OK, there will probably be a few weeks of these painful posts. I really had a hard time with the missionary I trained. We were about the same age. His history was a convert and college graduate. My history was a reclaimed burnout. He was a native Spanish speaker, I had only been speaking Spanish for a few months. It was truly a tug-a-war with him. I was never into leadership or politics prior to my mission so many of these concepts were very foreign to me. If I sound naive in what I say it is because of that.
We got along so poorly that at a point we could no longer talk to people on the street or in their homes. So, we just walked laps around the area. I remember at one point seeing him pull his socks off at night and the bottom of his foot was a bloody sore. I think he lost all the skin on the bottom of his foot. I really wish this experience could have been more positive.
April 14, 1996 (Sunday)
What a day. It was full of crazy stuff. My comp started telling me what to do so I told him right back what to do. He keeps telling me what to do and so I told him; look, I’m the teacher here and you’re supposed to follow me. He doesn’t agree. Boy, we all have to be a rookie at some time. He’s a (College Graduate). He knows everything. He knows all about his people. I told him I didn’t like him butting into my fealesses. Was I like this when I came out? If I was, boy have I changed. I see it his way but he’s not willing to see it mine. I think he thinks I’m an airhead. But I am and that doesn’t make me not know what I’m doing.
April 15, 1996
We went to an appointment for a Jehovah’s Witness. I got upset. She wouldn’t listen and kept trying to prove us wrong with everything and I accidentally blew up a little more than I should have. I told her she just had us come over so she could jump on us and had no real intent for anything I should have noticed when she said we couldn’t pray to start.
My comp thinks I’m sick and crude and not a worthy servant of the Lord because I peed on a roof where nobody could see. And because I spit once in a while, and I play too much he wants me to be more serious. I think I’m doing a very bad job of training. I’ve never been a good teacher. I never thought it would be so difficult and I can only do things like me. I feel bad I was just walking him today not even thinking. I bet his feet hurt so bad.
I do like him; he has lots of good traits. He has been so shocked by our mission, so shocked by the way we do things. He also thinks he holds authority over all things when he does not. He’s too organized, and neat, but nice and loves people.