Elder Marshall Underwood: Two Worlds, One Family

My title this week is a representation of my relationship with Elder Berry. I feel like the events of this week will show you how close we have grown.

This Monday started with an amazing family home evening lesson. Elder Berry and I have been working really hard on becoming good teachers and we are now teaching in great unity. One of the members at family home evening told us that we are just beautiful young men and then basically committed us to always being active in the church. What she didn't know is that Elder Berry and I already made a pact to always stay active just because of all of the amazing experiences that we have had. Also, Monday, I had litchis. They are awesome.

On Tuesday, I got word from Elder Martinez in Pennsylvania that Ellen got baptized! Remember when I said a while back that there was a lady I invited to be baptized and she just wasn't healthy enough? Well, now she is baptized. The miracles that God can work are amazing because she couldn't even really leave her house a few month ago.

I am sure all those guys had to help her.

Also, I received the pictures and emails from the IB dinner. Congrats to all of my homies and thank you for taking pictures with cardboard me. On Tuesday at English class, I got to learn some really great French slang. Also, Tuesday was an exchange with Elder Tew. Nothing huge happened.

However, on Wednesday when I went to Angoulême to pick up Elder Berry, when we were on the way back, we ran into a guy to which we had taught the first lesson and then not talked to again because he said he wasn't interested! He told us that he was reading a little bit of the Book of Mormon! It was an insane miracle and we committed him to start it from the beginning. he is on a grand spiritual search and I know that he will find the truth when he is ready for it. Until then we just have to keep in contact. At the end of our conversation, I asked him if he knew what the spirit felt like and he said he didn't really know. I explained the different ways that God talks to us and he said that maybe our encounter on the train was a sign from God! I said "yeah, maybe it was" even though I wanted to say "HECK YEAH IT WAS AHHHHH." Our teaching in unity was awesome even though we were on a train.

That same day, we taught the Garcia family! Wooohoooo! It was amazing. The first thing he said when we sat down was "so I hear that you give a series of lessons in order to bring people closer to Christ. I want all of those." It was a great lesson. Also, the French kiss each others cheeks to greet each other. THe missionaries don't. But, one of his daughters caught me by surprise and so that happened. Then Elder Berry took one for the team too. Afterwards, I said "sorry I didn't see it coming" and he said, "I'm not going to let you go down alone. haha"

On Thursday, we went to Limoges. This was a bigger city and so I got to contact people on buses and stuff! It was the greatest! I met an old couple that was so stoic. They didn't laugh at any of my jokes. I asked if they have ever heard of the Mormons and then explained that "we are the handsome young men that contact people on buses." They didn't laugh. I then introduced them to my companion and said, "don't worry, he's nice too." and then they didn't laugh. Then I went on to tell them a joke about yachts and they didn't laugh. So, I transferred the conversation to their family and stuff like that. They were not interested in God. On another bus, this kid came up to us and siad "are you the Jehovas Witnesses?" I said, "No, are you?" (I was obviously trying to make a funny joke that Elder Berry would make) \but then the kid just said "yes!" Luckily his stop was next so my epic joke fail didn't create a cloud of intense awkward. During this exchange with Limoges, Elder Quinn and I invited someone to be baptized. he said yes and he is excited! Miracles! We later stopped by an investigators house and we didn't see her name on the door anymore. Out of nowhere, she walked by and said, "who are you looking for?" Elder Quinn said "you!" Then we walked her a couple of kilometers to her house! I don't know why she happened to walk by her old house at the exact time we were there. It's probably because the church is true. She has intense depression but after walking and talking with us about the gospel, she was smiling so widely! Miracles! This exchange night ended with a game of magic. This is a nerdy card game that Elder Berry introduced to me and it's a giant trap and it's just so fun. I like doing it with Elder Berry.

On Friday, Elder Berry and I were walking down the street talking about Josh Groban. Then, after about 5 seconds of silence, we both broke into "SOFT SUNDAY SOOOOUUUNDS." Let me tell you that we have been together for a long time. Also, I asked Elder Berry "where do you think _____ is at his spiritual progression." Again, after about 4 seconds of silence, we both held up our hands in the shape of a zero. Also, Elder Berry just remembers everything so he just knows everything about my life.

I cut all of my hair on Saturday. And we made an apple tart.