Oh my goodness...So this week has been pretty typical, methinks, but I'll do my best to update y'all. :D
First off: No, I do not know anything about my visa haha. Several have asked, but I know nada. (: But it's alright! I'm good here for now. I'm stoked to eventually get there, but for now...I'm content with the information Elder Fonseca has for me. (: He's from Argentina but has lived in Cali for several years. Buuut he keeps telling me that once I get the Argentine "sh" down and a larger vocabulary, I'll blend in no problem. (; Bahaha. So stoked!
Second: Temple TRIP!!! This Thursday, and I am SO stoked. Our temple is the Oakland temple, so I am absolutely thrilled to be able to return. (: Ahhh, so many incredible memories. Exactly a year ago. (:
Third: Just as a memoir...Earlier this last week, I woke up completely unfocused, and I couldn't figure out why. I had had a dream (no, I'm not completely insane. (; ), and I couldn't take my mind off it. We were in the middle of companionship study, practicing the Plan of Salvation, and it hit me like a crashing wave...Ben Horning. He was part of my dream. I frantically began a search for my planner and asked what the day was...It was that day, a year before. Wow...I still really miss him. Thank you, Keesha, for calling me up. I'm so lucky I happened to be in Washington in the middle of it all, close to family and friends. Thank you Aaron and Keesha. I needed you both, and I love that we were able to lean on each other. We're all pretty far and hardly get to talk...But regardless, you're both my best friends.
Fourth: Milagrosss! So, we have a couple of investigators set with baptismal dates, and both are miracles. (: First, I think I've mentioned before--Ilse (pronounced: eel-say). She is the mother of two glorious munchkins, Manuel and Samuel(ito) (: So cute. She has been an investigator for quite some time, her and her husband at least. But Sergio got a 2nd job a little while back and had to stop taking the discussions, so we haven't been able to teach him. Ilse really wants to wait and be baptized with her whole family, and I certainly don't blame her. The church is family-focused, as she is. She loves it so much, and she wants it, but she really wants it for her WHOLE family. So that's what we're working on. (: Second, is Alex...This kid...
Truly, he is...increíble. He's 15, and he was a referral from the English-speaking elders. So we went back and knocked on his door on the 24th of May, Friday. Asked when we could come back to teach him. His response, "Oh! Well how about tomorrow??" Us:"DEAL."
We went back the next day and taught him the Restoration--all about Jesus Christ, the priesthood, Joseph Smith, etc...I love it, because the entire time he's got this little smile on his face, nodding his head, and making comments like, "Whoa...No way...Really? Sweet!" Haha the BEST. Well, after or during lessons, we'll pause, ask questions, and see if they have any questions. They always shrug, shake their head, and say, "No."...So we finish up and ask him is he has questions..."Uh yeah actually..." He is SO full of curiosity, and he genuinely wants to know and understand. He had questions everywhere from who was God to us, why Christ needed to die for us, if we'll see God again...May I remind you, he is FIFTEEN. Wow. He blows me away! We finished up the lesson, taught him how to pray (he is AMAZING! So honest and open; loves the fact that he can truly TALK with his Father in Heaven), and we asked him that if he came to know that these things were true...If he would be baptized. His response: "Yeah, definitely. I'll do it."
Gah! :D We asked when we could come back, and he said that we can come Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays haha. So that's what we're doing! We've been teaching him for a week, and he has received permission from his parents to be baptized on the 16th of June. (: He is so excited, and he loves everything--especially the Plan of Salvation. (: We gave him a calendar of what and when we hope to teach him, and he looked at it, and said, "Hey! Check it out, that's the day of my baptism! Whoa, two weeks from yesterdayyy...SICK!" Hahaha. Oh man...Me and my compañeras walk out of his lessons close to tears. He is SO strong; I have never seen someone grasp and crave this truth and gospel so much. It's inspiring. (: And lucky for me, we're teaching him tonight! We get to tell him about prophets, our prophet today: Thomas S. Monson, and the priesthood! Annnd I'm super stoked to see his reaction to the fact that HE can receive the priesthood. (: He's gonna be bouncing off his seat. :D
OKAY! Whew...Quite the update, sorry. (: That's all for now folks! But here's a few more pictures!! (:
1) Los élderes (: They aren't in our district, but they serve with us in our Spanish branch in San Rafael, CA. We see them basically daily, and they're the best haha. From left to right: Elder Martin, Elder Whitacer, Elder Perez, and Elder Fonseca
2) Uhhh pretty sure this is the FAIL picture. That would be Elder Perez's thumb, as we were all trying to take a picture...Whoops.
3) This is on a country road we found ourselves on!! Sooo gorgeous, and we're planning on going back on a different Preparation Day. (:
4) Annnd again. (: Stunning!
5) Mis compañeras y yo! Me, Hermana Andrews, and Hermana Zurita. We found ourselves on that country road, and we had to get out to get some pictures...Becauuuse it was gorgeous!
6) Seriously, deer. Everywhere haha. We were just walking down the sidewalk, and the guy was just chillin' and munchin'. (:
7) Annnd last but not least, one of my compañeras! Hermana Zurita with the giant flower I picked for her. :D
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