According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to everyone according to their number.
So what does that scripture have to do with anything? Well, not much. However, it's a scripture from the book of Numbers and it talks about numbers. So i guess it does have a little bit to do with something, because today, I would like to tell you about my week in numbers.
100%. To start, I would like to let you all know that I feel 100%. I've finished my antibiotic and I feel amazing and completely ready to just go and baptize everybody (who has the sincere desire and repents).
24 Hours. I still hate fasting, for those of you who cared. However, I love the blessings that come from fasting and I'm so grateful that I was able to fast yesterday. I still hate fast and testimony meeting, too. And I still think that's an out dated tradition that should be done away with.
10,000 Emerald Pools. That would be a name of a song that somehow ended up on my play list for a period of time before my mission. And it came to my mind when we filled the baptismal font and the water came out super brown, then the bishop in his wisdom (I'm going to fight that dude someday) thew in some more blue dye and we had a VERY GREEN baptismal font. Again. For those who received my email last week would know that this is a recurring problem.
5 Interviews. On Thursday, I had 5 interviews. First with Hermana Ávila, the mission president's wife, then with Presidente Ávila, the mission president, then I conducted 3 baptismal interviews for 3 young women that the hermanas in my district have been teaching, one of which I had the privilege of baptizing. It was good, but yes, I'm sick of interviews.
Page 52. That's where you can find the General Conference talk in the May 2017 Liahona (or Ensign for all you 'Muricans) that is my inspiration for the changes we'll be seeing down here in Galeana this week. It's called Stand Up Inside an Be All In by Elder Gary B. Sabin, and it starts by telling about his granddaughter who scored a point in the wrong goal in her soccer game. And sometimes in this life, we need to redirect our energy and time. In my interview with Presidente, he told me that he assigned me to Galeana because he needs me to make the changes necessary in the area. Well, I've been in Galeana 15 weeks, and while I have seen progress, I would like to see MORE. So maybe, something needs to be different. Maybe, we need to REDIRECT our efforts. Elder Hernandez received similar news from Presidente, and we feel a lot of responsibility. But if the Lord thinks we can do it, and Presidente Ávila thinks we can do it, we can do it. So here we go!
Millions of Raindrops. For the last 2 months, it has only rained at night. This week it started raining during the day. We've got rained on almost every day and I love it.
$80 Pesos. I spent $80 pesos this week on an electric tennis racket that zaps flies and mosquitoes. It was probably the stupidest thing I've bought in the mission. The worst part is the other day, it wasn't even turned on and it shocked me super hard. My hand still hurts. I want my $80 pesos back.
4th of July. Ok, so today is only the 3rd of July, but I don't care. I was determined to celebrate. We can't use fireworks which is disappointing, and Americans are at a pretty big minority in the mission, but I went with my district and a few other elders to KFC to eat fried chicken. #MURICA
4 Areas. So I'm 3 weeks into this whole District Leader gig and honestly, I love it. It's a little tricky because we have 4 areas in the district, so every other night I have to talk to each area for 15 minutes each then the Zone leaders for 45, and nobody is ready in their assigned time slot and it makes for long nights, but honestly, it's not bad because the time goes fast. I love doing baptismal interviews (I'll probably love them less once somebody I interview doesn't pass) and I hate planning and giving district meetings (which I'll probably hate less once I get the hang of it more). But overall, I love being district leader and I hope they don't try to give me more responsibility because I would die.
Have a great week! I love all y'all! And have a great 4th of July! Blow crap up, eat some watermelon, etc.
-Elder Aldrich
PICTURES
1) A couple of the hermanas in my district brought me a cake to congratulate me for not dying in the hospital last week. It says #SOBREVIVÍ. Translation: I survived.
2) The baptism of Guadalupe.
3) It's how Nandez receives revelation during weekly planning.
4&5) KFC feat. Elder Aldrich and Elder Stevens, the only white kids.
