1. Where are you living?In STOCKTON!!!! How cool is that?! I'm born in the city of dreams :D It's so amazing here and there's NOTHING to worry about! We're close to down town where all the action happens that everyone here's about but we're far enough away that nothing will happen so don't worry! BUt yes, in mission terms I've been 'born' in Stockton Morada mission.
2. Can we mail things directly to you?
You actually can't. You have to mail everything to the mission office but they get everything here quick! Make sure you priority or first class all the packages or else I won't get them for weeks. They filter the mail through the system so we don't get junk and send it from the mission office.
3. What is your address?
Unfortunately, I can't tell you my address that I'm living at, but you have my California address. It's the one in the packet. It's 8267 Deseret Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628
4. What’s your apartment like?
It's pretty g-hetto... Haha it's pretty trashed but the spirit is strong!!!! It's a wonderful place for a few missionaries to stay at :D
5. Who is your companion?
O estrellas mias!!!! (Oh my stars) My companion... So out here, they call your trainer your daddy and wow... Back home AND out here I have the GREATEST daddy in the world! He's absolutely AMAZING!!!! His name is Elder Rodriguez (yay christian!!!)
6. Where is he from?
He is from San Antonio Texas.
7. How long has he been out?
I'm his last companion and he goes home in May!!!! He's been here for 23 months...? I think... Something close the that.
8. What do you have in common with him?
We both love to obey and work as hard as we can and teach and he's great at basketball and he's fluent in Spanish and knows SO much!!!!
9. In what ways are you and he different?
He's experienced, so I think that everyone we talk to is going to be baptized, but he knows those that have the intent. He also is a Spurs fan... That has caused some trauma.... Also he doesn't mind the messy stuff... Apparently I was WAY off... Everything must be cleaned!!!
10. Does he remind you of anyone from home?
He reminds me a LOT of Joe sometimes. He's very good at making people think before arguing and has that work ethic of getting stuff done and making sure it's done PERFECT before anything else! He's very good at being maticulate.
11. What did you do your first day in the mission home?
We went up to the temple and talked to the President and interviewed with him... We got in at about twelve and filled out some papers and then left after that. Let's see... It was FOREVER AGO!!!! But we did that and then ya... Chilled and had a great dinner that was very similar to mom's chicken in white sauce.. But wrapped in bacon WITH italian dressing!!!! Que una buena cena!!!
12. What did you do your first day in the field?
First day, we went straight out and started tracting AND taught lessons. It was great! First day here, we got 8 returns to come back and teach! And we got 2 investigators that day. Two brand new that I think are going to get baptized!!! What a WONDER!!!
13. Have you had your first Spanish teaching experience?
I have helped teach about.... 16 lessons or so? We've only been focusing really hard on a few people because we had a baptism with one of our investigators on Saturday, so we had to prepare her and that was great! But yes we've taught many people and I've DEFINITELY been thrown into the fire in this mission
14. How did it go?
It was amazing! The first lesson I didn't say much, but I could understand... SOme of it? haha it's a different language out here I swear!!!! They're so quick!!! Santa vaca (holy cow). Luckily my companion is great with the language!
15. Are you understanding the language?
I am now. I wasn't so much the first few days, but I'm starting to get used to it and picking up new phrases. I still struggle a LOT and some of the members and investigators have fun with me, but it's been great! We just all laugh about it.
16. Are you comfortable speaking the language?
I'm getting to where I am. Apparently I came prepared. A lot of the Elders and members in the ward were very surprised that I could put together a sentence! I'm starting to be able to think and speak it quickly. But my vocabulary is very limited to gospel things which is great! But my companion is being very helpful!
17. What percentage of the work you are doing is in Spanish?
100% of the lessons are in spanish. The tracting is in English and Spanish, but we only teach spanish people, the english elders teach the english people. So all of our work ends up in spanish. Like if we get an english person that wants us back, we call the english elders, and vice versa.
18. Do you have families you are working with now?
We do! We have a great family that we asked last night if they would be baptized if they found out this church was true and... They accepted! So they came to church and the fireside yesterday and just loved it. So hopefully they'll follow through! They seem really excited. Another family we discovered our first day and they're going to be hard because they're so catholic but, I know that they can do it! I'm so excited!!!! And we have a few others as well. Lots of work to be done here!
19. Do you work with the members much?
We work with the members every day! My companion is great at making sure we get member lessons done and other things like that in. A lot of inactives in our area that we're working on re-activating. It's my favorite thing EVER!!!
20. Do you have dinner appointments most nights, or are you cooking for yourselves?
We have had a lot of appointments, but we don't eat a lot. Sometimes we'll go home and grab a sandwich, but most nights, we're really just not hungry. My first or second night, I was starving and we weren't going home for dinner and had this great lesson with Francisca, who just got baptized on saturday, and I had a silent prayer that we'd go home and get something to eat, but we went to her house and we get out of the car and out of nowhere this guy comes with this huge tray full of spanish bread and he gives us each a piece for free! It was so good and really showed me how the Lord will ALWAYS provide so that we can always be doing our best.
21. What was your first Sunday in Church like?
It was hard to understand the meetings other that testimony but that's alright because OUR INVESTIGATORS CAME!!!!!! It was the BEST feeling ever to look over and see them paying attention and soaking all of the testimonies up! That was really cool.
22. What is a typical day like?
A typical day is we wake up, study at 8 till 11 with different studies, then go out and teach lessons for a while and tract somewhere for 2 hours or so and then come home at about 9:15 or so! The days go by SO quickly, it's unreal. The lessons always seem like 5 minutes, when really it's 30-45. It's the best thing ever. Oh and did I mention we get cars? THere are only 2 areas for spanish that have bikes so... Hasta Luego bike! It looks awesome though! Blends in with my backpack!
23. How is your bike?
It's great! I still haven't used it yet, but I might if we don't have any miles left for the car... But it looks really cool!
24. Do you ride it a lot?
Nope :D haha never.... EVer but sometimes, I just sit on it, and peddle backwards in my suit and back pack and helmet, imagining the road while my companion fans me :)
25. What are you doing for P day?
For PDay we played basketball with the zone and then just relaxed at home after going shopping. It's super chill and really nice. I love every minute of pdays now. We still study and everything and go back to tracting at 6 so it's not a whole day.
26. How are you feeling?
I'm feeling AMAZING! I'm always smiling and it's weird. We had to tract in the rain like the pooring rain and so I gave my companion my coat and an umbrella and just got SOAKED but I was smiling the whole time because I knew what those days are for and why I'm out there in the rain. If I complain, I'm not trusting in my Savior, but if I'm open and happy, there's no way that I can be sad! Every day is a new, great, wonderful day to be serving my Savior and helping to progress his work.
27. How is your tummy doing?
My tum tums is great! I haven't had any problems re adjusting to real food and the spanish food out here is.. Wow... I've only had nachos, bread, and a REAL homemade everything quesadilla, but wow... Real home made chili and goodness gracious!!!! I am eating well and feeling great!
28. Is there anything you need or want that we can send to you?
Umm... I don't think there's anything right now... Maybe just something fun.. haha I dunno! We've got a whole lot of stuff.. Oh yeah! Those pencils that Lauren got me, I've loved them and they've been PERFECT for marking, but I gave some to a friend out here that I made that didn't have any to mark! I hope you remember what they look like lol they're like eagle mountain markers or something? I can't remember but it's all wood...
2. Can we mail things directly to you?
You actually can't. You have to mail everything to the mission office but they get everything here quick! Make sure you priority or first class all the packages or else I won't get them for weeks. They filter the mail through the system so we don't get junk and send it from the mission office.
3. What is your address?
Unfortunately, I can't tell you my address that I'm living at, but you have my California address. It's the one in the packet. It's 8267 Deseret Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628
4. What’s your apartment like?
It's pretty g-hetto... Haha it's pretty trashed but the spirit is strong!!!! It's a wonderful place for a few missionaries to stay at :D
5. Who is your companion?
O estrellas mias!!!! (Oh my stars) My companion... So out here, they call your trainer your daddy and wow... Back home AND out here I have the GREATEST daddy in the world! He's absolutely AMAZING!!!! His name is Elder Rodriguez (yay christian!!!)
6. Where is he from?
He is from San Antonio Texas.
7. How long has he been out?
I'm his last companion and he goes home in May!!!! He's been here for 23 months...? I think... Something close the that.
8. What do you have in common with him?
We both love to obey and work as hard as we can and teach and he's great at basketball and he's fluent in Spanish and knows SO much!!!!
9. In what ways are you and he different?
He's experienced, so I think that everyone we talk to is going to be baptized, but he knows those that have the intent. He also is a Spurs fan... That has caused some trauma.... Also he doesn't mind the messy stuff... Apparently I was WAY off... Everything must be cleaned!!!
10. Does he remind you of anyone from home?
He reminds me a LOT of Joe sometimes. He's very good at making people think before arguing and has that work ethic of getting stuff done and making sure it's done PERFECT before anything else! He's very good at being maticulate.
11. What did you do your first day in the mission home?
We went up to the temple and talked to the President and interviewed with him... We got in at about twelve and filled out some papers and then left after that. Let's see... It was FOREVER AGO!!!! But we did that and then ya... Chilled and had a great dinner that was very similar to mom's chicken in white sauce.. But wrapped in bacon WITH italian dressing!!!! Que una buena cena!!!
12. What did you do your first day in the field?
First day, we went straight out and started tracting AND taught lessons. It was great! First day here, we got 8 returns to come back and teach! And we got 2 investigators that day. Two brand new that I think are going to get baptized!!! What a WONDER!!!
13. Have you had your first Spanish teaching experience?
I have helped teach about.... 16 lessons or so? We've only been focusing really hard on a few people because we had a baptism with one of our investigators on Saturday, so we had to prepare her and that was great! But yes we've taught many people and I've DEFINITELY been thrown into the fire in this mission
14. How did it go?
It was amazing! The first lesson I didn't say much, but I could understand... SOme of it? haha it's a different language out here I swear!!!! They're so quick!!! Santa vaca (holy cow). Luckily my companion is great with the language!
15. Are you understanding the language?
I am now. I wasn't so much the first few days, but I'm starting to get used to it and picking up new phrases. I still struggle a LOT and some of the members and investigators have fun with me, but it's been great! We just all laugh about it.
16. Are you comfortable speaking the language?
I'm getting to where I am. Apparently I came prepared. A lot of the Elders and members in the ward were very surprised that I could put together a sentence! I'm starting to be able to think and speak it quickly. But my vocabulary is very limited to gospel things which is great! But my companion is being very helpful!
17. What percentage of the work you are doing is in Spanish?
100% of the lessons are in spanish. The tracting is in English and Spanish, but we only teach spanish people, the english elders teach the english people. So all of our work ends up in spanish. Like if we get an english person that wants us back, we call the english elders, and vice versa.
18. Do you have families you are working with now?
We do! We have a great family that we asked last night if they would be baptized if they found out this church was true and... They accepted! So they came to church and the fireside yesterday and just loved it. So hopefully they'll follow through! They seem really excited. Another family we discovered our first day and they're going to be hard because they're so catholic but, I know that they can do it! I'm so excited!!!! And we have a few others as well. Lots of work to be done here!
19. Do you work with the members much?
We work with the members every day! My companion is great at making sure we get member lessons done and other things like that in. A lot of inactives in our area that we're working on re-activating. It's my favorite thing EVER!!!
20. Do you have dinner appointments most nights, or are you cooking for yourselves?
We have had a lot of appointments, but we don't eat a lot. Sometimes we'll go home and grab a sandwich, but most nights, we're really just not hungry. My first or second night, I was starving and we weren't going home for dinner and had this great lesson with Francisca, who just got baptized on saturday, and I had a silent prayer that we'd go home and get something to eat, but we went to her house and we get out of the car and out of nowhere this guy comes with this huge tray full of spanish bread and he gives us each a piece for free! It was so good and really showed me how the Lord will ALWAYS provide so that we can always be doing our best.
21. What was your first Sunday in Church like?
It was hard to understand the meetings other that testimony but that's alright because OUR INVESTIGATORS CAME!!!!!! It was the BEST feeling ever to look over and see them paying attention and soaking all of the testimonies up! That was really cool.
22. What is a typical day like?
A typical day is we wake up, study at 8 till 11 with different studies, then go out and teach lessons for a while and tract somewhere for 2 hours or so and then come home at about 9:15 or so! The days go by SO quickly, it's unreal. The lessons always seem like 5 minutes, when really it's 30-45. It's the best thing ever. Oh and did I mention we get cars? THere are only 2 areas for spanish that have bikes so... Hasta Luego bike! It looks awesome though! Blends in with my backpack!
23. How is your bike?
It's great! I still haven't used it yet, but I might if we don't have any miles left for the car... But it looks really cool!
24. Do you ride it a lot?
Nope :D haha never.... EVer but sometimes, I just sit on it, and peddle backwards in my suit and back pack and helmet, imagining the road while my companion fans me :)
25. What are you doing for P day?
For PDay we played basketball with the zone and then just relaxed at home after going shopping. It's super chill and really nice. I love every minute of pdays now. We still study and everything and go back to tracting at 6 so it's not a whole day.
26. How are you feeling?
I'm feeling AMAZING! I'm always smiling and it's weird. We had to tract in the rain like the pooring rain and so I gave my companion my coat and an umbrella and just got SOAKED but I was smiling the whole time because I knew what those days are for and why I'm out there in the rain. If I complain, I'm not trusting in my Savior, but if I'm open and happy, there's no way that I can be sad! Every day is a new, great, wonderful day to be serving my Savior and helping to progress his work.
27. How is your tummy doing?
My tum tums is great! I haven't had any problems re adjusting to real food and the spanish food out here is.. Wow... I've only had nachos, bread, and a REAL homemade everything quesadilla, but wow... Real home made chili and goodness gracious!!!! I am eating well and feeling great!
28. Is there anything you need or want that we can send to you?
Umm... I don't think there's anything right now... Maybe just something fun.. haha I dunno! We've got a whole lot of stuff.. Oh yeah! Those pencils that Lauren got me, I've loved them and they've been PERFECT for marking, but I gave some to a friend out here that I made that didn't have any to mark! I hope you remember what they look like lol they're like eagle mountain markers or something? I can't remember but it's all wood...
Just a quick report on my first week because it was amazing! BUt pretty insane! So like I said, we got some amazing investigators that might be baptized soon! In the next three weeks we hope. And the two others we found as well. They're great.
We've re activated a family of 2 girls and hope that their little sister will want to be baptized as well. My first saturday here, I got left in charge of 2 baptisms. That was sure stressful! My companion planned everything out but had to go to meetings since he's the district leader here and so he left and left me with another missionary that's been here for6 weeks and didn't know what to do either. So that was great! They came of smoothly! Francisca was the lady that was one of our investigators that had been taken care of by the other missionaries and they left right before the baptism. So saturday was hectic!
I'm learning spanish pretty well! I've started to participate a LOT more in the lessons and contacting and stuff. It's been great to have the knowledge that the MTC gives us! So i'm not completely useless. I've learned so much in the scriptures and have had some great, faith lifting experiences that have really helped me to be better and grow! It's been a great miracle. I've missed my family a whole lot more, and the first few days were hard in the mornings, but once we leave, it's a whole new ball game!
President wants me to lead the Zone in the mission statement, which apparently is a big deal haha. My companion was very happy for me and said usually the assistants do that! But it's been amazing out here! The spanish people are SO much nicer than the english people... But really. There always open!
I learned what marijuanna is... We were knocking and this house was open and so my companion told me to take it and I went and started talking and they were passing around this smoking bowl thingy andsmoking it and I just thought it was a knew way to smoke a cigarette so I was like cool, but my companion started like blowing the smoke out of his nose while I was talking, well, we got a return to come back, but I don't know what will happen. It was pretty scary! Anyway, this area is great, my companion is amazing! The work is progression!!! I love it!
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