Alright, so here's the thing. I was going to take some pictures of the areas that I work in, just so you could get an idea of what the places look like...but I forgot. I got a couple last night, but that's about it. #shorry But hey, I still love you all!
So this weekend we had a couple sad experiences happen. Tis true, feel free to shed a tear or two. I did. The first was with this new person that we've been working with called Joseph. He's friends with Louis Laguerre, who got baptized last week. He came to the baptism and stayed for all of church, so we were all like "Heck yeah Broseph!" This week, we worked with him a lot, and he said that he wants to be baptized this Sunday! On Saturday, he asked us if we could help him with a job application since he knows no English. We quickly learned how bad of a situation he is in. When we got there, he gave me the resume that had made and asked if it was alright. It just had his name (spelled wrong) and three jobs that he'd had previously. So I ended up making him a nice new one, which took about an hour, while my companion went through some applications with him. After I finished the resume, I asked him how he'd applied for the other three jobs that he'd had here. He said he hadn't had those jobs, those were just ones that he wanted to get. So turns out his whole resume was a lie. He didn't even get to go to college like he had written. That's just something he would like to do. I felt so bad! He's never had a job since moving here, he doesn't really have an education because graduating from a Haitian high school, he has no money or car, he walks around 20 miles a day looking for a job, and he has an 8 year old who he drops off at friends houses everyday because they don't have their own home. Poor guy!! Some people move from haiti thinking that they'll find success just because they're in America. But even what all of these things happen to them, they still prefer America to Haiti. Makes me wonder what Haiti is like. From what Elder Claude has told me, it's not the best of places...Speaking of which, apparently Elder Claude was kidnapped in Haiti by his aunt when he was 8. Cool story. maybe I'll tell you later;)
But yeah, so I was pretty sad about that. Still, once he gets baptized, the ward will be able to help him out, especially since Louis just got called as the Creole Employment Specialist!!! Woohoo!
Yesterday at church, we had Marie-Andre meet with the Bishop to discuss her getting married to her husband/boyfriend so she can be baptized. Her situation's still a little weird. They had some guy forge her marriage certificate in Haiti so she could move here, but it wasn't a real marriage liscense and now she's guilty because she knows it's not real and doesn't want to be baptized like that. So they're paying the same guy to forge a divorce certificate (pretty sure it's all a scam). But the thing is, apparently her husband/boyfriend guy doesn't want her to get baptized, and as we found out yesterday, if he doesn't agree with it all and get married to her legally in the next couple of months, she'll have to go back to Haiti. She just started crying when she was telling us this, and my heart broke again. These poor Haitian people just have it so hard! And they're so willing to get baptized and do the things that they're supposed to, but they've got so many trials. Oh man. On the more positive side, i decided that once I'm rich and successful for doing some sort of something that I haven't decided on yet, I'm going to open up an orphanage in Haiti where kids can get a real education and have a chance for a more successful and happy future.
Anyway, those are my stories for the week. Sorry they're super sad, but it really hit me this week how hard these poor Haitians have it out here.
I read a super good talk this week called Be Anxiously Engaged by Elder Ballard. It talks about how each bee only makes 1/12 teaspoon of honey in their lifetime. It doesn't seem like a lot at all, but combined with the work of the whole hive, it makes a lot more. Honey has the nutrients necessary to sustain life (ask John the Baptist if you ever have the time). But it just hit me that each member of the church, missionary or not, is like a bee. If you work hard all your life in bringing others to the church, whether by example or some other means, then, even if the outward results seem small, it makes a huge difference overall. Cool stuff! My testimony of member missionaries has grown a lot over here! We wouldn't be anything without the missionaries. All of our baptisms so far have been member referrals. And we try to get at least 10 lessons with members each week. True story, tell your friends! But yeah, be a bee, because 12 bees make a teaspoon of honey, and honey tastes really good!
I love you all. I'll send some photos of me and Elder Claude being random in a second. Hope you have a great week. Sorry this emails a little weird, it's just been a weird week. Love you!!!
Elder skidmore
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