Mom and Dad,
Wow, What a week. It seems like each weak passes faster than the last. I did the math today and I have actually completed 10% of my mission already and it feels like I just left yesterday. There were several highlights of this week but one of the best has been today. We were able to go with the zone leaders out to tijuana and shop at Costco today!! We bought a combo pizza to share and then walked up and down nearly every aisle in costco, it was wonderful! I ended up buying the huge thing of chocolate chips, dates, a pepper grinder, balsamic vinegar, martinelli's, dried cranberries, and peach and mango juice. It was so comforting to be in costco because they are the same everywhere. I could have been at home in California.
Also, this week we had exchanges for the second time, this time with our district leaders, and it went really well. I was with Elder Nebecker in Tecate and so I had to lead our area for the day. We got to paint a house with one of our investigators and that was awesome. Turns out painting and service are two things that are universal the world round. It was comforting because it was a kind of work that was familiar to me and I didnt have so say a word for almost 3 hours. Afterwards we had a fantastic meal of the best tostadas ever with a ward member. That day we had two appointments with two great investigators Jonathan and Ma Del Rosario. Johnathan is 17 years old and really wants to change his life. As we have taught he has been very interested and engaged. For this lesson after we prayed Elder Nebecker went silent and turned to me. I haven't been teaching very much and we were teaching the gospel of jesus christ which I had not taught to an investigator. I quickly started talking and stumbled through the first point. Relieved, I turned back to elder nebeker and he began teaching but again turned to me just a minute or so later. The whole lesson went that way and By the end I was teaching more smoothly than ever before. After we got out of the lesson Elder Nebecker asked me how I thought it had gone. I told him great and that I had never taught that much before. He was surprised and told me that I had really done quite well. That was a huge confidence booster for me because before that I hadn't been talking much at all I had even been referred to once already as the elder that never talks. From there we went to meet with Ma Del Rosario. She is an older woman raising her grandkids who has been very receptive to our lessons. When she saw the book of mormon for the first time she asked where she could get one and said the Moment she saw the book she felt something special. How awesome is that! We started teaching her the plan of salvation trading off often as we had in our lesson with Jonathan. When we asked her if she wanted to have an eternal family, she replied quickly in the negative and went off for 15 minutes about how horrible all the members of her family were and that she wanted nothing to do with them least of all for eternity. We were totally caught off guard but after 15 minutes of listening I was prompted to speak. I told her that I didn’t know why she had the trials that she does but that heavenly father loves her and wants her to be happy and be able to live again in his presence eternally. That got us back on track and we were able to continue teaching. Afterwards elder Nebecker told me that he had had no idea what to say and that I had saved us. He also said that as I tried to bear testimony he could hear my Spanish improving. The Gift of tongues is real! I was so grateful that I was given the words to say in the Moment that I needed them. That day I really felt like a missionary and it was a wonderful feeling. Ever since I have been teaching more and my Spanish has been improving palpably bit by bit.
Mom, I do remember jason lyle black coming to play at estates. That memory made a huge impression on me. That's one of the things that inspired me to want to work harder and play piano again. How awesome, I hope you enjoyed the show! It's also good to hear about the ward christmas party! I have such fond memories of those.
As for the details with calling you guys it will be a skype call on sunday the 24th between 3 and 4. I think we can use google hangouts so if you're near a computer I will try to call to Dads email account. Raymond@visuals.com.
That's all for this week but I can't wait to talk to you guys!!
-Isaac
