Hola!
Whew what a week! I can't believe that I am out and about being a real missionary! Our schedule is busy. We prepare for the day and then have personal study, companion study, newbie training, and language study in the morning. Then after a quick lunch we head out. We visit and teach investigators and less active members. Then we normally have dinner around 5pm. We spend the next few hours teaching some more and we return to the apartment around 9pm. We plan for our next days activities until around 9:30 and then get ready for bed and are generally in bed by 10:15. Then the day starts all over again! It's good that we are kept so busy, but it makes time fly so quickly.
All of our investigators are so different. We have some married older couples and some young single adults. They all come from different backgrounds and experiences. I love getting to know them although sometimes when we get back into the car I look at my companion and ask "Now what just happened?!" JeJe, Spanish can be hard when people go off on these topics with vocabulary I have never heard before.
Texas is great. It's not as flat as I would have expected, or at least the part of Texas that I am in has lots of hills. I think as of right now I have about 3 streets I can recognize - maybe... Two days ago we were driving around looking for this street and our map wasn't offering much help. I had this flashback to when I used to drive around Utah giving live animal shows and without fail I would have to call my dad and ask for additional help in finding the schools. I am so helpless with directions! We did eventually find the street we were looking for, so all is well. I was also expecting Texas to be nice and warm, but it has been freezing this week. We had two days of snow, but it didn't really stick on the ground very much. Both Hermana Cruz and I would be freezing standing on people's porches waiting for them to answer the door. Worse for me, as per mission rules, whenever you back up the car the passenger has to stand behind the car and help them back up. So I had to stand out in the cold even longer looking very weird backing up a car. I don't mind it most of the time, but we have received a few strange looks in the Walmart parking lot when I am helping Hermana Cruz back up the car. Oh the life of a missionary.
To go along with the freezing weather, church was an ice box. Everyone was wearing heavy coats and scarfs, but I only had a light sweater. Hna Cruz and I were shivering in the back. The Bishop on the stand was rubbing his hands together and blowing on them, to try and keep them warm. Since it was fast Sunday I went up and bore my testimony. I am not sure if I was shaking because I was nervous or because I was cold, but I'm going to go with the latter. Anyway I get up to start and I say "buenos..." and my mind went blank. I couldn't figure out if it was late enough to be tardes and when I decided to go with the morning salutation I couldn't remember it. I kept thinking buenos mañanas but I knew that wasn't right. Thankfully the bishop supplied me with buenos dias. I guess my Spanish could only go up from there and it did. People are all really shocked to learn that this is my first transfer, so that must mean I must be saying something right. The rest of Church was slightly warmer and I enjoyed listening to all of the meetings. Even though I don't understand everything it is the same spirit and love in this ward as in an English ward.
Some of the interesting highlights of the week. At one of our dinner appointments I asked if I could use the restroom. They led me back and pointed to a door. When I walked in it was really dark, but I heard this scuffling sound and snuffling. When I flipped on the light these two baby Chihuahuas popped their heads out of the bathtub! It was very distracting trying to use the bathroom with two little puppies madly trying to escape the bathtub. Oh the other funny story was last night we went and visited a sister in the ward who just lost her sister. We went there to offer some words of comfort and to let her know we were here to help in anyway that we can. After our visit, the sister who drove us to the appointment took us all back to her house and we had a traditional Mexican Bread. (I can't remember the exact name, but it's like rosca de reyes or something like that) Everyone serves themselves and when I cut off my piece much to my surprise a baby Jesus figurine fell out of my piece. All of the people there were delighted at my reaction and jokingly told me that I was now suppose to make tamales. I would love to make tamales, but I do not know how! Hmmm maybe on some p-day I can find someone to teach me.
The food story of the week. I have been enjoying most of the food. Even food that I wouldn't have eaten before my mission isn't too bad. On Saturday I had Mole for the first time...yeah... I ate it and was grateful for the meal, but I think that there is a time for chocolate and a time for chili and we'll just leave it at that. :-)
The best part of the mission is teaching the people and loving them. It's amazing the love I feel for people that I have just met. I see them for who they are: sons and daughters of God. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.
So that's about all for this week. I hope everyone had a great week. I am praying for everyone back home. I love you all!
Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus
"And it came to pass..."
No comments:
Post a Comment