CONGRATULATIONS KEENAN!!!
(Allison's cousin was called on a mission to El Salvador)
Aaah! I'm so excited for you! I think about 70% of our investigators and NoHo (North Hollywood) at large are from El Salvador and I'm really coming to love their culture. They're laid back, understanding, fun, cool people. Actually, that's something that I'm finding with all of the people (well, ALMOST all) we come in contact with. They just want to do the right thing and protect their families from all the garbage that's so prevalent and pervasive in our world today. Also, the food is excellent. The only food the missionaries talked about since I arrived were pupusas and how outrageously delicious they are so I finally got to try them last week and they are quite derricious. Me gusta. We got to go to the Hollywood sign on P-day (PreparationDay - their only day off per week) and our district leader Elder Zundel made pupusas for us then, too. Then we got ice cream and played soccer. Not an avisable combo. Stomach pain ensued for all. But anyway, Things are going great. I got to meet with President Martin officially for the first time this week and he's so stinkin great. I love him. Also, I love missionaries. They are fantastic.
Funnies of the week:
We were teaching one of our investigators with one of the Gospel Art books and we were talking more about prophets.We went through Abraham, Moses, Christ, and then flipped to Joseph Smith. We asked if he remembered who he was,and as self- assured as the day is long, he said, "Yes! I know...his name's....Mike!" We don't even call him Joseph Smith, we call him Jose, so I could understand if we used some kind of white name, but Mike? Really? Man, I love him. He is just such a sweet man.
One of the elders in our district, Elder Castro, is from Ecuador and we've been teaching him some English idioms, namely "'Sup man/home skillet/ dawg" etc. So last week we met up with him and he decided to try out some of the things we taught him, though what came out was "What's up, homeless?" baha!!
There's an elder who had been on his mission just a couple months and his parents who were on vacation in Hawaii got a phone call in the middle of the night of a hispanic-accented man saying "your son's been killed" They highly doubted such news would have bypassed President Martin and his wife, so they called to ask Sister M if their son was still okay. She said, "well, I think so, I'll give him a call." So this elder gets a phone call from her at 6:30 in the morning, she says "Is Elder Houghton there?" "Yeah, Sister Martin, this is Elder Houghton. What can I do for you?" "................just wanted to make sure you're eating your fiber....Okay.....well, have a good day...." Haha oh gosh. So great.
Okay so on to our investigators. We've been teaching this woman named Milagro who is just as sweet as can be and so so knowledgeable about the Bible, it's incredible. There are about 5 people (unrelated) who live in their little house, and thanks to Milagro and her invitations and great example in the home, we're now teaching 3 of them and we just got another referral to teach a friend of one of the men in that house. Awesome!! One of them is named Mario (from El Salvador--go figure) and he's an amazingly hard worker but he misses his daughter terribly. One of us usually says the prayer at the beginning of the lesson but we have the investigator offer the closing prayer. He was so nervous and told us that he didn't really know how and that he hadn't prayed in years. With a little encouragement and the 4 steps (open with directing the prayer to Heavenly Father, thanking Him for blessings, asking for what we need, closing in the name of Christ) he gave the most beautiful, heartfelt, sincere prayer I have ever heard. He expressed gratitude for his life, for his job and his daughter, and for us as visitors, but then prayed for help and told Heavenly Father how terribly lonely he felt and how much he missed his family. It made me think of the part in the Bible Dictionary concerning prayer that says "the moment we understand this relationship--namely God is our Father, and we are His children--prayer becomes natural and instinctive. Most difficulties with prayer arise from forgetting this relationship" It's so incredible to watch people begin to find what they have always felt missing from their lives. To see the look in their eyes change from one of hopelessness and confusion to understanding, profound joy, and immense gratitude reminds me powerfully why I decided to be a missionary. It's such a blessing to be a part of that process and I love to see them grow closer to the Savior. That's why it's so frustrating when people simply won't act on what they feel and know to be true. We have so many people say in effect " I can't follow Christ in these steps because I am a sinner" Well yeah, we all are. That's why there ARE these steps and that's WHY we have a Savior.
One of our investigators, Daniel, has seen so many horrible things and is trying to be a better person each day, and he insists that he has the utmost faith in Jesus Christ, but won't believe that he or anyone is worthy to be in church because they are sinners too. I was getting so frustrated with him because he won't allow himself to see the difference between believing IN something or someone and BELIEVING them. I tried my best to bear testimony of my own experiences with trusting that the Savior can and will do what He says--making me clean again, taking away the horrible guilt and sadness that accompanies mistakes and replacing it with hope and blessings beyond belief. But it has to start with trusting the Savior and doing what He asks. Goodness gracious. I love Daniel and I want to see that hurt in his eyes go away and I know that if he trusts God, he'll feel relief and happiness heretofore unimagined. I want that voice that pierces to the heart and soul of the people I teach that makes them understand. Guh. I know I CAN have that quality. I just need to have greater faith in my calling as a missionary, in the ability of the Holy Ghost to work through me. I'll work on that
.
Also, thank you so much Chelsea for the email about your personal goals! Goals are becoming a very special thing to me, which is kind of funny, since just a few years ago words like "goal" and "persevere" were almost dirty words to me. I liked the idea of doing things how I wanted, going with the flow and getting there when I got there. I thought that if I made goals, I would get narrow-minded and anal about little things that aren't actually particularly important. But I love them now. I see them as road markers on that "going with the flow" path that I like so much that help me to direct things how I want my life and my personality to go. It's awesome.
Also, I can't wait to hear about your new clinic visits, Lauren. they sound like they're going to be amazing!
I'm sorry, I need to run and send a message to Presidente, but I love you all so much and I can't wait to hear from you! Write me letters, dang it!
Love much!
Hermana B
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