Sorry for my email being a whole day late. Since it was Veteran's Day, all of the public libraries were closed yesterday and that is the only place we can email. President Wall gave us permission to write today though.
Well this week I had my first experience tracking. And what an experience it was.... It's interesting to go tracking as a Spanish missionary in America because you never know who is going to open the door but we try to look for signs or clues that a Spanish person lives there. For example a Dish 500 on the house means they get the Spanish channels. Anyway, the first few doors I knocked on no body answered. Finally someone answered but it was a little black girl. I asked if her mom was home and then she left so we just stood there for awhile. A few minutes later we hear this voice coming from somewhere saying "What cha gurls want? I'm busy." My companion starts laughing as we realize it's the mom yelling out the cracked window above us. I took a step back and I responded saying we were missionaries and had a message for her. She asked if we could leave a pamphlet or something because she was busy sleeping and such. I told we had a Book of Mormon for them and left it with the daughter who had then returned to the door. It was hilarious and so unexpected! So there is my first story of tracking!
This past Friday we had Zone Conference and it was AMAZING!!! The main theme and message that President Wall wanted us to get from it was that our efforts are Acceptable to the Lord. We focused on a talk given at the MTC (actually while I was there). It was a talk given by Elder Kopiske and it's all about repentance. He talked about the definition of repentance and how to apply it. He focused on how we can't teach things that we don't know so we much apply it and make a part of our every day lives. Everyday we should kneel in pray and give an accounting to the Lord of what we did that day even though He already knows and repent of those things we need to. When I heard this talk in the MTC it left a really big impact on me and every day I have taken his invitation to feel acceptable to the Lord. President Wall emphasised all of this things and also discussed that we are judged by our efforts not the result of our efforts. As a missionary this can be really hard. President talked about how he feels this is the hardest area in Louisiana to be serving. One of the mission mottos is Plant, Nurture and Harvest. Here in the New Orleans Zone is mostly the first two and very little of the Harvesting. But that is okay because each step is equally as important!
English class is going really awesome! We had 15 people there one night! And several people have called us the past few days and said they are going to start coming. So that is super exciting.
We started a Scripture Reading Class for the Relief Society Sisters. It's every Wednesday night and this week was our first one. There was only three people there but hopefully more people start coming. Almost the whole ward is converts or returning less actives so we are really focusing on strengthening the ward. We have found that scripture reading isn't really happening because the members say they don't really understand the Book of Mormon so we started the scripture class to help them read and understand. I'm really excited about it. Even though only three came it was an awesome experience.
The roads here in Louisiana are CRAZY!!! We seriously do about 100 U-turns a day. This is due to all of the canals. One direction is on one side of the canal and the other direction is on the other side of the canal. Because of this you can't turn left. Every so often they have these areas where you can turn around then go back and turn where you needed. It is absolutely crazy and so confusing.
So, my companion, Hermana Marks just got a really awful email from her family. Her dad was in a really bad 4-wheeling accident this past weekend and was extremely close to death. For now he is alive but is not in good shape. From what Hna Marks has told me/figured out he broke his back, leg, couple ribs, arm, and several fingers. He landed face down in a foot of water with the 4- wheel on top of him. By some miracle her 13 year old brother was able to lift the 800 pound 4-wheel off of him before he drowned. Even though you don't know him, can you please keep him and the Marks family in your prayers.
Last night we had a ward FHE. All the missionaries put on a play about the week of a member family and the rebellious teenager who changes through out the week between scripture study, FHE, seminary, Mutual, service and church. It actually turned out really well. I was super nervous to be acting in Spanish but it was crazy. There were 22 people that came beside the missionaries.
I'm doing great and loving Louisiana!!
I hope you all are doing well! I love you all.
Con Amor,
Kim
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