November 7, 2011

Well just celebrated our first Halloween in the field. Only a few
costume jokes, haha. For living in a Mexican neighborhood, I was
expecting a little more chaos, but it was acutally pretty tame. We are
having quite a few challenges right now. I don't know if you remember
that Isaac guy I talked about, the rocker? But anyway, he was literally
hours away from being baptized before he flew the coop. He just didn't
want to change his image. As such, he spent the last couple weeks
avoiding us. We finally got a hold of him last night and told him not to
expect us to visit him anymore. I think that is the part of missionary
work that most people don't realize. Sometimes, you have to cut them
loose. We can't force anyone to repent and if they don't want to we have
to find better ways to use our time. It was a real shame. Most of the
blame probably goes toward his wife. She was totally undercutting us,
telling US when we could come over and talk to him. Isaac really loved
our message and knew it was true but we just could work around his wife.
When we told them that we had to start using our time in other ways, he
was pretty sad. But he wasn't willing to do what it takes. And his wife
wasn't willing to help us or him make those changes. In fact, she was
persuading him the other way. Again, it was a real shame. Hopefully one
day, he will crack down and do what it takes.

Someone recommended to me that I get the Book of Mormon on CD and get a
CD player and listen to that during my language study. Maybe you grab
those things and send them along. Elder Z. thinks that would be a
really good idea as do I.

I haven't had a chance to work on the Spanish items you want.  Would it
be easier for you to go to a bookstore and get the dictionary and verb
book that you want?  I am also not sure what you have in mind for a
translator.
We really don't have any means to get to the bookstore, I think the book
I want is the Barron's 601 verb book and the 1001 Spanish pitfalls and
maybe a slang book.

Tell me something amusing that has happened this week?
Well we finally had someone come to church. Her name is Margarita. She
was also babysitting 7 kids at the time so we had to round up all those
kids and chase them all over the chapel. It was kinda funny and
ridiculous seeing the kids follow us like baby ducklings.

What did you do on Halloween?
Tracted, with not much success.

Do you have any Thanksgiving plans?
Not sure.

Any thoughts for Christmas?
I think just clothes. Pants, ties, maybe a pair of shoes. I only have
about 3 pants that I wear. I only wear one pair of the two I brought
too.
 Testimony experiences, hmm, I will hand write them.

Do you have a favorite family that often feeds you?
Hmm, I'm not sure if we have had anyone multiple times. They are all
nice.

Any contacts this week?
unfortunately no.

How is your mission president?  Do you see him very often?
He is well. I think I see him a couple times a month.

October 31, 2011

Well I apologize that I haven't been able to write something in quite a
while. Our schedule has been pretty crazy. Let me try to get you up to
speed. First thing, I cannot speak Spanish. It is the hardest and most
frustrating thing I have ever done. I feel like I have forgotten
everything that I learned at the MTC. It gets really discouraging at
times, and I think about giving up a lot. Learning a language just looks
like such a daunting task. I'm really not sure how to go about learning
Spanish. It seems like none of the stuff I am doing in my language study
is working. I feel as if I am regressing everyday. It is just the
absolute worst feeling when someone looks and you and says something
that they expect you to be able to respond to and to not be able to.
Also, we are having a hard stuff with the actual missionary work. We
haven't had a investigator come to church in about 3 weeks. So that is
also though. But on a humorous note, it is starting to cool down here.
Its only about 70*, but poor Elder Z. from Mexico is freezing! He
usually wears his winter coat, while I stay in my short sleeve shirt
haha.


I am a bit confused; has your P-day been permanently moved to Thursday
or was that just for last week?
That was only for last week, so we could go to the temple. We didn't
even get to do a session because we got there too late so we just did
initiatories.

I am glad you talked to your zone leader about learning another
language.  How is the Spanish this week?  Please let us know when local
missionaries from you area come home.  I would like to go to their
homecomings and meet them.

Jen and Val saw your picture of the baptism (Juan's?) in the mission
office.  Any baptisms coming up?  Contacts you have made recently?
No. Our area is kinda falling apart. Most of the people are pretty lazy
and don't like to come to church or read. We haven't had an investigator
in church for like 3 weeks.

How was the Newport Beach Temple?  Mary North said it is pink!
Its a little rosy, not super bright pink. The local city officials asked
the church to make it that way so that it wouldn't stand out so much. I
think it is the only pink temple in the world.

This is your 6 week mark.  I think transfers are on a 6 week rotation.
Are you going to be staying with Elder Z. in Santa Ana?
Yep. One or both of us will probably be transferred next cycle.

How's the food lately from other people and your groceries?  Any new
tastes you have acquired?
I've been eating a lot more beans than usual. I almost always clean my
plate at dinner, so long as there aren't any veggies.

Which of your friends have you heard from lately?
I've heard from Issac, Eric, Brett, and Dalyn Van Tussenbrook this week
haha.

What do you do on Halloween evening?  Camille Carlson told Dad that
Tanner is supposed to be in his apartment by 6 p.m. and stay there for
the rest of the night.
Wow that's funny. I haven't heard anything. I'm pretty sure we are still
going to go work tomorrow.