9-7-10
YUP WE'RE ALL HEALTHY NOW! SO NOW I AM ASSIGNED ELDER LARSEN AS MY COMPANION, AND THE OTHER 2 ARE COMPANIONS, WE JUST LIVE TOGETHER. WE HAD A MEETING ON FRIDAY WITH PRESIDENT HOLZAPFEL ABOUT HOW OUR 4PANIONSHIP COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND THAT WAS JUST ONE OF THE THINGS.
I ALSO GET TO DRIVE AROUND A 12-SEATER VAN WHEN WE NEED TO GO FAR NOW, SO WE DON'T WASTE AN HOUR ON BIKES. WE HAVE HAD SOME VERY LONG BIKE RIDES IN THE LAST WEEK. ELDER LARSEN IS A RUNNER TOO, AND SO WE RIDE EVERYWHERE FAST AND HARD. IT'S EXHAUSTING, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO "PROSELYTE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE" (THAT'S ONE OF PRES HOLZAPFEL'S MOTTOS). WE ARE SPENDING MUCH OF OUR TIME FINDING PEOPLE STILL. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROGRESSING INVESTIGATORS SO WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH POTENTIAL INVESTIGATORS AND FIND NEW PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO KEEP A SIMPLE COMMITMENT TO READ FOR A FEW MINUTES AND SAY A SINCERE PRAYER. I DIDN'T REALIZE BEFORE HOW HARD IT IS TO HELP THEM TO WANT TO DO THAT ON THEIR OWN. WE COULD GET THEM TO DO IT, BUT IT IS INSTILLING A DESIRE FOR THEMSELVES TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO THAT IS HARD. WE'RE STRUGGLING NOW TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT WORKS. APPARENTLY THAT IS WHAT TAKES PEOPLE THEIR WHOLE MISSION TO GET GOOD AT.
[I told him our summer in Ventura wasn't really summer--lots of fog!] WELL I GUESS THAT WAS A GOOD SUMMER FOR ME TO NOT BE IN VENTURA FOR. YEAH IT'S STILL PRETTY HOT. 90 DEGREES OR MORE FOR ABOUT 60 DAYS IN A ROW NOW I THINK. BUT IT IS NOT QUITE AS HUMID ANYMORE. I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE LIVED HERE FOR A LIFETIME AND SAY THIS IS THE HOTTEST SUMMER THEY CAN REMEMBER.
EM THAT IS COOL YOU HAVE REYNOSA [chemistry teacher], AND DID YOU KNOW I HAD GROSSMAN [for Spanish]? ALEC AND I USED TO HAVE COMPETITIONS TO SEE WHO COULD CHEW MORE PIECES OF GUM AT THE SAME TIME WITHOUT HER NOTICING AND TAKING POINTS OF OUR GRADE. I STILL GOT AN A, SO I MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY GOOD AT IT I GUESS.
LIBBY AND CHRIS THAT HAS GOT TO BE NICE LIVING IN CALIFORNIA AGAIN. I'M GLAD YOU ARE ENJOYING FAT TONY [a book]. AND NICE STATIONERY, LIB.
CATH- I SENT YOU A LETTER AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO ADD TO THE LETTER TO ME? JUST KIDDING ITS ALL GOOD. AND WHEN AM I GONNA GET LETTERS FROM THE SINGLES WARD FHE?
TOM- YES WE'RE SEARCHING FOR SINCERE INVESTIGATORS BUT STILL DON'T KNOW IF I'VE MET ANY YET. ARE YOU DATING ANYBODY AT ALL? THAT'S NICE YOU LIVE IN A QUASI HOUSE NOW.
[Were you and your companions able to teach the Portuguese students again?] THEY ARE STILL IN AMERICA, AND WE DROVE UP TO GADSDEN AGAIN FRIDAY, BUT BECAUSE OF SOME UNFORESEEN OBSTACLE WE ONLY TAUGHT ONE GIRL. BUT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD LESSON AND WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH HER AND THE ONES FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK SOON. NOW THAT WE CAN DRIVE THE VAN WE'LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO GO UP THERE ABOUT EVERY WEEK. THEY ARE IN AMERICA FOR LONGER THAN I WILL BE, HOPEFULLY.
[Tell us a little bit more about each of your companions] POH-SPENT $65 DOLLARS ON HIS PERSONAL GROCERIES FOR THE WEEK; DASILVA- HE'S TOM'S AGE AND HIS DAD'S BRAZILIAN, BUT HE'S GOING TO PORTUGAL; LARSEN- NICE GUY. WE WORK HARD TOGETHER BUT BOTH LACK EXPERIENCE (OBVIOUSLY).
SOMETIMES I AM VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE WORK HERE, BUT WHEN I REALIZE THAT I AM DOING WHAT I CAN, AT LEAST I CAN BE CONTENT WITH THE SITUATION BECAUSE BEING ANGRY OR FRUSTRATED DOESN'T DO ANYTHING.
WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE THIS BUILDING ON SUNDAY BUT WE DECIDED TO KNOCK A COUPLE MORE DOORS AND THE LAST ONE, A MAN WALKED OUT AND STARTED TALKING TO US ABOUT HOW WE ARE THERE TO HELP HIS LIFE AND HE KNOWS GOD SENT US. CUZ HE'S AN ALCOHOLIC AND KNOWS THAT THE ONLY WAY HE CAN RIGHT HIS LIFE IS THROUGH GOD. STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO HIM AGAIN THOUGH.
BYE. LOVE YA
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