Well today was odd. We went outside and it was 80 degrees! That's 30 degrees colder than it was yesterday. It feels so cool and nice. I can't even remember the last time I felt like that.
You know that you're in Las Vegas when you go to Smith's for groceries and there is a room full of slot machines. Good old Las Vegas.
The other day we were just biking along (as pretty much every story I have starts) and enjoying the nice day, when we hear a megaphone on the other side of an apartment building we were next to: "Come out. Come out with your hands up. We just want to talk to you." Certainly not living in a quiet little boring town. This week I also called 911 for the first time in my life! We were doing our studies in front of the window, when the car right outside starts having its alarm go off. We looked outside, and said, "Holy smokes!" (haha, no pun intended) The whole inside of the car was full of smoke and gas rolling around. We called the apartment complex, and they told us to just call the fire department. I must admit, I was a little nervous. It seems like on movies it is always so intense and has lots of panicked yelling and stuff. But they were so calm that it just sounded like scheduling a doctor's appointment. Anyway, within probably 3 or 4 minutes, a firetruck came. They opened the car and I guess it turned out that there were just some pressurized cans of some sort of auto spray that burst in the heat and started leaking pressurized gas everywhere. False alarm. But the firefighters were all super cool. They were all just these awesome looking muscled out guys. They talked with us for a minute and let us get a picture! Almost made me want to be a firefighter.
Elder Parker and I have been doing better than I probably ever have before at just talking to everyone. We literally talk with almost everyone we see. The scene is almost always us biking along until we pass someone walking (either side of the road) or in the driveway. Then we kind of keep pedaling for a second and give each other, "the look". We ask, "should we turn around?" But then we never actually answer the question because those bikes just seem to turn themselves around and we are already heading back. Those bikes must be very connected to the Holy Ghost, because we just find ourselves riding over to people with no idea what to say or why we are doing it. I have definitely seen fulfilment of the promise that, "ye shall have given unto you in the very hour what ye shall say." I think before, I always assumed that this would be a sort of marvelous revelatory experience where I would say something I had never thought of or something that immediately quenches any doubt. However, I think it is just as powerful, but more subtle and simple. Usually we just go over to talk because we want to talk and haven't been able to plan anything, but something comes out that helps us connect with people and start good conversations. I think that really almost everyone we contact is very friendly and opens up a lot. Somehow the Holy Ghost helps us overcome that little awkward barrier of "we are two strangers that have never seen each other, but now I am going to jump off my bike and talk to you for no reason". It is so subtle, but it just works out.
One such time I saw someone down a back alley--and they were wearing an El Salvador soccer jersey! I don't think anyone that hasn't lived in central America would recognize it (just black with some blue trim and a white 'ES'), so I knew I had to talk to him. It was a little funny and he was very surprised that I recognized it. Who knows if anything will come of it, but we got his phone number.
Another fun one was someone late one night that walked out of a gas station and yelled, "Hi, Elders!" We sped over, and met a member who just seemed to be having a hard moment. He said he had moved to Vegas a year or so ago and was just having a hard time feeling at home. We talked for a minute and then offered to say a prayer with him. He was very grateful and said, "Every time I am in a bad spot and am feeling down, I always see the missionaries, and it lifts me up again!" One thing I have learned more than anything else here in Las Vegas is just how if we are on the Lord's errand, he guides us to be where we need to be when we need to be there without us even realizing. There are so many chance interactions we have that we would miss if we were even a minute earlier or later. God loves all his children, and he uses us normal folks to help bless them.
My main man from El Salvador is getting so close to baptism. We taught him tithing, and he stood up, went to his room, and came back with a handful of money and said, "I am ready to pay my tithing right now." He has such strong faith. That was so awesome. He has changed his life so much since we have been with him. All he needs is to be able to say "I know that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was a prophet." Right now he wants to study a little more, but he is so so close and has the purest heart out there. He finally has started reading the Book of Mormon every day, and is making so many awesome changes.
There is no greater work to be a part of than this, and you don't have to be a missionary to be a part of it! Nothing makes you happier.
Elder Harris
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