Week #3 in the Field

Holy cow. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I could eat so much Indian food in 2 weeks. Since we've been getting closer and closer to Neeta's baptism we have been visiting her a lot more which is good and bad. It's good because we've been able to keep her on track and not let the trials of the adversary get to her too bad. But it is bad because everytime we see her she insists on feeding us. Whether we just came from a meal or not lol. She works in this Indian vegetarian restaurant and sometimes we visit her there and that's when she really likes to pile the food on our plates. We keep telling her she is going to make us fat but she doesn't buy it lol. Be aware the story I'm about to tell about Neeta's baptism is very long and very crazy. Be prepared. 

So, on Saturday we had Neeta's baptism and oh let me tell you it was a whirlwind of craziness the 24 hours prior to her baptism. So I'll start the night before at about 6pm. So we head over to Neeta's house to visit her husband who is an inactive member with a pretty bad drinking problem. And we had heard from Neeta that he hadn't drank any alcohol in like 4 or 5 days so we were going over there to congratulate him. And of course when we get there we find out that he is drunk. So we go in there and try to talk to him about the baptism and what not and he causes all this commotion and freaks out because Neeta asked Elder McInerny to baptize her. And her husband wanted President Stuart(member of our stake presidency) to baptize her and we tried to convince him that you know it's Neeta's decision and that its up to her who she wants to do it. And he just won't get it and keeps freaking out because he is drunk. And then he really starts to tick off Elder McInerny and he kind of gets pretty aggressive with his words and stuff and is calling us names and what not. And don't get me wrong this is a 4'8 Indian guy that probably weights about 115 pounds. And elder McInerny and I aren't the smallest peas in the pod like you don't want to make either of us mad which is exactly what he was doing. Man it's crazy. Now I know what they say when they say that alcohol is liquid confidence. So finally elder McInerny and I just left because he started saying that if McInerny baptized her that he would divorce her then next day!!! Like what??? This man is cray. So we decide to leave and go talk to Neeta at her restaurant and tell her about what had just happened and she was fine with it. She didn't really care. All she cared about was getting baptized the next day which is awesome. So we finish there and are getting back to our apartment and it's like 9:15 right when we are supposed to be home. So we start working out and whatever then all the sudden at like 10:15 we get a call from Neeta who had just gotten home from work and can't find her husband anywhere. He wasn't answering his phone, his mom didn't know where he was (she lives with them) and so Neeta is freaking out and telling us that she wants to cancel the baptism because she can't find her husband. And so we hop in the car and drive to Neeta's house (remember it's like 10:30 now) and on our way over there we call her husband and he answers us and tells us that he is at President Stuart's house!!!!! And so we talk to president Stuart on the phone and he tells us everything is going to be fine and what not and that he is calming Neeta's husband down and that we should still plan on everything as is for the next day. And so we get to Neeta's and tell her the news and she is relieved that we found him and such. So we decide to leave Neeta's before her husband got home because that would just make him even more mad. So we decide to go to president Stuart's house and kinda follow her husband home to see where he goes and what not. (Remember her husband is still drunk right now, we debated calling the police and reporting a DUI) and so we find him and starting following him and he pulls into a 7-11 gas station and we see him walk inside then walk outside with a case of beer. And he calls us on the phone and tells us that he is going to let Neeta get baptized the next day but that as soon as it's over, he is going to divorce her and then he sends us some texts telling us that we ruined his whole marriage life and that we are making a fool out of Neeta. And he uses some pretty choice verbiage during all this. Like what is wrong man. I never thought I would have to deal with this from a MEMBER on my mission. And so we decide to follow him home and he gets home but never gets out of his car so we park there and just watch him for a little bit and he stays outside in his car for like 30 more mins. Them he drives a little down the street and just parks there. And we come to find out the next day that he just spent the night in his car down the street. And so elder McInerny and I weren't even home and in bed till like midnight trying to deal with all this stuff and we just woke up exhausted the next morning. But the baptismal service was awesome. The spirit was so strong and it was so cool to see my first investigator baptized!! Nothing to crazy happened after the baptism or so we haven't heard anything. But I was able to confirm her yesterday in sacrament meeting and her husband actually came to church but he sat by himself in the back and we never talked to him but ya. It was a crazy 24 hours to say the least. Satan was trying all that he could to not get her baptized but he don't got nothing on elders leishman and mcinerny!!! 

Well, most the rest of the week was pretty normal. Just a lot of tracking. A lot of doors slammed in our faces and people yelling at us. Even little old lady's would freak out on us and it was kind of funny to see someone that looks so calm just flip out when you ask her about Jesus Christ.

But along with confirming Neeta yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting which was surprisingly really easy (blessing of being a missionary). My topic was "oh ye that embark in the service of God". I talked a lot about missionary work and stuff, I also quoted a lot of things from a talk by elder Bruce R. McConkie from the October 1974 general conference titled "Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith". It's such an awesome talk. Many promised blessings that we receive if we are valiant in inviting others unto Christ. But it also talks about some punishment that we can receive if we aren't valiant. All in all, I suggest you all go back and read it it's so great. Ponder the words that he tells us.
(You can read the talk here:  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1974/10/be-valiant-in-the-fight-of-faith?lang=eng)

And also, I invite you guys to look up a talk by Brad Wilcox titled "His Grace is Sufficient". I listened to it this week and it changed my life. It really opened my eyes to the atonement and what Christ really did for us. After you guys listen to it, I want to hear your thoughts so feel free to email me what you think about it.

(You can read the full talk:  https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brad-wilcox_his-grace-is-sufficient/)
(or there is a Re-cap of the talk here:  https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng)

My companion and I are actually going into Washington DC today to go to some of the museums and what not. We are allowed to go into the city via the metro once every transfer! So I'm going into the city for my first time and going to the Mall and seeing all the sights and what not! I'm super excited! I'll be sure to take pictures ! 

To end with a little spiritual thought, here is an excerpt from my talk yesterday: 

Now there neither are nor can be any neutrals in this war. Every member of the Church is on one side or the other. The soldiers who fight in its battles will either, with Paul, come off victorious and win “a crown of righteousness,” or they shall, in Paul’s language, “be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” in that day when he comes to take “vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thes. 1:9, 8.) ..... "In this war all who do not stand forth courageously and valiantly are by that fact alone aiding the cause of the enemy."

Are we in or are we out? I'm definitely in. There is no gray area. It's all black and white. It's the Saviors way or it's the worlds way. Make your choice. And "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". (Joshua 24:15)

Much love from DC 

Elder Leishman

Eating Indian Food with Neeta