Elder White:
This week was good. We taught this sweet guy in the hood who is a Sophomore in high school, has a child, and has spent almost a year in Juvy. This is what he told us when we asked him why he was in Juvy for 6 months one time, he said on the last day of school his friend dared him, so during lunch he stood up, threw his tray at the lunch lady, turned around punched his teacher in the face (". . . But he was a guy teacher, so it wasn't like I punched a girl!"), and then went around the cafeteria hitting kids in the face. He got tackled and arrested by the school resource officer, but it was all okay, he said, because his friend paid him $40 to do it. We told him, "Wait, What?! You spent six months in Juvenile Detention for $40!?!" That is most assuredly not worth it. Actually, it really did turn out okay, because now he really wants to clean up his life and is reading the Book of Mormon--so that's a start.
The Sister Missionaries in this ward are pretty incredible. They are training a new sister from Vancouver, Washington, and so now they are in a trio, which is commonly known to be the most powerful unit in all of missionary work. The Sister Missionaries cover the northern half of this ward, so they cover the richest part of Virginia Beach. They are currently reactivating and teaching people such as doctors and a lady who is a millionaire. We, on the other hand, cover the southern part of this ward, the poorest part of Virginia Beach, which explains my opening paragraph. We also cover a lot of perfectly normal neighborhoods, but it seems like mostly our area has funny, janky townhouses and apartments. All the normal houses look the same. One Monday we were driving through the Sisters’ area and we drove past a yacht club with one of the most incredible 4-story brick mansions I have ever seen. Not only that, we have seen someone driving a bright orange Lamborghini, too. Needless to say, my experience is very different than the Sister Missionaries experience here in Virginia Beach.
This week we got to be witnesses for the Sister Missionaries' investigators' baptism, which was really fun. It was a mother and daughter who are just the greatest. The daughter is 23 years old and is weirdly similar to me . . . we have all the same interests. She even has the same pair of sunglasses that I do. Her mom, was also baptized, is super funny, really nice, and cries a lot, just like my mom--which is a compliment, because I have the best Mom. Have a blessed week ‘yall.
--Elder White
In Fast in Testimony meeting someone said that they think it's harder to be a member of the church than not being a member. Brother Angelelli in this ward, who is a somewhat recent convert still trying to figure out this whole church-thing, well, he didn't agree with that statement at all, and I trust his opinion. He's the lead psychiatrist for Sentara hospitals, which is a huge deal here. They have like 7 or 8 really nice hospitals around the tidewater area, and this is the email he wrote me about people saying it's harder to be a church member:
"It is easier to not be a member of this church than it is to be a member of this church?
As I look at the common culture of Virginia Beach, I see people going to the beach, drinking, going out at night, being cool, having lots of casual sex, not developing faith, having children out of wedlock, stopping their education, children being raised in broken families, lots of hurt and resentment, depression, anger, struggling to make ends meet, drug and alcohol use to relieve emotional pain and emptiness.
Life is tough. The church helps us by teaching us what to do to be successful.
What I see in active members of the church is happy families of all varieties, people that work hard, people that help others, people that have purpose in life to develop faith, people that are fulfilled by faith, people that have purpose to develop their families, people that smile, people whose eyes sparkle, people that have children whose eyes sparkle, people that have confidence in their place, understand the rules of life, and stand amazed.
Folks you are what you practice. For me it is much easier to be a member."
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