Elder Jared Hammer: Bapple Products

So they were skating on thin ice last week, literally. Now they're skate boarding. Hello! Enjoy his letter, especially the part about the Bapple Products!

So after email last week, Elder Strader wanted to go skateboarding. So we went down to the Opera and he actually found a couple locals to skate with. It was way interesting to see their faces when these white boys could speak Armenian. They were even more surprised when they realized that normal boys like them were missionaries and that we knew Jesus was the Christ and were spreading the news that his church was again restored on earth. :P Then it was interesting to see their faces as Elder Strader whipped out moves that had not yet reached this country, still new to the sport of skateboarding.

So an experience you only have in Armenia: We were standing in the street just waiting for a Marshutine to come, when four trucks full of completely armed and armored troops drove by. As they passed, pedestrians waved and cheered. One of the troops even gave me a wave. :p Then just as quickly as they had arrived, they passed and everything returned to normal.
I love Armenia :p

Funny story I remembered. Back when I was with Elder Frye, on one P-day he was looking at a couple phones, one of which was an advertised iPhone. The man behind the counter said "It's a true iPhone, not a fake!" to which Elder Frye said "No, it's definitely a fake." The guy argued and asked why he thought that. Elder Frye then said "First, the screen is way too small and out of proportion. Second, the home button sticks and is about to fall off. Third, it says 'Made in China', and fourth, under the logo it says 'bapple', not 'apple'" :P I thought that was pretty funny. After that, we referred to knock-offs as "bapple" products.

I had to translate for President Carter during Priesthood this Sunday. That was a mess :p I still have much to learn.

We picked up a new investigator this week. He's a Muslim from Iran and it's way interesting working with him. In scattered English he asks us questions and we try to answer them as simply as we can. It's really interesting for me, though. He doesn't know exactly who Jesus Christ is and we're explaining that he was more than just one of the 5 great prophets. He was, and is, the Redeemer and Savior of our souls. I found myself wanting to explain this great news to him that Christ died and lives for us and takes all of our pains and sins. I had a real big testimony builder this week about Christ and his sacrifice and it made me so happy just to share this news with him.

Despite all of the people jeering at us, a lady yelling at us on the bus that we knew nothing and that we weren't Christian, and the man telling us that all the Mormons are trash, I'm held up by the knowledge that Jesus knows me and my pains, and nothing after that ever seems so bad. :)

Love you all!

Elder Hammer