Monday, November 28, 2011

Triptophan Coma

Thanksgiving was okay. We didn't end up eating at the bishop's house, so instead we got invited by this very Molly Mormon family to eat. All their kids are perfect, and I think I might leave a little to be desired. The food was really good, but it was boring being there. And we played a scripture game. Yes, a scripture game. Apparently, knowing who Moses married is really important doctrine, sorry Zeporah or Zeborah, or whatever. We had some pumpkin pie and that was good. The mom made some jello with applesauce and sprite in it, I liked that. Kansas and Missouri played in the I-could-care-less-bowl on Saturday. Because there are so many hispanos in the ward, zero people even mentioned the game. But all talked about the new FIFA 12 game.

This week had been frustrating. Juan can't be baptized until he sees a doctor because our Bishop thinks that he is schizophrenic. None of our investigators are reading or praying so they can't really progress. With the investigators it is hard because honestly, it is not at all about the numbers, but the fact that they can't know that this is the same church that Jesus Christ organized on the earth unless they read even just a little bit of the Book of Mormon, and then pray about it. Moroni's promise ain't lying, people. So if you are going to pray for anything, pray that they can pray. I know that prayer will help them to know.
It has been a trying week, but this one should be better.The Christmas program from the First Presidency is this week, and that should be great.
Anyways, it is starting to get cold here. And the cold here is nothing like Utah. Them folks were right when they said cold to the bone. The humidity and the cold is killer. Luckily for me, it's only November. Novembuurrrrrrr!
It sounds like Thanksgiving was good at home, so that is some good news. That is good that Kimmy Johnson is going to serve a mission. She'll be a good missionary.

Tiempo para contestar las preguntas:
1. Yes, we have a vacuum. And yes, we use it. Not entirely often, but we do use it once every few weeks.
2. The only TV that I miss is Sportscenter. But usually when we go into the homes, the ladies are watching the novelas, so I know that one actress is in distress, and another is surprised, and another wants to kiss some guy, and another doesn't want the other to kiss the guy, and so on and so forth.
3. We just have two boring beds, not bunks here. Just NINER SHEETS.

Dad: Wow. Nine sacks is a ton. Hopefully ,they will still clinch a playoff spot, with a home game against the Shams.The Cal game sounds like a shootout, and how did Utah lose to Colorado? So Oregon will win the Pac 12.I heard about the NBA. That is pretty crazy- 66 games in 4 months is a lot. Maybe the Warriors can just scrape into the playoffs by not playing defense again.

Anyways things are trucking along here, the transfer ends next week. I'll still be here though. Life is good. Tell people hi and such.

Love you, Nick

Monday, November 21, 2011

Happy Thanskgiving!

OK business time.
1. Because our mission has the most missionaries in the WORLD, the mission office simply can't handle packages for 250 people, so YOU CAN SEND THEM STRAIGHT TO MY HOUSE!!!!!!! But still use USPS because if we're not home, then we can pick them up, instead of the other delivery places just dropping them at the door, waiting to be stolen.
2. Can you or Devon do some investigating and get me a way to contact Harold? And can you send me Spencer's email?
3. Did we ever get our family pictures? What do they look like?

OK. Here we go.
It kinda feels like Thanksgiving a little. We are going to the bishop's house to eat which means we get white people food,so that is pretty good.
That is great that Lone Peak won state. I'm glad my alma mater is kicking butt. Where are they ranked nationally?
That story from Jillyn is wild. But great. It sounds like she had a great time. It's funny that she has an accent.
The weather here is starting to get cold. And because we don't have the car this week, it will probably rain or snow. Who knows?
We didn't have the chance to see Magdalina this week. But we saw Ruben and invited him to be baptized. He wants to, but he wants to be perfect before the baptism, which well, is why we get baptized, to be clean. Julian came to church yesterday, and had a really good experience in teacher's quorum he said. So hopefully some progress can start with him. We also saw Juan this week, twice actually. We taught him about faith during our second lesson. It went really well. He wants to get baptized, but he has to be approved by the bishop I think, because he lives with someone who he is not married to, but she is a member too.
We had 32 lessons this week, so we were busy. I think I will send my planner to you after this transfer so you can see what I do. Oh, I turn 3 months on Thursday. That is crazy. In all honesty, the MTC crept along as far as time, but this past month has gone by so fast. The days have felt like mere hours, and weeks feel like very quick days.
The weirdest thing that I ate this week was.....pig skin. Not a football. Actual skin from a pig. It was simply disgusting.
Mom: As far as your little Spanish class goes, yeah preterit and imperfect don't even bother me anymore. They just come. I can actually feel myself getting better at Spanish everyday. It is freakin sweet.
Dad: I was really hoping Cal would win this year, but I guess not. They can beat ASU this week. And for the Niners, how great are they? Did Gore play? And the NBA not playing means one less year of the Warriors stinking up the history books.

To answer the 3 questions of the week:
1. We have a washer and dryer in our house which is SO nice. I can do my laundry at any time, which I have taken advantage of.
2. My companion does not cut my hair, nor will he ever. Period.
3. I told dad what I want for Christmas, so seek his council.

I am happy in the field. I really enjoy my time here. We have hard times, but they are worth it.

I can't picture myself anywhere else, and I am happy to serve as Elder Nicholas Jeffrey LaMay.

Love, Nick

Monday, November 14, 2011

Merrily He Rolls Along...

It was a good week. We kept pretty busy for not having a car. We have 2 new investigators, Julian and Magdalina. Julian is a nephew of Jennifer, and came back to KCK from California because he was having some troubles. He has done a lot in his life, and he's only 15. When he was like 12 he got into gangs and lived that life for a while. His friend was put in prison for murder and his last words to Julian were to get out of the gang life. So his parents sent him to his aunt's house in CA to go to a Christian school, but he would fight with his aunt a lot so they sent him back here. Now he is trying to turn his life around but his old friends still think that he is the same kid and are trying to influence him badly.
Magdalina is from Mexico. She likes religion a lot so hopefully some good things come from that. Her son is in a prominent KCK gang called Floretine 13. She wants help with him. We are working hard, and it is starting to get colder here. Life is good in the field. We get fed a lot, even if we don't have dinner appointments with people, they feed you no matter what. I have learned to pretty much not eat anything at home because I will get fed anyways.
Life here is cool. I see chihuahuas every day and they remind me of Daffy. Sometimes they're nice dogs and not trying to bite my feet.

Okay- Tres Preguntas Para Nick:
1.I do not get to drive yet, we have to memorize the basic overviews of the lessons in PMG and pass them off to district and zone leaders. But we have the car this week, which is very nice.
2.I have not had to cook anything yet. Just warm up some oatmeal or pizza rolls and make nutella and get this, REESES' peanut butter sandwiches! And FYI-the folks here don't really make tortillas, they just buy these little ones at the Mexican stores and cook them on a stove. Don't count on me whipping some up when I get home.
3.On Sundays in our ward, we just kinda go to classes with investigators, and we are like permanent subs for Sunday School. Last week we taught the teenagers chastity. It was funny. But yeah we just have meetings before church with our ward mission leader, and then just do our thing during church.

Mom- Tell the missionary moms hello, hola, or whatever really.
Kate and Jacob better hope that their son goes to Boise State;otherwise, who knows what will happen.

Dad- GO NINERS!!! And now we know that they won't be less than .500 this year. They should be fairly close to clinching the NFC West, right? Did the Packers lose yet?
I had to watch like 1/2 hour of soccer on Friday- it was so boring. Cal is bowl eligible- that is good. Is the town live with Lone Peak Love?

That's about it, nothing wildly exciting happened this week.
I love you, Nick

Monday, November 7, 2011

Humming Along

I hope that dafferdiddles doesn't get electrocuted chewing on the computer cord. Tell Brit congrats.
Tell Ali congrats, that is really cool. What language is she learning, or is she learning one at all?
Louie died? Wow, that is pretty crazy. is Gerry dancing around in joy, or now that he is gone, is Gerry sad?

Yeah so we had a baptism yesterday. It was good. This big Samoan dude came and sang for a musical number. It was really good. But yeah, she didn't back out, she said she was nervous, and kinda got scared because her family was being stupid, but she came, and said that she felt so good afterwards.
My other investigator said that he will get baptized, so that is good. He just got off probation and so it may be a few weeks until the baptism actually happens.
This week we found an inactive family that hasn't been to church in 5 years. When we went you could tell that the mom really was happy that we finally showed up. The problem is that the parents work on Sundays, so we have to find rides for the kids. We will have to ask the ward here for help with that. I wish they could remember that the littlest thing really does help. But it's alright, that is why we are here. We worked pretty hard this week, we taught 31 lessons. It is weird because during the day you don't notice how many people you see but then when you look back and count the numbers it really adds up.
My Spanish is getting pretty good. I can understand the people for the most part. Sometimes when my mind wanders, I have no idea what they're saying, but for the majority, I can understand them.
Lemme tell you, the time change has been nice. The extra little hour makes quite the difference.
The lady next to me at the library is watching some cats dance on youtube.
Oh, and I am going to have to like soccer I think, which is quite contrary to my previous beliefs. We play every Tuesday night with the ward, and that is all that the kids here talk about, so eventually I will get sucked in (sorry Dad).
Okay so to answer las preguntas:
1. We share a car with the English elders, so one week we have it and one week we rides bikes or take the bus. This week we don't have the car.
2. People here don't talk with a midwestern drawl. Well they do, but I honestly haven't talked to a local white person, so everyone else either speaks hood, or Spanish.
3. Yeah, our ward has I think like 7 missionaries. There are 2 English and 2 s
Spanish sets of elders, and then one local couple that helps at the Bishop's storehouse and at the Visitors Center, and then there is Elder Heath, a part time missionary with cognitive disabilities. His parents are in our ward, so this is where he serves.
4. Thank you for the prayers. I think I am alright, as of now.
I love you all and hope that you have a good week.
Love, Nick