So this week I got hit with a double exchange. Some other Elders in our district were struggling a little bit and so we had to hit a quick exchange but also the Zone Leaders wanted to go on exchanges too. Needless to say, I think it has been a long week! Maybe one of the longest on my mission!
Every exchange I seem to pick up something new. I'll learn something new, something that might help or I may learn which things do not help. Even from younger missionaries I always seem to take something away from them.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I went with Elder Brosnahan my previous companion. It was a weird feeling being with a companion you have already served withed. Things went well and we got a lot done. It was funny talking about all the fun times we had serving together. Elder Brosnahan is super good at opening his mouth to everyone, but not always saying the best things for the situation, but it was definitely a little refreshing seeing how many people he talked to, and always encouraging me to be a little better with that.
When I went with Elder Rasmussen I picked up a little more Spanish. For a few day's I did not speak, though, so that was a little tough. He would do all the speaking and kinda but in if you started. We had a cool experience talking to an investigator and then the investigator had a question which led into a little bible bash type thing. Elder Rasmussen froze up and so I snuck right in and I was pumped because I hadn't spoken all day. He started going off about in Revelations how it says you can't add scripture. I bore my testimony and asked a few questions. I asked him if he believed God commanded the Prophets to write scripture, and he said yes. I then said "Well, God has once again commanded prophets to continue writing scripture" It was in Spanish, but the man stopped instantly and said he was going to read the book we had for him. It was pretty cool.
On Friday, we had Zone Conference and President came down. It was a good meeting. I swear every time I see President and Sister Hansen, our love for them increases. They are starting to change from mission president to a good friend, and I love that!
He talked about our numbers as a mission and how good they are getting. The missions in the south are the missions with the lowest numbers in the United States. Salt Lake had been kinda getting a little upset with our numbers and so President would kinda push that disappointment onto us too. At Zone Conference President told us about how 3/4 of our numbers had not been getting submitted to salt lake somehow. He was very happy to know that is why everyone was getting mad at our numbers. Our General Authority Elder Zwick was told this and he was very confused about how it all happened, but he was definitely a lot happier after we told him!
Then I was back with my companion. Man It is great to be back! On Saturday, we found 8 new Spanish investigators in Morgan City. We came up to this door where we saw some soccer playing and some Hispanic music playing and started talking to them! They told us to come in and then they started offering us all this food. They offered Ceviche and I was pumped because I love it. My companion started eating it and started freaking out when I told him what it was. He definitely felt the effects of his first real Hispanic food after that, though!! So what ceviche is, is raw fish chopped up with lime and lemon juice in it, mixed with chopped up onions, avocado, tomatoes. Pretty much whatever they want to throw in there! I love it. They made us eat and eat and eat and it was awesome. They told us about how three of them had given up drinking and smoking when they came to America and they told us to come back whenever and they would feed us. So we are going to go by this week and start teaching them!
Today before emailing we got to go to Avery Island. Avery Island is where Tabasco Hot Sauce began. We went and took a little tour and got a few photos. You don't get to see too much, but they show you a video and give you some hot sauce samples and stuff. It was pretty cool. I love Tabasco hot sauce. Well, recently any hot sauce has been making my food taste awesome! I love it spicy and Louisiana is the only thing I can blame for that!
The little boy we have been teaching is ready to be baptized and has been interviewed and I think we are going to have the service in a few weeks! I'm pumped for that!
Let me know how home has been?? What's new back in California?
Love you all! Hope you have a great week!
Every exchange I seem to pick up something new. I'll learn something new, something that might help or I may learn which things do not help. Even from younger missionaries I always seem to take something away from them.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I went with Elder Brosnahan my previous companion. It was a weird feeling being with a companion you have already served withed. Things went well and we got a lot done. It was funny talking about all the fun times we had serving together. Elder Brosnahan is super good at opening his mouth to everyone, but not always saying the best things for the situation, but it was definitely a little refreshing seeing how many people he talked to, and always encouraging me to be a little better with that.
When I went with Elder Rasmussen I picked up a little more Spanish. For a few day's I did not speak, though, so that was a little tough. He would do all the speaking and kinda but in if you started. We had a cool experience talking to an investigator and then the investigator had a question which led into a little bible bash type thing. Elder Rasmussen froze up and so I snuck right in and I was pumped because I hadn't spoken all day. He started going off about in Revelations how it says you can't add scripture. I bore my testimony and asked a few questions. I asked him if he believed God commanded the Prophets to write scripture, and he said yes. I then said "Well, God has once again commanded prophets to continue writing scripture" It was in Spanish, but the man stopped instantly and said he was going to read the book we had for him. It was pretty cool.
On Friday, we had Zone Conference and President came down. It was a good meeting. I swear every time I see President and Sister Hansen, our love for them increases. They are starting to change from mission president to a good friend, and I love that!
He talked about our numbers as a mission and how good they are getting. The missions in the south are the missions with the lowest numbers in the United States. Salt Lake had been kinda getting a little upset with our numbers and so President would kinda push that disappointment onto us too. At Zone Conference President told us about how 3/4 of our numbers had not been getting submitted to salt lake somehow. He was very happy to know that is why everyone was getting mad at our numbers. Our General Authority Elder Zwick was told this and he was very confused about how it all happened, but he was definitely a lot happier after we told him!
Then I was back with my companion. Man It is great to be back! On Saturday, we found 8 new Spanish investigators in Morgan City. We came up to this door where we saw some soccer playing and some Hispanic music playing and started talking to them! They told us to come in and then they started offering us all this food. They offered Ceviche and I was pumped because I love it. My companion started eating it and started freaking out when I told him what it was. He definitely felt the effects of his first real Hispanic food after that, though!! So what ceviche is, is raw fish chopped up with lime and lemon juice in it, mixed with chopped up onions, avocado, tomatoes. Pretty much whatever they want to throw in there! I love it. They made us eat and eat and eat and it was awesome. They told us about how three of them had given up drinking and smoking when they came to America and they told us to come back whenever and they would feed us. So we are going to go by this week and start teaching them!
Today before emailing we got to go to Avery Island. Avery Island is where Tabasco Hot Sauce began. We went and took a little tour and got a few photos. You don't get to see too much, but they show you a video and give you some hot sauce samples and stuff. It was pretty cool. I love Tabasco hot sauce. Well, recently any hot sauce has been making my food taste awesome! I love it spicy and Louisiana is the only thing I can blame for that!
The little boy we have been teaching is ready to be baptized and has been interviewed and I think we are going to have the service in a few weeks! I'm pumped for that!
Let me know how home has been?? What's new back in California?
Love you all! Hope you have a great week!