Keep Your Ax Sharpened: Elder Surette is Dead

Elder Surette and me for one of the last times.

Hello all,

Elder Surette is going home this week. Tomorrow he departs for the mission home to spend his last few moments as a missionary surrounded by all the people who are just as ready to go home as he is.

Meanwhile, back in Gatineau, I'll be hanging out and receiving Elder Vargas as my final companion. I've talked to him once, and if I remember correctly he's from Southern Texas (so southern, in fact, that it's pretty much just Mexico). I think he's been on his mission for about a year, most of which he's spent serving Spanish. I think it will be a good transfer, all things considered. I'll send pictures next week.

In other news, the work drags on. We had not very much to do this week, much to the chagrin of Elder Surette. Monday was especially difficult because it was hot, humid, and we had nothing but hours and hours of finding time. Not ideal conditions for an easy end of a mission, but he told me that the thought of the ice cream In our apartment is what kept him going to the end.

Yesterday, we had just as little planned, but we really lucked out in thinking of productive things to do. We spent the whole day calling old potentials in our area Book, and then passing by as many of them as we could. The end result was that we cleared out a lot of old names, and found three people who are interested in seeing us again. It was, all in all, a much easier and more productive day than Monday.

One of the more noteworthy people we talked to yesterday was a massive Haitian man named Eli. He was very happy to see us and very receptive to what we were saying. He asked lots and lots of questions in the way that says "I actually want to learn" instead of the way that says "I'm pretending like I want to learn, but actually I think you guys are idiots." At the end of our discussion, he was very insistent that he would come to church this Sunday. We'll hopefully see him again both at church and next Tuesday evening.

On a more depressing note and to follow up with that, one of the things I've noticed on my mission is that it really isn't hard to find "golden" people. About once a month or so, I'll contact someone who seems very receptive and almost like they're chomping at the bit just to get into the church. However, very, very few of these people ever meet with us again. It takes you on a sad and disappointing emotional roller-coaster.

That's not to say that I don't have hope for Eli or anyone else we contact, or that there isn't anyone out there who really is prepared. I do have a good feeling about Eli, and I'm excited to meet with him again, but I also would not be surprised if he just disappeared forever.

All in all, I am excited for this next transfer. We have good prospects in the area and our area Book is a lot cleaner. Even if even one we have now drops us, at least I can learn some Spanish with my companion before I go home.

That's all for me.

Love you all,

Elder Hadden

Still waiting for Vinsint Muetszche to feed us