Another week (06/09/2009)

It seems like I am always right here writing you guys. It’s amazing how the time flies.

Well, we had a good week this week. Nick had his baptismal interview and he passed so he is good to go on Saturday at 11:00 am. He is really excited and you can tell he really loves the gospel. Nick knows Spanish but he is being baptized into the English ward. He is 27 years old.

So after telling you how warm it was last week. It has been fairly cool this week. It rained on Thursday night and there was a huge thunder storm that accompanied it. I thought it wasn't anything too special. It wasn't a Monsoon or anything, but I guess they don't really have thunderstorms here. All of the members were way impressed and so were some of the missionaries that had been out a while.

We had somewhat of a crazy weekend. We were on exchanges where this English Elder and I were in Wapato. These three Mexican guys stopped us and asked us if we knew where any houses to rent were. They said they were members of the church and had just moved here for work. I had no idea about any rentals so they thanked us and we went on our way. Then on Saturday we got a call from our branch president saying that they had called him and were staying in a motel and he wanted us to go visit them. So we go over there and there are like six adults and three kids staying in this little room. They don't have a cell phone and the phone in the room doesn't work for some reason. We just chatted with them for a little bit and then gave them directions to the church. So Sunday rolls around and they come to church. Not all nine. Just a Man and his Wife and their two kids were members. So I had to go translate for the lady to help get her records here. Through this she was telling me that they were no longer in the Motel because they had no more money. So we were trying to get a hold of the transient bishop to help get them some financial aid. At the end, the Branch President and one of his counselors were trying to get them a place to stay at a Motel. A poor situation. They came to Toppenish because someone had told them that there was work here picking cherries. So they are here for about two months to pick cherries and then they are headed back to Idaho. They have only been members of the church for a year.

I can’t think of much else to say. We had 36 to attend church on Sunday. There has been more and more each Sunday I have been here so that is good.

The members feed us a number of different things. I think they try to prepare their best meal so it is usually pretty good. The weirdest thing I have eaten is probably a soup with cactus. It was actually pretty good. One of the members here keeps telling us she is going to make us tacos de lengua. Which is tongue tacos. We will see about that. We eat at a member house every night. We do the English ward Sunday-Wednesday except Tuesday when we have no dinner because of P-day and then the Spanish from Thursday to Saturday. In walla Walla, we ate at a non-members house every other Friday for sure and then other ones through out the week. Mexicans love to feed you.

Well my word of wisdom to close is about dads. It kinda fits since Dads day is in a couple of weeks. Its amazing to see in the Spanish Branch especially how the member that have an active priesthood holder in the home, are so much more active and spiritual then those that don't. I am extremely grateful for Dad who didn't really have the church all that much growing up but took mom and us to church every week. And Scott, Chad, and Matt you guys are doing the same for Alicia, Stacy, and Christi. That is awesome.

Well that’s all.