Phelan Blues

Oh man. I'm not even sure what to write to you guys about this week. I guess first off I want to let you know that I'm sending this email on a Wednesday instead of a Monday because I got a chance to go to the Redlands Temple today. Whenever we have a temple trip our P-day gets switched to the day that we are going to the temple. Also, one of the coolest families, the Chaffees, took us to the temple and then we went to Cafe Rio afterward. What a glorious day!

So let me think about some cool events that happened this week. I had an opportunity to go down the hill to Rancho Cucamonga for a greenie meeting. It wasn't that great, but it was cool to see all those missionaries that I came out here with. I won a box of super knock-off brand Froot Loops. They were pretty nasty.  I also played basketball with the ward that night. I really need to get better at that game. I am so un-athletic it’s not funny.

On Friday I had a few really strange tracting experiences. One house we went to had this guy named Tom, when he opened the door it smelled a lot like urine. Ugh. When he came out and started talking to us he started talking about how he is bipolar and just sometimes flips out. We left pretty soon after that. The next door or two was a woman who had had the missionaries over before and just invited us right in. That was odd, but she thought somebody sent us, so she was being polite. The next door after that was literally the strangest person I have met out here. His name is Robert, and when we were walking back to our truck he was poking his head out of his house and was waving us over. We walked toward him and he kept saying something to us, but he was almost whispering so I really couldn't understand him. We asked a few times to repeat what he said, and when we got close he said that he thought we were Jehovah's and was sorry for calling us over. I could just tell something was weird with this guy; he was shirtless and was wearing some sleeping pants. This was at like 3 in the afternoon. He started asking us, who we were, and Elder Smith and I just wanted to leave, but he invited us in to talk for a little bit. That dude had the most tobacco I have ever seen at one time in his house. He had tons of boxes full of the stuff. He invited us to sit on his couch, so we did. Right after that he lit up a cigarette then immediately put it out. He started asking about our religion and he was almost whispering the entire time. After we gave him a Book of Mormon and a pass-along card he was saying that he wanted to make a $40 billion donation to the Mormon Church. This guy was just nuts. We told him a little bit about prophets and then bounced. And as I was writing this we got a text from the MTC Referrals saying that he wants more information and is now a referral. I really don't want to go back to his house.

So, my investigators are all still holding strong, which I am excited for. Lillian and her son have accepted to be baptized, but won't commit to a date right now. I don't mind. We've still got tons to teach them. Jenny is still just waiting for a letter from the President of the Church. I found out that her and her parents are huge comic book nerds and just own tons of comic books and want to give some to me. It’s tough being a missionary because everybody want to give stuff to you and do stuff for you, but won't let you pay them or do anything in return. Speaking of which Elder Smith and I got facials from a recent convert! I've got pictures I want to show you, but I don't have a cord for it, so too bad I guess. I actually got a back facial. That was odd but my back look pretty now!

Other than that the only significant thing I've done this past week and a half is go on exchanges again. Elder Browning flipped out during district meeting and sat outside in the church foyer until it was all done. That was weird. I was also companions with a two-week missionary with Elder Browning while I was on exchanges. Has anybody ever heard of these? I hadn't until I came out here.

Not much else to report. I'm still loving it out here. The people are all top notch and the work is hard. Secretly, you are my heroes.

Now go, and be golden,

Elder R. Sage Taylor