Week 9

So another glorious week here in Napa California! And let me say, it is hot here everyday! I don't think I've ever sweat this much in my life.

Dad, you asked me for a day in the life of a missionary, here it is

- Wake up at 6:30, pray, put on tennis shoes, run 2 miles

- Shower, eat breakfast, personal study, companion study, language study, lunch, 12 week training program

- Leave the house at 1. We usually tract, visit investigators, or visit less active members until 5 when we have dinner

- Dinner with a family for an hour. There are 6 of us, 2 sets of Elders and 1 set of Sisters. 3 greenies, the greenie sister was in my District at the MTC.

- Leave dinner, try to visit less active members after, tracting anytime past 7 usually isn't effective

- 9:00 bike to the apartment, plan, write in my journal, get ready for bed and sleep.

 

That's the day in the life of a missionary in Napa. Very hot always, and biking anywhere between 5-15 miles a day.

Right now the only progressing investigator we are teaching is Hortencia. She's progressing, praying and reading. Her biggest problem is that she's not married. We're trying really really hard, as she's our only progressing investigator. We also have Elizabeth, who lives with Hermana Belltran and her kids. Elizabeth is an awesome person, but she isn't progressing. She goes to church, but she is hard to teach. She can't remember things we teach her, and it's just hard. We try and pray everyday, but she's difficult.

The hardest part is the language. It's getting better, and I just made a new language study plan that hopefully will help me out a ton. I think I'm better off than the other two greenies in the Napa Spanish Branch, but it's still difficult. I really want to do the very best I can and at times it's hard. Right now understanding is the hardest part. I need to start listening more attentively. But I'm not going to let it stop me! I know with hard work and the help of the Lord that I can progress alot and learn. I think the part that makes it hard was in the MTC I progressed a lot, but here I'm not learning as much, which is the opposite of what I hear usually happens. So hopefully this new plan will help me learn alot, both to understand and speak!

So this week had a special day in the lives of many people throughout the world, and I do have a few funny stories. On Saturday, this special day, the sister missionaries had a great experience. Their investigator Marcos, who is having problems with the Word of Wisdom, decided he wanted to change his life. He gave the sister missionaries all of his marijuana. They then proceeded to a member's house, where they were picking up money for dinner for all of us. When they got there, they asked the member if they could flush it down the toilet. They, of course complied. I also guess that there is another area here in the Santa Rosa mission that is world famous for their plants, and a few missionaries have eaten special brownies there. In that area, brownies are now a no-no for missionaries. I'm not going to lie, it was a little weird not listening to Minor Threat on Saturday.

But everything is good here! Things are hard, but it's been going by quickly! I can't believe that I've already been here for half a transfer.

Love you!

Elder Mufosta