Man, was I that bad? Did I really walk everyone to death? I know I walked a lot. I only had a car for 2 months of my mission and never had a bike. I had to walk everywhere. Most of the time, I couldn’t keep up with my companions because they were taller and their legs were longer than mine. The likelihood is that my first companions instilled in me the work ethic of hustling. Personally, I always felt I was doing my best to follow the spirit. To put my whole heart, might, mind, and strength into the work. But periodically I had really difficult companions. Or I guess, I was really difficult and couldn’t recognize it.
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December 19, 1996, Thursday
[… I’m being told] to work smart. What is that to them? It’s not working. It’s chilling at member’s homes. Like, what [my old companion] said, he hated me because I made him work a lot, and hard. The guy never got out of bed until 8:30 every morning and yet claimed to be the “best” and most professional missionary. […] How can I live knowing I didn’t do all I could? Knowing that I chilled at home for 4 to 5 hours a day. The times I was out, we were visiting members and eating. We had 4 dinner appointments today. I had to make us go late to one of them so we could do some work. I guess it’s a rarity with [Elder].
December 20, 1996, Friday
Well, we had zone meeting, and then I made us do some work. Boy, when we have to do some work it’s like [Elder] goes into slow mope mode. When we go home or to a member’s home to eat he leaves me a block behind him. After we did a little work, he made us come home and I couldn’t get us out again until our last dinner appointment. We sat here for 3 hours. No excuses. He still has one month left. […] At least work. And I have a strange feeling that we’re going to see a lot of days like this. […] PS. He won’t talk to me either. I’m glad I don’t have to marry this guy.
Well, I can’t recall all that went on but we left the house and so every member we bumped into my companion said, we’re walking around like fools. (Chickens with our heads cut off) He thinks effective work is work you do in bed or sitting at a member’s house. So, I tried to stop by member’s homes to please him. But to no avail. He’s just not content. He thinks I’m the stupidest thing in the world. […]
Well, our baptisms fell through that [Elder] said were for sure. […] I did my first interview today. […] So after church we had to go home so my comp could take a nap for an hour and a half. Then go to our dinner appointment. He knew we had an appointment with someone so when it came up he didn’t want to go. A ton of members were there and listening. I said, “We’ve got an appointment.” He said, “She’s not going to be there.” I said, “Come on, where’s your faith?” He said, ”Maybe I don’t have any.” I said, “Well, if you don’t believe and don’t want to try, you might as well go home.” Oooch. Fire. He said, “Ask someone else to go.” I tried. Not one member would go with me. So he did. And he was pissed the whole way. She wasn’t home.
When we got back the whole branch acted like they were mad at me, weird. […] One member was singing to [Elder], “More Holiness Give Me.” So, we spent almost all the rest of the night there. Then we went to see Toni because she had her Birthday & I gave her some photos. So when we got home I apologized for making him upset and it hit the fan. He did accept the apology, but he doesn’t want to be my companion anymore. He said I don’t know how to work. He trashed me about how I work. I said I’m sorry but I can’t sit around at home or at people’s homes. And so, if you hate to walk, trackt, and don’t ask members for referrals, what do we do? It basically ended up as, I don’t care as long as it’s not with you. So, I told him I knew this was an inspired transfer so can we work through it to help us both and he blew up. It was not inspired. He claimed President Bailey went back on his promise he was planning this. He claimed that it was not an inspired transfer. He knew I didn’t want to go with you. It was a slap right in the face Anyhow, he’s tired of walking around like a chicken with its head cut off. I guess that’s me trying to do my best.
December 23, 1996, Monday
Well, after the AP’s came over last night, he didn’t have much he could do. He wanted to go on splits so bad but nope. He went with me and ended up lying to me. You know, I don’t hate you. After he kept saying it to the AP’s last night. He had a horrible mission companion. All he does is walk me 10 miles a day. Oh, brother. Ya, I really don’t have a problem with you. That’s why it all comes back on me. Oh, brother.
December 24, 1996, Tuesday
Well it’s Christmas Eve. So fast. After all that I had to go and sit on the train for 3 hours today to pick up [my old companion] so him and [my current companion] could go and play. Yippy. One cool thing though is that the Spanish have a party on Christmas Eve and open all the presents at 12 AM but have dancing (Merengue) and food, family, and friends until 12 AM. Pretty cool. So, this morning we passed by a friend of Mariana and Toni. Mariana was on the split with me but we taught her friend’s brother. That was chill.
December 25, 1996, Wednesday
Christmas. I got up called home and they called Kim and had me talk to her. She’s still very cool. We went to 4 baptisms and chilled the rest of the day. It was nice.
December 26, 1996, Thursday
We went to breakfast this morning and [Elder] got a beep. He was told to go get his bags packed and his ride would be there to pick him up in one hour. Later’s. He’s not my companion anymore. Now, I’m with another 3’some. [Elder] and [Elder]. Nuts. It should be fun. I guess.
December 27, 1996 Friday
A nice Zone Meeting. I played “If You Could Hi to Kolob” on the piano and did quite good (one handed) This night we had our own Christmas Party with mucho comida and she gave us presents, sweet. They’re nice though. OK, I also bought a radio. A small one so we could listen to music. It’s hard to live without it. Shakira, she’s the bomb. I love her music. Enrique Iglesia (son of Julio) and Merengue. Oh ya, of course, church music.
NOTE: My mission president approved Spanish missionaries listening to some Spanish music because we didn’t have as many opportunities to learn the language. What better way to learn it than through music?