You just fit his stereotype...

Dear Family,

 

I'm sitting here, late, because we've had one after another unfortunate event prohibit us from emailing on time and in the normal place (san jacinto college campus).  So thus i'm crouched on a tiny chair in the children's section of the public library, next to a woman chomping chewing gum, and I have a "runner's" magazine staring me in the face, begging me to pick it up and read it.  But...never fear.  That's an easy one to resist.  I can't even run two miles anymore without breathing hard. As for the woman next to me... I think she'll resist the temptation just as easily as I will.  Although she is dressed in a bright pink running suit, she seems a little too into her abc streaming of some doctor show.  (not to mention, just based on her build, i'm going to guess she's NOT a runner.  but that's okay.  not everyone is.)

 

So here I am!  and it's another beautiful day in the neighborhood.  i mean, the 'hood.  A little cold today.  the weather this week has been crazy.  On Friday it was about eighty degrees, but then the next day it was about thirty. so what can you do?  buy tights to go under your skirt, right?  WRONG.  wal mart doesn't carry my size!  they have ten billion pairs of tights but NOTHING my size.  so ironic. haha oh well. 

 

ANYWAYS.  It has been a good week.  We had a family home evening last monday and brought Carlos and Fernando and Carlos had his conversion moment!  That may sound weird but... it's true.  He just kept saying how suprised and grateful he was that they would let him in his home.  He said he has been so happy ever since his baptism.  You could see it in his face.  Then, last night we took him to the Christmas Devotional and I got talking to him after and asking about his parents, who he is about to move back in with in Mexico, and he got all choked up telling me how he doesn't really know his parents because at age eight, he moved out to go work.  He said he doesn't have even one loving memory of them.  and he really doesn't remember NOT working.  Here is this grown man, once an alcoholic, who has definitely seen some hard things in his lifetime, breaking down about the childhood he never had.  I wished so badly right then that I could just put my arm around him or something.  But he said he finally feels hopeful about the future.  He said words wouldn't say how grateful he is to us.  I told him he doesn't have to say anything - just stay in the gospel and share it with others. 

 

So the other day we had another "experience" to add to the "weird contacts" list.   We were knocking these three trailers and set an appointment with the first woman, who thought we reminded her of her daughters in mexico who are our age...the second one was a drunk man who just shrugged and smiled really big when we asked if he'd be interested in our message... but then the third one kinda threw us off.  We walked up and it was dark but we could hear a dog barking from under the trailer, we jsut didn't know if he was chained or not.  of course I (the fearless leader) went walking right up to it and realized it was behind a fence thing... so I walked up the front stairs and then saw their second dog, just waking up.  luckily, the owner walked out right then otherwise I might have been writing this emial from a hospital bed!  But she (the owner) hurried and stepped on the dog's chain, right up by it's neck, and asked in a great white lady texan accent, "what religion are y'all from?"  we told her and she said, "okay, NOT INTERESTED."  (ouch) and then she went on to tell us how we really shouldn't be out after dark in that neighborhood, that after her street we might as well just give up because everyone was so bad (oh wait, we baptized carlos who lives four streets up from her!) and how cops will pick you up just walking the streets in cloverleaf because the prostitution problems are that bad.  (that's kinda true...)  then, mid conversation she stops, looks at me and says, "you are soooo CUTE!  I wish my brother was here so I could line you up with him.  (texan accent still) You just fit his stereotype:  tiny, white, and pretty!" hahahaha????!!! what? ahahha that was weird.  So we all just laughed and said "yeah"  but in my head i was saying "not on your LIFE you crazy lady!  what on earth makes you think I'd be interested in marrying your brother who lives in a trailer in cloverleaf texas, with a sister who says no to mormon missionaries?!"  haha but hermana case told me that if things don't go well dating wise for me after the mission i'll always know that there is a tiny white guy waiting for me in cloverleaf.  so true. 

 

well, I have a really bad headache today so i'm sorry if this emial isn't so great.  i'm having trouble focusing on this bright screen.  But things are looking great for us - we had three people come to church yesterday and we've got a few prospective baptismal candidates so we can't complain!  I think I've finally gotten to the point where I'm really falling in love with my mission.  I never thought I would really ENJOY missionary work but it is addicting.  and it helps to have two companions that you really get along great with.  i thought three would be hard but it feels like everything is easier with the work spread between the three of us.  Loving life!

 

Love,

 

Becca

 

p.s. how are christmas preparations goign?