I don't think I'm suppose to use words like that. This week went by really fast. It's been a good one though. Last week our key indicators (I hope you know what those are because I don't want to explain it. Google it.) were not very good. But it's ok because Monday alone was almost better than all of last weeks. AND it's planning day so we don't leave the apartment until 3. This week has been good. We're in mass finding mode because we baptized all our investigators. Whoops. Oh well. That's a good thing. And the other investigators that we had run away from us now. So we're just lookin for some more people. But it's ok because it's fun.
This last week the mission had a competition to see which zone could testify of baptism the most. Whoever won got a steak barbeque at the mission home. Our zone testified like 1,483 times or something. BUT....we didn't win. We got 2nd place though and we got a pizza party and some ice cream today for p-day at the stake center. That was fun too and we didn't have to drive an hour to go to Hurst. And that was way good because we usually lose everything really bad.
LAST p-day we got a challenge from the zone leaders to see who could testify of baptism the most on PDAY. The goal was 20. That night we went to visit Ana Bonia with Gaby and then we went on a double exchange and Sister Vasquez went to the church and taught Mayra (she's the Quiztian's sister-in-law) with Sis San Miguel and Gaby (she's the way cool recent convert from 1st ward) and I went crazy on A-Town testifying to everyone about baptism. We went to the park and chased some people down, but there were only like 5 people so we then went to Albertsons. It was out of business and there was NO one there. So then we went to Big Lots! It was ok, we're allowed to do that but you might get kicked out but that was ok because I don't even know what Big Lots is. We never made it in anyway because we just chased people down in the parking lot and talked to everyone and then we went to the lavenderia next to it and talked to a bunch of people and Gaby had her first ever run-in with a Jehovah's Witness (did you know that they think that Jehovah is God, not Jesus Christ?). He spoke spanish and as soon as he started talking I knew we were in for it. I kept inviting him to pray and to ask God but he just kept talking and then Gaby would talk back and I got bored and stopped listening because I think I have one of those bars like on The Sims were you can only stay awake for so long and then it turns red and you pass out wherever you are. It's kind of like that except my brain can only take listening to Spanish for so long and then it blows up. Luckily I don't pass out though. So I stopped using my understanding power so I could have some left for when we were done talking to the crazy guy. Finally we left and Gaby called him a bad name and it was funny. We ended the night with TWENTY ONE testifications of baptism. All in under an hour. Yay!!! It was really fun.
Sylvia won't answer the phone anymore and we left her some messages and now when we call she hangs it up so it can't even go to the voicemail box. We are going to try going by next week. And mostly we're going to let the singles ward elders take it back over. We tried. I guess she didn't like the ice cream.
We ate dinner at the ward mission leaders house on Monday (we had turkey burgers. We haven't had any weird food for a while...). It was fun. He told us a lot about his mission in Chile (he's only like 30) and then he told us about being a cop because that's what sister vasquez wants to do. He said don't. Then their 5 year old (not the one that took his clothes off at church) turned on the Aladdin soundtrack and was dancing around to it. It was a good night. Especially because there was a torrential downpour outside and by the time we were done eating the worst of it was over.
I got a new nametag that says Hermana Ban on it but now all the white people say Sister 'Ban' like 'van'. Can't please everyone.
Jacky's baptism on Sunday was awesome. AND...right before sacrament meeting started we were walking through the chapel and some lady that none of us know handed me a bag full of warm burritos. Sister Vasquez and I have been eating them all week.
We had a bit of an incident before the baptism...we have sacrament meeting last so we turned the water on to fill the font and then went in for the sacrament and everything...after the sacrament sister vasquez said we should go check the font. I didn't want to because it was ward conference and the stake president was talking in english and had a translator and it was the first sacrament meeting in 5 months that I was able to understand what was going on. And the font usually takes about an hour to fill and it had only been 30 min. Well, it's a good thing that we went because when we got in the hall we saw water coming out from under the primary room door. I guess Sister Vasquez didn't know that you weren't suppose to turn both knobs on, so the font had filled twice as fast and the water was coming out so fast it couldn't drain. We turned it off but half of the primary room was flooded, so we spent the next 45 min cleaning up water. We went and got the elders and they helped and the YM president came and helped and we got it mostly cleaned up just as sacrament meeting was getting out. I laughed a lot and Sister Vasquez asked why I was laughing and I said "What else are we going to do?" The cleaning process involved one mop, a giant push-broom, a dust pan, 3 other normal brooms, and a wet-dry vac that I don't think was really a wet-dry vac but the members kept claiming it was. It was an exciting time.
The baptism was great. Jacky was so ready, I've never seen anyone so excited to be baptized before. Afterwards, the Quiztians had made dinner at their house but didn't tell us so we weren't going to be able to go because none of the missionaries have enough miles on their cars to just drive the 40 mile round trip but then the Quiztians just gave us all rides. It was really fun. They are the coolest family ever. The elders are now teaching their 17 year old son and Victor, Jacky's husband, but they aren't as in to it as the rest of the family.
Oh, we're also teaching Mayra still kind of. We saw her Saturday and she fed us gorditas and taught us how to make tortillas. Then we tried to watch The Restoration dvd but there wasn't a remote to change the language so we just read some scriptures. She went into the other room to get something and we were talking to her 10 year old kid about church and he said, "My mom doesn't like your church so we're going to a different one tomorrow." We were just like, ok, cool kid, whatever. Because Mayra had told us that they were coming to church the next day. But then they didn't show up. And now she won't answer the phone.
I read a story in the Liahona and it was about this guy who told his military friends not to swear. And he was from Preston and his name is Keith Porter and I think he's Cord's dad or uncle or something. The Quiztians love the Liahona so I'm going to take it to them and show them that it says Preston and they'll like me even more than they already do. They want to go to the temple in Salt Lake. They're cool.
I told Elder Alcaraz that dad was in Argentina for work and he said "What does your dad do?" And I said, "He works for the CIA." And he said, "No way! Maybe he can get me papers!!!!" And then I felt bad and told him it was a lie and he said, "You shouldn't trick me like that. I believe everything that white people say."
Yesterday we were tracting at this trailer park and we tracted into some members in the 5th ward. (we're the 8th ward). They had a little kid named Justin that is 5 and he was the coolest kid ever. I think he's really a Weasley. And he talks none stop and I think he has ADD. This is an exerpt from our conversation (I talked to him while Sis Vasquez talked to the mom because he wouldn't be quiet long enough). "I am five. I'm almost ten. I will have six and then seven and then eight and the six and then nine and then I will be ten. Even we have a dog and she's almost dead. She runs around a lot. Even see those guys working on the street? ( there were some construction workers) I've been watching them and they're fixing some stuff. They keep driving around and they have big trucks. Even look at that tree!! The wind is blowing it. And there are birds sitting in it. Even I know tae-kwon-do. And I have a blue shirt with a foot and a guy on it. And I have a karate outfit and it's white. Even I have a spiderman costume but you only wear it when it is time to trick or treat. And you have to go to the houses where there are people there or you can't get any candy. And then you say trick-or-treat and they put it in your bag. For free. Even look at those clouds!!! Those are rain clouds because they are brown. But it's not raining. But over there, those are just white clouds."
That was all within about a minute. I would get really excited every time he said EVEN because I knew something new and really funny was coming next.
The boat is good. But there's a new Ford Fusion in the ranks because the first ward elders got backed into when they were at their dinner appt so we're not the new kid on the block anymore.
I think that you should still send my picture into the Citizen. No one will care what the date is. Maybe they won't notice.
Elder Alcaraz doesn't like america because no tvs play soccer games at restaurants.
It rains a lot and really hard here and its hot.
Until next week, I love you all,
Sister Vaughn
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