, but I'm extremely grateful that I was chosen to help this man.
Love,
Elder Larson
No comments:
Post a Comment