November 5, 2012

Hello Family Fors!

HOLA OBISPO FORS!

Ahhhhh that's so exciting! So, I know that I totally saw that calling coming, did all of you, too? That's so exciting, dad! I'm so excited when I get to go to the Tujunga Ward and see you in action. It sounds like there are really good things happening in the Tujunga ward...six missionaries! That's the same amount that we have here in Liahona 3rd...and for right now, it's the only ward in the mission that has that many missionaries. It's had 8 in the past, and some wards have had 6 in the past too. So it sounds like great things are happening!

I'm sure it must be scary and frightening. Especially this past week I've learned a lot about the responsibility of a bishop (temporally and spiritually...I'll explain), and I can't imagine how challenging it must be. But you'll do GREAT! I know you will be a wonderful, wonderful bishop, I know I'd love to have a bishop like you to work with! I will keep you in my prayers!

Ok, so exciting. Sounds like great things are happening at home.

So...let's just say this week has been CRAZYYYYYY!

But...all in all, the three Paz boys are baptized! And Leticia is hopefully shortly on her way. I will explain.

Ok, we need to do a "blow by blow" for this week.

Monday..pday. We had a Zone activity that was way fun...we had to come up with costumes w/ whatever we had in our apartment. Sis Watkins and I were going crazy...she's just as into costumes as I am, actually moreso. Us 4 went as marine creatures...I was a narwhal (can't really tell), she was a starfish, then the other sisters were a jellyfish and octopus.

That night we had a halloween themed FHE. WE went there and Pedro brought the Paz boys. He said that Leticia was going to go but she was crying when he got there because she said she wouldn't be able to pay diezmo. She wanted us to go over there afterwards. So we go there, and she's crying and it's horrible and she's saying how she was going to have light and then it fell through, etc etc. Carlos (the 8 yr old) said a prayer to make her feel better, and in it he prayed that they'd be able to buy dinner! We realized that they were in worse circumstances than we thought. We called in all the boys to say a prayer together, and it was really powerful.

That night we get home and Sister Watkins really felt like we needed to get a whole bunch of food put together for them ASAP. That night and the next morning we got in this super intense ongoing conversation about what was the best way to go about doing it...which members to call, how involved we should be, what was the right way to go about it. Basically, it was a big like learning moment for me, because Sister Watkins is definitely more just like an act immediately kind of person, while I was there like analyzing the logistics, what we could do to make it so it wouldn't be a burden on the members, how far we could go in our role as missionaries etc. And I had to realize that I was putting all of my analysis and self-consciousness of the situation in front of my love for them...which was kind of a really hard thing to realize, because that's not the type of missionary I want to be.

But, thankfully, we decided to take action, and the members helped out immensely. We called up their primary teachers, etc, and it was this huge outpouring of generosity and we end up bringing over like a whole van of food to them. That night, she goes to the bishop and he gives her a bishops storehouse order form. He also, without us even asking or mentioning it, pays her light bill! So she has light 2 days later. Later that week, I was talking to Leticia, and she said she's already going to start saving up money to pay him back so he can help other people, even though he didn't ask her to.

It was a big lesson that sometimes I feel like the Lord needs to give us. I'm definitely the type where I can get way too wrapped up in logistics, cautiousness, and rules, and miss opportunities to be Christlike. I was really grateful for the example of the members, the bishop, and Sister Watkins that just go out and serve these people no matter what, not worrying about whether or not it'll make them "overly-dependent" or anything like that.

Ok, so next day. We go there and Leticia is doing much, much better. She's back on track to get baptized on Saturday. 5 minutes before her interview, she tells us that she has a legal thing that she has to work out, which subsequently is going to push back her baptism for probably a few weeks/months! Literally five minutes before, and she hadn't mentioned anything like that before, even when we had asked her.

So, she's really sad after her interview. The next day we go over and talk with her and the boys and the boys, the bishop, and the mission president are all on board to let them still get baptized, as long as she is still going to church, etc.

Oh, side note. halloween. Hahhaa. So on Halloween night we had to stay inside of our apartment and just be productive inside. It was right after Hna Paz's interview so we were in kind of a somber mood, b/c at that point we didn't know if the boys were going to be baptized. But we got some stuff done. The end. 

Ok, thursday. An actually very normal day for baptismal week. We figured out the details and all that.
Side note: we're teaching this 19 yr old guy named Eric who is awesome! I've mentioned him before I think...we gave him to the singles ward but then ended up picking him back up again. He read all of Alma 32 and just talked about how much sense it made, and how he felt like it taught him about "true, raw faith". He's the one whos a bible studies major. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and he talked about how it made so much more sense about Adam and Eve, etc etc. It's been really fun to teach him because he grasps things quickly and is starting to understand the magnitude of what we're teaching him. Way cool.

Friday, weekly planning. Friday night...I go to the Visitors Center to make phone calls. While in there, a sister walks in with a giant pencil portrait of me. What in the world? I quickly realize that it's from a member that I haven't seen since probably last December I don't think. She's Dianna Santa Cruz, who I had a great experience with in the VC last October-ish. Her husband and her came in in December and told me that he likes to do portraits of the missionaries. They took my picture and I forgot about it eventually. 11 months later, they walk in with the portrait. It was hilarious, but also a miracle that they caught me when I was actually at the Visitor's Center while being full field. Anyways, I attached the portrait. It's pretty hilarious, probably the best souvenir I could ask for from my mission.

Friday night, we do a chapel tour with the Paz's to show them the font, etc. Kiko and his friends come along, one of which just got out of jail on Tuesday. His friends start making snide comments throughout it, which ends up really upsetting the 12 yr old Alex because they were saying how he's not going to be able to party, etc after he's baptized, his life will be boring with no girls, etc. So sad. So, I ask them to leave haha. The chapel tour ends up with like all of them really sad and we're worried.

Saturday morning, all 3 boys come to play soccer with our zone. Hilarious...they were all there, and they were just hanging out with all of us missionaries. They ended up staying with Pedro for most of the day, playing video games at his house, etc., so that they wouldn't be at their apartment where there are often negative influences.

We show up a little before the baptism, struggling with paperwork, etc., and get them to the chapel. Get them in their white suits, they're going crazy. The baptism actually went really really smoothly...all in all probably the least stressful baptism day I've had on my mission. We almost didn't have barely any refreshments but then miraculously one of the ward missionaries brought a bunch of sodas and 2 huge cakes, when we had just told him cookies! Anyways, not as important as the actual baptism. Sister Watkins sang "I like to look for rainbows" in both english and spanish and I accompanied her. It all went really smoothly. THe boys were reallly giddy in the font. Pedro baptized all 3 of them. Eduardo swam out of the font afterwards. Carlos was SO happy...he's the happiest little boy in the entire world. Afterwards he was like "I feel great! My life is good!" We invited Leticia to bear her testimony afterwards, and she talked about how she is ready to keep all of the commandments with her sons, and she thanked everyone for all they've done for their family. Afterwards, Alex told us that he didn't feel ready to be baptized! Which broke our hearts. He's definitely in the tween phase, trying to figure things out, so we tried to just help him to realize that he was ready, and to not be too hard on himself. The next day at church he seemed happier. We gave them a picture of Christ to put in their home (but the frame broke), and all the boys CTR rings (including the 2 older brothers...Kiko loved his! And he actually came to see the actual baptism ordinance, but we didn't see him), and Eduardo and Carlos little "Future Missionary" tags.

The next day, their confirmations, they showed up to church, looking great. One lady gave Carlos one of her son's old suits. Pedro bought them all pants, etc for their baptism. There has been a huge outpouring of generosity.

So...that's the Paz family week of baptism in a nutshell.

Ok, well that's everything. Oh...mom! You had asked about a package before. Mostly...if you could send like a comfy casual sweatshirt..it can be my blue/gray puma one. And bare minerals! I told you the ones I want...the bronzer and a light and fairly light foundation. Those are the main things I need. Thank you!

Okay, I love you all! Thanks for everythign! My letter to the mish pres will probably be the same information, just shorter, so I won't send it this week. Love, Sister Fors