Week 21 - April 2, 2012

Hi everyone!

Can you believe that this was my second General Conference away from everyone? It's hard to believe that it's been six months already. It has gone by so fast! Conference was a welcome change of scene for us, although we still felt the same anxiety as we waited for people to show up to it and they didn't. We were especially sad that Gustavo couldn't come. We had just talked to him a few days earlier about baptism and stuff. He knows it's important. He wants it. But he doesn't really want to get married because he wants to go home to Mexico this year, and he's pretty sure his white girlfriend and her two daughters aren't going to come. And I wouldn't really encourage them going... most people try to get here in the US, not try to get back to Mexico. We think his intentions are kind of valid, because he doesn't want to marry her and then never see her again, but at the same time it's kind of a weird thing that he's just going to ditch them after 8 years of being together. We thought hearing words of the Prophet and apostles would be a cool thing. We know he would have loved it, but he couldn't make it, so that was sad. We do think that there is still potential with him though, so we're still working on it.

My "Conference" shot of the Frankfort building. Haha.

Anyway, as far as Conference goes, I loved it. As always. I thought the real emphasis on families was super interesting, since it is so uncommon that families are whole and seemingly "normal"  anymore compared to what they used to be. I'm all down to be progressive and fun, but families are kind of critical, you know? You don't want to mess that up. Anyway, I really enjoyed it, especially President Uchtdorf's talk yesterday about not being judgmental and forgiving others. I also enjoyed Elder Hollands talk and how he explained one of Christ's parables. I had just read that one and didn't understand it at all, so I really liked that he cleared that one up. Hahaha. And the sentiment about being grateful for what you have regardless of what others have is a good message too. It was just a good weekend full of lots of good talks. I'm kind of bummed it'll be another six months before it comes back. And I wish I had a cool story like a volcano blowing up on our way to the building to watch Conference, but it just rained. Pretty normal. Haha.

We helped a random lady load a sectional into a U-haul between Conf. sessions on Sat. This was only the second AZ plate I've seen out here!

Last week President and Sister W came and gave a training. They made their way throughout the mission last week and gave everyone the same workshop. We talked a lot about contacting everyone we come across, which is a hard thing to do as a Spanish elder, just because we never end up teaching the Americans we talk to, but we're making an effort to talk to everyone we cross paths with. President challenged us to make 10 unplanned contacts per person in your companionship each day with the promise that we would grow personally, and that the success of the mission would increase as we do our part to share the message with everyone. So that's 30 contacts daily for us in a super tiny town. And almost none of them are Hispanic. It's been kind of an interesting thing, but I also think it's been really good, because it helps us Spanish elders keep working as hard as possible, because even if we don't ever teach the person, at least they got some exposure, and possibly talk to the English elders.

I've had a lot of "firsts" on my mission. This week I cut my own hair for the first time! I just buzzed it all the same length. Super boring, but it looks fine. I hope it grows out and looks a little bit better than just the same length all over.

Buzzed hair. Not my style, but easier and cheaper than going somewhere or risking and elder totally messing it up. Haha.

Oh man. I was so excited for our visit with Less-active Patricia. Well... we got to her place last week and she opened the door before we even made it to the front step. She was kind, but told us she didn't want us to come back, and that she isn't going to get active in church. She thought she should just be honest, since "reactivation was just the goal anyway." It kind of stung when she said that, just because she is such a great lady. As much as we wanted her to come back to church and remember how positive all of this can be in someone's life, we did really love her for who she was. We were motivated to visit her for more than just the glory or recognition of the ward or mission. She is so cool. So that was a disappointment. But you move on, I guess. It wasn't like we didn't try.

That seems to be about it for this week. Things are going well, although the work is a little bit slow right now. But we go and work hard every day.

 Thanks for the love and support y'all give me! I appreciate all that you do for me!

Much love,

Zac

Week 20 - March 26, 2012

Hi everyone!

Okay, so we watched a little bit of basketball in our home. I vaguely remember when UA won the championship in '97. Well basketball is the sport here in Kentucky, and University of Kentucky in Lexington is amazing so we hear. Everyone in this part of the state has UK stickers all over their cars, flags on their houses, door mats, etc., because UK basketball is doing really really well right now. They think they'll go all the way this year. And it just makes me laugh a little, because that's the only sport we ever even kind of followed besides NASCAR, and that is kinda popular out here too! We definitely have roots from the South. Haha. But everyone is all jazzed right now because UK is doing great, so that's been kind of fun to talk to members about lately.

Anyway, things here are going pretty well. Yesterday we had our Spanish testimony meeting. It's kind of hard, because we really only have two Hispanic families, and one of them is less active. But we have lots and lots of Spanish speaking members, so we fill the little Relief Society room pretty well, but the majority of faces are white, so it's just kinda funny. The future of those meetings is kind of uncertain because our recent convert retention hasn't been good (with work schedules and transportation issues). We try really hard and want these meetings to succeed. Fingers crossed we can keep them going. But our friend Gustavo came, and he said that he really really loved it. He told us that he felt something that he couldn't describe during just about every testimony! So cool! That is one of my favorite things -- when someone talks about how good they feel about all of this. You can have that all the time! Just live this stuff (easier said than done, I know), and you'll be so happy! So we're excited for him, and already have two appointments with him this week. He's still nervous to talk to his girlfriend about getting married, but we are so excited for him because he is really loving everything.

Our companionship is going okay. Everything is more awkward in a group of three... we don't fit on the sidewalk. Sometimes we don't fit on doorsteps. People that want to have us over for dinner have one more mouth to feed. It's just a little weird. But what has been good is that we have been working just as hard, and I feel like our teaching is pretty good considering there's always room for things to go a little wrong with just two, and even more potential for things to go wrong with three. It all really has gone okay though, so that's good. Keeping the apartment clean is harder... it kind of drives me nuts. But we don't spend tons of time there, so I don't have to worry about it too much. Haha.

Visiting with inactive members is really a super fascinating thing that we do. It's also super sad, because lots of people still won't act on our invitations, or even let us in, but we are working with one lady right now named Patricia who is so cool. The ward gave us her name, and we knocked her door. It was a few weeks ago when we first tried her. She opened and said, "Come on in out of the cold!" So in we went. And we talked for like, an hour, just about all of the stuff that has happened in her life in the 20 years that she has been less active in the church. She talked about when she read the Book of Mormon for the first time, and just had an amazing feeling and understanding that it was true and of God. We have an appointment with her tomorrow, and I feel like she loves us because of the kind people that we are, but I think that she's having us over (this will be our third time) because she feels the Spirit when we come. I heard a quote in the MTC that I loved. It was: "Help others feel about the gospel the way you feel about it." And that's what I'm going for. I hope we can help her remember that feeling after she read the Book of Mormon, and that she can feel it again. Because the church is so good! So good. And life is hard, but I'll tell you what, the gospel makes it easier. And that's what we tell to people all the time, but they don't often give it a try. But we're still out there trying to share it!

Things are going fine out here. Enrique is still working like crazy. Irma got a job (yay!) but has to work Sundays (boo!). Rufino is never ever home anymore because of work. These people just live hard lives because they have no rights. And that isn't a political statement. They chose this life when they came here undocumented. That much is clear. But I'm still sad that they can't progress, because they are just products of their culture, and will have a hard time breaking away from it. But we're doing what we can to bring them the gospel!

That's about all for now. I hope y'all have a good week!

Love,
Zac

p.s. Not many cool pictures this week. None worth sending forward, anyway.