Mission Memories -- Seminole -- Sister Collett: Part Three

looks like I'm starting off with another incriminating photo.  :-(

this is a picture of me holding our investigators' kid.

It was a mission rule, at least in the FTM, that we were not to touch or hold children.

That was another rule that was difficult to keep because kids loved me!  :-) And I didn't have the heart to not pick them up when they wanted me to hold them.  They wouldn't have understood mission rules :-).

who can blame the poor kid for wanting me to hold him?  :-)

I can't remember this little guy's name.  :-(

He's got to be in his early 20s now.

these are our investigators, the little boy's parents.

I can remember their names either, but we did baptize them.  I don't know where my baptism pictures are of them, but I know I have some.

This was either a media referral or tracting.  I can't remember which.  An interesting thing about the dad/husband, is that he had his ministers degree.  I guess he went to divinity school.  I remember him showing us his diploma.

This was an interesting couple.  When we got invited in to teach the first discussion, and he told us he was a minister -- well, had his degree -- I immediately thought it was going to be a bashing session.

let me just interject something about the people in the South.  Or a least in Florida.  A lot of times they would be super nice to us and invite us in and act like they were interested in hearing our message.  And then after offering us a drink and BRTing a little bit, they would turn on us and want to Bible bash.

When I was green, I fell into the trap, and would bash with them.  Actually, I thought it was kind of fun.  :-) I'm always up for a good debate.  :-), But, soon, I wised up and realized that the Spirit is not there, when there is contention.  And if the Spirit is not there, there is no teaching going on.

The Spirit is the one who teaches, the missionaries are just a mouthpiece.

So, I learned to just bear simple testimony and walk away.  That is way more powerful than trying to prove things intellectually by Bible bashing.  Although maybe not quite as fun :-)

So anyway back to my story about our investigators.  I thought it was going to be another intellectual showdown when he invited us in to teach them the first discussion.  I was prepared to bear my testimony and leave.  Keep in mind, I had a greenie with me, so it was up to me to try to teach her how to handle the situation.

But to my surprise, they were actually sincerely interested in learning the Gospel.

I think this was my first family baptism.  Well, my only family baptism.  Both the husband and wife were baptized.  I don't know whatever happened to them, but I hope they are still active in the church.

Maybe that little boy I am holding served a mission.  :-), One can hope. 

this picture is out of order, but so be it.

Looks like I'm showing off our lovely kitchen :-) 

okay, these pictures are out of order also, but let me just say that this is Madeira Beach.  At least I think it is :-)

As I recall, our district leader who had a bike area, asked if we could switch them their bikes for our car on our P- day. so we met them at their apartment and let them borrow our car.  While we took their bikes to the beach.  :-)

I have pictures of those Elders to post later.

Sister Collett basking in the sun :-) well actually it looks a little overcast.  :-)

Sister Collett striking a pose.

Notice the Elder's bicycle helmet she's wearing :-)

check out my awesome sand castle that I built.  :-) You can see my artistic prowess coming out :-)

notice the FTM that I carved into my sand castle? :-)

It must've been fairly windy by the looks of my F-dude hair.  :-)

Sister Collett and me

Madeira Beach, Florida

I think this is me doing Elder McKinney's favorite pose.  :-)

I have no idea what this is about or what is on my head :-)

another picture of me on Madeira Beach

pretending like I'm lounging at the beach.

I think I was only there long enough for the photo op.  :-)

another cute picture of me :-)

I don't know what I'm doing in this picture.

okay, here's another story for you.  I actually think this picture was taken when I was with my last companion, but the story pertains to the people mentioned above, that we baptized.

If you're wondering what I'm holding in my hand, those would be birth control pills.  Let me explain.

Our investigators that I mentioned above, the guy with the minister's degree and his wife and toddler son.  Well, they gave us that plant you see pictured in front of me. if I remember correctly, they propagated it from another dieffenbachia plant.  I can't believe I remember the name of that plant.  It just came to me.  It's weird the things I remember.

I remember the name of the plant that they gave us, but not the names of the investigators that we actually baptized.  :-) That's how my brain works.

Anyway, when they gave us the dieffenbachia plant they also gave us the birth control pills pictured above, that I'm holding, as fertilizer for the plant.  Now, I personally had never heard of using female hormones, i.e. birth control pills, as fertilizer for plants.  But this guy acted as if it was some sort of secret ingredient that would really help the plant grow.  And hey, you know me, I'm all for doing scientific experiments.

So he gave us detailed instructions on how to take care of the plant. and we gave it birth control pills as directed.

So, the funny part of the story is that we had the plant sitting on one of the tables in our living room.  With, of course, the birth-control pills, sitting next to it on the table.

Now I'm a little vague on how or why the Elders went to our apartment one day, without us being there.  I'm guessing it was either our district leader, or zone leader -- they were probably bringing supplies, perhaps a box of books of Mormon.  But it was odd that they wouldn't meet us somewhere to make the exchange. anyway somehow the Elders got into our apartment, unbeknownst to us.  Which, to my knowledge is the only time that ever happened. 

Anyway, I don't remember if the Elders mentioned anything to us about the birth control pills in plain sight, or not.  But I know they had to have seen them.  And I don't remember if we ever mentioned anything to them about it either.  I'm thinking, we probably did.

But my companion and I had quite a laugh about what the Elders must've thought, when they saw birth control pills in the sister missionaries' apartment.

come to think of it, I don't know how our investigators got a hold of a prescription drug to give to us as plant food.  Unless, she sacrificed her own personal supply.

So, there you have another story about not judging, because things might not be as they appear.