Samuel's Mission E-mail November 17, 2008

Everyone:
Well, this has been a pretty good week. I'll start with last Thursday. On Thursday of last week, we had an extraordinarily long weekly planning session (for some reason neither of us could stay focused so it took longer than usual), and we went and helped Maria Luisa y hermanas with their English.
On Friday I was on companionship exchanges with Elder Johnson down in San Pedro. I found out there's a Stephen Street down there. There's also a Samuel Street just north of my area. Too bad they don't intersect. I'll still have to get some pictures of them. There is a Madison street in my area. Anyways, while I was with Elder Johnson, we tracted for a good while, visited a less-active (who was Spanish-speaking, and Elder Johnson is a sign language elder, so that was interesting), and taught a man named Skip Hand (Yes, that is actually his name).
On Saturday I went with Elder Weber for a while and tracted because his companion was sick again, and then in the evening Elder Mijares did a baptismal interview for some of the Zone Leaders' investigators. On Sunday we had church, and afterwards we had the very great opprotunity of watching the Mexico City Temple Rededication broadcast. It was interesting being able to understand both the English and the Spanish translation of the talks given by President Eyring and President Monson. Translating would be a hard job, even if you are natively bilingual. In the evening we taught Leo.
Well, this is the other poem that came to me the other week. I was thinking of 3 Nephi 11 when I started this one. This one's a bit more introspective, so, well... you've been warned.

If Christ Came to Your House Today
If Christ came to your house today
Would you ask for Him to stay?
Would wonder keep your words at bay?
Would you bathe His feet with tears?
Would His words silence all your fears?
Would you let Him stay for years?
Or would He make you feel uneasy?
Some mem'ries make you feel queasy?
Would your thoughts make you ashamed
When you saw Hands for you maimed?
Would what you had done yesterday
Make you wish he'd go away?
Or would you recognize His voice?
Would you thank Him for His choice
Which made the morning stars rejoice?
Would your eyes ask Him to wait
When He said, "I can't be late
To go prepare the righteous' fate"?
Or, with apologies profuse,
Would you start to make excuse?
Would you say your daily chores
Meant He had to go out the door?
Would you start to feel relieved
When He no more could be perceived?
May we live in such a way
That if Christ came here today
We would plead for Him to stay.

So, like I said, a little bit introspective. A lot of the phrases are meant to call to memory passages of scripture. There's still a couple lines that don't quite roll right, but... poetry's never really come easily for me, but this one did.
Elder Samuel Stephens