Elder Swalberg and the Piano Pushers

October 14, 2013

A few weeks ago, we were driving along, when we saw two people trying to push a piano into this lean-to house. They had just backed a pickup truck to the porch and put some boards down to roll the piano on. We decided to stop and help them; we came at just the right time. There's a doorway behind those three trees all growing together. That door is now blocked with a piano. It was previously blocked with just a major diagonal beam, which the owner's boyfriend cut a large chunk out of with a chainsaw. We are allowed by the owner, Barbara, to enter at any time and play the piano. We got talking and SHE HAS MET WITH THE MISSIONARIES BEFORE! She told us her life story about how she bought this land from some thug who hired a man to harass her so that she would leave the house to be foreclosed upon. She wanted to build a house with her husband, but he kept changing his mind about whether he wanted a trailer or a house, so that's why the house is unfinished. CPS tried to take their son (I can't remember why; her story was about an hour long), but she kept resisting the police who tried to take her son, so she went to some horrible prison with a history of inmate abuse. Eventually she got out and went home. Her husband bailed on her at some point. So now she lives in the lean-to house in the summer and in a trailer behind it in the winter. This week we started teaching her again, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to get to help her come closer to Christ. She already has an awesome testimony about the Christ and about the Church.

We got to go see the Mission President (he makes sure that we missionaries are cared for, and he receives revelation specific for the mission). And you'll never guess who else I saw! Elder Swalberg from Texas! I was so surprised to see him. Also yesterday, I got to see my friend Bill from Brigham Young University! He lives here in Vermont and we were both at the Montpelier Stake Conference. I didn't get a picture with him because we were in a bit of a hurry to leave, but I got a sweet hug!

Also, we made a Hill Cumorah Cake for the Bishop here, in appreciation for all his hard work.

There's a really cool song in the LDS Hymn book called "An Angel from On High." It basically talks about how we got the Book of Mormon. The tune is something crazy, though.

Gotta go, ran out of time again. Sorry!

Love, Elder Jon Harrison Richins