LOVIN LIFE, LOVIN RAIN
Hey everyone!!
So I've been getting some emails that the blogs subscription service hasn't been working, and that some of you wanted to be added to my direct mission email list, so I made a new list. I'm sorry if I forgot anyone I just put it together really fast, so if anyone's not on here that would like to please tell them to email me and I'll add them. But also if you're on here and for whatever reason don't want to get emails anymore just send me a quick email and I can take you off the list, no worries at all, I know getting weekly emails can sometimes get to be too much.
Anywayyyyyy, I'm over 50 days into the mission and it's crazy. Time is soooooo weird here. It feels like I just got dropped off last week, but it also feels like I've been here for an eternity. The days feel really long just because we do so much (we get up at 6:00am and go to bed at 10:30 everynight) but in hindsight the weeks fly by. It's super weird and hard to explain but ya crazy that I'm going to hit the 2 month mark next Monday.
The heat here in Phoenix is still pretty intense. We had some crazy thunderstorms that absolutely flooded the whole city, not even kidding, there were some streets with 4 feet of water that looked like rivers you could raft down. It was crazy, but so much fun especially because we got to bike in it. We just embraced the fact that we were going to be drenched from head to toe and after that it was a blast, the first time I've felt anything close to being cold while being here and it was sooo nice to get a break from the killer 110 heat. Also another thing that I've loved about AZ so far has been the nights. The sunsets are so cool, the clouds look like different colors of cotton candy, and the rainbow of colors that fly across the sky while the sunset is happening is crazy cool. But the best part is a relief from the heat. Once the sun goes down it goes down to the 80s and it's amazing. Such nice not to have the sun piecing through our souls and there's even a cool breeze while we're biking after 8 oclock (who knew).
So my trainer, Elder Wright (the missionary companion who helps me get adjusted to being in AZ) is from the south eastern part of Washington State, not sure what it's called, but he's been out just under 6 months so he's honestly pretty new too. Which is fine because we're sorting through it all together. His Spanish is pretty good, he can understand about 99% of what's said which is super helpful because I can understand about 90% of what he says, so I'm able to follow along in lessons/ conversations with Latinos based on what he says and he's good at talking slow to make sure I'm caught up.
My Spanish is improving little by little, but it's slow for sure. I'm not comfortable enough yet to joke around, so that's my goal at this point, to get good enough/ work hard enough at the language that I can convey all of the lesson points I need to, and be able to joke around and build relationships with the Latino people. Whoeverrrr I still mess up alot, some days more than others...
So on Wednesday we had dinner with the Branches Relief Society President (she doesn't speak a word of English) and towards the end right before we were about to leave I spaced out for like 20 seconds and I look up and she's looking at me and all I hear is "oracion" which is prayer. So I'm just like, "Yo? Si, Puedo" which means that yes I can say a prayer before we leave. And all the other missionaries at the table (there's 6 of us total in this area, 4 elders, 2 sisters) just start dying laughing and I have no idea what's going on. So I say the prayer then walk out the door and ask what happened. They tell me that she said, "La nueva hermanita puede dar al final oracion?" which means can the new little sister give the last prayer. So yep that's what I get for not being totally attentive at dinner. Hahah it was rough but honestly pretty funny, ohhh well I guess I thought my Spanish was fine, but it looks like I still got a ways to go.
Ummmm @mom no I have not heard of the Phoenix serial killer...? Uhhh feel free to send me more info on that, but haha no they don't really tell us stuff like that so we haven't heard but what's the deal with that? I'm sure we'll be fine, everyone here is pretty respectful to missionaries and anyone who is apart of churches or religious activities.
In terms of the type of people we meet on the streets/ are teaching/ are members of the church we go to. I'd say the English ward is super random, mostly lower class white people, but a good mix of native Americans and African Americans as well. The Spanish branch is probably 70% Spanish 15% Guatemala and 15% other random countries. But most of our lessons are either with Latinos, Native Americans or African Refugees, who get this almost only speak French/ Swahili... So yeah we teach like 3 families who more or less only speak French/ Swahili, so I'm having to pick up some stuff in French too to get by in those lesson. All else considered Phoenix is super super diverse so it's been cool to meet people who come from all walks of life and cultures.
But yeah so much happens in 7 days, we don't have anyone on date for baptism but we're hoping to have a native american family, a Latino mom/ son and an immigrant from the Republic of the Congo on date in the next month or so. So I'll let ya know how that goes.
Anyway hope you all have a good week,
Much love,
Elder Merrill