I am leaving East Orange : (

I knew it was inevitable! After being in East Orange for 5 1/2 months, Tab is leaving. I think he has gotten quite attached to the place and loves the people. This was one of the most heartfelt emails I've received. I know he will be fine but it is sad to see him leave this area. Despite the challenges he has had, the growth I've seen in him has been truly rewarding. And to think I cried when I first heard he was being sent here. I pray his next area and companion will be just as great! 



Hi Mom!

I am leaving East Orange :( It's alright though! So I'm pretty sad that I am leaving cause I don't really want to go, because I don't know how to, talk to not hood people right now and if I could guess, my next area is going to have more rich people. The people we teach, you can basically straight up tell them to repent ye sinners and be baptized like 2 Nephi 9 style. And then they'll either do it or not. Most of them don't, which is crazy because from my perspective I'm pouring my heart out about something that is so true I feel like you can't deny it, but they'll get it someday and if not then in the Spirit World. The other day some girl asked us to come visit her and she gave us a totally false address and her intention was to deliberately waste our time... she did a little bit - like 20 min or so. But at first I was mad and then I laughed cause I'm totally gonna give her a hard time in heaven about it. 

I'll let you know where I go by next monday.

So, yes we also had Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Tad R. Callister come speak to us on Saturday. That was crazy good. I shook their hands at the beginning! I don't really remember what I did cause I was so focused on looking him in the eyes and smiling and making sure my hand was not clammy and what not, but I do know that Elder Christofferson is most definitely the most handsome of all the apostles. He aged well. Plus he's pretty funny. He pulled a lot of jokes. Mostly, he talked about faith, our mission-wide focus. It was inspiring. He doesn't baffle with words really, but he brings the Spirit. He said some neat stuff in his closing remarks/testimony. He is a special witness of Christ - that is his calling as an apostle. Talking about how faith eventually becomes perfect knowledge, he said something like, "As someone who knows, I have come to testify to you that Christ lives." And he meant it, of course. It was powerful and I felt the Spirit! Elder Callister is a wizard at quoting scripture and you can tell he is intelligent. He talked about changing our nature, not just our behaviour, as missionaries. That was great too. I took notes of course so I'll remember what I learned and how I felt.

This week I also got to visit a house of unaccountability where I reunited with Philip, an old investigator who we dropped because he is unaccountable and he moved away without telling us where he went. The last time I saw him was over 3 months ago. I felt really bad for him cause he's in rough shape... he more or less has every disease in the world and he has nobody who he can talk to. So we talk to him. There is also a man in there named Carlos who has elephantitus (sp.?) The reason we went there is because a member named Lisa lives there and she is super funny/crazy/cool but after a few visits when we went back she had basically torn the place apart overnight and so they kicked her out to who knows where. Sad, but true. I wish you could meet some of these people. They are pretty far out there.

We had a going-away party on Sunday for the branch's first missionary! Sis Katiana Jean-Louis. She has a cool conversion story and she is basically the perfect convert. She's amazing. She leaves on Tuesday for the MTC. They will probably hold a party soon for Michael Paupulaire as well, who Reese knows. It was a pretty big deal for the members of the branch so they made tons of food and we did the Haka and a whole bunch of wild stuff like that. It was great!

One other cool event from this week. We visited a member, Sister Earlene Scott, for the first time this week. She comes to church every sunday and she is a champ. But I had never visited her until this week and it was the greatest visit I have had in a long time. She is quite old, 84, and she can hardly walk. She has a disease that makes her hands and mouth shake, she has a pace maker and several bone replacements, and she takes care of her diabetic son. So it's just her and her son in their small room in a halfway home. She has all the reasons to not go to church. I forgot to mention she can't drive and doesn't get a ride from members - she takes the bus!! She defines champ! So in our visit we talked about her conversion and the doctrine of Christ. I loved it. She was baptized with her mother in 1998. Het mother lived to be 107, outlasting the ENTIRE 20th century. How about that? Anyway, Sis Scott is the sweetest old lady I've met on my mission. I am hoping I'll get a picture with her before I leave.

BTDubs, the new Honduras temple is gorgeous! I think it's one of the best looking, ever. I realized that I am not a big fan of the style of architecture used on the Provo temple and the temples like Las Vegas temple, Boise temple, and the one in Germany (Frankfurt?). I don't like that style. But the new Honduras temple I like a lot.

Ok so I know most of this letter was somewhat all over the place but it is what my week consisted of. And some nerf basketball tournaments. So you asked who you should pray for... pray for Comfort and Diana and Apa - the Adjei family - they are planning to be baptized at the end of the month. I won't be here : ( but I know Elder Thompson will take care of them just fine. 

Have a great week! I will. Pray that I go to a super area and get a super companion! Haha. 

I love you all.

Tab