February 13, 2017

Dear Family,

It's been another interesting week in Fort Worth. I really wasn't kidding when I said we get 2 or 3 bible referrals a day. Most of the week was trying to take care of those. We're hoping to get some other work going in the ward besides delivering bibles. It's great to only talk to people that have already agreed to but most of them still aren't really seeking for truth. They just want the free bible 'cause why not. Some good will come of it soon enough I'm sure.

Another thing we do a lot of is giving blessings at hospitals. I've given three since I came to the area. I think that's mainly due to the fact that we have a couple major hospitals in our area. On Monday we're pretty sure we saw a girl who had overdosed. She was curled up in a ball on a stretcher in the hallway next to a police officer. That's about the worst thing we've seen so far in the hospitals. Could be worse I suppose.

Last week we met this one bible referral that was pretty interesting. He invited us in and everywhere we looked there was wine, whiskey bottles, and evidence of just about every vice known to man. That happens, that was no big deal. What got us was when we looked over his bed and saw a Melchizedek priesthood ordination certificate. Next thing we know he's showing us his temple rec month or two ago. That's pretty much all there is to the story but it just left me scratching my head you know?

Probably the funniest story I have for the week happened on Saturday morning. We were trying to find a bible referral in an apartment complex when suddenly this large lady sitting on a bench across the street yells, "Hey, y'all from the Church of the Mormons?" We said yes and then she told us to come over. I knew she was either going to anti us or praise us. Before she started talking to us she told us to wait a moment, called someone with her landline phone (it was in her pocket) and said, "Hey, bring me some chicken! I'm hungry! And answer your phone! Pick up your phone and bring. Me. Some. chicken. I'm hungry!" We then talked about the Book of Mormon a bit and found out the guy she was demanding chicken from was our bible referral. He was "taking care of business downtown" in her words.

Mission life is back to normal.

Love,
Elder O'Brien (the younger)