After I
emailed all of you Monday, Elders Bennett, Taetakua, and I did our shopping and
those things but then a little later we met up with the rest of our district to
play games and sports and things for the last hour of Pday. It was really fun.
I thoroughly enjoyed doing something other than work and study for a
change, although I didn’t enjoy it as much as study or work, what kind of
missionary do you think I am??? It was the last time that district was together
because Sister Despain was leaving and we were getting Sister Fernandez.
Tuesday
was a dope day of studying. It was right before transfer conferences so I
studied a whole lot and then we, the 3 pack, drove down to Deseret Book before the
meeting. It was cool to see all these books and movies and pictures and things
a year ago I would have thought boring and now I coveted. Elder Bennett bought
a sick book of Maxwell talks and he read me parts of it that day and all
throughout the week. The Apostles and General Authorities and those guys are
pretty darn smart. If I had money I would have bought some of the collections
of talks and those things.
Quick
break for random thoughts: It is so interesting that those kind of things are
interesting to me now. I still don’t like Mo-Tab and hymns very much but talks
are like my favorite thing in the world, next to the standard works. I think
every missionary and prospective missionary doesn’t want to change or is sure
that they won’t change. And I don’t blame them because change is a scary thing.
I haven’t changed too much, but there are little things that I have noticed about
myself that have been changing. Maybe it is the authority of my calling that
entitles me to a little more help than usual or maybe I am growing up for once
or something but it’s interesting to me to think about all the little things
that have been changing in me. I am positive I am
still recognizable in every aspect as the same person who left 5
months ago but I like things like talks now, and I don’t complain quite as much,
and I am overall more patient with people. And I've learned how to love
strangers even more. Sorry if that part was boring or confusing. I'll try to
explain it when I get back or something.
Aaaaaanyway.
Transfers were cool and the departing testimonies were pretty good. I saw 2
missionaries go home that I had had more than just passing contact with so that
was interesting to see them go back to be in the real world. I wonder how they
are all doing, quite well I am sure. New to the District was Sister
Fernandez. She is from Boston but her parents are from Puerto Rico and the
Dominican Republic. It was funny to see all the sisters crying as they switched
companions especially because Sister Despain was not super excited to get a new
companion and now she and Sister Franco are super duper close.
Tuesday
was mostly taken up by transfers and the logistics thereof but we had 3 pretty
good lessons that night. With Juana we talked about the end of 2 Nephi and then
with Salvador he preached to us about the end of the world. He is convinced
that by the end of next month all the land will be sea and all the current seas
will be dried up. Depressing, but possible I guess. It was hard to communicate
because I haven’t been practicing and studying
my apocalypse vocabulary enough. I had to ask a lot of questions and
do a lot of translating for Elder Bennett. We also went to the De La Cruzes and
they fed us scones. They looked a lot like Dad's but I didn’t like them
nearrrrrly as much. But they were still good and warm because sometimes it
feels like freaking Alaska here, but not really because that's cold. It gets
down to like 50 and we freeze here!
Oh man.
Wednesday. Elder Bennett got called to speak at a funeral... It was super
weird. We got a call right before leaving the apartment and the Relief Society
president asked him to speak. Oo so we went and it was super sad. The family
was a wreck and most of the friends were too. I don’t know if it is a normal
thing to do but whoever was talking had like a host of people up there with
them holding them. It made me really, really sad. Elder Bennett spoke of the
hope of the resurrection and the joy that the gospel brings into our lives. He
wasn’t overbearing and wasn’t long. It was just a simple but powerful message
that Esther will live again. I hope at least one person was comforted by his
words. The funeral went wayyyy longer than we expected and we felt
it inappropriate to leave in the middle so that ate up a large
portion of our night.
Another
quicker side note. What is the coolest things about the restored gospel of
Jesus Christ is the hope it brings to all. We will live again and our destiny
is not by chance, it’s a choice. Believe it or not, it makes people happy, me happy;
to have that hope that our families and the ones we love will not be separated
forever.
Thursday.
Thursday was a day. Starting at morning sports I had those bags of candies you
sent me mom, and I gave everyone one and told them one thing I was thankful for
about them; a smile, a testimony, an example of hard work, etc. It set the day
off right. It made me feel good and I hope it made other people feel good as
well. Studies were enlightening and the District Meeting was
instructive. But afterwards the real fun began. 1pm we ate our first dinner
with the Whostheirface family. They were from South America so lunch is the big
meal, and it was a big meal. It was all the normalcy of thanksgiving but
everything had either rice or beans in it; the stuffing, the gravy, the
potatoes, the corn, the rice. It was all pretty good. After that we went with
the Zone Leaders, Elder T. and the new Elder (6'3") Shreve to a dinner at
the Richardson’s. It was awesome. It was an English family so I understood it
which was a huge bonus hahah but then it was a lot like a dinner at the Mayo’s;
lots of people, each happy, and excited to see each other. They made the 4 of us
really feel like family and it was awesome. The food was cool and we ate a lot
of their family tradition type foods so that was cool too each green onion and
ham sandwiches and cottage cheese-less jello (because in the words of
Brother R. "that's just plain ole disgusting"). It was cool to hear
them tell their stories and Elder T. and I got to talk to one of the daughters
who wants to get back active in the church so she can go to the temple to see
her best friend get married and then so she can get married in the temple for
her missionary. That was cool. I really hope she does. When she talked about it
there was a light that came into her face. The temple is a special place and it
gives hope to a lot of people. My fingers are crossed for her and her
missionary. Then after that we went to Bishop Austin’s house for dinner too! By
this point I was really full, but who wants to be rude, especially to the
bishop’s wife! She made a wonderful dinner with mashed potatoes from heaven and
a delicious seafood salad and pecan pie that would have made the angels cry!
After 3 dinners I felt like I was going to die. But duty called.
The Schneider’s asked if we could come to their house to eat dinner. So we
went knowing that it would be delicious and our tongues were
not disappointed, but our bellies were. It was a four course meal
that was so delicious (I don’t know if any of you remember when I talked about
Peter's cooking) in the words of the Chef himself "oh Peter, you've done
it again, how do you always make everything so delicious!?" I asked him
the same question and he laughed and said something about being German and
better than everyone else -- funny, funny man. Dinner at the Schneider’s was a
regular thanksgiving selection but the appetizer was German pancakes in a beef
broth with whipped cream on top then lightly sprinkled with curry.
Sounds weird but it was super good. Elder Bennett couldn’t finish his so I had
to help when Sister Schneider wasn’t looking. The dinner was full of good jokes
and bad jokes and a couple ones that made the sisters squirm and Sister Schneider
yelling some bad words in Spanish at Peter. It was a wonderful evening. They
yelled at each other but you could tell they loved each other but disagreed
about a few things: language use specifically. After that we were about dying.
But that's when the De La Cruzes called to see if we wanted to come eat with
them. No one else had showed up to their house all day so we went. And we ate.
And we cried. It was delicious and like the others, mostly regular tha
Time
out!!!!!
We just
got the call from the AP's!!!!!! Elder Bennett and I are getting a visa waiter
to train! Ahhh!!!!!!
!!!!! Sweet!
:)
...thanksgiving
but they fed us deviled eggs as well. Yummy!!! So that was it, you know, just
normal, 5 dinners. 5 full sit down dinners. 5 dinners..... ohhhh man.
Freak
I'm distracted and out of time.
Friday
I did a temple session in Spanish!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN SPANISH! IT WAS INCREDIBLE! I
love Spanish sooo much. I understood all of it which was cool. I wish I could
talk more about it .... ugh. Time and place right :)?
Then Friday
afternoon I translated for a baptism which was dope as well. I didn’t do as
well as I would have liked but it was better than nothing, right?>! After
that was a church party and Hispanic ward parties are a little bit of a different
type. It's kind of crazy. But it was fun to eat and see everyone but by this
point I was still full from thanksgiving.
Saturday
was actually Friday.... oops. Friday we didn’t do too much. Sunday was church
and was sweet. I love church. I got a
few old Ensigns which is cool too.
ahh g2g
sorry byeeeee
love
you all so much.
Sam!
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