MONDAY-THURSDAY
-We picked up 6 awesome new people! I am so excited to get a fresh pool of investigators in this area. One of them we taught starting on Monday and stopped on Thursday. He was SO frustrating to teach. Just an absolute train wreck when it came to listening/comprehension. We kept telling ourselves that God led us to him for a reason....but then on Thursday he got reeaallll in my face ranting about the bible. That's when I learned what beer smelled like. So the following dialogue went like this:
"David, we have to go right now."
-Me
"Okay, well i'm busy on Friday but maybe we can meet on Saturday?"
-David
"David, we aren't coming back until you call us and tell us that you are sober."
-Me
"oooooooo how did you know I drink?"
-David
"We would love to meet with you, just don't drink before next time okay?"
-Me
"That's gonna be a problem. We probably won't meet anymore."
-David
Then we left and made a commitment not to teach people who are drunk...we will teach people who drink, just not while they are wasted. We made that pact not a moment too soon....our week was FILLLED with craziness.
-Friday we went to try by our invesitgator Daniel. He was like "i'd invite you in, but i'm drinking some stuff...but you can still come in if you want?"
We passed and went to the next investigator who came out with the largest can I've ever seen! He was plastered so we told him we'd come back later...which made him cry ALOT. Then we went to dinner which was fantastic (love the members). After we went by my FAVORITE investigators Charlie and Juan, but sure enough Juan practically fell over the rail of his trailer-porch trying to shake our hands. He was flopping all over the place. We were like "yes, we are happy to see you, too, Juan....but we will come by tomorrow." And that's when he created our quote of the week. He literally just yells "GET IN!" pointing to the trailer. We were trying so hard not to laugh.
Other than all of the drunk people, we stayed busy teaching all of our new investigators and less actives. Time will tell who will accept the gospel, but in the mean time I love teaching and building relationships with the people!
SATURDAY = BAPTISMDAY
-Saturday life got a whoooolllleee lot more productive. We found two little girls who's mom has been less active for a while, but they are dying to get baptized and return to church! Their parents said yes so we started teaching them. I loooovvvvee them. They might be the only people in NM who think we are cool, and i love that. We are cool, hip missionaries. The youths just love us!
Then we had Britney's baptism!!!! One of the downfalls of being in a tiny branch of returning less-actives is that everyone with the priesthood is just learning how to use it again. SO after 3 attempts at baptizing Britney, the brother who was doing the ordinance decided to add some comic relief and start the ordinance by saying "Britney Spears Salazar". THEN HE KEPT GOING WITH THE PRAYER! HE WAS GOING TO BAPTIZE HER LIKE THAT! President was soooo mad hahahha. No worries though. 5th time was the charm. Britney is baptized!
Britney was on date before I got here, but it has been fun to help her prepare for her special day these past few weeks. As I got to know Britney I also got to know her cousin Yami. Yami is SUCH a punk which makes me love her that much more. While the sisters were working with Britney I would talk to Yami. She is learning a lot about the gospel and has a huge desire to be baptized! She even chose the exact day she wants to be baptized, so stay tuned!
That night we went over to Charlie and Juan's. Juan wasn't there but Charlie was! Charlie is way more put together than Juan. He has been sober from a super bad Heroine addiction for a month and wants to change his life so badly (he actually turned himself into jail and they let him go for good behavior). We had a great discussion about the restoration. When we invited him to be baptized he practically jumped out of his seat!!! He is so excited, and I am SO excited for him. He really truly wants to change his life, and he trusts that Jesus will be able to do that for him.
SUNDAY
On Sunday we went to church. Easter was such a beautiful day here in Santa Fe. Juan came to church and LOVED it. Everything around him wreaked of beer, but he was sober and so so so engaged. It was a really great experience to sit on the bench with him and think about the atonement. It really is for EVERYONE. Jesus did not pick favorites....and we can't mess up enough to make Him love us less. He loves EVERYONE including Juan. I know he felt it because as Britney got confirmed he said to me "I'm next. Please please let me be next! I'm ready!"
Unfortunately that night we got to their house and Juan was super plastered, again. BUT we broke our rule and went in because we HAD to teach both he and Charlie the word of wisdom. Charlie was super ready to listen so Hermana Wallis tried to teach Juan on one end of the room, and me and Hermana Martin tagged teamed teaching Charlie. Charlie was so excited to learn about the word of wisdom. We made a list of goals including reading the Book of Mormon during withdrawls, and getting a dog to get him out of the house. I was so impressed with his desire and willingness to change. Meanwhile Juan was falling out of his seat....jumping on his seat....he was pretty much everywhere BUT his seat while Hna W was trying to teach him. He kept yelling "CHURCH WAS SO SO SO GOOD!!!!" and then Hermana Wallis saying "Juan, beer is bad okay?" hahaha She really took one for the team. My comps ROCK. Now we can say we taught a drunk person the word of wisdom! (plus this morning Juan called us and said he had juice instead just like Hermana Wallis taught him. Looks like it wasn't all in vain!)
Well, that was my week. Don't be worried...we are super safe and we usually have members with us. Plus we are getting super street smart.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK! xoxoxoxoxoxxo
Pics....not in order
-two stray dogs that we tried to make sit next to eachother so it could be a lion and a lamb
-Me and my comps on easter sunday. My sister SENT ME THIS DRESS! how cool is she???
-BRITNEYS BAPTISM!!!!!!!
-A homeless friend we made. He built this bike himself!
-our cart today because I convinced my comps to only eat veggies.....super stoked....and super scared
