Drugs, Shoe Fetish, and Witchcraft

It's been an interesting week, to say the least. I'm still trucking along here in West Valley, I'm glad I stayed because I love the members so much, but a little disappointed that I didn't leave, I'm getting a little tired of the Granger Stake, it's just so tiny, there's not a lot of work to do! We have had a few more referrals this week, so hopefully things start picking up. Conference weekend, what a time to be a missionary in the Salt Lake City mission! I have tickets to the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning sessions. We have an investigator we are trying to get to conference. He's a black Muslim man from Africa. He wants to know about prophets and is very curious. He is very sincere when he asks us a question. Anyways, we have two tickets for him for Saturday afternoon, and he is trying to get out of some plans he already made for the weekend. Our mission president promised us that if we get our investigators to conference, and they see the prophet with their own eyes, they WILL get baptized! Getting him to conference for us is a TOP PRIORITY! Hopefully all works out and he will be able to come! The companion and I are still getting along, he is getting better about wanting to work hard and focusing on the work. My new leaders are interesting. Our new zone leader goes home after this transfer, and so being as trunky as he is, being a leader is not too important to him right now. And my new district leader is a short kid from Peru, who carries around a toy light saber with him...yup. It's a very interesting zone right now, to say the least! They are both nice though, I'm sure we will get along.

The highlight of the week would have to be our random phone call from Adam. Adam calls us out of the blue, asking if we are the missionaries, we say we are. (We met this Adam the following Sunday at church, he is not all there if ya know what I mean) He then begins to confess all of his sins and desires to know from us what he should do. "I'm really into drugs, which I know is a sin. I also have a pornography problem, but I also have a fetish with women's shoes and I wanted to know if that is like witchcraft or what, cause that's like devil stuff, and I'm ready to throw my shoe collection away, but I wanted to know first how bad it is." "Well, Adam, first off ALL of those things are very bad, you are right, witchcraft IS like devil stuff, don't do it anymore. Secondly, you need to talk to your Bishop about these things, you don't need to tell us all the bad stuff you do, ok?" "Oh, really? Oh ok, I will do that, but do I really need to give up the shoes?" "....(giggle giggle) yes Adam, you need to throw them away (shhhhhh stop laughing Elder!) will you do that?" "Yeah I will, thanks Elders, see you at church!" (Click). "Elder Burkard? Yes Elder Warczak? ...I am NOT shaking his hand on Sunday!!!"

We didn't stop laughing for minutes! With all the drama of a missionary life, there are moments like this one that make it into your journal that you will tell time and time again for the rest of your life! Wherever you are Adam, thank you for providing my week with a little humor. I'm typing this in the Family History Center, across from Temple Square. I am truly grateful to be here in Salt Lake. I think I'm over the weirdness of being so close to family and friends. I'm sure I will see some friends at conference this weekend, but I'm not focused on that. I get to hear the prophet and twelve apostles speak, I get to hear what my Heavenly Father wants me to do right now! I cannot wait! I know the weeks after conference I will be all jacked up and pumped to do missionary work, I just hope I will be able to keep that excitement alive and not lose it.

After this weekend it's a suit jacket everyday for me until next conference...I really hope the sun goes away, if not I will surely die! It's still so hot, it's been 90 this week! I can't walk around in a jacket! So I need everyone to pray that the sun stays down, maybe I will give Chanticleer the rooster a call from "Rock-A-Doodle" and tell him not to crow, that should do it right? Haha I'll survive, there are missionaries in the jungles everyday, I can handle wearing a jacket. I look forward to writing next week and telling you any fun conference stories I experience. All who read this better watch it, even if you're not a member of the church, just do it! Take care and be safe, until next time!

Elder Scotty

*editor's note - we watched "Rock-A-Doodle" all. the. time. as kids. So sorry if that doesn't make sense to any of you, but the Warczak kids all got it!