Good News, Bad News

Alright Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines.

I'm going to run out of Subject headings really quickly by the way. It's nothing personal. But I promise you it's going to happen.

So, have any of you ever been to an improv show where they do Good news, Bad news? Like Good news: I'm engaged! Bad News: it's to the library, we're very happy. That's one I heard a bunch at BYU. But that's what I'm going to do today, because I want to and you can't stop me. You'll enjoy it though.

So, Good news! My district thinks I'm funny. Bad News: It's because I'm the worst contacter in the history of contacting. Let me prove this to you with a couple of stories. So, contacting. Everyone knows what that is right? You're walking down the street, you see someone, you go try to strike up a conversation and get to know them, try to set up an appointment so you can share the message of the gospel. Easy-peasy right? WRONG! Well, for me. Because that means you have to a) walk up to a complete stranger, b) pretend to be (actually, God wants you to actually be) interested in who the person is, and c) participate in an emotionally engaging conversation where you develop a relationship. Now some of you might be thinking.....well duh, that's how you make friends. For all of my friends out there, I want you to think back to our first interactions. Who struck up the first conversation? Was it stimulating in any regard? Do you see where I'm heading? I'm not very comfortable striking up conversations on my own. I get uncomfortable. So, we were practicing outside, and because we have to practice on other companions they are always really nice and we usually get a chance to go and talk to them again. Not hard. So, my companion and I are talking to Hermana Orton, and we figure out she's a Christian, she's doing well. And we tell her we want to talk to her a little bit about the Book of Mormon....she allows us to come over.....But we're also supposed to have "figured" out something that we can talk about next time/if they have any needs or problems that we can help them out with. By this point in the conversation, we have not done that. So there's this relatively long awkward pause where we just stare at each other and then I ask "........do you have any problems? Because we need something to teach you when we come over and I've got nothing...." She starts laughing, and it's/I'm now pretty easy to laugh at. Which doesn't bother me. It is funny. I just wish I could actually contact people. Of course, since it was funny, I then did it to Hermano Harper, our teacher. And man, this guy knows how to stay in character. Straight faced all the time. So, while we were taking turns practicing on him, Hermana Whitehead dared me to ask him if he had any problems straight up. So, of course I did. "Hey, My name is Hermana Reed, this is my companions Hermana Whitehead.......do you have any problems?" And to my everlasting humor he finally cracked character! Victory!! Probably not what I'm supposed to be focusing on but it made me feel better because I was totally blowing at contacting.

Good news: I'm getting a lot of special attention from my teacher. Bad news: It's because I still can't contact and we've been practicing for a week. This is how yesterday went. "okay, Hermana Reed, Hermana Whitehead, I want you to practice contacting me" So Hermana Whitehead starts out and she's asking him how he is, what he's been up to. And then for some ridiculous reason he looks at me like I'm supposed to be talking during this conversation too! So, I try. I really did try. But this is kind of how it came out. "Uh, yeah, so....yeah...how are you doing?...I mean, did you just ask that Hermana Whitehead? ......uh, wait...no, I mean...uh.............*sigh* hi!" And then Hermano Harper started laughing again and blissfully allowed me to bow my head in shame as he let another companionship try. It was ridiculous. I'll get better eventually. But, right now it's a bit sad.

Good news: I got my name called over the intercom! I'm famous! Bad news: It was the most anti-climatic story in the world. So we're in the middle of class and they ask for Sister Carlee Reed (hey! that's me!). They ask me to go to the nearest phone and call the front desk. And I have no idea why they would call for me. My heart is racing, I'm thinking "oh my gosh, someone died, or had a heart attack, or ....I don't know I did something wrong and they're telling me to pack my bags and go home." (which I don't know why they would do that over a phone call, but I was not thinking particularly logically at this point). So I tried one phone and it didn't work. I tried a second phone and it took forever to work. The front desk? Oh, they wanted me to go to the health clinic to turn in a paper. Right now. Not even after class, right now. Not even to get a shot. So, anticlimactic. I was minorly upset. if you're going to make me freak out I at least want to be shot! with a needle.....you know what I mean.

The rest is just good news. I finally saw Sister Bush. She leaves in two weeks but I got to talk to her for a bit. She's doing well. And is super excited to go out to Germany. I also got to see Brent, he ate lunch in the cafeteria. We talked a little bit. I see Elder Engstrom all the time. He's a zone leader now, and to my everlasting shame when he told me I said "Really?" with a rather incredulous tone. It was just a shocker because he has only been at the MTC for 2 weeks. Like me. He's doing good though.

We also had our first TRC experience this week. We got lucky because we think we were teaching a Bishop. He accepted everything we talked to him about and accepted the invitation to pray. He prays better than I do. But the teaching experience was good. I'm pretty sure we messed something up though because we didn't really have a plan. Details right? Alright, it's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress who are we kidding.

We did have a cool speaker this week. The Provo Temple President came and spoke to us, about how we are blessed and protected. He told this story about a Japanese bomber who participated in the Pearl Harbor raid. He was nearly done and had one bomb left and a bunch of bullets in his machine gun when he saw this big white building on Hawaii. So he went to go bomb it. The building was the Hawaii Temple, and as he went to release the bomb, the trigger wouldn't release. So he made another swoop and tried to strife it (gun it down essentially), but the gun refused to fire. So he was heading back to base camp, feeling super ashamed and tried to at least get rid of the bombs and bullets (he couldn't go back with them as that wouldn't be honorable). As soon as he was out to sea the bomb released without hesitation and his gun reacted normally. It was a strong testimony and a powerful story about how God loves us and protects his houses and his people. It was particularly poignant at this time as Japan is dealing with the aftereffects of the Tsunami. Our prayers are with them. I ask that you guys pray for them too.

Then in class we talked a little bit about Lot's wife and not looking back. As missionaries we've been promised blessings and have been forgiven as long as we move forward with faith. There's a mormon message about Lot's wife, I encourage everyone to go and read it.

This week is going great! I'm glad to hear everyone else is doing well. One request is that while I'm in the MTC if you would dearelder.com me or snail mail me that would be great. We only get 30 minutes total to write e-mails and read them. So I can plan out my response before writing and not have to worry about reading and responding. Thanks guys! I love and miss you all!

Hermana Reed