I'll do it in the 'random story format'
Random story #1:
The other day we were out with our good
friend Stephen--he's an awesome member that comes out with us fairly
often. We were teaching some people and then at lunch time stopped by
the best fast-food restaurant (a.k.a. Wendy's). While we were there I
got a crispy chicken sandwich with a tomato. That's kind of besides the
point but I just threw it in. While we were eating we found out that
Stephen didn't know what fri sauce was (he's not from Utah...), so Elder
Baird and I immediately rushed to go make him some. While we were
making it, him and a guy that was sitting at a table by us started a
conversation. Stephen is a great member-missionary. He was inviting him
to hear from the missionaries and come to church. When we came back we
got to talk to him a bit and learn a little bit about him and his
religious life. It was just a cool little experience. Stephen is so
willing to follow promptings. The other week he gave a pass-along card
to a friend at work and she got baptized a few weeks later.
Random story #2:
We're working with a few people that are
really awesome. They're the Cole family. They are some of our
favorites, we just met them last week. They are probably best defined as
"strictly orthodox non-denominational Christians" (which is interesting
I know). They love the Bible. They know it VERY well too. They have
really good questions that we love talking about. When we met them I
noticed all of these Jewish decorations on the walls with Hebrew writing
on them and of course loved talking about it with sister Cole. She has a
big interest in Hebrew culture. To explain a little bit about how
they're orthodox she wears a covering on her head whenever she goes out
in public because that is what the Bible says women should do. Brother
Cole seems to shadow her as far as doctrine goes but he is still VERY
well educated on the Bible. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met.
He's very sincere. You should hear him pray. He has amazing prayers.
Then there's the brother Jim. He loves classical music, but he loves the
Bible a little bit more. To describe how much he loves and knows
classical music i'll tell you a game he'd play with his friend who
equally loves that genre. They used to play a random song and have to
answer the composer, the year it was composed, the orchestra or symphony
performing it on that recording and the conductor of that group. He has
a collection of every piece and not only every piece but several
different orchestras who perform the piece. It's crazy. So anyway, Elder
Baird was talking to him before one of our lessons about classical
music (Elder Baird is a musician and plays bass and is going to BYU as a
music major so he loves classical music as well). They started going of
on all of these composers and conductors they love. Jim said his
absolute favorite was the Cleveland Orchestra with George Szells as the
Conductor. So after that we went on with our lesson talking about a lot
of good stuff with a lot of Bible scriptures mingled in--having to do
with the bible just made me think of something I forgot to mention: the
first night we met we were talking about the Bible and sister Cole said
that Mormons need to read the Bible more but then by me showing her my
Bible and us referencing it so much in our lesson she learned that we
love the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon. When she saw that she
actually gave me this giant book called, "the Strong's Exhausted
Expanded Concordance of the Bible." it's really thick. I love it though.
It's really helpful to study with. Anyway, back to the lesson--so we
were going on and had a pretty heated lesson with them on a lot of
points and by the end we were settling some things and saying how though
our passion is strong we don't want it to ruin our relationship as
brothers and sisters in Christ. There was still some intensity in the
air and Jim said, "well,"--slowly in a very sober and reverent voice,
"there has.. been truth spoken tonight.... George Szells is the
absolute best conduct--" then we all interrupted a bit laughing. He's a
funny guy. Later Brother Cole gave Elder Baird a George Szells CD. He's
really such a good guy.
Well.... I'm outta time to say more.. But just know that I love y'all! God is great! I love life.
Elder Russell.
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