Being a holiday, the library is closed today so we are e-mailing from the church. Unfortunately, I got the computer that has been constantly freezing so I don't have much time. I do hope to share a few experiences from the past week. For one, Bo and Ashley O'Keefe were baptized yesterday! For the past two months, they have accepted a date to work towards, because they wanted to be baptized but they continued to face challenges and trials. Afterwards, we encouraged them to pray about a date in which they did. We then went to their house a few days later and they told us that they received their answer and wanted to be baptized May 29th.
Things have went well for them the days before their baptism and they did have their baptism service yesterday. Bo had been looking for work and he was hired a few days ago. His job is not exactly a dream job but he does get to make his own hours and the job does have potential to help them provide for their means.Ashley told us that her mom and dad called her on Saturday and they each told them that they loved her, which she said was rare for them. Their baptism service was a very special experience for them and I hope to share pictures from it next week. Elder Weiland and I got there early to set up and when Bo and Ashley arrived she had seen four rows with twelve chairs in each row and said "Uhh, I don't think we will be needing all of these chairs." While only a few members from Bo's side of the family came to support them, it was good to see a lot of members from the church come to be part of that special day for them.
Bo and Ashley O'Keefe are very awesome people. I know that their life and the lives of their children will continue to be blessed and good things will continue to happen to them. Unfortunately, my companion Elder Weiland is still hoping for a miracle to come within the next week. Last week I was teaching with Petaluma Spanish and Elder Weiland was with Elder Hatch. They were eating lunch and teaching a homeless man outside of Jack In The Box. When they were done, Elder Weiland jumped on his bike and rushed to someone's house he had an appointment to see, thinking the whole time that his backpack was on his back.
After the appointment he rushed back to Jack In The Box but his bag was gone. He believes that the homeless guy, Dennis, has his bag but we haven't been able to find him in the last four days. Our adventure has led us down railroad tracks, to a homeless shelter, and even through a large field of tall grass and large mounds of dirt where small homeless dwellings were set up in certain spots. No one was at the spots, but Elder Weiland left a note at each one. Our adventure brought us a few memorable experiences. One unfortunate one was where we talked to a guy who happened to know Dennis. Elder Weiland asked him if he knew his phone number and the guy thought he had it somewhere.
So here we are along a dirt road behind some train carts and there is a guy kneeling down on the ground going through his wallet trying to find Dennis' phone number. Some other homeless people were walking towards us and I knew what was going to come before it happened, but one of them shouted in a joking way, "Hey, I thought you all were supposed to be good Christians. Now you're pulling people over and asking for ID?" The bag had a lot of papers about the people we teach in this area, but Elder Weiland is anxious to get his memory card for his camera back.
Elder Weiland brought it up to David whom we are teaching and he told Elder Weiland to let it go and maybe whoever took that bag needed more than he did and something in that bag would change their life. Indeed maybe it will. One thing that's comforting to know is that my companion will stop approaching anyone on the street who may have a beard or be wearing a big bag and ask them "Do you know a homeless guy named Dennis?" :)
Well I wish to share more. Unfortunately my time is up. I hope that each and everyone of you are doing well. I'm sorry that there's not enough time to write each and every one of you. It will be soon enough though that we speak again. Another transfer is ending next Monday and a new one will begin. By the way, if you read this and are ever in Petaluma and you love Mexican food, go to Mi Pueblo. I wish I had my camera on me that day to take a picture of the burrito I got for $6.00. Well I'm signing off! 'Til next week.
Take good care of yourselves and each other!
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