However, I remember clearly being bribed by my friend Jake to set up that appointment. The incentives? My best friend and I had planned a trip to Las Vegas where Jake and Andrew would meet us to hang out. They had since moved back to Utah and I was still located in California. If I didn't set up that meeting, they would not pay for anything. I repeat, nothing, nada, zip, zero.
I quickly stopped in my tracks and knew the time had come. I had been asking questions about the LDS church for weeks and had refused to meet with the Elders. The appointment was to be set at Jakes parents house, which is around the corner from mine. I just didn't feel comfortable meeting with them in my own home.
That evening was in more or less words, weird and/or awkward from my perspective I didn't know these strange boys who were younger than me and I kept worrying about what Jake's parents were thinking of how I reacted to the lesson. I was not focused on what I was being taught, and all I felt was uncomfortable, but from my own mental doing.
Something stuck with me though, the following few weeks I didn't meet with them, yet kept thinking about it. I gave in and set the terms of meeting at the church. I felt like it was a place where I wouldn't worry about being judged (even though I never was), and it took off from there. Their persistence and eagerness to teach me was exactly what I needed.
I craved more information and more knowledge. I wanted to understand everything, all at once. Every meeting I would come with countless questions which were never short of crazy. They extended all the way to, "so what do you think about dinosaurs on the earth?" Throughout my day, all I thought about was answers I didn't have, but wanted to ask. I saw my life changing, I put effort into it. I wanted to be better.
My social life pretty much went down the drain. Between work and a dental assisting program I was in, the lessons and thoughts that they left me with, consumed my life. It was difficult and great all at the same time. Coping with the loss of my friends and gain of this knowledge was a task in itself...
Want to know more about the church? CLICK HERE.
Me and Elder Ongolea, one of the first missionaries to help teach me.
I wasn't aware at the time that they weren't supposed to hug girls,
I'm sure I forced a couple of those without realizing it, oops.
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