July 1, 1997, Tuesday
Nothing happened. The only discussion we taught was on a tracting meeting. This area is tough.
July 2, 1997, Wednesday
Well, we went to the library and Fulton Street Mall. Brooklyn Bridge. It was nice. […] But that was it. Then we took Carlos to the activity. It’s all about people you can’t teach, only take to church.
July 3, 1997, Thursday
Well, we had a zone street sweep, then a picnic in the park. Oh, how nice. We played Dominoes OK. We tried. And worked hard after that to almost no avail. We had no success. I’m hoping we can find anything. We’ve got to baptize someone.
July 4, 1997, Friday
Hey, my country day! Not Puerto Rico Day. Not Dominican Day. My Day! We had a 4-hour Zone Meeting on the atonement and then I went to Jackson’s for a picnic. It was [great]. We chilled and watched Phenomena. Very good flick. I enjoyed it. After we split to meet the zone and watch the fireworks. They didn’t show up, so we went up on the Brooklyn Bridge and waited. Then they [paged] us and we couldn’t get down. There were like 100,000 people on the bridge. Wow. […] So we watched [the fireworks] uptown above the Manhattan Bridge. Nice. The Empire State Building was red, white, and blue. Helicopters flew over us so low and the river was solid with boats, like 500 boats and yachts. It was such a nice and peaceful night. So beautiful. Now getting down from there, I felt like I was in [a] stadium and trying to leave. Wow.
Well, the next morning we found out the gunshots I heard on the way home were indeed real. They sounded different than the fireworks. And the bullets you could hear hitting the building right by us, 2 blocks from where a guy got shot to death. He was shot like 4 or 5 times. We got up in the morning, and the police still had the road blocked off. Wow. Then we walked by later, and there were chunks of blood and flesh on the ground still.
July 5, 1997, Monday
Well, we correlated and then ate at Mariana’s. She cooked meat. Wow, […] This area, the work goes so slow anyhow.
July 6, 1997, Tuesday
We didn’t get anyone to church. Great. But all my converts were there.
July 7, 1997, Wednesday
Well, oh well, we had a Mission Zone Meeting today in Midwood. It was OK. Then we got back and went and ate at Chari’s home. After which we were walking down the street and I saw a girl on the stoop [porch] and I stopped and said, “Hi.” I asked her if she knew who we were. At the same moment, a man was walking by behind us, and he [did a] double-take and turned around and came up to her and said, “Hi, are you coming to church tomorrow?” She said, “Yeah.” Then he turned to me and said, “Leave her alone. She’s Christian.” I said, “It’s all good.” He started yelling at me, “Don’t you talk to a Christian like that! How dare you.” I said, “What? It means Good. What did I swear?” He went off about Christians. Then I said, “What church do you go to?” [He said,] “I don’t belong to a church. You can go to any church if you believe in Jesus.” I said, “Oh, so you don’t believe in the Bible? You don’t believe there is a straight and narrow path back to God.” He said, “I know all about you and what you do with the pretty girls and your church.” I said, “You know all about what I do? I’m not understanding you. Can you be clearer? Did I do something wrong?” [He said,] “You guys and pretty girls, Joseph Smith, you know.” I said, “Oh, so you don’t believe in the bible?” “I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is True. I know this.” Then I sat down between him and her. And I her, “Do you know this guy?” She said, “Yes.” I then asked, “Do you know what he is doing?” She said, “Ya.” Then I said to both of them, “ Can you believe this guy is calling us liars when he has never tried to see if our message is true? How can he do that if he has never tried? I don’t understand him. Have a good night.” Then my comp told me he got all her info and that the man was her preacher. She doesn’t like him. I don’t [like him] either. Then I remembered where I had seen him before. He’s the preacher in the church I preached in last time I was in this area. Looks like we’re going to need to go back there.
July 8, 1997, Tuesday
Nothing really happened.