Boo...Satan!

Hey Everyone!

 

So first off I want to thank everyone for the letters and support and love. I'm sorry I haven't had time to write back individually. I usually only have time for my Email home. It's kinda frustrating but it's how it goes. So beginning this letter off I want to tell everyone how much I hate Satan, And how bad I want to punch that kid in the face. He sucks and I bet he's laughing at me. This last week (well more like since Wednesday night on) was brutal, and Satan made things so much worse. I've definitely had a hard time keeping my cool and I wish there was a punching bag in our apartment. I'll expound later of what I'm talking about. So I'll just go through the days that have some significance. Tuesday: I went on Exchanges with the Dayton Elders (Sorry G-ma Nyquist for mixing up where everyone was born, I could have sworn Grandpa said he was born there but whatever. I was close haha) So Exchanges were cool. I more like got dropped off because my companions had Zone Leader Council, so I hung out in Dayton. Talk about run down and ghetto haha It makes me appreciate Utah so much more but it was a fun day. I enjoyed being with "normal" missionaries. Elder Saunders (been out for like 14 months) and Elder Robinson (came out with me) we talked to a few people and it was just good. Mornings weren't hard to get up for (ha they have a gym in their apartment complex and I almost broke the treadmill and exercise ball [I threw it on the treadmill trying to trip Elder Saunders and yeeaah... Loud screeching noise and such.. pretty funny though but dumb]) umm we met with an ex gang leader. He was actually pretty funny. He's gone through some hardcore crap though. He was dead for 11 minutes (I think he tried to slit his wrists) but he lost a ton of blood but survived. His mom was dead for like 27. (I think stroke) but just crazy stuff. we went over the P.O.S. with him (plan of salvation for all those dirty minded people back home ;]) and hopefully that went well. Wednesday we had Zone meeting and I reunited with my papa's. cept afterwards Elder Wheadon went on exchanges to Greenville so we had Elder Maher (mayor) with us! He's been out for a transfer before me. We went to young mens and played ball with them and we met a new kid Named William!... (he knows John [the kid using our wifi]) but we started teaching him and his sister Lania who came to church with John the Sunday before, but we talked to him and set up a time to go and meet with all of them. We met with William and John and Lania and also with John's sister and also William's older brother... Now not to be racist but they are all black and have that black attitude especially with the reiligious aspect... Holy crap.. that just turned out to be a bible bash. Now John is golden. He's awsome. His younger sister just sat there, But the other 3 were off the wall.. I walked out so frustrated and everything. And I can never get a word in with any lesson really. (Elder Wheadon is very controlling and has to be right and dominate the situation..And and things which is ok. It just clashes against my personality, which irritates me but I am learning how to work around that. He also says things to me that kinda hurt and frustrate me and make it to where I have a hard time focusing on the work. But it's a learning thing. and Satan uses all of it and makes it worse. But I am learning to deal with it) So I can never get words in and it's frustrating and then when I do say something that I thought helped the investigator, it apparently wasn't the best way to say the things I did. So it's like when I do say something it's still wrong. So usually I just keep my mouth shut cause it's pointless but still frustrating. Oh well. I'd be fine if I didn't have Satan there laughing at me and making things worse, I already have enough crap to deal with that I don't need this. But I was able to get over it and I'm just glad the week is over. John got frustrated at everyone cause that's not what he wanted (they all believe in different stuff and it's all weird crap, other religions are all out of whack haha) after that fiasco things calmed down, and William looked on Youtube and found why Mormons hate black people and all this crap about Joseph Smith and The BofM etc. etc. Freaking you can't believe the crap that's on Youtube. Sad thing is he believed it all and Neither him nor Lania would even try to read the BofM and Pray about it but I think their dad is a pastor or was or something but he's the one who messed his kids up. But John is solid still. We met with him twice on Sunday, Once during Preisthood and Later that night. We explained the whole dark skin curse thing in the BofM and etc. and he didn't seem to have a problem with it. He holds his ground. And he's only 18. But he was saying the William that if they (mormons) hated blacks then they wouldn't even look at us or talk to us or be as nice as they were (our ward is awesome) and they wouldn't bother to teach us etc. etc. So he's awesome with all that. Stina is doing well, Her grandpa had a stroke and so she's in Indiana helping with all that. Umm Other than that nothing big happened. Just a lot of chaos and frustration and it was such a long week... But I'm glad it's over. Keep John in your prayers. He will probably go through this alone but he said if that's how it's gotta be then that's how it is. He's a boss! But pray for his strength. I love you all and I'm sorry I didn't have time to give a lot of details! I'm hanging in there. Thank you all for your prayers and support. It means a lot!

 

Love you all

Elder Derrek Bowler