Another Crazy Experience

Well this was a pretty good week. We had area conference this week....it was really really good. The priesthood session was question and answer, there were some pretty weird questions, but for the most part it was good. It was broadcasted from Jamaica and President Eyring, Elder Bednar, President Johnson (area president), and President Anderson (presidency of 70) were all there. Sister Allred was there two. It was cool that a couple of them recorded their talks in spanish instead of having translators do it. But Elder Bednar´s talk was really good...it was about testimony and conversion. One of the elders was asking questions about the difference between them just the day before, so we were all thinking about it, and then what do you know, Elder Bednar tells us. (by the way, i was right). Anyway, Luisa and Perla both had their interviews, everything´s good. Oh, and we had 10 investigators (all 6 of our fechas went) that went to church, so that was exciting. What else. Oh, one night we were over at Perla´s house teaching everyone and then right at the end a guy ran in the house and was quickly followed by a guy with a machete. The one guy went and tried to hide while the other one was trying to kill him. Then two other guys with knives came in. They got the one guy to calm down and go outside and wait for the other to come out. But alot of stuff got broken, but luckily nobody was hurt...well not that bad anyway (I don´t know about after the guy ran out the back door though). But it was crazy. Really crazy. Ummmmm. Oh, we found an inactive Haitian lady, she´s way cool. And some of the people that she lives with aren´t members, but they don´t know spanish very well. So we watched The Restoration in French (the first time i´ve seen it in the field) and we´ve also had the inactive lady translate (into Creole) for us. They both came to church for the conference too. So that was really cool. I actually understood parts of it. I´ve wanted to learn more creole and french before, but now i really want to learn it. my comp has some creole cd´s, but neither of us have a cd player...so that doesn´t help.

Zone Conference, etc.

Actually now that I think about it, I´m going to send my emails in parts so I won´t lose everything. So I´ll send this part now. Yeah, I answere all of those questions plus some. It made me mad when the power went out, and that the computer lost the email (I had just copied it and was about to push send). Anyway, the metro was closed, but zone conference was good. I got to see a lot of people I haven´t seen in a while, Elder Gregson, King, Lowe, Sheridan (all from my group). I was really excited to see the first two, and they were excited to me. The whole mission (well it seems like) all know about me and Elder merrell being comps, and they all asked about it. I don´t know why that was a big question. Anyway, Guillermo and Niña did get baptized, and so did Hna. Mendoza. We have 6 more baptisms coming up too. 4 of them AFTER transfers, which is kind of scary, but since we white washed the area AND since we are having success we probably won´t go anywhere...but nothing is certain in the mission. One is the lady in the apartments, Luisa. Another is a girl (part of her family are members...and the weird thing was is that they were baptized by someone in my group...in the west mission. that was cool to find out). Two of them are the mendoza´s kids, and the other two are sisters in a part member family. They had fechas when we got here, but we couldn´t ever find them....until now. Well, English class had a lot of people again....but President Johnson (Area President of the Caribe) was there in the room we normally have it in. So all the kids kept running in there and interrupting their training meeting. He came to our sacrament meeting on sunday too. It was waaaay bad. When we started, there wasn´t even 20 people there ( one investigator...but she´s crazy), by the time E. Johnson got up to talk there was 93 people there (9 investigators). He talked to them about getting to meetings on time. don´t leave at ten to get to a meeting that starts at ten. That was the biggest thing he stressed. You´re supposed to be there AT ten. Good thing we were way early, nicely dressed and greeting people. He came up behind us and scared us, well, it made me jump. This is the 3rd meeting I´ve been at that he´s there too. He always asks me Where are you from elder. When i tell him arkansas he just says, oh....and then asks the next person, and then asks what part, oh, I know somebody....etc. Oh, and we eat out everyday, but i still have a ton of money. Oh it´s sooooo good. We always get ice cream and batidas (like a shake). so good.

Another Lost Email :( But Pictures! :)

Well, I wrote a huge thirty-minute email . . . . . but the power went out for a second . . . . and my computer was the only one without a backup battery. So I lost everything. I’ll explain the building in a written letter. Well, the most important thing is that we have had so much success. We have already had two baptisms. Then we’ve had a couple of people come to us (they probably won’t get baptized until next transfer . . . . it is actually two couples, in one of them the girl is a member, and in the other, the girl’s family are strong members (bishopric, other callings)). Other missionaries also found a lady for us. She was visiting her member son, and they talked to her, gave us all her information. She lives in this huge apartment complex. A little background – In the beginning of the transfer, we found a piece of paper with an address on it, and by a miracle we found it . . . that was at the very beginning of the transfer. At that time I thought since it was all chance and miracle that the lady would’ve been good. She wasn’t. Then I thought we would have good contacts. Nope. Ok, now back in present. So when we got that reference, we knew exactly where she lived. That was good. And she really wants to get baptized. So something good has finally come from that miracle of finding that one random address. Anyway, but the greatest thing is that on Sunday, the bishop came up to us and was like, “Hey, Hna. Mendoza (the wife of the 1st counselor) wants to get baptized now. I resolved all her doubts. She’s going to get baptized on Thursday, should I announce it?” We were like “YES, announce it.” She knows everything, we’ve taught her once, she knew all the information, but had some doubt (she wouldn’t tell us, but somehow the bishop got to her . . . . ) Her husband was baptized 4 years ago. Like two weeks ago, Hno. Mendoza said she would get baptized this month . . . . we didn’t believe it, but he was right. Well, I’ve got to go.

P.S. Oh yeah, and Sacrament attendance has double since our first week here. Alot of the inactives we have visited came. That was cool.

Stephen also sent some pictures, with these captions:

Our random baptism our first week, Yoanna (Joanna)

And Hender. He's way active and his brother too, but their mom is less active; she goes every once in a while.

More News

Well, not much happened this week, so it´s a good thing that you asked alot of questions. Well, Elder Parkinson is alot like me. Quite, relaxed. But yes, we are working. We´ve been looking for people, but we haven´t found anyone just outstanding yet. We´ve actually found some of the old investigators....they aren´t that much better than our contacts. So....I don´t know what we´re going to do for now. We actually do have a baptism this week though...but it is an 11 year old kid that just wasn´t baptized when he was 8. He´s way smart and really is interested in learning all he can. It´s pretty cool. And no, we haven´t ridden the metro yet, but we will Wednesday because we have to go into the capital for zone conference, which I´m really looking forward to...i´ll get to see alot of people I haven´t seen in a few months. That´ll be cool. In this area we don´t have bikes. And yes, bikes just stay in the same areas. Our area is too muddy and hilly, and the good streets are way too crowded with cars and motores (motorcylcles). So yeah, it takes forever to get anywhere. I heard through E. Hansen who heard from E. Robison (my brother in the mission) who heard from an AP, who heard from E. Merrell that Guillermo and Niña got baptized. Di que (supposedly). I´m not sure, but I´ll find out for sure at zone conference. That was way exciting to hear.
Oh, and this ward is about 300 members (not even 100 active...it just got split a month or two ago). Boca Chica (which just became a ward a little after I started) Has 500 members, 200 active. But the leadership here is really, really strong, and they are really motivated to help us find more people....I´m sure you can imagine why. And about the package, I don´t know if it was enough, because they haven´t taken it off yet....but don´t worry too much. I have 10, 000 pesos when i should have about 3,000. We get 7,000 more in 10 days. So don´t worry too much about that. So I guess you haven´t sent that package, in that case, can you send me another copy of my patriarchal blessing and a watch. Thanks, well, until next week. And no, my comp didn´t say anything when i did it. he was pretty stunned.