Week 66

Wow! My first transfer in Vallejo is done. I can't tell if it was
super super fast, or really slow. Kind of both with being sick and
everything. Good news- we are no longer sick! Bad news- I fell on my bike on Thursday. I was going from the street into a driveway, and you know how there is like a little one inch lip, well my back tire got stuck on that and I just fell to the side going about 10 miles per hour. Pretty pathetic. well the moral of the story is I thought I
jammed my wrist, then when it hurt the next day I thought I broke it, and then on Saturday I went to the Instacare in Amcan, but on
Saturdays it was closed! It feels better now. Still hurts, but at least I can bike again. Oh well!

Transfer info- Elder Minkler and I are staying the same! But moving to a different apartment in our complex so that the new sisters coming in to the Singles YSA area can live in our pad. Elder Alvarado is gone, Elder Delgado is coming in with him. I don't know him. Elder Grisham and Elder Nelson are leaving, and... Wait for it... Elder Wright is coming in!!!!!!! My son :'D I'm so excited. He's also a Zone Leader! Looks like I didn't do so bad after all. I actually got a letter from him too, I love that kid! I'm stoked. So is he! He's coming here with Elder Carrillo, my old ZL from Napa. Elder Payne (Peine) is leaving, and another elder I don't know is coming with Elder Smith. Ok now for the best news- remember the cholo investigator I found in Fairfield, Ortega? He's getting baptized in June! And Elder Smith and Wright and I have all taught him. What does that mean? We're going to his baptism!! Woohoo! Also, the Diaz family is super stoked, they're taking Elder Wright and I out on my birthday.

More good news- Adrian our investigator and Jackie his less active
girlfriend (well... It's a weird situation. Not really less active but
kind of) came to church here!! They loved it. He's been going in San Fran because of his job, but they decided to come here! And his divorce is finishing up this next week, at which point we will be
talking to them about marriage and baptism!! He's so nice. They love us a ton, they bought pan (like the sweet Mexican bread) and manzanita sol (really good soda) for our lesson last week. So he'll get baptized in the near future.

So we were out on our bikes, and we here this guy yell "Hey Mormon guys! Come over here!" And so we go over, he tells us he's on his way to the store and he wants to buy us some water. So we're walking with him- turns out he lived in Utah, remembers going to temple square as a little kid and his older brother got baptized and served a mission in the Philippines. So super nice guy, he takes us to the sketchiest convenience store I've ever been to. I'm pretty sure you had to be 21 to get in, but we went in anyway haha he bought us each 1 liter of water, then he bought a 40 and some cigars. But you know, water is water.

So also, we found the most awesome family. Ok it's a long story and there is a funny, unrelated story in the middle. On Wednesday we locked our bikes at a stop sign in front of a house. We were pros
walking, and we saw this gold RV. In cursive letters, it said across
the side "The Twerkulator." There were people outside, filming
some.... Dancing. So somewhere on YouTube there are people...
"dancing" and two Mormon missionaries in the background trying to leave. I wish I could explain it better. Just know it's super
hilarious. Ok back to the main story- on Saturday we are walking and we see the guy walking with his daughter and we heard them speak Spanish. So we go up, we start talking to him, he's super nice. He's from El Salvador, we tell him we love pupusas. Then his wife comes up, and asks us if we locked our bikes on the sign that day and we said yeah and she said she was going to talk to us, but was on the phone and couldn't. So basically, they asked for the address of the church, told us they are going to come next week without us even inviting them. They gave us their number, told us to call them so we could visit and one day they are going to make us pupusas. And also told us just to lock our bikes in their backyard from now on since, you know, any street with "The Twerkulator" is not the greatest street. Oh, Vallejo. I love this place so much!

So I know you guys are probably done with the punk stories, and last night I was thinking "hmm, no punk rock encounters this week" until we were walking at 8 and I saw a bumper sticker (I'll send the picture) with the words "WWHRD?" Yes. What would Henry Rollins do. I almost peed my pants. So we knocked on the door, the people were super nice. The lady said "Of all the things I thought we you going to talk about when you knocked, Henry Rollins was last on the list!" So they're not interested, but planting seeds. All I'm saying is, I've been waiting my whole mission to talk to people about this, I'm super glad there are people here who know what I'm talking about! It's like specific prayers get specific answers. I think I'm going to pray to meet Tim Armstrong. Or at least more punks.

I really do love Vallejo. It's so much fun to be here. The branch is
probably my favorite. It's hard to beat Fairfield, but I mean, I love
it here. Everyone is amazing. Loving and willing to come out with us, making us good food, and understanding how the church works. The people on the streets are always nice, and it just feels good. So even though it might be dangerous, it's the greatest. There is no where else I'd rather be than Vallejo!

Love you guys! Miss you!



Week 65

So to start off, the shift key on this computer blows, so if I miss capitilazing stuff, I'm sorry!!!
So this week was awesome! On Tuesday we had the coolest lesson ever. It was with an investigator who is living with a less active, and they are getting married as soon as his divorce finished from his wife from Mexico. it should be done this may. But Presidente Tobias came with us. It was awesome. We talked about the Book of Mormon, and it was like one of those Golden lessons where everything falls into place and the member just does exactly what he needs to. And since then, Presidente Tobias is on our "missionary wagon." I don't really know exactly how to explain that, it's a Sister Alba thing. So it was awesome.

We also had lessons where two sweet members came out with us.

Also, we had a... good and bad lesson with our investigator mauricio from Gutamala. we were teaching the restoration, and we got to the Savior's Earthly Ministry. We read a scripture from Ephesions (efesios. Or whatever.) and then his brother's friend comes out. and he starts asking us questions about the Book of Mormon, almost bashing with us. So then I just get heated, and I throw down on him. So that was the bad part. but the good part is that Mauricio also said that he believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He should be coming to a class this wednesday that we have at the church. Also, Spanish is his second language! he's Mayan, speaks Mam, and learned spanish in school.
and at this said bible class at the church, I made a great discovery. We have this member, all tattooed up and everything. He was at the class, I'm talking to the members, when I notice he has a pin on his shirt. As I got closer, I noticed it was for GBH (I don't like them, but you know, at least they're punk!) and so we started talking about punk! so he was in  Punk bands in Mexico City. And so we talked about bands like Minor Threat and Gorilla Biscuits, and even bands from the east bay like Operation Ivy and Rancid! He has an Operation Ivy back patch. Oh man it was so cool, he's like the first person that actually understands!!!!!!!! It was awesome. He's into a little more street punk than I am, but it was still super funny. Hermano Cortez was laughing at us.
Also, I may or may not have contacted a guy who played drums for Fear in the 80's. I'm not sure if what he said was true or not. Do they have a drummer named Kelly? if you don't know them, they are the ones who played on SNL in the 80's on halloween and SNL freaked out. I think they also have a song in SLC punk. the singer is an actor now.
Also, we were at a member's house eating tacos, and it was kind of us just standing around or sitting on the couch eating. There were quite a few members there. But the member whose house we were at noticed that I was eating a lot of cucumber with limes. And she was all like Do you like cucmber? and I was all, yeah, my mom plants it in the garden and I miss eating it! and at the end of the dinner, she gave me two cucumbers! the members here are the best!
We also had zone conference. It was sweet, check out the video The Butterfly Circus. A little cheesy, but pretty cool anyway.
I have been studying the talk "the Merciful Obtain Mercy" by Dieter F Uchtdorf. it's so good! In addition to the mormon messages Bullying Stop It and the Other Prodigal (which is slightly a little racist, but I like it anyway). And then on church we had 2 talks on forgiveness and Presidente Tobias gave a class on the Prodigal son. It was awesome. Even if I do feel like I suck at everything now. I like what he says

"Haven’t we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace? Haven’t we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy—to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed?
Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? My beloved brothers and sisters, should we not forgive as we wish to be forgiven?"
Well, I love you guys!