September 4, 2018

So, looking at a calendar, I have spent three weeks here. I'm not sure if I believe that, it feels like it's only been two... (Although, to be fair, starting my first mission email before the mission even began didn't really help my consistency of counting.)

In other news, it's been very, very eventful.

The transit saga continued this past week when, after its second journey, my new, goldenrod bike got dual flat tires. It wouldn't have been that big a deal if Walmart hadn't sold me a bike with a tire size that literally doesn't exist. I'm still not sure how they even got it. It's not like you can get replacement tires for the 27.5" x 1.75" size exclusively from Walmart or something. They literally don't exist. I couldn't even find them on Amazon.

I ended up just exchanging the bike. Having learned, somewhat, from my previous struggles. I preemptively bought replacement inner tubes.

Good thing, too, because bike number three (A.K.A. Mk VI, since I've been naming all of my attempts at transit after Iron Man armours) got a flat tire Saturday. *Flips table*

The actual mission is great. I can't get enough of it. I've been added to yet another project -- the Book of Mormon Experiment Project. Basically, they (no idea who the antecedent for "they" is. Just roll with it) printed out each page of the Book of Mormon on a separate sheet of paper, and went around asking random people to read the page, highlight where they see God or Jesus, and write down a few thoughts on the back. I'm helping take all that input and organize it. After having been on the project for about two days I was already suggesting edits to the system, and now I've been asked to accompany the trainers to meet with the guy who's in charge of the project to discuss. I'm super pumped!

After I got invited to that meeting, one of the managers approached and asked me if I could help with something else today. I told they I'd have to meet with Elder Curry because I'd already promised to attend the meeting today with him, and a minute later I heard the manager tell him that they'd fight him for me. Apparently I've developed a positive reputation here.

I haven't heard back yet regarding translating the comparison project to Excel permanently; stay tuned on that one.

Last Wednesday I wasn't feeling super well emotionally, so I went to bed early and couldn't sleep, even after taking melatonin. When I finally did fall asleep around midnight, I still woke up and couldn't get back to sleep about three A.M. Rather than try to resume sleeping, I just got up and going, and ended up leaving, in a moment of bizarre impulse, at 4:30 A.M. I got to Temple Square at like 5:45, and couldn't get in to the Church office building because it was locked, so I decided to just sit and enjoy how beautiful the SLC Temple is inverse-silhouetted against the pitch black night sky. I ended up working about thirteen hours straight in a manic haze. It was awesome, up until I realized that I'd stayed so late that all the CoB doors had been deadbolted shut. I had to escape through one of the parking garages.

On the way home that evening, the train was really empty because commute hour was over. Typically for an ambivert with social anxiety, that should have been a dream come true. However, a stop or two after I got on, I started hearing swearing -- and not like "S-word, I stubbed my toe!" I couldn't figure out who it was at first, but whoever it was was using the f-bomb and the biblical donkey like they were going out of style.

Now, those of you who know me well are probably wondering why I could even hear this guy. I'm inseparable from my headphones. I listen to music the way other people breath.

Remember how I slept very little the night before? Turns out that, while I can occasionally run on three hours' charge, my phone cannot. It was dead.

Back to the story, I thought it was this one guy on a headset swearing up a storm, but it was actually this rather homeless looking guy -- and he wasn't on a phone. He wasn't even talking to anybody. He was monologuing. With profanity every three or four words.

I bit my tongue and turned back around to face the front of the train, but his swearing became increasingly difficult to ignore. I glanced back over my shoulder...

...And he was right there.

He was seriously six inches from my face, leaning against the back of my chair, and staring at me.

I have never been so scared for my life.

I turned back to face forward, still biting my tongue, and put my earbuds in, pretending to be listening to music, and prayed like I have never prayed before.

When I finally couldn't stand it any longer and turned to look again, he had sat down.

When I got off that train I was on my bike in a heartbeat.

Needless to say, I haven't stayed nearly that late again.

Everything else is well here.

Until next week!

Elder M. Huntsman LeBaron