It has been a long stressful week. We do not currently have a car anymore and I am the reason why. Let's just say our car made very good friends with a telephone pole this week. On Tuesday it was beginning to snow in the morning but it wasn't that bad. In the afternoon it was starting to snow a little more but still good enough to go to Lunenberg. So we went to Luneneberg and we tried to go street contacting but no one was out so we stopped by a former investigator. We knocked on her door and she let us right in. We ended doing some How To Begin Teaching. She said she would ask her husband if it would be okay if we met with them and then get back to us in 2 weeks. After the lesson the snow is really starting to come down so we decided to head back to Bridgewater. So we proceeded to do so. The road back to Brigewater is very windy and curvy. It's scary enough as it is let alone when it's snowing hard. I came up on a tough turn and skidded a bit before having control of the car again. But then I came up on a another sharp turn and I skidded again. Only this time I didn't regain control of the car. As we were approaching the turn I heard at the last minute "slow down." By then it was too late. In the blink of an eye we skidded off the road into the ditch and hit a telephone pole. We called the vehicle coordinator and he told us to call a tow truck. So we did and we waited on the phone for about 10 minutes. In the meantime lots of people kept pulling over and asking us if we were okay. We finally got hold of the tow truck but then waited for another 10 minutes for it to get there. It got there and it towed our car out of the ditch and then the sisters dropped everything they were doing to come pick us up. And now we have no car.
The good news is no one got hurt. The bad news is we have no car now and we don`t know when we will get a new one. My driving privileges have also been revoked on my mission. So we have been traveling by foot since Tuesday and we have had the Sisters pick us up and drive us places. It has all added up to be a inconvenience for everybody involved. Our area is very spread out and without a car it's hard to get as much work done. It has been a hindrance on the work. I have felt very upset with myself for going too fast in a snowstorm on icy roads. I know better than to be going that fast in winter. I have been taking it really hard. I'm doing the Lord's work out here, So yeah it's been a rough week for me.
On Thursday, it was transfer day. For transfers we woke up early in the morning and dropped off Elder Darche at the mission office. Then we got a temporary car for the day. Me and Elder Quinton got put with guess who for the day. We got paired with Triston Barr. It was a little weird being with him at first. I'm so used to Stirling Triston, not missionary Triston. It took some getting used to. We went knocking with him in Cole Harbour. On the very first door he knocked on, the person opened the door.
Elder Barr: Hi how are you.
Person: Good, you.
Elder Barr: Good my name is Elder Barr and this is Elder Quinton and Elder Eric. I mean Elder O'Brien. We're missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Do you have a few minutes that we could share a message with you.
He did pretty good except when he called me by my first name. But that's understandable :P That's all he's ever known me as. But he did a pretty job for his first day. His flight did not get in until 5 in the morning so he was really tired. He seemed more mature than my last memory of him. So I got to catch up with him about Stirling and about you guys and Chris. It was nice. I hope I made a good impact on him for his first day out in the mission field.
After transfers were over, we picked up Elder Evans and drove back to Bridgewater. Then for New Years Eve we went to a Progressive Dinner where we went from house to house and had appetizers at one house, dinner at another house, dessert at the last house. It was fun. So that is how we celebrated New Year's Eve :).
On Friday, the Sisters drove us to Halifax for a WebEx meeting. It was a mission-wide training from the Assistants. They showed us a new retention sheet online and they went through every detail on how to fill it out. After the meeting all the metro missionaries had a pizza party. By the time it was over, it was 9 o'clock at night. So we drove back with the Sisters and when we got home it was 10:30.
On Saturday, we knocked into this really nice lady who very politely told us that we weren't Christian. I told her that we are. She said no you're not because you don't follow Jesus Christ. I said when it comes down to it we just simply invite people to read the Book of Mormon and found out for themselves if it is true. I did it in a very patient and loving way. Then as we were walking away she said you should read the New Testament. Elder Quinton responded we do every day! She was very lovingly trying to bash with us.
I have enjoyed being back with Elder Evans. It has felt like I never left him. He is still the same as when I left him. He probably knows me better than any other companion. We talk frequently about our experiences in Woodstock together.
Have a good week!
Love,
Elder O'Brien (the older)
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