Monday, November 2, 2009

De un misionero muy mojado (from a very wet missionary)

Hello family and friends!

Hope you all had a fantastic halloween this week and it was great to read your emails! WE just finished a fantastic game of bowling with probably 20 other Elders in our zone and I bowled my best game ever! I started off with 4 strikes in a row and finished of a little less spectacularly. But anyways... it has been a great week here, and basically has been raining for the last 3 days straight. Along with the rain there has been AMAZING lightning storms! It lights up the whole sky and is probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I think it is all very far away because we usually never hear thunder with it.

One request, could you send me a conference ensign in English? Mom to answer your question, we go to one of several "cybers" in the area where they have a bunch of computers to write our emails. It´s about 3 pesos for an hour, so about $1 USD. Not the best environment, there are people smoking, and the music they play is all unedited english music, but it gets the job done and it´s pretty easy to tune everything out to write. They don´t celebrate Halloween down here, but some people celebrate Dia de los muertos which is Nov. 1, so that was different.

This week we did intercambios (exchanges) and I went with our District leader Elder Manning. It was a great experience and he is a great teacher. Also we had a feast that night at their pension (which is even worse than ours, they don´t have hot water) We made yankee hamburgers and french fries which were DELICOUS. But anyways, he taught me a lot of things and then gave me the opportunity to practice them as we went out and did contacts etc. It was a huge confidence boost for me and I definately need to try to speak more when I´m out with Elder Spence. I was suprised how much I could actually speak, but I still have a LOOONG ways to go on understanding what people are saying to me, etc. However we did get to watch the Restoration video in English (Spanish Subtitles) with one of the investigators because they didn´t have their remote to change the language setting. :) Also this week we got to teach seminary! The Seminary teacher for Fiorito lives in the same "Pension" as us, different house, and she asked if Elder Spence would teach because she has been having some health problems due to a pregnancy. It was a lot of fun and the guys that came were Capos (studs). There were even 3 nonmembers that came with their friends which was very cool. We taught about the books of Jude and Revelation from the New Testament. It was very interesting, and we also watched a seminary video about symbolism that was entertaining as all seminary videos are.

This week was our first week meeting with our new Branch of Fiorito. Actually it is very large for a branch, we had about 50 people there, and apparently we are only 3 male tithe payers away from becoming a ward, so that could happen very soon! Our new Branch Pres. is awesome! We met with him and his family and they fed us. He annunciates when he speaks very well so I can actually understand most of what he says! They remind me of a lot of great mormon families from home, which is a very rare thing here! He gave us a lot of great ideas for our teaching which we have been trying to do with all our investigators (placing lots of emphasis on baptism). Sunday was pretty depressing because we passed by several investigators to bring them to church and none of them came :( Then we stood for a half hour in the rain waiting for a bus that never came, so we were late and very wet for church. However, the new chapel we are in is AWESOME! It´s only a couple of years old, and everyone knows about it here because it is the nicest building in the whole area...

This week we had interviews with Pres. Asay which went great! He is an amazing man and he has really turned this mission around from what I have heard. As part of the interview we have to recite a scripture from memory, and I did Alma 37:6-7. He also had me make a study plan for my whole mission that includes all the standard works and the missionary library, and I am very excited to read! Personal study time is one of my favorites things every day! I just finished the Book of Mormon this week and started it again! What an amazing book! I don´t think it is possible to read it without learning something new. Also, every time we have interviews Hna. Asay brings facturas for everyone. Facturas are kind of like donuts/pastries but WAY better!

Our investigators are all doing very well, but we won´t have any baptisms until people start coming to church! We found a new family this week with 7 kids that seems very interested and I am excited to go back and talk to them! I love testifying and teaching about the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ in general, especially when it finally clicks for the people. It really can and does change peoples lives! It´s amazing how receptive the people are here! Very few people turn us down.

That´s pretty much my week! Hope you all have a fantastic week and I can´t wait to hear from you all again next week!

¡Les amo mucho!
Elder Wheelhouse

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