July 6

Familia!

What a week.
Our investigators are flaking and falling like flies. BAH. When I think of having patience in the mission field, we usually all always think of patience with our companions. But right now we're needing to have more patience with our investigators. It's seems obvious, but it's hard to discern whether to drop them/visit them less often because our time could be better spent with someone else more ready... or to keep on as before, that they're going to respond they've just slipped up a little...
Our less active, D, whom we've been working with on being temple ready slipped big and smoked TEN cigarettes yesterday when he had been down to like 1 every 3 days or so. (and he kind of slips up a LOT LOT and we've done everything in the book) so we're wondering how we can better help him and in what way. We will never give up on him, but he needs something to fill his time with. You can't just stop bad behavior, you have to replace it with good.
V.... decided to drink with his friends yesterday.... so sad. The other week he passed up a party like that because he knew there'd be drinking and he hadn't drank since... until last night. That's 2 appts. he couldn't make.
B... we're still trying to teach him. I'll give you a later update. Think he's out of town right now....
WT, however.... he had a little slip up just in his ability to take lessons seriously because he started listening to his gangster rap more and I could tell it was having an influence on him. So we committed him to listen to different music and testified of how music and movies affect us. He was invited to a 4th of July BBQ and was gonna go.... but didn't.... because he knew there'd be drinking and doping there. So yay for him! And he's been rereading our BoM assignments. He's very honest. He talked about how hard it was to stop marijuana, to not go to the BBQ, to change his music, to get rides to church, etc....... But he's doing it! And when he admits that it's really hard I know he's doing it because it ought to be hard to make changes like that. He still has a long way to go, but I've found out here that it's not necessarily how much you need to change that makes the difference, but how committed you are and how consistent you are. Also, last night we taught L. I sadly had to dominate the lesson because we're on exchanges and Sis. H doesn't speak Spanish, but it went really well and L understood enough English to understand Sis. H's example and testimony, which were both perfect for him. We committed him to be baptized and he kept his last commitments and should be coming to church. He said he really likes the answers we give him and the manner in which we give them. We just invite. We lay out the true gospel and leave it there for the taking or the leaving but don't impose anything. He's from Peru. :)

Also, yesterday we had Zone Conference and met the new president and his wife!! They are completely wonderful and I'm so lucky to have the Van Komens and the Keyes for almost equal amounts of time. :) So I get to know them both well! They are so humble. SO humble and they will be amazing for this mission. He was so great.

This past pday was the first in a while that we were actually able to have a real pday! Since it was the 4th we decided to make it All-American. The elders (Elders A, G, V and K) and we had a BBQ and played baseball! And I'm sore! hahaha. It was super fun though.

Well, it's sad that these emails are incredibly brief compared to what they could be. A day in the mission field is chuck full and is like a roller coaster and you learn a lot every day.... so a week is just overload to update on. I really need to be good about my journal keeping. I'm going to hate not having a better record of this after I get home, but there's just never time to write!

Thanks for your prayers and support and emails.
Have a wonderful coming week.
I'm gonna go teach WT now. :)

Con amor,
Hermana