January 30th letter

I'm not sure what to say today.  I've had a rough week.  I really appreciate all of the loving emails I have gotten this week.  I miss the family and feel very homesick right now.  Rest assured that I am trying my hardest to lose myself in the work and control the things I can; like how much I work.  President and Sister McDonough check on me frequently and have expressed their love for me and for our family.

I thought that a lighthearted story from Jackson, MS would be good!  

We went to visit a potential investigator in his halfway house yesterday.  He wasnt home.  As we were walking away a man came running out and stopped us.  He asked to talk with us.  So we sat at a picnic table outside.  His name is Excel and he was a 57 year old black man with no teeth and I'm pretty sure he was drunk.  He kind of bashed with us for a while and we decided it was best that we leave so we were starting to go.  He told us he wanted to meet with us again and I asked him "what are you expectations when meeting with us?" He told us he wanted to come to an understanding.  So I said "Well, when you get with us, what are you expecting...." at which point he stands up and gets in my face and shouts "GET with you!?  You think I want to GET WITH YOU!?" and started shouting all these other things.  I was in shock because there is no way I was ever trying to imply that I wanted to "get with" a drunk 57 year old man with no teeth! My companion calmed the situation by assuring him that I meant "get together with us, as in have a meeting" and he calmed down after that.  I chuckled about that for a while.  I havent even left the United States and there is still a language barrier! 

Hope you guys enjoyed the story! 

I love and miss all of you guys.  Keep me in your prayers as I keep you in mine!

Love,

Sister McElderry