So, we had transfers! And I was, well, transferred! I now currently reside in the port city of Veracruz, Veracruz, México, in the area known as 5 de Mayo (after a street). It's actually a really small area, which is really odd after having a city practically to myself. Before, in a street contact, we just had to ask what city the person lived in to know if they were in the area. Now... I have to get them to point out the street/block. My new comp's name is Elder Dawson. Surprise! He's not a native Spanish speaker. He's from Phoenix, AZ, and he's been in the field for three months (that means he just finished his training). That means I'm what they call his "stepdad." Your "dad" is your trainer, and your next companion that follows is your "stepdad." I'm excited, and a little nervous, because that means that now I'm the one that's expected to be able to speak Spanish. I don't have pictures yet, but I'll try to send some next week. This area, I'm going to stress again, is VERY different from my old one. It's so tiny! And from the parts that I've seen, at least, it's pure neighborhood. We had to leave our zone (by crossing a couple of streets, actually), with permission from the ZLs, of course, just to buy groceries this morning. It's going to be different, and difficult to work. But, we'll find a way. Or, more precisely, the Spirit's going to tell us what we need to do and we're going to do it.
This past week, that I spent in Ciudad Mendoza, actually went really well. We found people to teach, and a few of them actually went to church! It was tough leaving investigators, but it was even harder leaving converts and the other members there. They tell me your first area's the hardest, and I believe it. However, I'm here now, so whatever comes should be easier, I hope.
This week, this week, let's see...
A few days ago, we were eating with a part-member family. The spouse of the husband, a devout atheist, was joking around with his family. We talked a little bit about the Gospel, but he didn't want anything to do with it. When we stood up to leave after the meal, however, he told us, "Que Alá los proteja" (May Allah protect you), so I feel like we made some progress there.
Also, we had the fun experience of changing a baptismal date. We invited someone to be baptized on February 29th, and she accepted it really well. However, we had to go back the next day and make a small modification. The conversation went something like this: "Hey, Xenia, remember your baptismal date?" "Yeah, sure, the 29th of February, right?" "Yeah, here's the thing... We discovered that that day doesn't exist. How does the first of March sound?" However, not to fear, the date was accepted, and there was much rejoicing among the angels in heaven, albeit combined with a fair amount of facepalming.
So that's what I have time for today. I'm sorry, I'll try to send pictures next week, and hopefully, I'll be able to talk more about the work here. Stay strong, drink milk, and read your scriptures!
Love,
Élder Rob Weatherford
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