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Small Annoyances |
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June 7, 2000
Well this last little bit has been interesting. My new comp is quite unique. At first I thought we got along great, but lately I see that we get on each others nerves quite a bit.
I think on my part it has a lot to do with pride - that seems to be the cause of most companionship conflicts - I'm working on humbling myself and showing more love to him. I think I bit part is that I can speak the language better and I'm more experienced in this city and w/ the branch where as he wants to be the "senior comp" and take care of everything - I think he feels I take too much of a lead in everything we do - which could be true -
President Curtis told me to relax and let him be the senior comp. It's tough though. Another thing that bothers me is that he is sort of slack when it comes to the obedience department...nothing by any means serious, but just little stuff like getting in and out of the apartment on time, when we come home early - using our time effectively etc. Just the little things that show a real commitment to the Lord and this work.
By no means am I in a position to judge, but it's something that bothers me. There's just something in both of our personalities too, that just picks at the other - I'm not sure what, but after a while together I'm glad to get home and have some time to myself. I'm trying to discover what it is that I do, but the more I try - the more it seems to annoy him. E-nuf of that.
The other day we had a neat experience. We were doing house and I rang the campanella of this lady from down stairs (Maria Theresa Polga) At first she wasn't interested at all, but we got to talking (still on the campanella) and eventually she softened up enough to set an appointment with us. So we went back and taught her the 1st half of a 1st. At the end when we were talking about the Holy Ghost - I mentioned that I had felt it while talking to her over the campanella. And she said - "Yeah, so did I, that's why you guys are here right now." That was a really amazing thing to hear - and also to know that she recognized the spirit.
So we went back the other day and taught her the rest of the 1st. It went very well (except my comp bore his testimony and at the end said "And I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.) But we were still in the middle of the discussion which is quite awkward with a non-member - She was a little confused - and then I felt obligated to say "Amen" also - thinking back it was pretty funny - but at the moment it wasn't.
She accepted the commitments, but she's quite Catholic - I'm praying that she really feels the spirit and decides to follow it. We'll meet her again soon.
Another funny thing - we met this week (or last week) with a man we met on the street named Seniore Manzini. We taught him a first a while ago and gave him the BoM - which he said he'd read about and pray about. Then we met him for a 2nd, but he brought with him his "Catholic Chatachism" book and showed us that he hadn't read or prayed, but had just studied his own religion. (It's always really funny because whenever we meet with him he comes out fighting, but at the end receeds the point and says - "y'know you guys make sense.")
So we recommitted him to read and pray and then met with him last week. This time, he brought with him a big stack of papers that he'd gotten from the Internet about the Mormon church. Then he proceeded to ask us questions posed by another man about the church. We responded the best we could, while trying to keep the spirit. Finally at the end we said - "So instead of reading the 15 pages we suggested and praying about them, you searched the Internet - read and underlined 30 or more pages and come here ready to fight..." Then we told him he can search all he wants, but as soon as he asks God - then he'll know the answer.
It was quite a ridiculous scene. I'm not sure if he's worth meeting with again. But I don't want him to think he scared us off either. (Argh, there's that pride again) So there ya have it - My life in the past few weeks - Oh yeah - no letter from Carrie for 2 months now. |
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