Defending The Faith 08/24/15 (Belleville, IL)

Dear Friends and Family,

This week has been pretty busy for us here in Belleville, there has been lots to do and a lot of people to talk with. The Shiloh Elders have had the car this week so we have been riding the buses and walking. Luckily the temperatures are starting to come down a little, and the humidity as well. I can't believe that Fall is already around the corner! 

We took the metro into St Louis on Monday and payed a visit to the zoo! It was really nice weather and the animals were really lively again. School has started for most people so the best part is that there was hardly anybody there! 

So with Mi Mi, Shakira, and Jemaine we were going to push their baptismal dates back to October, but we were informed my sister Wilson that they might not be staying with her much longer, so we are sticking with our original date of August 29th. This upcoming Saturday. We have had to have a lesson with them every morning! We have taught them a lot of stuff! We find it easier for them to learn with their learning disabilities if we are sitting with them just one on one. So that is what we have been doing. Jermaine hasn't been in town this week so we are going to go ahead and have Mi Mi and Shakira baptized this week them have Jermaine baptized in a few weeks.

Thursday we had dinner with Crissy and the Byington family. Crissy is the lady that we helped move who had the poisonous spider problem.. We helped her make dinner and I baked two apple pies. We had a great time talking and laughing and building relationships! Afterwards we shared a message about the Book of Mormon, and everybody participated. It was great! we are going to be having dinner again next week before Elder Reynolds goes home. 

Saturday was a weird day, we we walking to a potential after our lesson with the kids at the Wilson home. We stopped and talked to this man at this one house. We started talking to him and quickly found out that he was a preacher. Very quickly our conversation turned into a very defensive debate on religion.. We debated back and forth on different topics in the bible, how we are saved, the book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, prophets, it was just ridiculous! But it made me really frustrated!! So I just kept coming back at him with things and questions, and he did the same! An Hour and a half later I looked at my watch and we had to leave. But now I see how real bashing is unproductive, because he just went away thinking he is more right, and I went away thinking we are more right.. But I kind of had fun! It was an interesting experience, I still think I am right too.. haha! 

Then a little while later we were walking down main street and this guy was getting into his car, he saw us and said "hey! you guys, come learn about Christianity!" So me still being frustrated and a little riled up from the preacher guy, stopped. started walking over to him and said
"ok man. Lets talk!" So he starts asking us questions and we start answering them and baring testimony. Then he starts telling us that we are a cult and we don't believe in Jesus, which made me mad.. So I said, "Yes we do believe in Jesus" Then the conversation continued "NO you don't!" "Yes! we do.." "NO! You Don't!" finally I said "Listen to me! Don't you tell me what I believe!" We told him what we believed about Christ. He finally stopped, and just got in his car and left.. 

I just think it is stupid that people think they know us and know what we believe when they really don't know jack squat, and as I have gone through my mission I have learned to be more bold with people and tell them what I believe. Then when they say something that isn't true I am no longer afraid to call them out on it and try and set it straight. "The difference between boldness and over-barrence is love." We should try to love everybody, and also proclaim boldly what we believe. 

That is all for this week I suppose! I hope that everbody has a great week! Oh by the way we finally have a new ward mission leader. His name is brother Gross and it is his first time being called to this position! But we are excited! Here is a quote for the week from Ezra Taft Benson

"The way to feel better about your own situation is to improve someone else's circumstances."

With Love,

Elder Chase Peterson