A girl I work with struck up a conversation with me about religion. She told me she was a Jehovah's Witness, had been since she was little, and I sat fidgeting, curious to know if I was supposed to scream, "WILL YOU BE BAPTIZED." or hand her a Book Of Mormon and pat her arm lovingly, saying I'll be sending the missionaries over shortly.
It wasn't until a few days later that somehow my own religion came up (obviously I am not socially able to discuss my religion) and she was excited to know that I was Mormon. Because she had never worked with a Mormon before. Because you know how Mormons ... work ... differently than ... everyone else ... ? After she asked me a few questions and I was like "I srsly ... I have no clue wut to even tell you even though I went to primary and things" she told me that she wanted me to convince her to be Mormon.
And then I said, "Haha ... ha ... what."
I never realized that I couldn't answer the simple question of "What do you believe in?" I couldn't sum it up in less than 30 seconds. I was so befuddled that I was confronted with someone who wasn't of my faith, and needed to be told what it is that we were so happy about. How in the world do I tell you enough, but not too much, but just the right amount, about the LDS church in a concise way, in order to give you something to think about, and to provoke the right questions? It was at this point in time that I decided I should not have grown up in Utah. I didn't wish that I would have served a mission, because I can't stand stubborn people (like myself) and obviously am no good at explaining something that has molded me as a person.
HOW IS IT THAT I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW I AM WHAT I AM BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS BEEN WITH ME SINCE I WAS A WEE BABE.
I am an embarrassment.
Somehow she kept asking questions, questions I had no idea how to correctly answer, or where to even begin.
I got home and told my mom I needed a Book Of Mormon and a Preach My Gospel. But since we live where we do, and abso-fruitly NO ONE ships to, talks to, looks at, or thinks about Australia, it is difficult for me to get a hold of such things.
I managed to tell her about missionaries and how that is usually how one learns and becomes a member, but she was adamant that I tell her about it. She wanted me to teach her because she didn't know the missionaries. I can't even define the Gospel, and she wants me to teach her. This must be a prank.
BTW, "Gospel" means "good news". I didn't know that when she asked me, so we had to Google it together. That's me. As a missionary. Googling the answers to important, life changing questions.
Onward christian soldiers. I'll be at the back trying to keep up.
MP
haha maddie this is awesome! just browsing through your blog of being away for so long cause i was super curious, and i stumbled upon this after looking at all your cool adventures! i think it's awesome. you're a killer missionary. maybe when you get back you should turn in your papers and you'd be sent back to australia and teach/baptize her :) haha! i love it. teach by example and love the heck out of her!
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