4th of July and Birthday

This week was my birthday and the Fourth of July. Those were really fun days but two really really bad missionary days. We taught zero lessons both of those days and talked to very few people. Everyone was out of town or busy and they didn't want to talk to the missionaries.

It was a good week for putting people on date thought. We put four on this week. Jacob Young, in his 30's, will probably not be baptized... But that's the goal for now. Matthew Rose and Chris Beltran-Lopez, both 13, will be baptized on the 28th of this month. and Alexander Pheng Siharath, 38, will be baptized on the 11th of August.

Matthew and Chris have been coming to church for a long time now and it is just about time that they take the lessons and get baptized. They both really want to, especially Chris. Neither of their families are baptized but Chris' family is being taught by the spanish missionaries and Matthew's parents seem to be okay with him being baptized but they don't want to be involved. They have a lot of good fellowship in the ward from the young mens. I'm excited for them.

Did I tell you about Alexander?? He pulled over one day and told us he wanted to start the lessons. I think I talked about him. Well we started teaching him and he set a goal for baptism on the 11th of August. He is kinda eccentric. But that's a good thing! He is an MMA fighter and he does martial arts as well. He also has a $2000 dollar spiderman suit and he dresses up as spiderman for kids parties. He is pretty much the coolest guy ever. He stopped us in the middle of our first lesson and had us "break the ice" with him. So he spent about an hour getting to know us and how we work. He LOVES to talk. He talks really really fast and can change subjects quickly. He just goes and goes and goes. So 30 minute lessons turn into 2 hour visits. This last time we saw him he brought his "vision boards" With positive messages on them. He says he has about 20 vision boards. He brought in 3 for us. They had pictures of goals he wants to achieve. And they were covered with positive uplifting words and phrases. He also draws so he drew a lot of pictures for his vision boards. He also loves to make acronyms out of everything like HOLY BIBLE - He only left you basic instructions before leaving earth HOPE- Helping other people endure GRACE- Gift received at Christ's expense FEAR - False evidence appearing real and they go on. He has an acronym or a catchy, uplifting, thought provoking phrase for everything. He is all about positive attitude. If you can dream it you can do it. That sort of crap. I love it. He was raised Buddhist but has turned to Christianity and he has a friend in Utah that told him to stop us. So he did. And now he's gonna be baptized.

Birthday was great. Opened a lot of packages. Loved it all. Had cake. Walked a lot and knocked a lot of doors because no one was home. That's how the fourth was too. We didn't get to watch fireworks. But it would have been cool because they get a big barge and send it out on the river and shoot fireworks off of that. It's pretty cool. FROM WHAT I HEAR. Not see... The fourth was fun though. We ate a lot. We went to the Holmbo's after dinner and partied a little bit. So it wasn't all work. I took some time off in the evening because I am a bad missionary and Elder Rymer didn't care (I was on exchanges that day).

I didn't make my bed yesterday for the first time on my mission too.

And. We get a mini-missionary this week! I'm excited. It will be a priest age young man that comes and stays with us for two days and does missionary work with us. It will be like training a new missionary! But not... It will be fun.

I don't know what else to say even though I feel like there is a lot more I could say...
Curtis is engaged.
LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Paxman