This week was pretty crazy. We taught two of the koolest lessons ever taught.
The first of those were to this one guy who walked up to us on Oakum Street (which is the hood) and he was shirtless and covered in tattoos (namely a tattoo of Jesus covering most of his chest) and he had a gold grill so all of his top front teeth were gold. For a second we were a little worried, but then he asked us what church we are from, so we told him, and then he asked us how he could come to church! So we told him that if he had a little time we could go sit down and teach him a little about it. We were teaching him the Restoration, and it went so well he understood everything we discussed. When we asked him about what happened after the apostles in the New Testament died, he told us that would mean that the authority they held from Christ wasn't passed on and was lost. We didn't even get to invite him to be baptized because before we even had the chance--he asked us, "So how do I get baptized, I want to change and be better I am tired of being in trouble all the time I want to be better. Will you guys help me be baptized?" So of course we told him how and that it would take a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and he told us, "I know. I am gonna need help. Will y'all be there to help me along the way?" After the lesson he even told us next time we came to teach him he would make sure all of his friends were there!
The next lesson this week that was really awesome was yesterday. Elder Pitts felt we should go see these people who neither of us had ever met. Elder Pendlebury and Elder Hintze taught them while I was on Exchanges in Elizabeth City three weeks ago. We got there and she walked out of her house to greet us because she was so excited. Her adult son and his son were there too. We started teaching the Restoration and at first it was going so bad it was seriously awful. The lady’s son was saying crazy stuff and was all over the place, but then we asked some rather inspired questions and the lesson turned completely around for the better. It turns out he is a rapper. We would ask him a question and sometimes he would respond by rapping to us, and he is actually very good, good enough he's making a living by doing it. Not only that but, he raps about God and spiritual kinds of things. Throughout the lesson he would have us listen to a song he made over their absurdly loud stereo system. If you were listening carefully could have heard at least three states away. . . At first when he said he wanted to play us one of his songs we were a little worried that it would disrupt the lesson, but it didn't. The songs were completely clean, no profanity, and they all had a very uplifting message. When we got to the part in the lesson about the Book of Mormon, when we taught him what it was, he got so excited. Previously in the lesson he had been talking about how he just feels like over time the Bible has been changed and corrupted, and that there must be a lot missing from it. When we told him about the Book of Mormon he told us, "Wait, you are saying there's more!? And that this Book has the answers to the questions I have about God's plan for us here!? I have one question, how can I get a copy? I have to study it!" He said he doesn't go to church because he has so many problems with them, like: having paid clergy, having the one preacher stand up and talk the whole time, passing around a collection plate in the service, their inability to answer his most important questions, and a whole host of other problems. The more we shared about the Church with him, the more the whole family got interested, because the Church has answers to all of his most important questions, and doesn't do any of the things that they have problems with when they go to other churches. Before we left we had him look up, "James, the Mormon" who is a returned-missionary who raps about the gospel and the Church and is just as good as anyone out there. We listened to a few of his songs with them, and he was so hyped he told us, "Now this here is music I have to share with my friends!" Then he referred us to his brother. So all-in-all it was a pretty good lesson, and so, Yes--we are teaching a professional rapper.
We were out in Ahoskie this week and we stopped to see the old Ahoskie branch building that the church still owns and it's even still fully furnished and still has the pictures hanging on the walls, even though it's been closed for a few years now. The building is significant though because when my companion, Elder Pitts' grandfather and grandmother were on their senior couple mission, he served as the Ahoskie Branch President, and he was solely responsible for getting them a building to meet in! Before they got their own little building they were meeting in more-or-less a beer joint. Every Sunday morning Elder Pitts' great grandpa and Brother Casper (who I am good friends with because now he's in the Franklin Ward) would go to the hall they met in and would sweep out all the beer cans and cigarette butts. So it must have been meant to be that Elder Pitts is here with me, President Baker had no idea that his great Grandpa even served a mission in this part of the world.
This is President and Sister Baker's last week here on their mission. President Weed will be here next Thursday to meet us. President Baker told us that the moment his foot touches Virginia soil he presides over this mission and is the mission president starting right then. This Sunday all the missionaries in our stake will be singing at stake conference for him, because it will be the very last time he will speak in stake conference as a mission president. Speaking of singing, Yesterday at church since it was Fathers Day (Happy Fathers Day, Dad!) the Primary kids were going to sing, and Sister Cupps, who is the Primary President, thought it would be really nice if we would sing with the primary kids. The only problem was that no Primary kids showed up! So Elder Pitts and I sang a duet (!)with the only prior preparation being singing through it one time that morning before church started! Not going to lie, it was kinda nerve-racking, but maybe there is a gift of the Spirit for good tone and intonation, because everyone told us they thought we did great and that they loved it (although I have a feeling they were just being nice, but Mom and Dad would've been proud anyway). At zone conference this week all of my companions from my mission were there so we all took a funny picture together which will be included below and a Picture of me and Elder Pendlebury on the last day he was here in Edenton.
Have a blessed week y'all; I'll talk more next week!
-- -Elder White