Another round of mission stories. As I read these I remember a lot of the tension and conflict I had with my companion.
As I was new to leadership, I was the equivalent of an infant. I think he knew this and tried to take advantage of it.
He was experienced. He was a college graduate and had been a Student Body VP at BYU prior to going on a mission. He had leadership in his blood, it was part of his character.
I couldn’t remember going on splits with Hermana Cervantes, but as I read this, I was so grateful to her. We had some sister missionaries there who were truly amazing spiritual giants.
April 28, 1996
The last day or so things went well. Yesterday morning doing the missionary guide things got a little sour. I was trying to appease him by doing more of the missionary guide, the parts I don’t like to do. My attitude wasn’t the best about it.
While we were out my companion blew up at me. The only suggestions he makes is to visit members and when we visit members he sits and talks for days.
So he tells me, it’s whatever I want to do. Actually, I’m trying to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do. Whenever I try, things fall apart because there is so much contention between us. So the rest of the day was a flop.
Today, I tried giving him the option. What do you think we should do? And he immediately takes over the whole companionship from beginning to end. Elder Priddis, you’ll do this and I‘ll do this. And I’m going to teach your principles in the discussion.
[As a side note here: This is one of the things that was so difficult with this companionship. This kid wanted to be in charge of and control everything. I wasn’t humble enough to get steamrolled by him.]
He knows everything and wants all the responsibility and all the power. He wants to be the one who runs the show…
April 28, 1996, continued…
We were on splits with Hermana Cervantes and will be for the next 3 days.
[I’m a little bitter, so I’m omitting quite a bit]
April 29, 1996
We worked so hard all day and my comp learned a lot from her (Hermana Cervantes), different ways to teach and it really was a good experience for us and she made us spirit tract. I haven’t been doing it because there has been so much contention in the companionship.
April 30, 1996
We were walking home at about 8:30 PM. It had rained most of the day and we had just gotten out of the hospital visiting a member. We approached a crosswalk and it said to walk. A jeep was turning and hesitated. We were in the middle of the crosswalk walking and a big van came screaming around the corner and sliding to a stop. I could hear voices and my heart started doing weird stuff actually felt like it went through my throat. I almost got in a wreck. Bleep Bleep you stickin’!!! He was on my companion’s side. It said to walk, my companion said. The man profaned. Again, my companion said that it said to walk. Then the man walked back to his car.
As we got close to our house, the same thing happened again. A bus was turning and I guess didn’t see us because it turned right into us. I was freaking out we started running as the bus accelerated. We almost got run over by a bus.