Week 11 - Turlock

Hola amigos y familia!

Sorry for the confusion, I was confused too.  Transfers are this upcoming week so we'll see what happens.  I really hope to stay here with Hermana Alcaraz!

Well today we were at Target having our weekly session of Retail Therapy as me and my companion call it when a lady just approached us smiling.  She has  a  missionary in Chile and is from the Turlock 3.  Her name is Sister Hamilton and she invited us over for food on Christmas and told us we could skype too if we wanted to.  We'll see, I could be skyping from her house.  So I have 30 minutes skyping with mom and 30 minutes with dad.  She was way nice and it's members like her that keep me going and really support a struggling spanish branch.  Love this church.

This week there were 3 investigators who went to all 3 hours of church! That is unheard of! Rocio (38), Laura Gaspar (55), and her son Gustavo Gaspar (28) came.  Gustavo Gaspar is one of my favorites because when he was 6 years old, he got in a car wreck- limiting his capabilities.  He has the ability of a 10 year old.  When we left their house after a lesson he came up to me and Hermana and told us how grateful he was that we came.  He asked when we'd come back.  So sweet that we get to have people like that here.

I had exchanges with Hermana Carpenter where I went into Modesto for 24 hours in her area.  I was so scared because she's my sister training leader and I just made her out to be this perfect missionary that was perfectly obedient and had it going.  Well we became good friends in that 24 hours and we had a funny contacting experience too.  We were trying to give out Libros de Mormon as we were knocking on doors.  We met this lady who refused the idea of a book other than the bible-which is common and just when we were about to give up, hermana carpenter starts going to the basics of telling who wrote in it and how it was buried then Joseph Smith was given the revelation to unbury it.  Well soon she starts saying 'Darmelo' before we are even done and then she interrupted and said, 'Darmelo eso libro!'  in english- 'Give me it, Give me that book'.  She took it, caressed it in her hands and said she was going to read it.  Those are the people we were looking for.  People that will treasure the book of mormon as much as it deserves to be cherished.

Tires were at 10 psi in the car this one day so we had to go fill it up with air thank heavens for the elders to help us out.

We have an investigator Martha who is 28, has 5 kids, no papers, no job, and a non supportive family.  She is so strong.  Apparently some church came to her door saying that they'd pay all her bills, give her food and give her a job if she was baptized into their church.  I want to tell you this lady is desperate.  They are without food, landlord is trying to hunt her down, and it's horrible.  She said 'No, I will not be getting baptized into a church save it be Jesus Christ's and Jesus Christ doesn't bribe.'  She's amazing.  What faith she has.  I probably wouldn't have had that must trust or let that offer slip by if  I were in her shoes.

We have a member having  a baby and we stopped by the baby shower with a gift and to get some food because it was our dinner.  Well we get there, no one is there and we have an hour until our next lesson.  We socialize as people come, welcoming them.  Then before we know it the hour is gone away and we are starving but have this lesson.  We had to do a McDonald's run at 8:30.  That was crazy because I'm so used to dinner at 5:00 pm every night so it was hard.  But people are more important that food.

The church's campaign "Ha Nacido Un Salvador" is crazy.  It's been awesome to bring members, less active, and investigators to this video that has been released.  It's short but powerful.  How great it is that we have a savior.  I know he's here to help us with the pains of life.  He loves us.  Check out the video if you haven't already.

oh and send me your home address if you want a christmas card.

Love you all

xoxo

Hermana Waters