Here some excerpts from Justin's recent letters:
3/39/06
On thursday Elder Sosa got partially inducted into sunnyside. That morning we had a few extra hours to do laundry and other stuff because the day before we had president interviews, and Elder Sosa wanted to get a haircut. He called president to ask him about how short he could have it and he said as long as it is long enough to part it's okay. So we went to Texas Southern University's student center and found a barber shop. It was a small place with two barbers going at it on people's hair so we took a seat and waited our turn. When it was Elder Sosa's turn he got in the chair and the guy asked him how long he wanted it. He said he wanted it really short on the sides and about an in long, or finger length, on the top. So he went to work. He did the sides fine, but when he cut the top he buzzed it! Elder sosa couldn't see any of this either because he was facing away from the mirror. When he finished he turned him around to see himself. Elder sosa got a worried look on his face and said, "uhh, i don't think that's one inch." and then the guy seriously said, "yeah it is, actually, that's about three inches. When elder sosa tried to deny that he said "If we got a ruler out right now and measured it, it would be three of them little notches." Elder sosa was about to lose it in this guys face, and i was ready to bust a gut. But elder sosa controlled himself well and the guy only charged him five bucks because of the misunderstanding. What had happened is that he used a #3 attachment on the top, not knowing that that was millimeters, not inches. And he said that he'd been cutting hair for 16 years. I was busting up most of the way home, elder sosa is a good sport, too, so he's over it. Go figure, only in sunnyside.
R. came to church this sunday and basically bore her testimony about how she knows this church is true. She is coming to general conference this next week. It's hard to get back with her during the week because she has to take care of her godmother and she has school, but she has read from 3nephi 11 to 27.
We got back with E. again. It was amazing, one night we just decided to go over there. We knocked on the door and when he answered, i'll never forget this, he had a book of mormon in one hand and a pen in the other and you could see that the page was all marked up. Anyway, he is still reading and praying and he wants to get baptised now. The Lord really is blessing us.
4/5/06
Conference was great! We watched it over at the broadway building since that is our stake center. It's sad, but none of our investigators showed up. I think that i may have gotten more out of this conference than out of any other conference. I have definitely grown to recognize the promptings of the spirit. And now i will do my best to prayerfully follow them.
I went on exchanges the other day to broadway and i realized three things.
1) How much i hate car areas. I felt less effective all day, driving around and not talking to everyone, like in sunnyside. I longed for my bike again.
2) How much i missed sunnyside. The culture is different over there and so the way that you teach is different too, even though they are right next door. I missed chillin back in the crib.
3) How much i missed Elder sosa. He is a really great guy, and maybe one of the purposes of exchanges was to help me to realize that for myself.
4/13/06
When you said that so many different churches have so many different types of worship service, you werent' kidding! There's this church over in Broadway, not in my old area but the north area, and they are advertising a "live crucifixion" on this saturday and sunday. I think both the north and the south broadway elders are going to see it. It should be quite interesting. I just hope they can get it on tape, or maybe that we can go. I wonder who the lucky person is who is going to be playing the role of Jesus. I wonder how real it will be. I will let you know if i have the privilage of going.
We finally found out where R. is. We went to her godmother's house on sunday and found out that she has moved to the south west side of houston with her boyfriend. That was disappointing, but at least we know what's going on now. I really hope that she acts on what she knows inside.
Our most promising investigator right now is T. We met T. on the street. She is 19 years old and has two little kids. We talked about the book of mormon with her and her eyes lit up and she asked us to come over. We have been able to teach a few lessons to her where she has felt the spirit. We just need her to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet.
Actually something pretty darn sweet happened one day while we were there. She live in a pretty ghetto apartment complex where all of the buildings are pretty close together. Right next to her apartment, however, there is an open space which is all paved, where there were a lot of "gangstas" hanging around. She lives on the second story, right next to this open place. As we taught these thugs (actually, most of them were probably just teenagers) were walking back and forth, and eyeing us. One of them actually stole the light off my bike right from under us. We taught our lesson to her outside of the apartment on a table. When we were done we went downstairs and a lot of these thugs were still all congregated by the courtyard. We unlocked our bikes and as we got on them one of the thugs, on the opposite side of us said, "can i ask you a question?"
Elder Sosa and i said "Sure."
But T. looked down from the second story at us and said "you can leave now."
I said, "we just need to answer a question for this guy"
but she cut me off and said, "leave, now," with some worry in her voice this time
We could both take a hint so we shoved off. No sooner had we started than we started seeing eggs splat to the left and right of us, and the thugs started laughing. You could probably imagine that this made us pedal a LOT faster. They continued to throw eggs at us untill we were out of the exit gate. We all know the story of Samuel the Lamanite, though, and none of the eggs hit us. It was AWESOME. We were both a little shaken but it was one of the coolest things that has ever happened to us. I was reminded of the card you sent me on the first day in the MTC where it has the picture of the guy who served in england and had the eggs thrown at him. I kept thinking, "It really does happen." T. and her family were disgusted with the actions of their neighbors and called the police, they told us the nesxt time. T. was tipped off by her sister.
4/26/06
We've got some awesome news this week. Some great things have been happening. We visited T. on thursday and asked her to read 2nephi 31-32 and to pray about the book of mormon and everything. She said that she would. The next day we went over and she said that she did and she got an answer! It was awesome. She said that she would get baptized and make a lifelong commitment. Then we taught the law of chastity. This posed a problem because she is living with her boyfriend. But they both want to get married and they've even talked about it. We're going to talk about setting a date to get married and hopefully we'll get to talk to the boyfriend.
We also have great news with E. At the beginning of the week we asked E. to start reading from the beginning of the Book of Mormon. We had Exchanges with the branch presidency on Thursday night and so Elder Sosa and President Poll went over to check on him that night. He had already read from 1 nephi 1 to chapter 5. It was amazing. But on saturday, when we went to check up on him he had read all the way to 2nd nephi 4!!!!!!! We were both floored, it was a miracle. There was something different about him, as well. He seemed happier, and more energetic. That's the power of the book of mormon, and i'm grateful for it.
We also had a lady pass out this sunday. A bunch of people tried to help her out but we ended up calling the ambulance. It was pretty eventful. We'll have to let you know how she ends up. Yeah, so this lady is a member who just moved into our area. She's the sweetest lady in the world. We had just delivered her a large print book of mormon this past week and i thought she was going to die of excitement.
5/4/06
We have a new investigator, his name is F. He is a college student who wants to change his life. He has tattoos all over his body and last week he told us a story about how he got shot. By the way he looks, you wouldn't think he's that kind of person, he dresses well and he wears glasses. We have taught him the first lesson and part of the second. We are going back tonight to teach him some more along with his friend. He is catching on really well, last week he explained to his friend about how all the preachers today are false prophets.
Last Friday we had a zone conference where we got to hear from a general authority. His name was Elder Colicker. He told us many things, among which was that we need to get our investigators to pray more. It was a good experience.
No one fainted this sunday.
We are going to try to get a FHE group started in the branch becasue there are a lot of single ladies and not enough families.
The sunnyside story of the week came on tuesday when i was on exchanges with Elder Connel. We stopped to talk to an old lady and this guy came over, who had a beer bottle in his hand (he was also the lady's son) and started to preach to us, basically. He also gave us 75 cents for us to get a soda, he wouldn't be turned down. After all this he had us hold hands and end in prayer. during the prayer he called us wolves in sheep's clothing, but i dont' know if he meant that, cause he was drunk. Then he sent us off, but soon after called us back. When we came up to him he started SINGING, "Jesus is the answer, for this world today..ayay, above Him there's no other, Jesus is the way" then he asked us to join in. Pretty soon his mother joined in and it seemed like i was in some crazy musical. After we finished he said thank you and sent us off.
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