7-18-11

Monday: I woke up this morning and it was freaking cold! I couldn`t
get warm, even under my blankets. Elder Chavez was the first one up
today. I watched him from my bed as he turned on music, put on his
Aviators, and danced by himself. He`s excited to see his family
tomorrow. That`s such a crazy thought. I think about my family
sometimes, but I can`t really remember their faces and voices. We
picked Elder Montalbàn up from the office, where he`d dropped Chavez
off. I got a letter from Kevin and my Bible. Only problem? It`s in
english. Crap. We tried to play bowling with some other missionaries,
but all of the lanes were occupied for the next three hours. Boof! I
said goodby to the cruz family first. I didn`t cry. I felt really
calm. We had banana cream pie. They`re such a wonderful family.
Maritza, the inactive one, hugged me and as I went to leave, she came
outside and dragged me back in. She`s like 50-something, so it`s okay.
Then we went to the Novoa`s, where the whole ward was waiting. They
took turns commonting on me and thanking me. I gave Paloma my earmuffs
`cause she always stole them. She was glowing. I love being able to
serve. It all comes back to get you. I`m so full of love right
now--and sleepiness. I finished packing at 1:30. WOOT!

Tuesday: Yesterday, I told Elders MOntalbàn and Calaway that we had to
leave at 8:00, to get to the terminal at 9:00. Well, we all woke up at
7:50! I was glad I`d gotten all of my stuff packed last night. Even
still, we left at 8:20! We said a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to
help us get there on time. We got off the Micro bus and went right
through the Terminal, to the loading bay. I got on the bus on it`s way
out. Prayer answered! I got off the bus and Elder Palmer, one of my
good friends, helped with my bags. Elder Burch is a great comp. He`s
happy, humble, and loves to work. This is his fourth transfer in
Avenida Alemania. We had lunch in the middle of a forest. It was
Enchanting. :) their house was just like a gringo house. they took
care of their property and it wasn`t just painted plywood. It was so
unchilean. the sector is an uptown one where all the people are dang
rich. We did 40 contacts and only 10 opened their doors. It`s gonna be
pretty hard, it looks like. But there`s work to do, and I`m happy to
do it. We celebrated Elder Burch`s birthday. Our house is smaller but
taller. We live in the 2nd story of an apartment. Building. Elder
Lisonbee is in the sector next to mine. He`s training a gringo! We`ll
be District Leaders in the same zone!

Wednesday: We got up and went to the DistrizonaBut I should note that
this shower doesn`t hate me. Lisonbee is training an Elder who was
originally from Elder Burch`s MTC District. He came back, and he`s
awesome. I knew that Elder Lisonbee and I would be two of the District
Leaders in Los Angeles, but we`re actually the ONLY District Leaders.
Elders Tonumaipei`a and Decker are the Zone Leaders. They talked us
up. they said that, as leaders, we are expected to have 2 baptisms a
month, `cause Leaders lead from the front, not the back. That sunds
really hard, but if the Lord thinks I can do it, then I`ll just have
to put in more effort. We went to buy groceries with lisonbee...and we
ran into OVERSBY!!! That was fun. We had an ENORMOUS lunch. I`m sure
the Sister wants to fatten me up. ooph. We did a lot of contacts. For
Sanctification Week, we`re trying to focus on getting into 25 houses
for the week. We got into 2 today. It`s pretty hard to get people to
come out. But we`re creative. WE say that we want to sing hymns with
them, say a prayer, or even using their bathroom. One guy wouldn`t let
my comp. got #1. Elder Burch got offended by him. :) Two of his
converts threw a little b-day party for him. They gave him an Eastern
Island head made of onyx. It`s awesome.

Thursday: Today was a really good day. We got up, and my comp. wasn`t
feeling really well. He took a hot shower and felt better. I had a
good time reading the beginning of 2 Nephi in Spanish. I`m marking all
the places where it testifies of Christ. It`s such a great feeling. We
planned for all of our people. I got to call all the people in my
District to get their numbers. I went to call and report to the Zone
Leaders. They needed some info. but no the numbers. They said that
it`s only for me, so that I can measure how my DIstrict`s doing and
help them as I see fit. I didn`t know that. It`s a pretty heavy thing
to think about. We went to lunch,k and I didn`t really talk much. We
did contacts for a while before we met Hna. Pinar, the Relief Society
President. She`s really nice. We got to teach Sabrina, on of our
investigators, The Plan of Salvation. She needs her Dad`s permission.
She`s wanted it since February. Elder Burch is going to want the whole
Ward to fast on the 7th of August. He loves her. She`s just a sweet 11
year-old girl. He`s just such a wonderful comp. He`s a soft teacher,
and humble. I love him. We did more contacts. Right now, we`re
listening to Elder Skousen`s talk again. I feel the Spirit.

Friday: Today was a really good day. We got up and got ready for the
day. We worked really hard before lunch. We did a TON of contacts.
Elder burch likes to throw pass along cards inside the fences of
people who don`t answer their doors. I showed him a different way to
throw them, so they`d go farther. Oh! i had 2 nightmares, last night,
about the same thing. I dreamed I was home after the Mission, and
everyone said that I was still the same, `cause I was being rude and
impolite. I don`t want to be that person anymore. I`m not. I think
that would be the horror of condemnation: not being able to change. I
don`t know why that dream shook me so much. We had lunch with the
Rodriguez family. They live in, I kid you not, a freaking castle. It`s
huge! While we were there, I commented on something political without
thinking, and the Sister gave me a 2-hour history lesson until I
finally saw reason. Sheesh! As we were walking, later, I wasn`t
watching where I was walking, and I ran into a sign. OUTCH! One of our
interesting contacts was to an Asian-looking woman who was looking out
her 2nd storywindow. A few seconds into it, she told us she didn`t
speak spanish. She`s from California. We taught in English, an I loved
it! Her name`s Christine, and she might come to church. She wants a
friend.

Saturday: I`m really tired. We`ve gotten ino 4 houses this whole week.
We`ve finished all of our other goals for the week, early, because of
how much we`ve been pushing ourselves to find new people. Our legs
hurt and our eyelids are like a pair of fuzzy anvils. We did lots of
contacts in the morning, but nothing came of it. For lunch, a Sister
took us to a restaurant, paid the waitress and left before we`d even
ordered. I think it`s very ineffective. The only reason we eat lunch
with Members is to ask references. Besides that, we like to share
Scriptures and leave prayers on their homes and families. As we were
looking for some ancient investigators from the Area Book, a huge dog
tried to eat/maime me. It was a wholly...terrifying and
adrenaline-inducing experience. We saw some police cops on horses. We
tried to DISCREETLY take pics. We must have been less than perfect
because they asked if we wanted to pose with (on top of) the horses.
Awesome! Then, two more arrived on motorcycles and we posed on them,
too. I realized that I`ve looked forward to transfers with the hope
that I`ll go to an easier sector. But all of my transfers have only
taken me to harder sectors. But I also see how necessary it`s been. So
this time, I won`t get down. I`ll stick to it and learn as much as I
can. I`m thankfl that I can grow.

Sunday: I discovered something today: I was extremely blessed to have
had the Ward I did, in Hualpencillo. We got a ride with the Elders`
Quorum Pres. to go pick up an inactive Sister. She was still in bed.
Lame. I actually really like the Elders` Quorum Pres, Hno. Pinar, and
his wife, too. But we got to know the rest of the Ward soon enough.
One brother, Hno. Mencilla, was a real jerk to my comp. We were taking
off all of our coats and everything, and he said, "Elder Burch, you
need to take off your scarf, you`re in the Sacrament hall." Then he
told me to tell my comp. to take off his coat to show proper respe t
to the Lord. He was already doing it! Some people might have seen it
as a joke, but he wasn`t smiling. He just like to tell us what to do.
He then tol dus that he was good friends with Our mission president,
and would tell if we ever messed up. I straight up told him that I
didn`t appreciate being threatened, and that I was here to work and
serve the Lord. Nothing else. The Sister we had Lunch with didn`t come
and Elder Burch said that she sometimes gets mad at the missionaries.
What did they DO to this ward?! There are some nice members, bt th
amount of gossip is just crazy . It rained all afternoon.