June 12, 2006

Hey!!!!  So this week has been interesting to say the least....

First off, we were feeling a little depressed...  there's this girl
Cheryl who is awesome and also a lady- Zahkila...  they're both pretty
cool...  but that all happened later in the week.... Tuesday we were
really feeling depressed.  But things got better....  In the evening we got
a phone call saying Joyce was getting baptized....  I thought they were
joking at first- I mean we're the ones who teach Joyce, who would know
before us if Joyce was getting baptized?  Elder Baucom, who interviewed
her the first time said she needed to stop smoking before she could get
baptized....  We had been giving her grapefruit juice and cinnamon gum
to help her out and lots of Vitamin C....  Well, the Elders went to go
and visit her when she was at her mom's house in Pineville, the
District leader's area, and Elder Wygant was on an exchange with Elder Baucom. 
So they went over and did a Will of God challenge/lesson with her. 
It's a dialogue that goes through a series of scriptures and usually the
people end up progressing afterwards....  They also gave her a blessing. 
Supposedly she hadn't smoked in a day and the last cigarette she had
had tasted "vulgar".  So Elder Baucom said she was getting baptized that
weekend!  So, we went by and saw her, and she realized that Elder
Baucom was the same one who had interviewed her the first time- she's been
praying for his soul....  Anyways, she wanted him to baptize her, she
said that he had given her a blessing and that since he had prayed so
hard for her she wanted him to do it.  So we got to plan a baptism!!!! 
Sister Stewart said her favorite song was "I Know that My Redeemer
Lives!"  SO I sang that one.  Joyce wanted to have Kahled's favorite song
sung, (Cally in previous letters...)  so the opening song was "When I Am
Baptized" and then the closing song was "Where Love Is".  Sister Stewart
actually came to the baptism- she's very inactive, but says she and her
family is going to start going again.  Kahled's excited- he wants to be
baptized!!!  But he's 6- he'll have to wait a while longer.  So Joyce
is doing AWESOME!!!!

Then there's Jose....  he brought us chocolate and apologized for not
coming to church.  And then he told us that Stephanie had picked up a
BoM and was going to start reading it, except it was in Spanish... so he
got her one in English... maybe her heart will be softened and she'll
start learning too.

Last Sunday we had fasted for specific people....  for Stephanie, and
for Joyce and a few other people.  As far as we can tell, everything we
asked for has happened!!!!  It's cool!

Then let's see....  Elder Glen L. Pace came for Zone Conference this
week and spoke to us- that was pretty cool.  And we got to see more
people in the mission.  Half of the mission got together for Zone
Conference.  I'm making friends with my mission family.  Elder Vaki, from So Cal
sand a musical number- so amazing!  He's Polynesian- Tongan, and
arranged the piece himself.  He played and sang and I liked it so I asked
where I could get the sheet music... that's when he said he had done it-
but yeah....  he has got some talent.  He used to sing back-up for
Michael Bolton....  pretty cool.  Maybe I'll have to use some of his
contacts.... jk.

The depressing times were pretty much concerning our Zone Leaders-
we're not too happy with them.  We feel looked down on, as if we're less
than the elders.... and we're not the only ones that have noticed it. 
Our District leader felt the same way and tried to say something about it
and so now they're telling him he's getting too close to his district. 
Other elders in the zone have also noticed....  So we wrote about it to
president and I at least feel a lot better.  We do what they tell us to
and they still just... I don't know... oh well.  If it can be solved
President will do something about it.  We've tried talking to the Zone
Leaders about it but they pretty much avoid us unless they have to talk
to us- like for the baptism or with other people around.  Well,
anyways.... 

So I sang in Relief Society the other day.... I Know That My Redeemer
Lives again....  Some other sheet music that might be nice...  The Olive
Tree- the assistants listen to it, so it's allowed....  and then
there's a version of "I Stand All AMazed"  I think from EFY one year.... and
then there's also a really pretty version of "I Feel My Savior's Love" 
I wish I knew who sang it so you could look it up, but I don't know.... 

Hmmmmm.... let's see....  I'm trying to think of other things....  I
love it, the heat is fine, but I'm still adjusting to the humidity- oh
well.  Well, I'm still having fun- I love the people here in Alexandria
and I think I'll be leaving after this transfer.... 

Oh, another side note, we finally got Miss Edna- one of our
investigators to come to church again- she wants to play matchmaker for us.  We
told her thank you, but we're on a mission and we'll look for someone
when we get home and send her an invitation....  I don't think she heard
us cause she kept on commenting on different brethren in the ward....

Oh, Paul's parents....  the last missionaries that came by to meet them
they were very rude to, and they were in town this weekend.  So we went
by and started singing outside.  We didn't knock, we just started
singing.  Supposedly they asked Paul if he was listening to the radio... 
they couldn't find the "mute" button but then Paul realized we were
outside and opened the door- we got a pretty warm welcome then....  so cool
story.  They're Catholic and yeah....  didn't really want to listen and
had been telling Paul things they've heard, but I think they're
awesome!  I think that's about it....  Oh and Elise and Lindsey Jennings are
going to come out on an exchange with us- some of the elders' recent
converts....  They're so cool!

Love yall!
Sister Jamie Lang