May 22, 2006

Dear Family,

So e-mail isn’t working right now and next Monday is Memorial Day I
believe.  So I’m writing and if you e-mailed something last week, just
send it por favor.  So things have been interesting.  Sister Benham is
my new companion and she’s from Idaho.  She grew up in Boise area and
then moved to Cuna….  Anyways, she’s cool.  We’re getting along. 
We’ve been teaching some people and seeing Joyce regularly.  Joyce is
doing ok I guess.  Her house is coming along and she has good days and
bad days.  She has an ex who bought her some water and soaps and
things, so that was good.  We bought her some foods at Walmart so she would
have the energy to come to church on Sunday.  So Sunday morning we went
by to pick her up and get her ready.  She was so excited to see us! 
She was so happy and we had an outfit for her to wear.  So we got her all
ready and then to church.  But before she left she took her medicine
for different things and took a shot- 40 units- she had been at 345.  I
don’t remember how much that is…. But when she got to church she was
really weak and out of it.  So we pretty much dragged/ helped carry her
into the foyer.  We sat her down and we went to the kitchen to find
something.  We found a cup and sugar, so we brought her water and then we
had some spare sugar on a plate just in case she left us, so it can
dissolve on her tongue.  I wasn’t sure if it was because of diabetes or
something else, but that was the only thing I knew how to deal with. 
So after Sacrament meeting, the old bishop came out, he’s a doctor…. 
He said to take her to the hospital.  She started crying.  She said she
couldn’t go to the hospital.  She’s had to postpone her baptism
before because she didn’t make it to church and she thought if she left
now then she’d have to postpone it again.  So we assured her she
still could and that she just needs to work on the Word of Wisdom with us
and the Law of Chastity, but her desire is there- it’ll happen. 
Hopefully this weekend.  Cause then she’ll be that much happier.

Then there’s Vincent.  He’s schizo….  And always talks about how
we just need to find common ground.  He was born a Baptist so he always
will be…. Anyways, Sister Benham challenged him to pray about the
Book of Mormon and he called us yesterday saying he did.  He prayed to
know and then said he went outside and felt the Spirit for 30-45 minutes. 
He says he believes.  But his mom has power of attorney over him so he
wants us to go visit with his mom and help soften her heart so he can
come to church with us….  He’s on his way to baptism!!!  Yay! 

Then there’s Jose.  Jose didn’t come to church yesterday so we
called him.  Everything went crazy yesterday and we hadn’t met the
standard yet.  We needed 2 more special lessons which means the lesson has to
be taught somewhere outside their normal environment.  So we convinced
Jose to come meet us at the church.  So he came!  Yay!  We spent some
time talking with him and just trying to strengthen his faith.  So
hopefully that helped.

Let’s see…. What else….  Paul…  Paul is awesome!  He called on
Friday and asked if it was ok to see the Da Vinci Code.  So I asked
what it was rated, and taught him about those standards.   So he went and
saw that Saturday and then his old Pentecostal preacher was giving a
public seminar about it- the Da Vinci Deception instead of Sunday School
that he wanted to go to.  So he was going to come to Sacrament and then
go to that….  I tried to discourage it but left the choice up to him. 
So we called him Sunday morning like 15 minutes before church.  He was
still in bed and said he didn’t feel like coming- he had a cold.  So
I was like, “Well hurry up, take some medicine and hurry over!”  He
tried to say he hadn’t shaved or showered, and I told him it didn’t
matter.  So he said, “Yes sister.  I’ll be there.”  So he came! 
YAY!  Anyways, we talked to him afterwards and he was like, I
shouldn’t have gone.  It wasn’t true.  I walked in and I felt judged again,
and I felt like I was in a bubble all by myself.  Anyways, so he
realized the difference all on his own. 

Let’s see what else… ooo a compliment from my District Leader…. 
So, Sister Benham was telling him about our day.  We had met this one
man while tracting and he invited us back.  So we came back and his wife
answered the door and was like, “I’m not interested, and don’t
come back knocking on my door” and then closed the door in our face. 
So we had another person who lived across the street and decided to
check up on her.  According to rules I have to back my companion out and it
can be a hassle so we left our car there and walked across the street. 
Well, a few minutes came by and the first lady came out and started
yelling.  She had just gotten home when we had come by so we knew she
wasn’t leaving but she was like, “Excuse me.  Who do you think you are
parking in my driveway?  Did I give you permission to park here?”  So
I replied, “Sorry you closed the door before we could ask for
permission.”  And then we got up to go move it.  She kinda just shut her
mouth and walked back inside…  So when my companion told that to our
District Leader he was like, she’s starting to sound like her “mom” 
meaning Sister Henderson- I was like- YES!  Anyways, so I think
that’s about it.  Things are going pretty well.  Sister Henderson’s
Birthday was on Thursday.

Oh and a favor....  just an idea, but Paul, the one who got baptized is
struggling financially and I was wondering if maybe we could order him
some scriptures so he has the doctrine and covenants and the pearl of
great price and the Bible Dictionary....  I'll give you his address just
in case you can.  His address is

Paul Monsour
1002 Chester St.
Alexandria, LA 71301

Let me know if you can...

So yeah…that's it.

Love ya!

Sister Jamie Lang