Camera gone, Pictures missing, Investigators found‏

The other day, we were walking into the subway station from the street level.  In order to get down to the tracks, you first have to go underground one level, scan your pass, and then go down again another level to get to the loading dock.  As we walked into the station, we heard the train arrive and it's doors opened.  With only 15 seconds left before it would depart, we had no choice but to run.  Elder Skinner and I booked it down the first flight of stairs and whipped around the corner running towards the scanning gates.  I opened my backpack pocket, got out my wallet, scanned my pass, and continued to run through.  We then whipped around the corner again and began to take off down the last flight of stairs to the lower level.

And that's when I heard it.

After the loud smack of something falling out of my backpack, I turned around and saw my camera laying flat on the stone steps.  At first, my heart sank, but when I picked it up and it seemed fine, I had no time but to keep running down the steps.  The two of us got on the train, the doors closed, and it took off.  Made it.

We sat down and got settled.  "What was that loud noise?" asked Elder Skinner.  "Did you drop something?"

"Nah, it was my camera - I guess I didn't close my zipper after getting my wallet out and it was shaken out of my bag.  But it's fine, see?"  as I handed it over for him to observe it's indestructiveness.

"Ummm... you sure it's fine?  It won't turn on"

"What do you mean it won't turn on?" I asked, and instantly took it back from him.  After closer inspection, I noticed that the screen - not the glass part, but underneath the glass, was completely shattered.  The camera actually still turned on, but the screen was completely shot, so I couldn't see pictures that I was taking - or if I was even taking them for that matter.

At first I was distraught, but I got over it.  The whole taking mystery pictures thing became fun.  For the rest of the week, whenever I saw something cool, I would just pull out my camera, turn it on, and hope that the picture I snapped turned out how I wanted it to.  Did I get the picture?  Did it look funny?  I had no idea!  And it became a fun little guessing game.  My camera was gone, but I at least still had the SD card inside with the 5000 pictures from December to now on it - and that is all that matter.

Well, then one day, I decided that I wanted to see all of the mystery pictures I was taking and how they turned out.  We were at the church waiting for our investigator, so I popped my SD card into the computer to see and that's when the worst message I could possibly receive popped up:

"SD card damaged.  Needs to be reformatted"

NO. NO.  Something must be wrong, THIS CANT BE HAPPENING.  I tried it again, and again, and again.  Then I put the card in Skinner's camera - same message.  First my camera was gone, but now every single picture I have taken from last year to now (my investigators, the members, the blossoms, the snow, the Buddhist temples, the beaches - everything) is potentially gone.

I panicked for a bit, but then I got over myself, packed it up in an envelope, and sent it to my sister Ashley so she can do miracle data recovery work on it.  If you are wondering for people to pray for, pray for my SD card - it's in a coma right now and I'm just not ready to even think about taking it off of life support yet.

anyway.

The missionary work side of my week was wonderful.  We found SIX new investigators this week.  We barely had enough time on our hands to meet with the current ones we had - now we're going to have to start doing splits with members to cover appointments with everyone.  We're working super hard, having a blast together, and we are setting a baptismal date with our investigator tonight for the 25th of May.  Let's make it happen!

So, pray for the work, pray for my parents to send me a new camera, and pray for my SD card that it will wake up without any memory loss.

Elder Crap