7-28-08

Well the bad news first. My new companion Elder Palmer(who has only been out 5 months) got bit by a dog yesterday and it ripped a whole in his pants! I also got hit by a car. We were just walking along the road and I was kind of walking on the edge because I saw a vagrant(homeless people who walk around all day and are usually drunk) walking straight towards me with his hands held up like he was holding a platter in his hands but I just saw something red. As he got closer to me I realized it was a giant toy car! He made a screeching noise and ran the car into my shoulder and ran me off the road! As we looked back he was moving his arms like he was trying to get control of the imaginary steering wheel and he gave us an angry look. Apparently I was in his way pretty bad. We proceeded to laugh for at least a few minutes over that one.

Elder Palmer says he is going to be President of the US and I am doing my best to try and get a slot reserved in the white house. I have laughed with him in the last 5 days more than the rest of the mission I think. He is a total goofball but we have so much fun. Sincerity was a big thing that I learned from Elder Fox. Elder Palmer I will definitely do my best to learn how to make people feel comfortable, he is way good at that. For now we are like a tag team in the wrestling match. He is there to wear em out and I am there to deliver the fatal blows. It has been a whole lot of fun so far. He is very good at letting me now what I am good at. I told him I had only read the Book of Mormon once and he said "You seem like you have read the Book of Mormon 42 times". He has also said "You are the most intense missionary I have ever seen" and "My first companion was a doctrine freak, he knew everything there was. But you seem to know it just as well and can present it amazingly" and "You pray more powerful than any missionary I have ever been with. I always feel the Spirit when you pray". Basically it is going to be hard not to get a big head with such a complimenting companion. It is amazing to see the things that each companion is good at and knowing what I need to learn from them. I have already learned a lot from him but more should definitely come. He is way awesome.
We got 21 member lessons this week, so we were 1 away from tying the record in Trinidad. So close. We have hit it real hard the last week. He always bugs me about slowing down though. I probably walk twice the speed he does until he has slowed me down. I have to walk beside him, it isn't too frustrating but we would definitely get more done if he had the speed determination that I do. We also baptized Mervyn on saturday and it was amazing. I was able to do the baptism so you will see the pictures of me in all white soon enough. He gave an amazing testimony. We took him out teaching with us yesterday and as Elder Palmer said "that was the most sincere testimony I have ever heard out of a member". I was a pretty happy camper at that point. He talked about how he always felt alone, and how he was never happy. Now he feels like the Lord is always there for him, like he has a family. I love Mervyn. We took last week's baptism Bro Rambharose out teaching with us twice also. He is practically a missionary. He has a strong testimony and knows how to teach pretty well. I could imagine Mervyn and Bro Rambharose as bishop and first counselor in a year. They are so solid. The other baptism was San Fernando's baptism and she said "I don't know how long I will stay in the church but I will try" while Mervyn said "I know that reading the scriptures and praying will give me strength. If I build upon that rock I will be strong" he destroyed the competition like some sort of ninja! These last 2 baptisms have been so solid.

Sister Mannie is Bro Rambharose's cousin and her daughter's cousin we have taught for the last week. If her parents are fine with it she will be baptized this saturday. We are having a whole lot of success. We also have a new investigator that we are both amazed with. He told us "as soon as you called I started to feel different". He seems pretty prepared to me, but we will see on Sunday if he shows up. I am pretty skeptical after all the people that have fallen through. Bro Maraj the skin guy fell through, fortunately I don't get attached to anyone. Out of time. Pictures will follow in the next e-mail in a few minutes.
-Elder Risenmay

Some sweet pictures.

1) This is Elder Lloyd, he is my "Grandma" in mission terms. Because he was my mom(2nd companion)'s mom. He lives in our apartment.
2) Elder Fox, Elder Lloyd, Elder Palmer, Me, last night before transfers.
3) I figured you would appreciate what brand of hot dogs I buy, and yes I do buy them because they say ninja on them.