hey everyone! i love you!
well as always i never know what to write in emails because i dont know what i have written before, whats interesting etc etc so that is why my emails always seem so unfocused and non informative haha
anyway well elder cooley and i are still working hard in this our (probably) last transfer together. I cant help but wonder where i will be next becuase i will probably be the one to move since elder cooley is district leader here but you never know. I think that i will move to a white area because your second area is usually different than your first... but i am not thinking about it too much because transfers arent until the 16th of march...
a quick story: today our district minus the sisters and two elders ate habanero chiles elder cooley, elder maxwell (he has been here in this district since i have been here and i like him a lot) anyway we ate 2 each. so that brings my habanero count to 3 and some change because last night we had some diced habaneros with jorge and the chavez fam for dinner.... they are spicy!! haha but it was fun. i think dad should try one but mom i would highly not recommend you eating one....
well we are still teaching eduardo- jorge's homosexual friend... he is progressing really well and coming to church every sunday! jorge is really quite the recent convert missionary! his testimony is really blessing mine and helping it to grow. eduardo is already inviting other missionaries over for dinner in our district (he signed up on the dinner calendar the ward passes around on sunday...) but there are only allowed to be one companionship at dinner at once so we wont go with them...
i also went on splits with the zone leader (one ZL came in our area with elder cooley and i went there with the other ZL) it was really fun and i learned a lot, as always on splits... its great to learn from experienced missionaries. his area is USC so that is pretty cool too- i dont know if i told you about that but we drive by campus a lot when we go down to the spanish ward which is on jefferson and vermont... i havent run into kate shumway though! haha or peter's (and sorta my friend) friend michael breen.... anway i am still trying to step out of my comfort zone and apply my talents and strengths to the mission. its so funny that i dont like tracting because i think its usually akward because i talk so much but i feel like i ruin the situation with that attitude and i have found that when i just be myself it ALWAYS works out (for this and all other areas of missionary work) so yeah thats something i am working on right now- i am trying to stop being a missionary and start being myself- hoping that i will get to the point where myself is at harmony (i wish i didnt use that word but i cant think of anything else...) with Jesus/a missionary...
i am also working really hard at being simple. elder cooley is really good at it and it really helps in teaching people. especially in another language and especially the kinds of people we teach- most of whom have not recieved the same blessings and opportunities of an amazing education... (which i wish i took more advantage of! ahh i cant wait until im not a teenager officially anymore but thats a sidenote) anyway. being simple would help me be less of a worry wart which i am discovering now more than ever that i worry a lot and i let things get to me/i dont "pick my battles".... i dont know if i have talked to you about that before... but yeah....
elder cooley and i are also teaching three new families! they havent come to church yet (only been one sunday though) but they are keeping their assignments to read/pray etc but we need to get their work schedules fixed! man that area of my mission would be so much easier if i served in utah! haha but yeah one family is from el salvador and guatemala, and the other two are from mexico... so we will see how they turn out! we will work as hard as we can, but in the end its up to the Lord and their agency to judge if they are ready or not to be baptized...
some quesitons: what would you like to hear me talk about more? i skimmed through ians email and i was wondering if you want to hear more about my area? or specific stories or what? or whatever is fine... i just dont know what being on the recipient side of my emails is like haha. plus i cant remember what i have told you before...
oh elder cooley and i went to the church on normandie and hollywood or sunset i cant remember so he could do a baptismal interview... dad- is that near where you go for work?
-how is lucy doing with the art thing? is she still bummed about not getting captain?
-how is emma doing stress wise in high school? they both made it through season! and there first semesters! and probs almost third quarter too! how was turnabout? i dont know if i have heard about that....
-how is jack doing? are you guys video taping him? speaking of which i video taped us all eating the habaneros...! in HD- is the new TV HD by the way?
to MICHAEL- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i am going to try to write to you today! and i think all i can offer in terms of a present is pictures but i know that you are a pretty satisfied and not a needy kid so i dont think you will mind hahhahaha and your papers better be in!!!!!! haha
to peter-
i dont think i have ever mentioned this but by the way i see someone wearing a white sox hat almost every day... only because its for the gang 6-o-crips or something... and i have seen only 2-3 cubs hats :( haha i just thought that was kinda interesting.... also i hope that i am in a latin area in june for the world cup! because they def dont care at all about the olympics! haha but yeah just some things i thought you would like to hear.... its so weird being in LA in the middle of "the world" in terms of worldy things and not being able to participate- its so different than like a small town in the andes mountains... but i mind it a whole lot less than i thought i would... anyway.... yup
i have to go... stay tuned until next time
i love you all!!
