Elder Barlow and Elder Rivera
Elder Barlow and Elder Shimamoto with the Perez family
Well this week has had its ups and downs like every week
in the mission. After I sent the letter last week I headed out to say good bye
to the special people that I had met in Santa Cruz. I never realized how much I
actually was going to miss these people until I was leaving! The next day I
finished packing and then got in the neighbor’s truck to head to my new area.
I live in a house with four missionaries. My comp is
Elder Ponce from Taylorsville, Utah. Both his parents are Mexican so he speaks
fluently. The other missionaries are Elder Palomino de Nicaragua and Elder Marin
de Mexico. They are all cool missionaries and fun to be around.
Elder Palomino the District Leader is really cool. He
always does language study with me because he wants to learn English so we
switch off every other day between English and Spanish. I have already learned a
lot more Spanish being in a house with three Latinos. I can understand
everything really but now I’m starting to be able to speak without thinking very
much. Also Elder Marin sorta gave me the nickname: flaco or
skinny. Now they all call me that and sadly I answer to it... in English or
Spanish.... its kinda funny.
The house is
so much better than the last... never anything loud and we have a great roof
with a nice view of the stars haha. This morning I went out there to study.
The house has lights and stuff so I don't use my headlamp as much... it’s
weird to be in a bedroom with light and everything. We also have a doorbell...
yep weird too. I haven't seen any lizards
actually... just a huge! I mean huge bigger than normal cockroach that tried to
eat me.... its dead now though!
Some random things I found... different... The chapel has
glass windows!!! Haven’t seen that in a while and a great great air conditioning
system... I’m always freezing there. The ward is
awesome—full of members wanting to work, and we have already had a consejo de
barrio [ward council] and a correlation meeting! Cool huh! There are six
missionaries in the ward because it’s huge!
Also there is this less active family that we are
visiting. Well the guy Ricardo, the dad, is less active; his wife, Vascilia, and
their daughter, Alba, aren't members. But I have never seen a less active like
him having so much animo![enthusiasm] We gave him a Book of Mormon because he
didn't have one we came back two days later and he had read up to half way
through Second Nephi! Vascilia also is reading and Alba, too!! The other night
we were over there and he invited five neighbors over to listen to us!!! We
almost didn't know what to do. There were lots of people! But we taught for an
hour and they asked a ton of questions and we got some new investigators out of
it and it was a cool experience!
So we contacted this girl Mageline about a week and a
half ago. Anyway we go back to teach the first lesson and we teach her about up
to Joseph Smith and then her mom walks in and she is super evangelical. Anyway
she starts bible bashing saying that there wasn’t an apostasy and all this stuff
but then this girl turns around and gives her mom a boche and tells her she
doesn't know what she is talking about! It was so cool! Elder Ponce and I just
looked at each other trying not to smile! She then came to our English class and
church Sunday and we put a baptismal date last night (I got to invite her and
set the date!!!! yipee!! haha) anyway if everything continues like it is the
22nd of February should be a good day.
Elder Barlow
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