So, this week has been a little bit of everything. A little sad, super awesome, and crazy hot and cold at the same time. So Tuesday morning we found out that we had exchanges that day. I stayed in my area and the district leader came to my area. His name is Elder Toledo, he is a boss. We had a ton of fun. We taught tons of people that day too. Then Wednesday we exchanged back and had lots of lessons that went pretty well. Thursday we were working on talking with some of the investigators we have but no one was home, I hate days like that. I can always tell if we have been in lessons all day or not by the color of my skin. If I’m pretty red, we spent the day walking everywhere and didn’t meet with many people. But if I’m just brown that means we had a good amount of lessons.
Friday was something super special. We had a lesson with one of our investigators that is going to be baptized in a few weeks and then we started walking to our next appointment. Elder Lopez felt that he needed to talk to this lady and we were pretty far away so I couldn’t tell who it was. But when we got closer I recognized who she was. And Elder Lopez started talking to her and she told us that we need to come visit her when we have free time because she and her family need help. I had heard what happened a few weeks before and Elder Lopez had no idea. So we ended up helping her with some bags she had back to her house and she invited us in and their whole family was there. They brought chairs for us and gave us some soda and we started talking to them. Elder Lopez asked what happened that they need help with, and the mom started telling us about her son. I heard this story from their neighbor a few weeks before, they are members. Anyway, their son was killed a few weeks ago and they were super sad because they felt that it was their fault. They were worried that he was still suffering. We talked about the plan of salvation and they calmed down tons. The mom told us that she felt so much better after that lesson to know where her son is and that he is ok. Something awesome that Elder Lopez said in the lesson is that he is now waiting for them to do his work in the temple so they can be a family again after this life. I swear I have never felt the spirit as strong as I had in that house. There was just a certain reverence there.
Then Saturday we had another day of just walking around to appointments but having them fall through. Sunday was pretty awesome as well. We were in church and I sat next to one of our investigators that is 9 years old. He is the cousin of one of the members here and they were drawing together and I was too. Haha, but they ended up drawing me tons of stuff, I’ll have to send pictures of it someday. The other thing I laughed at is that we had 3 new people at church and the theme that day was Joseph Smith. The first song was Praise to the Man, and the second was Oh How Lovely was the Morning. hahahah. But they are all good. They liked hearing the people speak yesterday. Then we had lots of lessons after church. We were teaching all those lessons with a member. Yisel is our most recent converts and she came with us to people that lived near her house. Holy cow, seriously she has such a strong testimony. It was just awesome to see that our most recent convert was able to help people understand a little bit more what we were talking about, and she bore her testimony alot. She is just awesome, and in the lessons she said when we come back this next week we will talk a little bit more about that, or this. hahahaha. She told us after the lessons that she really liked talking to people about the church. She is now talking to all of her friends to tell them to start taking the lessons so she can teach them with us. How cool is that?! Well that is pretty much it for this week, I can’t think of anything else to say.
I’ll talk to you next week.
To Mom:
That is awesome that you got to go through that temple with Dads co-workers. If you guys end up coming down here to get me, we have to go through this temple. There really isn’t any other like it anywhere.
I didn’t even remember that Kelley was pregnant! hahaha, and the first thing I read from dad is, Kelley had her baby! holy cow! What the heck is going on, did I miss everything. hahahaha. I forgot that she got married. That’s just crazy to think that she has a baby now. Around here it is sad but there are way too many people that are so young that have babies. They are all like 15 or 16 and have kids already. Crazy.
Anyway, I’m glad you’re having the missionaries over. And seriously, just invite them over for dinner Sundays,I know you guys always have good meals Sundays. Just tell them if they have nothing just come over. I laughed at those pictures of Juliet, she cracks me up.
That is cool what Chris´s companions did for him. That just shows you how hard people work in those things. What he wanted to be is super dangerous too, but they save so many lives doing it. He wanted to be a pararescueman. They are crazy. I seriously can’t wait for you to meet Renee. she is just awesome. haha She told me in her last email that she can’t wait to meet you and give you a big hug. haha. That is just like her. When we were working in the foodbank, one of the ladies that helped start it told us, we know you’re not supposed to be hugged but we don’t care we are gonna hug you anyway. haha.
I miss Mexican food so bad. and Barros. Nathan told me that he had Barros this past week and it made me so hungry…. I got to get going, I love you mom!
To Dad:
Hey dad. I’m online. Hey I tried using the card again but it won’t work. This time the machine ate my card! I had to wait like 2 hours just to get it back. I doubt that I can use it in a place to buy stuff if I can’t pull money out at an ATM. It pretty much sucks because I’m out of money, and I need new socks like crazy. Well, I can’t use the card today since it got rejected twice today, but I will try and use it that way. There is only one bank in my area. But I will try everything this week. I might end up just talking at the counter to get money out. But the thing I worry about is I tried it in 2 different areas and it got eaten both times. I have the card though so it’s all good, but I tried once in my area, and once by the offices. I will try it as a credit card this week.
I had to spend alot these past 2 weeks. My companion didn’t have a card for the bus and I ended up paying for lunch alot. But I’m not gonna be buying lunch the next month, just lunch with members. I’ll have money next week so I should be fine. The members feed us lunch most days.
No, we have no food in the apartment but I’m pretty sure I can survive for a little while on just lunch. I did it for almost a month before. Don’t worry I’ll be ok. I think there is a little bit of money on my mission card that I can pull a little bit out, so I’ll do that and just buy a few things.
Elder Ryan Kelley 