P-days in the offices are usually pretty slow. I like that. It gives me a bit of time to sit down and write in my journal, write letters, etc. With just me and Elder Boyer, it isn´t much of a celebration. But such is life in the offices. And we have found small ways to enjoy it.
Today we went bowling. I´ve actually become fairly competent at the sport (is bowling a sport?) during my time here. Elder Boyer is a bowling champion. A veritable legend in my eyes. Out of the three times we´ve been I never was able to win a game. Today, I was hungry.
From the drop of the first pin, I could tell Elder Boyer was off. Instead of the usual explosion at the end of his throws there was a pathetic patter as two or three pins dropped to the ground. I wasn´t exactly hitting home runs either (sports metaphors don´t work so well when talking about sports stories ha-ha) and we stayed about neck and neck the entire time. My heart would sink as the ball would slide to the gutter, but thankfully, I was able to pull off miraculous spares two times. I had Elder Boyer by 10 points, and was smooth cruising to the 9th frame, when suddenly he got another spare. By the last frame, Elder Boyer was still down 4 pins, and I was confident that if I could at least get a spare to finish the game, I would leave Discount Dragon Bowling a champion. Then, it happened.
Boyer greased his shoes and stepped up to the line with a face so saturated with concentration it resembled a bag of dried raisins. One lofty toss of a bowling ball, an explosion of pins, and the dirty deed was done. Elder Boyer bowled a strike, followed by a solid 7 pins which he knocked down with ease. For those of you who understand bowling, I was then forced to get a strike or a spare to get an extra frame and knock down at least 8 pins to win the game. The prospects were unlikely. Slowly, I stepped up. Gripping the bowling ball with three sweaty sausage fingers. I wasn´t one to exactly make big plays in the clutch. I let the first ball go, gazing with anticipation. With a big pop and shatter, I a wrecking ball left one lone pin standing in its wake. It was make or break. I had to knock it down to stay in the game. Another tense throw in the still air, and to my shock, the pin went down.
There I was, throw number three. The game in my hands. 8 or more pins knocked down, and David would slay Goliath. I saw my life before my eyes, everything I had never achieved athletically in my life could be on some small level be restored to me should I knock these pins down. This had become more than just a game of bowling. The little cardboard cutout of a dragon holding the "two games for 1" gazed mortified by the tension of the moment. The symphony of silence blared deafeningly as I stood up to bowl one last time.
A deep breath, a lunge, and the dull thud of hard plastic on slick wood. It moved a little to the left, then to the right, then in a moment comparable to Luke Skywalker shooting torpedoes down the exhaust shaft in the death star, with similar odds and similar results, my own life long yearning to do something athletically spectacular was, in some small misconstrued distorted way satisfied, as the explosion of pins was drowned out by a choir of heavenly hosts shouting hallelujahs with angelic zeal. STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!
The odds were beaten. Elder Boyer, defeated. The Death Star, destroyed. Beyond that, the world may have kept spinning. But if you checked your watch today at roughly 2:37 Buenos Aires time, you might have noticed that time stood still. A timeless victory at the very least.
Well... Anyways
this week has been solid. A lot of ups and downs. Ups in the sense that we really have been able to progress things in the offices. I´ve found new ways to get around my position. To get the letters that we usually send off without the database. I think I´ve finally got a system that is simple and consistent enough to work for Hna Jones. The office has become like a puzzle. I´ve had to rebuild my job, but do it in an incredibly simple way. I´ve realized here it´s not easy to teach people new things. That includes teaching them the gospel. The role of a teacher is a challenging one.
The progress in the offices has come at a price, that price is less time in the area. Even still, I´ve felt the Lord´s blessings upon us as we have been able to maximize the time that is allotted to us. That´s something I´ve learned better in the offices than any other place in the mission. Principles of prioritizing and finding the most important thing, to execute it most efficiently.
News on investigators is more of the same. Damian is still struggling a bit accepting the Priesthood. Gonzalo is still hesitant to accept a baptismal date. We haven´t seen Xavier in more than a week because of complications with getting out to his house and his schooling.
Amidst the investigators though, Luis and Veronica have taken a big step. In our appointment last night they gave us their official marriage date. Veronica was able to take the kids to her mom´s house and drop them off there while she went yesterday morning to take out a date from the Registro Civil. It´s all there. In black and white. Luis and Veronica are getting married the 10th of September. (For those of you wondering, this transfer ends on September 13th) So as of now, the official baptismal date will be Saturday September 11th. We are so grateful to have investigators like them who are doing what is necessary to change their lives. It is impossible to not feel the spirit when we are with them, and we feel very distinctly that they have great things to contribute to the church in Argentina.
So the updates will keep coming as they come. I know I said this last week, but with the offices settling down a bit, we should be able to make more time this week to get out in the area. As of now I´m content with the progress we have seen. Luis and Veronica are some of the best, if not the best I´ve taught on the mission. To them, reading, praying, keeping commitments isn´t a hard thing. It just comes naturally. They love the blessings that they get from being obedient. They love the blessed and happy state that comes from doing the daily things to invite the spirit in our lives. That is our joy. To see people progress, embrace, and make sacrifices for the Gospel. And watch them receive the blessings that always come.
Thank you for all you do for me. For the prayers in my behalf. I love you all.
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