Californian A-Venturas: Twenty-ninth Week in the Field

Hola Everyone!!

This week was interesting. I still was really sick this week with really bad headaches. We only went out to see Pablo (our only two appointments) and to go to various meetings. Every time that I stand up, I get really dizzy and it's hard to focus on anything. Tomorrow, we're going to the chiropractor to see if he can help me figure out what's going on. Hermana Shepherd has been so great about all of this though. She's really very patient and helps me try to forget about the pain. She's such an angel and I know that Heavenly Father needed her to be with me to help me with this. I love her so much. It also really helps that Sister Anderson (one of the sisters we live with) is sick too. She's having the same sort of symptoms, so we pretty much just lay on the ground together.

Since we've been staying in most of the week, I've gotten to know Hermana Shepherd really well. I love be able to listen to her tell me stories and tell me about herself. I probably know her better than I know any of my other companions. She's such a sweet person and would do anything to help anyone.

Since we weren't able to go out a lot this week, we were only able to see and visit Pablo. This coming week is the one year anniversary of his wife's death, so this past week he's been really depressed. On Wednesday, when we visited him, he started crying and told us that he wanted to kill himself to end the pain, but he also didn't want to because he still wants to go to the temple to be sealed to her. When we visited him on Saturday, he seemed a lot happier and I helped him tie his three ties he has so he could wear them to church. Yesterday, during fast and testimony meeting, he got up and bore his testimony about the importance of the temple and his knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. He's come such a long way since I first met him. He has so much faith in what Heavenly Father has in store for him.

All of the missionaries in our zone had a meeting with the Stake Presidency and President Castro on Sunday. It went really well! They talked to us about how we can better involve the leaders and other members of the ward we serve in. I love the Stake Presidency and I've really enjoyed being able to hear from them during various occasions during these past 6 months. I can tell that they really are trying to get the wards more excited about hastening the work of salvation. I have such a testimony of working hard with the leaders in the ward or branch where I've served. Missionaries can only do so much and the leaders and other members of the ward are so crucial in the progression of bringing others unto Christ. President Castro is so inspired as well, I just love listening to him talk.

This coming week on Sunday, Hermana Shepherd and I are going to be singing a duet ("Mas Cerca Dios de Ti" aka "Nearer, My God to Thee") in Sacrament Meeting. The branch loves music and we love helping them feel the Spirit, so I'm sure it'll go really well. I've been trying to help Hermana Shepherd get out of her comfort zone when it comes to singing, so this is a big step. It's even better because she's the one that suggested that we sing! I'm so proud of her.

So, the most hilarious thing happened this week....not to us, but the sisters that we live with. Even though they hardly went out, this still happened when they did...

On Tuesday, they went to visit one of their less actives (one that I didn't know when I was in the ward) and her nonmember son. This family is struggling a lot with financial issues and they aren't really all there, but they're really sweet. I met them at the Christmas concert earlier this transfer. When they sat down at their appointment, the mom (Carol) was acting a little weird. William (the son) was in his room the entire time. She started out by crying and complaining about their financial situation (which is apparently somewhat normal for her). She then switches to telling them that William has grown "quite fond" of both of them and that "he knows that it's wrong to love two women." They thought that she was just crazy, but then she asked them if they would consider marrying him! I'm dead serious. Carol seriously proposed to them for William. In the words of our zone leader, Elder Bostrom, it was a "proxy proposal." I was dying when they were telling me this, but it gets better.....They explained that they were missionaries and couldn't date or just get married while on the mission. She then said, "No, no, no, he researched it. You can be honorably released." No one could believe that she actually said this. I almost died. The sisters then decided to say that they would pray about it. That night they would both scared to pray because they didn't want to get a yes. The whole time they were telling us this, I was dying inside. The next day when they went back to give their answers (No's), Carol thought that it was a yes from both of them because they returned. They had to break it to them softly, but Carol took it pretty hard. Even though this story's pretty funny, I feel really bad for Carol and William because of their living situation.

On Thursday, we had a Spanish Training Meeting. It helped me think of new ways to make my language study more effective. Sometimes I think that I don't utilize it as well as I should, but hopefully now I'll be able to be more consistent every day. Of course, President and Sister Castro are both so inspiring. It was pretty funny because I could almost understand them better in Spanish than English because they have an accent when they speak in English. I love them both!

On Wednesday, we had an amazing district meeting. It was all about teaching who you are and not what you know. It was interesting to think about my teaching strategies in that way and what I can do to help people know who I am. The spirit was really strong the entire time. Hermana Shepherd and I were in charge of the EDPEP (role play activity) and we focused on the importance of bearing testimony when extending commitments. It was different than what we would normally do for an EDPEP, but it was really edifying. Hermana Shepherd gave the talk and talked a lot about how to be a successful missionary too which made the meeting even better.

After district meeting, I asked one of my zone leaders (Elder Bostrom) and my district leader (Elder Atkin) for a blessing to help me get over my headaches. It was a really amazing experience that helped me realize why I'm here and gave me a lot of comfort. I absolutely love the priesthood. It's helped me through so much on my mission.

After we got back from the Spanish Training Meeting, Elder Bostrom and Elder Driggs (on exchanges) stopped by our apartment and gave us all ice cream and told us that if we ate it, we had to get better. The elders in this zone are really thoughtful and are trying to help us recover as quickly as possible. Almost all the sisters in Moorpark are sick and unable to proselyte.

On Friday, Sister Barker from Moorpark 1st ward, brought us dinner at our apartment because she heard that two of us were sick. She's so sweet.

I found out that Sister Jones (one of the sisters serving in Moorparkr 2nd ward) is from Castle Rock. She's in the Castle Pines ward. CRAZY small world!

Thanks for all the love and support from everyone! Your prayers are helping me get better!

Con amor,

Hermana Halliday