Monday 30 July 2012

Week 53

Last Monday was a little different as I went with an elder when he had his surgery so I spent all day at the hospital with him and then back at the apartment while he recovered from the drugs.  So our preparation day was on Tuesday so we lost two days last week,  but it was our best week for this area in months.  Cinthia came to church again and is back on board for getting baptized.  She was supposed to be baptized while ago , but the week before she went to a church dance and her skirt was too short so one of the leaders told her that she couldn't go and was quite rude so she was turned off by that,  but she's going to girls camp this week and the following week,  August 11, she'll be baptized.  She's been reading the book of Mormon and is in Jacob so she is doing well.  Transfers are coming up – the call is this weekend so I'll let you know next week what's happening, I think I'll be staying here in Merced,  but transfers are unpredictable.  So a couple nights ago we were teaching an investigator and her friend was there who was not fully there in the head,  and as we were walking away after the lesson, she squeezed my butt and gave me a tooshie squeeze.  It was so embarrassing because our team-up was a girl who just back from BYU-I and getting ready to put in her papers and she saw it so I got embarrassed and probably red in the face, She was so surprised,  we had to explain later that normally doesn't happened in the mission field.  That was the first time that happened and hopefully the last.  My Spanish is improving a lot now everything is in Spanish and am forced to learn it as my other areas was mostly English.  I hit my 14 month mark and also this week, my year mark of being in the mission field.  Time is flying and the weeks are super quick, because were busy.  The branch is great they love us and have dinner every night.  We got a mission leader this Sunday because we don’t have one, and he just moved here and his is awesome so the work will defiantly improve.  My companion is defiantly not my first choice but I've survived and I told President I could do another 6 weeks with him.  My foot is good, I can walk, but can't play sports until September so it will have been 4 months without playing sports.  Thanks for all writing me, love you and miss you.

Monday 23 July 2012

Week 52

I am happy and working hard.  I heard that Chad is coming to this mission, that's so crazy.  I told President on Saturday about Jess and Chad use to date and he told me that I would train him,  but then I told him he was English and he was disappointed so that won't be happening.  That's awesome about Aaron and Jeff, you'll have to let me know where they get called.
Last Monday, I bought a new watch, it’s a Nixon so its super nice.  Drove down to Fresno again because my companion had a check-up for this heart.  Not much else exciting happened this week.  I see President so much now that I'm in Merced, on Saturday President came by and talked with him for a little.  It sounds like I'll be getting a new companion next transfer.  I do not want to say anything negative about him.  I found out from President that he's depressed and struggling and he doesn't know what to do with him.  On Sunday we had two investigators at church, one for our YSA and one for Spanish.  Don't have anything this week that is big, only two weeks till transfers so looking forward to that. 

Monday 16 July 2012

Week 51

On Monday we went to the mall, first time I've been in a mall since I left home, but I forgot my money so were going back today and we'll see what kind of damage I do.  On Thursday I went down to Fresno to check out my ankle and I was told I can't play sports for at least another 6 weeks and could take a year to fully heal.  On Friday, we had a branch party at a park and we just had dinner and talked.  There were about 40 people there but we only get 20-30 for sacrament, funny how that works.  On Sunday, we didn't have any investigators at church which we were disappointed about, that rarely happens, but it's got to change. I gave a talk in sacrament so glad I got that over with. Well I love you all and exited to see how your doing.

Monday 9 July 2012

Week 50

So it was a bad week, our two baptismal dates got anti'd and want to wait a couple months to be baptized so we lost a solid baptism.  The area is not doing too good and my companion doesn't want to find so we knock the same people's doors and don't get anywhere. I've said something to him, but he's the senior companion so he makes the final call.  We had two people at sacrament though so we'll see where that goes.  I'm trying to focus on the good things my companion does, and not the negative but it's hard. 
So on July 4th, we went to another wards party because our branch didn't celebrate, not too many Americans in our branch!  It was a cookout so it was fun and good food.  Then in the night we went to their Bishops house to hang out and watch fireworks.  Their family reminded me of the Nichols, so we had a good time there.  On Saturday we went to a city in our area that missionaries have never gone to so it was the first time those people had ever seen missionaries.  We found a tone of people,  everyone was nice and wanted us to go back,  it's just way out there so we can only go once a week.  It was a good day and it was a historic day for that city.
This upcoming week, I'm going to Fresno with another hurt elder to make sure my ankle is healing right.  We then are having a branch party at the park on Friday night.  Merced is great the branch is good, we get feed every day and the city is awesome. 

Monday 2 July 2012

Week 49

The area is awesome, its Spanish branch that covers all of Merced and yesterday we had about 40 people to sacrament so it's small, but its great and they take care of us really well. We also cover the YSA branch, here in Merced but there was only like 10-15 people there so it's small.  After church we had a break the fast with the YSA and ate burgers but it was funny because all the girls were at one table and all the boys at another, so no wonder their all still single and in YSA.  We have quite a few investigators right now so were staying busy which is good.  We have two 16 year olds girls that are getting baptized in two weeks, their solid so that’s exciting.  I can play sports and the pain is pretty much gone.  So this week is July 4 so happy anniversary.  Were going to the ward lunch and the fireworks at night since we can be out until 10.30pm.