TUESDAY - BUSY day, we had 8 set appointments, my planner just bursting with ink of all the planned lessons for each and every one of these people. Sandra was first and she canceled, then Salvador, canceled BUT, we found someone there and talked to him, Simon, and had a lesson with him so that was good. Ladia, Canceled, Antonia was there but she was half dressed and alone so we did not teach her! haha, we set up another time to come back. Stephanie and her mom, had a lesson with them and it was a really good one, taught the Restoration and then headed back to be picked up by the Chapmans for dinner, i love Brother Chapman, he was the one who picked me up when i got transferred here and everyone was telling him as soon as they found out it was me going there "OH he can dunk!!" so now EVERY time he sees me he tells everyone around "HE CAN DUNK" HAHA, he said it a lot during our wonderful dinner, hamburgers and chips, YUMMMMM. We got done and headed to Maria Chavezes and she was not there... so we headed to Mayela Ivanez and she was not there... Biked clear down to the Maldanados, busy... We had an hour and no where to go, no one to see, so Elder Rodriguez asked me "what are we going to do elder?" i just filtered through my mind all the people we have talked to and the first one that came to my mind i just went with it, so clear on the other side of the map we rode, and rode, and rode, and we did not stop. We arrived at Angels house and he was there and invited us in, we taught him and Estella, pretty good lesson, at least we didn't waist the Lords time :) i was happy till I came home and found another roach in our apartment, they are EVERYWHERE, like the 11th one I have seen since I have been here, stupid things. But a great day!
WEDNESDAY - Lucino Martinez was our first appointment today and he was not there and so we called and he told us to come back at 4 so we tracked, so frustrating sometimes but we have to have patients, the first door we knock black guy, at first refuses to talk to us, then comes out and he knows the bible really well, quoting scriptures and saying all this crazy stuff, when he first came out he boldly looked at me and said "what do you believe!?" I looked at him and said "we know that the church of Jesus Christ has been established once again on the earth through a living prophet" then he went off into all this stuff about how we can smoke and drink and as long as we believe we can be saved, then we introduced the Book of Mormon and he freaked, refused to listen, "there is only ONE book" he kept saying over and over again. I showed him the scripture in the book of Ezekiel and he still just turned his back and walked inside, 45 minutes burned with this guy, next door is better right? not.. some girl saying Jesus gave us all the authority while on the cross and that he visited her while she was drunk and high? interesting.... anyways :) We testified and after she said "wait can i finish my vision, i think im opening up his heart [pointing to me]" As soon as she finished i said "Beca, i know that the church has been restored and that it is the ONLY way to return to our Heavenly Father, that everyone will know one day whether it be by our mouth as missionaries or by the mouth of Jesus Christ" something like that and we left after that, i love the work, but its not easy. We tracked a good chunk of time, spending a total of 1:15 on those two people alone! and we had no luck, went back to Lucino Martenez's and again, nothing. We headed back to be picked up by Bro Lymn to head to a Mexican restaurant and it was really good, Sterla canceled after and along with Lori Holland, we went to the church to get copies for Commissary and ended up going back to the apartment to plan. Tomorrow Elder Duncan of the 70!
THURSDAY - I had to get up at 6 and I tell you that 30 minutes makes a big difference as a missionary... I got picked up by the Zone Leaders and headed to leadership meeting with Elder Duncan, it was so good to see Elder Chantry and Evans and Beatty and everyone! It was an hour long for the leaders and so we all got out and headed to the chapel where we had it with all the missionaries and we were all given the opportunity to shake his hand and talk with him a little, found out he was the mission president for my MTC teacher Hno Gillon! So i talked with him about that. Really good meeting, it would take me hours to type all that i learned, got a lot to work on still to improve, ill leave it at that :) We got back at about 5 and waited at the other elders apartment with Bro Drummond and just talked, then they came and we headed to Bro Drummonds for RIBS!!! they were amazing, i shared the scripture, D&C59:23, i love it, when we realize why we have trials, when we understand the purpose of Gods plan, life is much easier, that's a promise! We also gave a blessing to his wife who wasn't feeling good, Bro Drummond asked me to anoint, so i was very thankful for that, its always a privilege to exercise the Priesthood, the power of God in our hands. Hno Castro came and got us in his Nissan Cube, what a joke.. haha and then we went to a couple appointments that all canceled, went home beat, as always :) tired with a smile on your face.
FRIDAY - We woke up and I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders, I went with Elder Feild and we had to go get the oil changed in the car, so we were talking to a black lady in Pep Boys and she had a lot of respect for us and couldn't imagine how our mothers do it, 2 years of their son in a different place! So shout out to all the moms that have such strength to go through this, I know I'm proud of my mom, shes a trooper. We had lunch at their house... or i mean the members house, they live with Sister Styles, awesome member! so sweet! We then taught a girl with her 2 kids on her porch, it was interesting but a good lesson, felt that my Spanish is really a lot smoother, more confidence too. We tracked a little after and ran into a guy named Bob, who "knew" what the Mormons were, that Joseph Smith was getting sick of everyone telling him he couldn't have 20 wives so he went and wrote a book of Mormon... Man the people that cant just take a step back and see that they can believe someone who not only is from another church and hasn't ever been to our church but also hates our church, but not someone from the church... i don't get people like that!!?? It was interesting, but it was good. Then we went back for dinner, chili and then went to pick up a 15 year old, Gonzalez, for a lesson with us. He mentioned his birthday and its the same as Adams haha kind of funny, made me think of Adam going out with the Missionaries, cant wait for him to get to this point. We had 20 minutes before I go and do my first Baptismal interviews and we just pull into a trailer park and talk to a family of 8 for like 15 minutes, powerful testifying! It was really good, then we did the Interviews, I interviewed Sol first, 12 year old boy, passed. Then 13 year old Cielo, She passed as well and they were just both awesome. Then we went to a Recent converts house and read 2 Nephi 33 and just had a nice conversation about la ley de Diezmo. (tithing) really good, We dropped off Gonzales and his dad would not let us leave without eating a taco or two, when I ate one and he said "otro Hermano!!!" I said "Ya comi 3" and i was just kidding cause I had only eaten 1 haha he called me a liar and he was just hilarious, then we left and got back and just slept, we worked hard.
SATURDAY - We finished exchanges and then just talked about the exchanges and stuff, I texted Tim cause he got them pie shakes and not me! so what does he do? goes and gets me one... I didn't want him to! I was just kidding. Then when Tim came Elder Rodriguez just walked up to the calender cause Tim was looking at it, and then put "Tims baptism" on the 17th of March, and said to him "Tim we came to the conclusion you will be baptized this date" and he just said "only 3 weeks to prepare" (jokingly) then just left, then texted us "sounds good, I will pray about that day for sure" so me and elder Rodriguez of course were jumping up and down like a bunch of girls cause we set another date! Then we headed out to visit a few people and then to the church for the baptism of the Zone Leaders and we got food there, Tortas with Avacado and Orchata! Best! We had to teach after the ordinance while they all got dressed, we visited one person after and then headed home because of Elder Rodriguezes tire and so I went through every record and found the ones for the D10 south elders. That was our day.
SUNDAY - Studies and role plays to start off the day, then i practiced translating because i have to do it next week, crazy stuff! Church was great, Alex was not there but Helaman (less active) was there, so we went to Spanish with him, Spanish was just flowing for me, I could understand EVERYTHING! but maybe 3 or 4 words the whole hour, feels great! Great class too, 3rd hour was good, Fernandos daughter, Linda gave me a nice bloody nose... she is so violent! After church dinner canceled but Heleman offered to feed us, then he pulls into IHOP and gets us something to go... uh hahaha it was really good and we went to his house and ate, so good. Taught a little and then he took us to a few appointments that of course canceled and so we headed back to the apartment to be picked up by Brother and Sister Price in their new Jaguar! SO NICE! i love the price family, we went to Gaby and Fernandos and just waited in the car and talked and they told us we should go into the talent show for the ward next week, then we had a lesson with them when they arrived and went over the restoration. Went home and I got numbers, really bad week for the district, but our zone is KILLING IT! so excited for that, another fantastic week :) thanks for following! love you all
Elder Aaron Jackson
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