AAAAllright, well, we got our calls from the Assistants this morning.
"Hey Elder Gates, are you ready for your transfer plans? "
"Yeah."
"You might want a pen and paper, this is pretty complicated."
"Ok."
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Ok...you and Elder Shelman are staying together..."
"Ok."
"...In Mason City."
I froze, pen in hand. Oooof course. I fell right into that one, alright. I had been thinking all morning that I had messed up far too bad for us to stay in Mason City, but apparently they "Appreciate all the hard work [we] have done." Well, I guess we're not too bad off.
This past week sure has been an interesting one.
On thursday was our last District Meeting of the Transfer, and we went out to a place called Buffalo Wild Wings afterward. I like my wings (not boneless, those are lame, give me the real deal. The joys of working at a pizza place.). There is a challenge at this particular chain called "The Blazin' Challenge," where they give you twelve of their spiciest wings and you have to eat them in 6 minutes. If you can do it, you get your picture on the wall and a free T-shirt. So two other missionaries and I decided to do it. They brought out a paper for us to sign. The other missionaries just signed it right away, but I decided to read what it was I was signing. When I noticed the word "death," I began to get a little apprehensive. But I signed anyway. A shirt's a shirt. So they brought out our wings, and specially made bibs just for us made out of take-out bags, and announced over the sound system our names and that we were doing the blazin challenge. They started the timer, and we were off. I ate my first wing, no problem, but as I continued to go, the world started to get hazy, probably from adrenaline. Two kids came up alongside me and were talking and watching as we ate. One apparently bent down to look into my face, but I was too focused by then. I noticed my left hand was starting to get tingly, but I trudged on. Elder Perez was done by a minute and fifteen seconds, and elder Heywood by about two and a half, but I kept going. My nose started to run and tears filled my eyes, and my mouth and face hurt pretty bad. But I was no quitter. Finally, at five minutes thirty seconds, I finished. I was so proud of myself. I got my picture taken, looking much like a kid after a playground beating. They announced the finished competition, and the restaurant cheered. After coming back from washing off, I looked over at a thirteen year old or so kid sitting near me that was still staring at me. "That was so cool! Congratulations, man!" he said. Yep, I inspired someone that day. I bet mom's proud.
The next day was even more exciting. We went down to Bristow and took a member that lives in a nearby town with us. We took him with so that way our investigators could meet the guy that would be giving them a ride to church. These investigators don't have a car that works so we needed his help with transportation. He also helped a lot in the lesson, and we reset a baptismal date with the mom, who we had set one with before, and with her daughters. So we left the lesson with three baptismal dates!! By Sunday they had all fallen through, as they hadn't come to church. Carol, the mom, had apparently gotten sick, and didn't feel well enough to come. She's been in the hospital a lot, making her disappear off our radars for awhile. But we met with them again yesterday and set up yet another date, letting them choose this time. Now all of the three main lessons are taught, so it's just the commandments now. So be sure to pray for them. We also visited another investigator in that obscenely small town named Jim. Jim wants to be baptized, too, but is just waiting to tell his wife who has anxiety and heart problems and the littlest things seem to set her off. So it's another waiting game for us. We taught him the Word of Wisdom, and he seemed to agree with it and we committed him to do it. Hopefully it'll stick and he'll come to church again. He used to come, but no investigator has come to church since I've been here. I guess I just have terrible luck.
So there are ups and downs all the way around. The weather's been exciting, very hot and humid, the point to which is not usually reached until August. Looking at the heat index, it was 105 degrees yesterday. And then we got to teach a lesson in an air conditioned house with fans that weren't blowing on us. I was sweating pretty bad. I picked up my arm off of my scriptures to find a fairly large pool of sweat there. Yeah, that was gross.
Some things to respond to from last week: Yes, I did see the billboard on Federal, with Obama between Hitler and Lenin. I was meaning to get a picture, not realizing it was going to hit national attention. Crazy stuff. Great thing for Mason City to be known for. Poor people, now it's going to cover up their popularity for the Music Man and Meredith Wilson (raise your hand if you knew who that was. yeah, me neither.). Ooh, by the way, if you do some google searching on Mason City, you'll discover it was once known as Sin City, and that a famous bank robber once robbed the bank here, and each year they have a reenactment, with guns and all. I wouldn't know from my own searches, people just tell us.
Also, about RAGBRAI, it's this week, and does not go through Mason City, but it is in our area. Yesterday they were in Clear Lake, and today they are traveling to Charles City, bypassing Mason. Lots of support vehicles were here last night. I'll send a picture of two we saw. It's apparently a pretty big deal. Too bad it's too far away for us to go watch today.
Well, that's about it!
"But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in." D&C 127:2
Elder Charlie Gates
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