Semana 7: "Jardin" doesn't mean "hill", but it should.

October 10, 2016

I feel like God looked at Elder Starks and I and said, "boys, you needs stories to write home about." And then Saturday happened.

It all started when we went to our comida (meal) appointment. The hermana sent us to get tortillas, so while we were waiting at the tortilleria, Hermano Victor from the ward calls and tells us that he has a GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR at his house that we had to go teach RIGHT THEN. This means one of two things: 1) They really do have a GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR who will pretty much teach and baptize themselves, or 2) they have a drunk dude sitting on the sidewalk in front of their house who isn't coherent enough to leave when they were told that the Mormon missionaries were on their way. My companion thought it was option number 1. I, being of little faith, was pretty sure it was option number 2. So we ran the tortillas back to Hna. Gloria and ran to Hno. Victor's house as fast as we could. I may have had little faith, but I WAS RIGHT. So Elder Starks consoled the drunk man while I prayed he wouldn't shank my companion in a drunk rage. We invited him to church and said a prayer with him. When we got done with the prayer, dude yells, "THE DEVIL TOLD ME TO HIT YOU!" and then goes to hit my companion, but doesn't, fortunately. Remember that drunk rage I was talking about? Ya, I was inspired. And I think Hno. Victor was as drunk as that man when he called us over to his casa.

We walked away from our drunk friend (who didn't show up to church, by the way) and ran back to Hna. Gloria's casa, where we were greeted by her VERY HOSTILE Jehova's Witness husband. Here's how the conversation went: "Hola, hermano. ¿Como esta?" "DON'T CALL ME HERMANO! WE AREN'T HERMANOS!" And then he spent the next hour trying to bible bash us. The spirit can't dwell in contentious environments, so we simply tried to testify. "Hermano not hermano" wasn't having it, so we finished our food thanked Hermana Gloria, and left. He wouldn't even let us pray with them. I think that man thinks he won that battle, but little does he know that we went home and looked up scriptures to come back from everything he threw at us. Not that we'd ever use them against him. That would honestly be a waste of time. But now we can answer pretty much any question anyone can throw at us, right? So I think it's safe to say WE won that battle.

To top off the day, we went to a lesson in Playa Luces, about 1/2 an hour away from our casa by bus. We taught Paula, a friend of a recent convert, and I love her. She wants to change her life and she likes the changes her friend has made, so she decided to listen to us. She is so solid. I was able to share a couple scriptures with her and testify of the truthfullnes of the Book of Mormon, and we even committed her to be baptized. I think it's so amazing when people recognize the need to have a relationship with God, so they change. I'm excited to watch Paula progress and be baptized in the coming weeks.

Earlier in the week, we taught Ali y Yajaira and their family. They are set for baptism and it's amazing to see this family all learning about the gospel, and to be able to see them as an eternal family.

These are my favorite niños in our ward. They're hilarious.

So on Thursday, we were at our comida appointment, eating some BOMB tacos when the hermana says, "You know, I would like you guys a lot better if you weren't white." And Elder Starks and I have found that that seems to be the general consensus amongst the members of the ward. So I think it's safe to say that these people are a little racist, which is fine. But it's a good thing I'm not. I seem to like these people just fine. And they make some pretty BOMB tacos. The ward is very helpful and willing to work with us, which is great. But we can't tell if it's because they're a very missionary-minded people or if it's because they're afraid that if they don't help us, we'll ruin everything. Ehh, we'll take what we can get, right?

Behold: the Pacific Ocean, from mi casa. 

I feel like there's a Miley Cyrus song for every occasion. "It's the CLIMB!" (haha NOPE.) Jardin is basically one GIGANTIC hill. It is literally impossible to get anywhere without having to climb a hill. But the hill makes it so that you can see the ocean everywhere you go, so I won't complain too much.

In case you can't tell, I LOVE IT HERE. I love the language even though I can barely speak it, I love the culture even though I don't understand it, I love the people even though they don't like us because we're white, I just love it!

Thanks for the love, support, and emails!

¡Hasta luego!

-Elder Tyler Steven Aldrich

When we get home our room is usually between 90 and 95 degrees. I definitely miss A/C.