"This I do know, that the Lord does look after His missionaries"

Latest email messaage from Elder Edgell (June 21, 2010)

"Hello!

First of all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Well, it was a pretty crazy weekend for Elder Dean and I. This past week wasn't as hectic, kind of slow, but once the weekend hit it was pretty crazy.

Our baptism date for July(Taylor) is doing well. We got to teach her yesterday after church. It was a very good lesson, we taught her the Plan of Salvation, she understood everything. We also set a wedding date with her and her member boyfriend...the boyfriend is less active, and they are living together. But she knew that if she wanted to be baptized she had to get married first, so looks like we are having a wedding before the baptism on the 23rd of July. And then she wants to get sealed in the temple, which will be next July or August...next July will be her year mark as a member, so I will be looking forward to coming back out next July to see them sealed as a family. Anyways, we taught about 30 lessons this week, not as many as the week before, but the work here is moving forward, and progressing.

It is still super humid and hot. It has been in the 100's or close to the 100's all week. Yesterday I think the hottest we saw was 99*. Saturday both my companion and I had heat exhaustion. We didn't get enough water in our systems before we left. But we definitley learned our lesson.

Story time! This happened to us yesterday evening:

So there we were, West Nasvhille...in the hood. We went to TRY and see a less active member, named Korina. When we knocked on the door her husband answered the door, and all he said was, look at the sign (there was a NO SOLICITING sign) and then shut the door, but we were determined to find out if Korina lived here or not so we could update our ward list....he shut the door with all that he was saying. Elder Dean was determined to find out, so he yelled through the door and said "Does Korina live here?"(By the way we did this in a very very nice way) he didn't say it loud enough so I continued to say...Does Korina live here?! He then opened the door and said.. ya, boys yall are on private property, as he pulled a nice shiney gun out of his pocket, cocked it and said do I have to use this...we then said no sir, and booked it out of there.....First time a gun has ever been pulled on me and hope it never happens again...it was a frightnening moment, but we are safe thankfully.

Another story...on the lighter side of things, we got to go to a Free Will Baptist church last night as well. It was a good sermon. It was based on Acts, chapter 2, where Peter testifies about Christ's resurrection. It was pretty good. Afterwords as we were walking out, there was a guy standing at the door, and said thanks for coming out, and then got us outside where he then hardcore threw anti at us.O f course as much as I wanted to say something I knew it would turn into a bash, but I just sat there and listened to him, and then tried to tell him the things that he was saying were wrong and we don't believe anything which he was saying...some of the things were that we weren't christian, cult etc., etc. but anyways we are now teaching the pastor that gave the sermon last night, and he seems really interested.
So we have had a very interesting week/weekend. But this I do know that the Lord does look after his missionaries, and protects them.

Hope everyone is doing well, and staying cool, I am glad we have the car this week so that we don't have to suffer another HOT week, because its supposed to be even hotter this week. I did get your package and thank you mom :) :).

Other then being hot and having guns pulled on us, we are doing good here. working hard and teaching lots :). This week looks like it's going to be another good/hectic week. Interviews/District meeting tommorow, temple Wednesday, which I'm excited about.

I think that's it for this week....hope ya'll have a good week, and stay cool.

Love you!

-Elder Edgell"