31 May 10 email

May 31, 2010 at 4:15 PM

Well it is me Elder Ochs again. That is really cool how much Isreal (Flores, a friend of John's that joined the church before he left on his mission) has grown in the gospel. I can´t believe it has been 7 1/2 months since his baptism. That is awesome that he gave a talk and with the Mission President. I cant wait to hear where Bobby (Hancock) is going to serve his mission. That is so awesome all of those I grew up with are going out to serve at the same time with me. Ya I have a lot of letters backed up to write to people. I never have time to sit down and write here. We are always going around doing stuff and I run out of time. I also for got my notebook that had a lot of stuff I was going to write so I will try to remember.

So today we had a Super Preparation Day. The mission president was real happy about our numbers this month so we got a Super Preparation Day. We didn´t meet our goal of 1,000 baptisms but got 643, 105 families, and 145 priesthood. 100 families was also another goal he set for us and we got that so he is going to get us something for that also. For the Super Preparation Day we went to this place that had several turf soccer fields and we had a bunch of zones there to play against each other. It was a lot of fun and I also made a goal. We got pizza and soda afterwards.

So ya again everyone in our district ran out of money this last week like always, so it was difficult getting breakfast in the morning because I have to take someone with me who doesn´t have money for food. So I end up buying them some stuff haha. Also driving around in taxis I had to pay for others. I don´t know how they lose it all so fast haha.

So I had my first baptism in these areas this last Saturday. It was a thirteen year old girl named Anielka. It went really well. Her Baptismal Interview with our District Leader was the easist one compared to the other people in Mira Flores. The missionaries there keep finding gangsters and teaching them so the interviews are usually rough. Lets just say they have problems with the second worst sin you can commit. They have to attend church for 6 months straight if they want to get baptized.

The reactivation of members here is pretty difficult because the members don´t want to do anything. Elder Flores and I are doing what ever possible to get the numbers up though.

So ya it has been raining like crazy here so it is pretty cool now. We just walk in the rain here, I don´t know why they don´t buy umbrellas but it is cool. It feels nice because it is nice and warm.

So the other day we were outside talking to a recent convert after it had just rained. Well big drops of water were falling on me and I thought it had started raining again. Well there was this branch that came down by my head and I looked up and there was a squirrel with a red collar on it staring at me. It freaked me out but it was pretty fun. It took off after a while which was good because I was worried it was going to jump on me.

So during all of that rain this last week the streets were covered. Well one of the short APs were walking across the street and couldn´t see that there was an open man hole so he fell right in. He was fine but it was a pretty funny story.

So I went to this one area the other day that reminded me so much of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. It was at night when I went there and it had this miniature canal going down this hill with water running down it. Along it are these shacks with dim lights outside with crickets all around. With the humid warm air all around, trees and plants, and walking along this canal it was just like the beginning of that ride when going past the restaurant and the old man sitting outside of his house on the porch haha.

So I wore my Zelda shirt. I wore it to the Super P-Day activity so it got all wet in the rain. I had another missionary hold it while I took a picture of it. His name is Elder Martinez. I couldn´t send the picture yet because this computer is being dumb, next week

Well I will try to write more next week. So I love you all and big hearts.

Elder Ochs