I dont know what the heck I'm doing!

We are on week 4 of the transfer. That means I have been here for almost a month! How crazy is that?! Elder Torres goes home in 23 days, which is sad. Man, time is flying by soo fast! But I still can't even fathom being in Elder Torres's shoes! That's just nonsense. But this has been a good week.

Hit the Ground Running

I have been out a month but you wouldn't think so, haha.  Elder Hernandez had to spend a lot of this week down in Salt Lake City for SOE training so that just left me, Elder Torres, and Elder Clark here in Kamas I don't know what the heck I'm doing!alley. I've spent a lot of the time being senior companions with Elder Clark and sometimes a member.  I thought there was supposed to be some kind of grace period when you go on your mission, but freak, I'm getting sent out basically by myself to teach and find people. I have only been in the field a month! I don't know what the heck I'm doing! BUT, it's OK. Actually, I liked it because it pushes me to learn faster; and when you have to speak Spanish you can speak Spanish--enough said! It may not be pretty, but you get your point across. Man, I'm so glad I took Elder Ferrin's advice and worked my [buns] off in the MTC. All those long hours are paying off!

Baptisms and Temptations

This week, a man named [so and so] and his wife [so and so] got married and baptized on the same day.  They are a family Elder Hernandez has been working with for a while now. The Spirit was really strong at the baptism. It was really neat to see this family take eternal steps together. I must admit, this week I was really being tempted with the Visa-waiter attitude: it just feels like nobody in the mission really cares about what I do because I could leave any week, and I'm just here. I have been waiting 8 months to go to Mexico. I guess I just really want to get started in Mexico.  But I'm here, so I need to learn what I can while I'm here, and appreciate that the people here can speak some Spanglish.

Teaching in Rainstorms

It has been raining a lot here. Yesterday, me and Elder Clark were around walking and it just started pouring, then haling! We were absolutely soaked before we walked 10 feet. I loved it. It almost felt like swimming! It's a good thing we were almost at the dinner appointment. My teaching is coming along. I'm really working on having good scriptures to use when I teach. I really wish I could teach and communicate in Spanish the way i do in English, but the lord gives us trials to humble us.  But, it's good here. I found another good burger joint in a pharmacy. Man, this place is soo good! I'm definitely coming back someday.

I haven't heard anything on the visa, so I'm just gonna keep pluggin' away here in Kamas. I love you all and thank you for everything! Take care!

"Members are the most important source for finding investigators."

Well, another week in the field. Transfers are on Wednesday, so we will see what ends up happening for those.  I'm kinda hoping our companionship is changed from 3 greenies and one trainer to something a little more balanced.

So, this week me and Elder Stradling have been working on getting the members more involved.  I can't believe how much missionaries really depend on members for missionary work, so always remember that members are the most important source for finding investigators. Us missionaries are constantly changing around areas, so we don't know the area, and we dont know the people. I challenge everybody to get to know your neighbors so that when the missionaries come to your door and ask for referrals, you can give them something!

So me and Elder Stradling went around to the auxiliary leaders in the Oquirr Point Stake and shared a scripture with them and bore our testimonies about missionary work and how it blesses us and our families.  Then we asked them how we can help them and for referrals and then we left with a prayer.  We gave them pass along cards with D&C 18:10, 13-17 and Matthew 14:5 or something like that with our number on it.  So just remember the members are key in areas.

We went on splits sometime through out the week. Me and Elder Stradling went and stayed with Elder Jones, one of our zone leaders.  Their landlords are so messy, ha, it was driving me crazy. The whole time I was in their house I was cleaning. Thanks for that trait mom. I'm sure my wife will appreciate it, hahah! Elder Jones is English speaking and so we went around to English people, and boy, am I glad to get to work with Spanish people because English people [aren't so friendly]. That was the first time a door had ever been slammed in my face. Everybody should learn to be more like Spanish people and Polynesian cultures. They are so nice about everything, and they are soo friendly. And their families are usually closer too. I'm already making mental notes of how I want things to be in my house that I will have some day.  I don't know if anyone else thinks about this while on the mission, but I think about my future family and home A LOT. I'm always taking mental notes. But we have found a lot of Spanish families in the Oquirr Stake and Oquirr Point Stake. Now we just need to turn them into investigators.

We had a lot of people plan to come to church but only one of them showed, so that puts about 5 people back on baptism appointments--so we will see how that goes. I have been praying really hard for the members to get more involved here. We really need that.

The Spanish is coming, really, I just have to work on my vocab. I have a small vocabulary, so that is what makes it hard. I think I'm fine with grammar. It's not perfect, but it's good enough for what I'm doing. It just comes with time.

So on the bike I now can bunny hop! On flat ground I can be going and get both wheels off the ground!! WOO Hoo. That took a lot of tries! And I got a decent wheely down, too. I only had to bail one time in the few weeks I have been in the field.  I'm so glad we get to ride bikes. A lot of the time the only reason I'm happy is because I get to ride a bike and mess around and just have fun. I guess it's sad to say, but being on a bike has made things better! haha, I love biking!


So, I have decided that I really want to read through the bible because so many people think us Mormons don't study the bible, so I decided I should have a testimony of the bible, too. Everybody should read Preach My Gospel. It's great stuff. I'm learning soo much from it.  [I get a little bugged] in my companionship when they don't do things according to PMG. [In the MTC that's what they told us to teach.] Man, I loved the MTC! But at least I get to cook now, woo hoo! Man, I love cooking! But ya, that's about all for this week. I think! I will work on getting a few hand written letters out!

Thanks for the love and the prayers. I pray that God blesses those that help his missionaries!  One more piece of advice: the best thing you can do for a missionary is give them food! Or money is good too, since none of us can stick to a budget! I'm exited to see what transfers bring, but no matter what, I'm just gonna keep on working anyways! Thanks for everything. I love you all! Have a great one! Hopefully I will have something exiting to share for next week! TTFN!