8-30-10 Hoover, working hard, Portuguese lessons, sickness

[Jon emailed some photos home last week--I have updated previous blogs with more photos. These particular photos, however, came from President Holzapfel's blog: Jon with Elder DaSilva and boys from their assigned ward--Sam & Isaiah]



YEAH THOSE [photos] WERE BASICALLY FROM MY WHOLE MISSION SO FAR. I HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY SINCE LAST WEEK ANYWAYS, SO NONE TODAY!

THE WEEK HAS BEEN HARD. I'M STILL IN HOOVER LIVING WITH THE THREE NEW ELDERS, AND IT IS ALMOST AS IF WE OPENED A NEW AREA TOGETHER, THE 4 OF US WHO HAVE NO EXPERIENCE. THE ASSISTANTS (THEY ARE IN THE SAME AREA) HAVE THEIR OWN INVESTIGATORS AND APPOINTMENTS ALL THE TIME BUT WE HAVE SPENT ALMOST THE ENTIRE WEEK KNOCKING DOORS AND TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE TO TEACH. WE HAVE TAUGHT LOTS AND LOTS OF LESSONS OUT ON DOORSTEPS, BUT I CAN ONLY THINK OF A COUPLE INVESTIGATORS WHO HAS EVEN LET US COME IN IN THE LAST WEEK.
WE HAVE MET SOME AWESOME PEOPLE, AND HOPEFULLY MANY OF THEM WILL HAVE READ AND PRAYED WHEN WE SEE THEM NEXT. BUT AS FAR AS ATTENDING CHURCH, NONE CAME. WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT PLANNED ON IT AND WHEN WE CALLED THEM AFTER, THEY HAD DECENT EXCUSES, BUT IT WAS STILL REALLY DISAPPOINTING. WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IT ALL IN THE LORD'S HANDS, AND WHEN WE HAVE NOTHING PLANNED, WE JUST SAY A PRAYER THAT WE WILL BE LED TO PEOPLE WHO WILL RECEIVE THE GOSPEL THEN START PEDALING OUR BIKES AND SEE WHERE WE END UP. THERE HAVE BEEN ANSWERS TO PRAYERS, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE FOUND ANY PEOPLE WHO ONLY DON'T HAVE THE GOSPEL BECAUSE "THEY KNOW NOT WHERE TO FIND IT." BUT ANYWAYS WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD.

THERE WAS ONE COOL THING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK WHICH GETS ME VERY EXCITED TO GO TO BRAZIL! ON WEDNESDAY MY 3 COMPS AND I WENT UP TO GADSDEN BECAUSE WE HAD MET A GIRL FROM THERE THAT HAS BRAZILIAN FRIENDS. THEY ARE ON AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM TO LEARN ENGLISH BUT THEY WERE ALL MORE THAN HAPPY TO LET US TEACH THEM IN PORTUGUESE. WE TAUGHT 4 DIFFERENT PORTUGUESE LESSONS (SPLIT UP 2 BY 2) AND THEY WERE ALL VERY HUMBLE AND OPEN. AND MEGAN, THEIR FRIEND, SAT IN AND HELPED US TEACH THE LESSONS IN SOME COLLEGE DORMS. AND SO YOU KNOW HOW WE DIDN'T GET ANYBODY TO OUR WARD AFTER A WEEK OF PROSELYTING? WELL OUT OF 5 PEOPLE TAUGHT, 3 WENT TO CHURCH WITH MEGAN IN HER WARD YESTERDAY. SO I GUESS THAT IS GOOD, BUT GADSDEN IS FAR AND WE DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL BE ABLE TO TEACH THEM AGAIN.

YEAH MOM I GOT YOUR POST CARD, THANKS. AND YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE THAT MY POLICY IS I WRITE THEM WHEN I RECEIVE SOMETHING FROM THEM. SO FAR I THINK I HAVE ALWAYS DONE THAT (EXCEPT FOR YOU MOM BUT THE EMAIL COUNTS FOR THOSE:)

LET'S SEE, I'VE BEEN PRETTY SICK THE LAST COUPLE DAYS WITH A MEGA SOAR THROAT AND A COLD NOW. ON SATURDAY MORNING I LITERALLY COULD NOT MAKE A SOUND WITH MY VOCAL CHORDS (UNLESS I YELLED A LOW F#) SO I STOOD AT THE DOORS WHILE ELDER LARSEN TAUGHT AND STUFF. SOMETIMES I'D WHISPER SOMETHING IF I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT. HE'S DOING GOOD THOUGH. IT'S BEEN RAINING A LOT, SO THAT MAKES TRACTING EVEN NICER. NO REALLY IT IS NICER CUZ AT LEAST YOUR SOAKED IN WATER NOT SWEAT.

I GOTTA GO NOW TO SEND MY LETTER TO PRES HOLZAPFEL! OH BTW ELDER LYNN ROBBINS CAME AND TOURED THE MISSION. HE SPOKE TO US ALL AND IT WAS UPLIFTING. I ALSO TALKED TO HIM ABOUT WHEN HE CAME WITH ELDER BEDNAR [TO VENTURA] AND TURNS OUT ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING TO THIS MISSION AND DOING THE SAME THING IN A COUPLE WEEKS! BYE FAMILY


LOVE ELDER HOOKE