Being out in a desert where it's 120 degrees for the first 7 months of your mission messes with you. It's beautiful weather here in Chula all the time and I'm freezing my tail off.
OH HEY FAMILY!
This week I found out that if you attach mormon.org cards to candy and hand it out on Halloween, it's very well received by the parents, but abhorred by the kids. "WHAT IS THIS PIECE OF PAPER DOING ON MY SUCKER?!". Just trying to bring you the greatest joy you'll ever experience in this world thankyouverymuch.
But Halloween was really fun-we had district meeting where the bishopric all fed us and demanded that we show up in costume (I went as Elder Bone-another missionary in the district. we served in the valley for 3 transfers together!) and that night our apartment complex did the same, so all was well. We weren't allowed to be outside past 7 so President Clayton had us read D&C 84 and then gave us permission to "fall asleep as soon as we're done." So that combined with daylight savings, I am a happy camper this week!!
ANTONIO'S BAPTISM IS THIS THURSDAY!!! Well, we hope. He's giving us grief haha. He has these earrings that he refuses to take out because he says "they're a part of him". He can still get baptized, and we're hoping that the more he goes to church and after he receives the Holy Ghost he will feel like it's the right thing to do. So that was fun....and then yesterday we found out that he is living with his ex-wife (weirdest situation...he told us that he was still married like 28238 times, but when we were filling out the paperwork yesterday he said 'so, do you need to know the date of when the divorce was finalized?'...UM, WHAT?!?!). We don't know how he got passed that one in his baptismal interview, which he passed last week. So keep Antonio in your prayers, please!! He wants to get baptized so bad! That whole "Law of Chastity" is kind of a big one...
The more I'm here, the more I love it. Our ward is divided up into 4 areas and me and Hermana Kelemen cover the poorest part of Chula Vista. It's interesting, in the Valley there was no problem whatsoever finding Spanish speakers, but here we have to do a lot more digging. The majority of the people we contact on the street speak English. At times it's hard-we really have to focus on speaking the language wherever we go. It's really easy to slip into English conversations a lot, but we are really trying to discipline our minds to stay "Spanish". Every once in a while I think to myself, "This would be so much easier if we were in a different country where NO ONE spoke English." And then I promptly repent. It's training me to focus more when we're alone in the apartment or with other missionaries. It's hard and I have a headache all the time, but it's all part of the submission process. The people are really so kind and humble. We are trying as a ward council to help the ward welcome new people who are getting baptized. They kind of keep to themselves and don't open up to new people, but we've been really pushing this week for member presence so that they get to know and come to love the people we are teaching. Being in the city area is a blast-every once in a while (more like the majority of the days) we meet some of the craziest people on the street. But it's really cool-I've never once felt like I've been unsafe. We have English elders who live in the same complex and if we aren't back by 8:55 they text us and say "WHERE ARE YOU?! ARE YOU OK?!" Yes, elders. We're teaching the gospel. No se preocupen. DON'T WORRY MOM, WE ARE SAFE!
Anna and Socorro are doing great-they just need to realize their growth!! Both of them are so ready to be baptized. They come to church and know it's true, but their biggest holdup is themselves. Keep them in your prayers:) We started teaching a 15 year old names Jorge-he actually reminds me a lot of David! He's really smart and is a trumpet player. He's a thinker and he has some really deep questions-the other day he sat us down and said "Explain the Book of Revelation to me." Uhh...nope. With him we really focus on keeping it simple and stopping him from going off onto tangents. Every once in a while we'll tell him something and you can literally see it click in his head. THAT'S WHY I LOVE THE GOSPEL! It is SO simple-it's plain and precious and when we focus on the principles, it is only then that the Spirit can testify through us. If we try to explain with too much detail, it becomes more about the facts than the Spirit. As much as I love hearing other people talk about deeper doctrine, I love even more reading the Book of Mormon, in Alma 32. Basic. Perfect.
The other day we had the coolest miracle. There is a member in our area who reeeealy doesn't like missionaries for some reason. Whenever a set of missionaries goes and tries to see her, she slams the door. No one really knows why...Well the other day the old bishop gives us a call and says "Go grab the other sisters, bring cleaning supplies, demand to clean her house and don't take no for an answer." So we grabbed the other sisters and showed up at her door. We were kind of nervous as to what she would do, but when we opened the door and saw that we were there to serve her, she burst into tears. It turns out she and her husband are being sued for something they had no part in doing and they're really stressed. The house was in shambles and it took us the whole day to do it, but the entire time all 4 of us felt so good. She was so grateful! Service softens hearts-not only hers, but ours as well.
Sorry for the boring letter and the lack of pictures! The connector broke so I'll go get one today. But I really do love you so much. You have no idea how important you are to me!!
Hermana Hess
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