This week has been awesome! I'm settling into life as a missionary and things here in Sheboygan are pretty great! Ive discovered that Sheboygan is mentioned in the movie "Surf's Up!" One of the members was talking about it. Chicken Joe is from Sheboygan! I'm in a famous city! Hahaha.
It is COLD!!!!!! It hasn't snowed yet, but this week it has rained a lot and has been really windy. The problem here is the humidity. Once you're cold, you are cold all over. If you try to warm up, your skin might be warm but the cold goes straight through all layers of your body. It's a strange feeling to have your bones cold......
I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I'm most likely going to come home fat. I love the food here! The members are all amazing cooks and they are constantly feeding us! This week and next week, I think we have dinner appointments every day except for Saturday. And yes, Juli, I am eating things that I don't like. I still think spaghetti is gross and I still can't stand apple pie, but when the member serve it, I will eat it (and try not to cringe).
I hate tracting. It's awkward, it's cold, it's discouraging, it's hard! Knocking on people's doors to tell them about the gospel is really hard because we know exactly how this gospel will bless their lives and help them be happy (for forever!), but they don't know what they're missing out on! It's discouraging because people will yell at you when they have a "No Soliciting" sign on their door. We aren't selling anything, in fact, we're trying to give you a Book of Mormon for free!
Some of the things that people will say to us are kind of funny though. One of our investigators, Laura, has been taught about the Book of Mormon twice. We asked her if she had read it, and she said she had. She said that she grew up with the King James version of the Bible, so getting used to this Bible was a bit of a challenge. Elder Cranney and I are going to have to explain things a little bit better, and probably bring our Quad over to show her that we believe in the Bible too. Most people seem to think that the Book of Mormon is a replacement of the Bible, so they don't want to read it. Not true. It's a completely different book that actually supports the Bible.
Everybody seems to drink out here. There are bars on pretty much every corner, so teaching about the Word of Wisdom is a bit of a challenge. Almost nobody want to give up their beer, because they think they aren't addicted to it. Same thing with coffee; they think that it isn't bad for you and they don't want to give it up. The problem is, they aren't willing to even try to give up their coffee or alcohol. They can't; they're addicted to both. Helping people realize that without offending them is really difficult.
So my companion/trainer, Elder Cranney, is from Roosevelt, UT. He has been out on his mission for eight months and I am his second son (he is my father because he is training me. I was born in Sheboygan because that is my first area. My brother is Elder Ward, because that's who Elder Cranney trained before me. Getting used to the mission terminology has been fun.) He has been in Sheboygan for five of those eight months and thinks he's going to be transferred this transfer. I don't think he will be.
The work is going good here. The Lord is mindful of all of us and our needs, and He will bless us as long as we are doing the things we should. Remember that He loves you and wants you to love Him! I love you all too, and I miss you!
Elder Riggs
"For verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better."
D&C 25:10
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