Another crazy week

This week has been CRAZY, or as Bishop C would put it, CRAYSEE. He's been teaching us to speak in Mexican accents to improve our spanish pronunciation.

This last Friday, we had MTE's, or Missionary Training Exchanges. Basically, an elder from another zone came and spent the day with me and Elder W. His name is Elder W, and he's from Utah as well. He was really energetic, and we talked to 11 people on the street, and had 6 lessons that day. Plus we found 2 new investigators, one of which was a miracle. I won't disclose the name, but while we were walking to an appointment, this man calls out to us and Elder W recognized him. Elder W had met and talked with this man many times at their apartment up by Logan Heights, but had never shared the gospel with him. Elder W, Elder W, and I then proceeded to tell him about our purpose. He then said that he was having troubles with his job and his family at the time. We then shared with him a bit about the Plan of Salvation, and told him that this would help him in his life, as well as the rest of our message. He happily invited us over Sunday night, and his mom made us Seviche, (I think that's how you spell it.) Seviche is raw fish in lemon juice, and the people here say the juice "cooks" the fish. It really doesn't, though, so it's basically Mexican sushi. We didn't have time to share our message because it was late, but he invited us over again this week.

We also invited one of our investigators to be baptized last night, and she accepted to be baptized on the 28 of September. Her name's G., and she's the daughter of two investigators (that are practically members) that we have taught the last couple of visits. Her mother and soon-to-be step father are waiting for his divorcement papers to go through in Tijuana so that they can be married and be baptized.

M and M. My oh my. If there ever were a pair of Mormons that were never part of the church, it's them. M has been doing missionary work, they don't want to take the sacrament yet because they feel unworthy for it right now, they've living the Word of Wisdom out of their own moral choices for years, and they have been studying the Book of Mormon for themselves so much in the last couple of weeks. We haven't been teaching their son because he's been ill the last couple of weeks with the measles, so we're hoping that we can teach him soon. And we're a bit afraid that they'll want to push their baptismal date back so that they can be baptized with their son. But they're ready.

A, our other investigator with a baptismal date, is bouncing off the walls from excitement for her baptism. She has been asking us so many questions, and has been STUDYING, not reading, the Book of Mormon. She's asked us so many questions, and even asked me about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and why they were so important to be mentioned in 1 Nephi. It's crazy. And this last week, we talked to her about the temple, and how she could go inside to do baptisms for the dead after she was baptized herself. We're going to the San Diego temple this week with her and her friend (who's a member) to let her have the tour that the Mormon Battallion sisters do at the temple. Basically they'll show pictures of what is inside the temple and explain how temples came to be, all while sitting on the temple grounds.

I also got to have yucca plant this week. We ate with Brother and Sister O. Brother O is from Cuba, so we had some Cuban food with him for dinner on night. We had Cuban steak, Cuban frijoles (beans), and some yucca plant with lemon juice, which was DELICIOUS. Yucca is like soft potato, and has a really unique flavor in the sense that I can't compare the flavor with anything I've tasted.

Today for P-Day, we're going to the border. Yup. THE BORDER. We're going to an authentic Mexican outlet store called Northgate to get some souvenirs and clothes.

-Love, Elder Crook