Recieved Monday, June 21, 2010

Dear Family,

My first story for this week will start with what is going on right now. There is a crazy guy sitting a couple computers away and every couple of minutes he turns around and says something that makes no sense like "I'm a level 3 italian, the michael angelo theory is the only true theory. So what about them JEhova witnesses?" He is absolutely crazy. It is some good entertainment as I write my e-mail.

Its been another good week as normal. Our people are progressing, the Mendez family is still progressing well to their baptismal date of July 10th. We've got 2-3 other really good people as well. Oh and a guy who hasn't been to church for 12 years showed up last fast Sunday and got up and bore his testimony and said he's ready to come back and be an active member again. We only visited him once or twice, and I guess that little push was all that he needed to help him make that step to come back. That was good to see.

I'm looking through my planner to see if anything else particularly newsworthy happened this week. There is one lesson that sticks out in my mind. We got out of the car one day in this parking lot and I started talking to this guy, and this emo kid with his hood up and his hair across his face walked past as he was listening to his ipod. When I finished talked to the guy I turned around to see if the emo kid was too far away to talk to, and he turned around and just stared at me, so I went up and started talking to him. When I talked to him he just stared at me in silence for a good 15 seconds, then he began to make deliver a speech to me on a bunch of 100% random topics. But the funniest part was that he was trying to talk all biblical. After his random speech I asked him if he would be open to having missionaries come over and share a message. He said he could listen right then, so we sat down on the curb and said a prayer and started teaching him. He was like 18 years old and he had dropped out of high school and he was basically just wandering around in life. I think he was trying to be a philosopher or something and that's why he talks strange and constantly tries to say profound things. It was a pretty funny lesson, I wish I could remember some of his sayings he said. Unfortunately it didn't really go anywhere, so we just ended it and left. Hopefully we left a good impression on him and he listens to missionaries when he gets past this emo philosophical phase.

Training has been going good. I've definitely been learning a lot. It takes a LOT of patience. Its definitely built up a lot of stress too. My companion is very excited, which is good, but were still working on the importance of planning, instead of just wandering around the streets aimlessly. I'm also still trying to convince my companion that it IS necessary to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom. I think its gross, but apparently its just an urban myth.

That is a funny story about Zak fainting after giving blood. I don't think I've ever fainted before. One time playing miniature golf I started seeing spots and I almost passed out, but I sat down and drank water. Then there was the time I was going to get lung surgery the first time and they put the IV in and it squirted blood all over me, I almost passed out that time too. Definitely not a good feeling. That is good it all went well though.

Well, I cant really think about anything else to write about for this week. Things are still going good. Its been reeeeally hot recently. We drink tons of water every day. I am glad things are going well at home. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Chase