#55 [Tortola - 1] Mar. 31st, 2014

  So this week has been weird because I’m having a hard time getting into preaching the Gospel in English. It’s fun every once in a while, but now I’m doing it all the time. I don’t feel like it’s as spiritual for me. It’s weird. But we had some funny experiences this week. My companion is Sister Butler, like I said last week, and she reminds me of Rach SOO much!! We have been having a lot of fun. It’s also my first time being the junior companion since I started my mission, so I feel like a greenie again. I know nothing about the area, we drive on the other side of the road, and then the language is a struggle for me because the English here isn’t really understandable especially on the phone! It’s funny because I really do feel like I can’t do anything! But I’m happy to be here; I love the people and the culture is refreshing. People walking next to you on the street actually acknowledge you and greet you with a pleasant, "good afternoon," so it’s different. And they're very polite on the road, as well, so it's not anywhere near as scary driving here as it was in Puerto Rico, even if I am on the other side of the road!
 
Tortolians are a very kind, polite people. Easy for contacting purposes. They're almost TOO nice, though. A kid asked me to be his girlfriend this week. He posed the question when my companion was on the phone. I said no, though, since I’m already taken. He was very persistent, I think he was high on something. When I continued explaining other reasons why I wasn’t interested, I said, "I don’t have time for dating right now," and he said creepily, "we could make time for each other!" So that was the last straw and we left. He didn't want a Book of Mormon, either. It was just super awkward.

We’ve been visiting the couple I visited with Sister Burgess when I came here back in February, A__ and M__, from the DR. Since then, A__ has been baptized but M__ hasn’t, but they were both so excited to see me! I was too. I love them so much! And were also visiting other Dominicans, a guy named W__, who will be baptized after Conference weekend, and his friend, G__. We taught G__ the Plan of Salvation and when we got to the part about the 3 heavens, he stood up from his chair and started freaking out, and pointing at Sister Butler, he said, "I DON’T BELIEVE THAT! YOU ARE PREACHING FALSE DOCTRINE!" And so we explained and showed him the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 15 and after we read it, his face was priceless when he said, "...There are... 3." He was amazed! It was so cool though to teach him something he never knew before and see him understand and accept a doctrine he didn’t know before.

I'd been looking forward to seeing the General Women's Meeting on Saturday, all week long, and when we went to the chapel, the internet connection was awful and it took forever for us to see the program, so we all just went home and watched it Sunday morning before Church. It was great. I enjoyed it a lot and I feel like the music was probably the best part. I was trying to look for people I know, but I couldn't spot anyone.

The Branch is really great here, they're all really nice and really welcoming. I loved Church yesterday. We're learning about Family History work and it's great. We had 10 investigators at Church, too! The work is going well here and I'm excited for everything. I feel like I'm walking in to a bunch of baptisms, so I feel bad because Sister B__ didn't get to see all her hard work through, but that's okay. It's all the same.

I have an address everyone can send mail to! Hurray!

Sister Marissa Ann Erickson
P.O. Box 8309
PMB 512
Cruz Bay, St. John
U.S.V.I. 00831

J__ (from Cidra) got baptized apparently. I'm really happy about it, too. :)

Well anyways, I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Conference weekend! I can't believe it's my last one as a missionary! It's going to be wonderful!! I love you and miss you so much!!

-SISTER Erickson

Tortola Island - pic from the web