Preaching in Puerto Rico: Survived the First Transfer

This was a cool week. We had the opportunity to visit with a lot of members and less active members who are having health problems and stuff. And it was the week of Stake Conference in Caguas and that was super good.

Monday: was P-day and again I can't remember what we did but we had a super good Family Home Evening (Noche de Hogar in Spanish) with some members and a less active youth in the branch. It was really simple and fun. We just shared and talked about the Plan of Salvation and they all really liked it because we made it more interactive and stuff. It was cool.

Tuesday: We had our last District meeting of the transfer, so we took pictures and talked and stuff and took guesses about who will be transferred and such. Then we all went out to Wendy's for lunch because nobody wanted to cook and it was really fun. I really like our district that we had this transfer. It was the biggest one on the island, with 12 people. Most districts only have like 8 or 10 people in them. Then, we had planned to go out to campo, but it was pouring rain so we scrambled over to the house where we teach the ‘3 ladies”, the ones who talk a lot. We got there and they gave us towels and one of their sons was there and brought us Sprite and she gave us candies and it was fun. And we were actually able to share more of a message this time because the first time, we couldn't really get a word out with them. But it was good. The rest of the day was pretty normal. Lots of people not home/not answering.

Wednesday: we went out to Patillas. Patillas is the next town over, in the middle of our 3 towns that we cover. It's more campo, there's not really a lot to do there. But we went out and had a list of names of less actives and old references that we wanted to find. As we found the houses, none of them were home or wanted to come out and talk with us. So that gave us the opportunity to do a lot of contacting. And I actually like contacting. Going off of the instruction we got from President Boucher at Zone Conference, we just began contacting their neighbors. 3 or 4 on one side, the same on the other. And although we got shot down a lot, we found some super cool people that we really want to go back to visit. One guy is like 85 and was out doing yard work and wouldn't let us help him because that's his exercise. He spoke English and was super cool. He said that if we ever need anything that we can call him. And then he just took my planner and wrote all his info in it. Then we found another guy who's cool and seemed interested. As we walked back through the main part of town we walked past a Veterans Council place, something like that. And some guy came out and started talking to us in English so we talked for a while and he was super cool. When we asked for his name he said "ya know Latinos have a lot of names" and then continued to list off like 7 of his names. Then he said "but you can call me Pete". Just a super funny and cool guy. We also got fed by a less active out there even though we did not at all expect her to be receptive. It was a really good day.

Thursday: we had just another normal day back in Arroyo. Nothing really special happened, mostly all of our people fell through. We had a few set appointments and it was pretty disappointing to have those fall through but we're going to try and pick them up again this week. At 7 we went and played basketball at the church with 2 less active youth. They're working on coming back and really like us. And they're good. Or Borries and I are really bad at basketball. Idk. But it was really fun and I got some much needed exercise. Then we left for Salinas, where I had an entercambio (where we swap companions with the district leader and his companion for a day) that night. It was a super fun night. I was kinda nervous because Elder Rodriguez is from Guatemala and speaks Spanish mostly and I'm just a greenie. But I got there and prayed and started talking in Spanish and he told me he was super impressed. Also Elder Kemsley (Elder Borries' trainer) told me the same thing. I really like talking in Spanish.

Friday: I woke up at like 6 because there's a random alarm in Rodrguez's room that went off and I was super confused why the District Leader wasn't getting up on time and then the real alarm went off and it all made sense. I was somewhat mad that I woke up early. But whatever. We got up and had a really good study session and talked a lot about our district and what might happen at transfers and stuff and my Spanish just seemed to be flowing. And it was that way throughout the day. I was super surprised. I don't think Rodriguez likes Elder Kemsley's cooking so we went to McDonalds hahaha. And we just talked a lot and got along really well and I was super happy with how things were going. Then we had a lot of appointments fall through. But then at like 4 we found a member and then Pascual (their branch mission leader) came and picked us up and he made me sit in the front seat with the other three elders in the back. And we talked and he likes me. We went to dinner at a member's house, I believe it was a member. And I shared Mosiah 23: 21-22 and it went really well and Kemsley and Rodriguez both said it was really good. And then we had another lesson and continued to get along really well and I had a ton of fun.

Wow I have a lot to say this week

Saturday: was a pretty normal day. We had a few lessons and then had to leave at like 5 for Stake Conference in Caguas, like an hour away from Arroyo. And that conference was good. It was the adult session so there weren't tons of people but it was good. They talked about missionary work and families and stuff. Really good talks and I understand a lot of the stuff people say now.

Sunday: was conference again. We left at 8 am to drive to Caguas again and conference was again really good. They talked about tithing and families and President Boucher gave a really good talk about how Puerto Rico is in a drought of both water and the gospel. And there's a plan to bring water back and also a plan to bring the gospel back but both things need the help of members. Both sessions of conference really emphasized missionary work. Both were very good. After conference Borries introduced me to people he met while serving in Humacao (oo-ma-cow) and they're all really cool. I think I would like serving there at some point. But I do really want to stay in Arroyo for a while. Then we came home and had a lesson and met with another member family and they fed us. And while we were there, an investigator (one of the 3 ladies) called and told us to come over because he had Alcapuria for us to eat. So we went and ate and it was so good. They're like 8 inch rods that are like an inch thick and have a little ground beef in the middle of like a fried coating. I have no idea what the coating was but it was so good. I ate like 9 of them because Evelyn just kept giving them to me.

AND TRANSFERS. The only one moving is Elder Florez to Utuado, in like the middle of the island where it actually gets kinda cold. And they split our big 12 person district into 2. Beecroft is our DL and our new district is Arroyo (so our house) and 2 sisters from Guayama. The other two sisters are with Salinas in that district. So we're pretty happy. Everything is good out here!

The church is true. This is the Lord's work and the gospel is spreading and I love being a part of it!

Love you all!

Zack/ Elder Nelson