Week 89

It seems like only yesterday it was 10:25 at night when Elder Hastings
and I pulled in and smelled the ocean, heard a foghorn and sea lions
and I remember thinking 'Fetch. This is going to be a long couple
transfers.' Well it actually has been over really quickly, and I'm
actually sad I'm leaving! I don't even notice the foghorn every nine
seconds unless I'm listening for it. I'm going to Clearlake, Elder
Ford and Elder Herman will be my companions. I'm going to be a
district leader.

Last P Day we went bowling. I got third place with 113 points. After
that we went to the beach and we drank Jone's soda and enjoyed our
last P Day as a district. It was super beautiful, it's amazing living
out on the ocean.

We taught quite a few lessons, we found some hidden trailer parks
packed with Hispanics! We have like 10 more potentials than last week.
We taught the restoration to a new family and we picked them up. They
were way sweet, I'm so bummed to be leaving them.

On Friday night we had a ward thanksgiving dinner. Since Friday was
the night we were going to get transfer doctrine Brother Tinsley was
making predictions. He was AP, and so I said that his A.P.-ness was
showing. Elder Hastings started laughing way hard, and that was when I
had realized what I said (accidentally) and so we were all laughing.
Brother Tinsley was like "what's so funny? My A.P.-ness is showing?"
And then he caught it and we started laughing so hard. If you don't
get it, don't worry about it. But it was funny.

On Saturday we did a blitz in Gasquet. It was way fun, we met a lot of
crazy people. Like honestly Gasquet is where horror movies take place
because it's in the forest and so many people are unmedicated
schizophrenics but it was actually way cool. We found Madame Gasquet's
grave. She's the lady that founded Gasquet or something. Anyway here's
a picture

Week 88

So this week has been a good week! The work is picking up in Spanish, we were able to teach 5 Spanish lessons, which is definitely a step up from where we were while we were doing English and Spanish. This week there was a ton of rain at the beginning of the week, but since Friday the rain has stopped and it's been sunny! However with the stupid time change it is dark at 6 when we finish dinner so we can't really tract after dinner. This week hasn't really been as interesting as some past weeks, so this might not be as long of an email as you guys usually get, but I'll do my best! Every day (except Monday and Halloween) we contacted 20-40 people! And about half were Hispanic.

So I'll talk about Halloween first. We weekly planned during the day, and President Alba told us to stay inside at night, so for dinner we went to the Simmon's house, which is a Colombian family. They made papa murphys pizza and played uno. Yesid and I talked about Colombia for a long time, about the economy and the culture. I felt pretty intelligent having a conversation like that all in Spanish. The only problem is I realized I'm too Mexican! I said the word "guero" and he was all "como? Que dijo?" And I said "que chido!" And he was all "como?" I'm just too Mexican. We should go to Costa Rica and get it taken out of me ;) But after that we went back to the pad, drank Jones soda and ate warheads. 

Yesterday we went to a potential's house and he was having a carne Asada, he told us that if we shared ate tacos with his salsa we could share a message with everyone there. So we ate it, it was spicy and made out of habaneros and we shared about the Book of Mormon. So that was all good and then at night we went to a less active family's house and taught them about family history. Well the 18 year old kid is coming back into the church strong, he loves us a ton, he's like one of my best friends. Well when the lesson is over he says "hey Elder a Foster! You should eat a habanero with me" so like any Spanish missionary I heated up a corn tortilla, rolled it up, took a bite and put in the whole habanero. Well it was spicy, but I obviously handled it. However at about four in the morning it was a different story saben que....

So one last story! In first Ward there is this guy named Patrick. He has kind of a funny raspy voice and he's an old man. Elder Mortenson does a pretty good impression of his voice, and we had all heard it before. We I had never met him before until Saturday. We were out knocking doors in an apartment complex. This guy answers the door in the shortest pink bathrobe ever and he says "hey boythhhssss" and immediately I knew that it was the infamous Patrick because of the impressions, and I had the biggest smile on my face, and it was all that I could do to not laugh. Well elder Payne didn't catch on, they start talking and then Elder Payne asks if he is a member and so he says "yes, I'm Patrick" and at that point I just couldn't contain myself, I started laughing but pretending to cough like I was having an allergy attack and elder Payne covered for me way good. I owe him. It was hilarious. 

For our last P Day as this district we are going bowling and having a competition. I probably won't win, but elder Mortenson and Hastings bought me an XXL Wu Tang Clan shirt at Wal Mart for $5 (they owed me anyway) and so it's my good luck shirt. Remember, "Cash Rules Everying Around Me." 

Love you guys!

Elder Foster

Week 87

What a week in Crescent City! So it's been a good week, there's been lots of crazy stuff and even some new changes. So I guess I'll start out with the biggest news with a big front page headliner "History Made as Crescent City Receives a Spanish Area!" Yes, Elder Payne and I are now full Spanish missionaries. Elder Mallory and Elder Evans, the former 1st Ward Klamath Missionaries are serving in 2nd Ward- and our members are looooving it (the fact that they came from 1st Ward increases their pride level about 9000000x). So that was cool! The lame stuff- they brought up a new car, a 2011 Ford Fusion. And since the normal 1st Ward elders are now covering Klamath where they need one, we lost our Jeep. We got a 2014 Corolla, so I shouldn't complain. In addition to that since there are now 2 companionships in 2nd Ward and only 1 in 1st Ward we had to move apartments to the 4 man pad. Lame because our 2 man pad was nice and we had plenty of shower time, nice because I like Elder Mallory and we are now on the 1st floor. He likes Four Year Strong and plays drums. He's from Seattle. It's way nice because up here in CC the work in English was progressing too fast and we didn't have time for Spanish work. Now we will be able to continue working with our Hispanics. On Monday we had an FHE with a family from Colombia. They really like us a lot, I'm not sure if I've told you about them. It's a sister, Yami, who served a mission, speaks English, and is active. Her brother is Yesid, he moved here a year ago and is learning English fast. He was an architect in Colombia and now he cleans a hotel, he hates it. He also served a mission. Their sister Lina moved in about 3 months ago and she doesn't speak any English and doesn't come to church. So Monday's are pretty much family home evening nights with them now. Last week when we finished they showed us a video from YouTube called "que difícil es hablar el español" it's actually a way funny song, you guys should watch it! Or dad at least. 

As far as finding goes, it's been way cool because we are trying to do it intelligently and with the Spirit. We are able to go proselyting in 1st Ward's are since ALL of Crescent City is our area! Actually funny story. While we were tracting we found a White Power guy in 1st Ward's area, and since we are Spanish we have to pass off the English speakers to the other Elders, and Elder Hastings, from 1st Ward, is black. So we're kind of not sure if they should go visit him. But actually we have been finding at least 1 Hispanic potential telling us that we can come back a day (1 is the lowest, we usually find between 5-10), and we are getting lots and lots and lots of referrals from the members. In addition to that, I feel like we just have a ton of freedom to do what we want. We are in uncharted territory, we really have to rely on the Spirit and we need to be guided to the right places. The thing is there really aren't that many Hispanics in Crescent City, but we've been finding them. It's really cool and we are loving it. We are still working hard, but it's different than the work we were doing before. Before we were teaching and teaching and helping people prepare for baptism. Right now we are finding and laying the foundation for the future Spanish Missionaries to come to a developed area. It's fun and it's cool to know that we've been trusted this stewardship. 

Saturday was a craaaazy day. We woke up and started jogging and the wind coming off of the ocean was super super strong so we headed back and the second we walked into the apartment he rain just started pouring and I mean it was just pounding, probably the biggest rainstorm I've ever been in. Well it didn't stop all morning, at around 9 the power went out without any sign of stopping. Well we thought that since we couldn't proselyte in 35 mph wind (we learned that it was that strong after the storm had stopped) we decided to go watch the waves hit the jetty, which is this long skinny stretch of land that leads out to a lighthouse. We parked where in places the pins and we watched the waves. 

The waves were like 15-25 feet high hitting over it and it was just the coolest thing ever. Nature is pretty awe inspiring and it just increases your testimony of God. So we went back to the apartment until out of nowhere the rain stopped at like 1 and so at 115 we were out knocking doors. The power was out until 545, and then it came back on. Normally I'm not the kind of guy who will just stay inside during the rain, but you guys have to understand it was like a mini hurricane, it was scary! Like they say, when you tract in the rain your future wife loses weight. Since the power was out and the member that had signed up for dinner couldn't cook she went up to Brookings and brought us down some Wild Rivers Pizza, we have to go when we go on our trip up the coast! It's really good pizza. I'm so tired of crappy pizza as a missionary. Wild Rivers was definitely and change of pace as far as the quality of the pizza that we usually get. On my first day back all I want to do is go to the Pie and listen to the Clash. 

So I learned something cool in my studies. In 1 Nefi 10:17,19 Nefi is like (mufosta's interpretation of the scriptures "I wanna understand more about these visions, and the Spirit can teach me all of this stuff because the Spirit will teach all truth." And then in chapter 11:1 he's pondering about it all (because reading pondering and praying is how the Spirit answers our questions) and he is overcome by the Spirit. Then in verse 16 the Spirit says "Nefi! Do you pick up what I'm laying down?" And then in 17 Nefi is like "Well, I know God loves his children, but I'm not understanding everything" and then from that point on the Spirit teaches him what he doesn't understand. So it's ok not to know everything, but when we don't know stuff we shouldn't just be satisfied, we should be like Nefi, and try to learn and understand and the Spirit will teach us. 

Another cool thing- I found a friend in Mexico on Facebook awhile ago and she decided to serve a mission while we were talking and she's going into the MTC on Monday and will be going to the LA mission! Also my boy Elder Eloy Fonseca came back into the mission today!mi have no idea where he is, but I hope he's my next comp! 

Last thing's last. On Halloween basically we aren't doing anything. It's just weekly planning and then stay in the apartments. So speaking of crappy pizza we are going to buy little ceasers and martinellis and we will pop bottles. Something about Halloween just isn't right without the sounds of Oingo Boingo (Dad, I know that you're mad at Danny Elfman, but Oingo Boingo is the best Halloween band of all time. Just face it.). I'm going to miss "Punk Rock Halloween" and "Skalloween" but the good thing is I'll be there next year and all night long I'll be reliving my memories of SSAS covering Suicide Machines, Problem Daughter covering Dead Kennedys, and The Mooks covering The Misfits. Good times. Can you guys believe that it was 4 years ago when The Donner Dance Party played at Skalloween at Kilby Court? Jeez I can't. Time flies. 

Well, I love you guys! Have a good Halloween!

Elder Foster