Sunday, October 23, 2011

Survival of the 2nd Transfer



Hey ya'll,

So I'm e-mailing a little later on Monday because we had a rather big fiasco with the military ID. We went to one of the Army Reserve places in Santa Monica. Santa Monica is about 20 miles from North Hollywood. Yet it turned into a 2 1/2 hour drive when you factored in LA rush hour traffic. So we left at a little before 9 and got there at 11:15. But the lady that is in charge of the ID's decided to go home early and her back-up wasn't in that day (even though she had told us she would be in on Monday when I called her on Saturday). So then we boogied on over further south to Los Angeles Air Force base and took care of it there. We were supposed to get back at 11 and everything was supposed to be fine and dandy. We didn't get back until 3:30. But, we had a good time with Sis. Martin, and we learned a lot of fun stuff.

But funny thing. They wouldn't let Elder Hawke or Sis. Martin on the base because, well, apparently LA Air Force Base is like top-notch security stuff and they don't let anyone on ever unless they have a military ID, and even then I had to get some clearance for me. So I went in all by myself without a companion (AH!!). And as I'm sitting in there this 20, 21, 22, 23 year old girl or something like that is just looking and staring at me. And I'm thinking "Great, just what I need, me with no companion, and here we have a female trying to hit on me." Then she comes walking toward me and I'm like "Uh.... lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is..." She says hi, I say hi. And then she says "I've never seen an elder without his companion." Turns out she was a member in Glendale or something like that. So we talked a little bit about how my comp was not let on the base and it wasn't just because I left him.

Elizabeth was confirmed this past Sunday by me. Fun stuff. I had to say it in Spanish. Fun stuff. She's doing really good. Not much else to say.

We also have Fernanda, someone I don't think I have told you about yet. She's our investigator's (Natalia) daughter. Anyways, we had talked with her once but never really taught her a lesson. When we did talk to her, we had left her a Book of Mormon and told her to read 3rd Nephi 11. So we came back last Thursday for our first actual lesson. We talked for a bit and then she asked a random question out of the blue: "What time do you guys wake up in the morning?" 6:30. "Is that why you guys are always happy and smiling and everything?" "Sure....... haha no." So we talked a little more about why we are happy. And then she told us that she had read 3rd Nephi 11. And one of the things she noticed was how Jesus Christ gave Nephi the authority to baptize. Then we talked about how we have the authority to baptize, and all the first lesson. And we invited her to get baptized and she accepted the invitation. So, we have a baptismal date set with her for November 13th. We'll see how that turns out.

The poor misioneras in our district. They have just had some bad luck the past month. At the end of September they had 8 baptismal dates with people. 2 of them moved, 2 of them they found out weren't married and couldn't get married because one of them wasn't legally divorced and it would cost $6000 to get it done. 3 of them they just can't find anymore. They've just had some really really bad luck. Yet, they are the best. They work hard and always try to keep and optimistic attitude about it. Plus, they're on bike, and this past week was brutally hot (105 degrees on day).

Oh, this past Wednesday I was on a companion exchange with Elder Babcock. So I got to drive all day. Yay! Fun stuff. But actually, it was a really productive day. We actually got a lot of work done, taught 3 lessons. It was a good day.

Well, the library wants to kick me out of here 'cuz it closes at 5:30 and I haven't written Pres. Martin yet. So sorry for this shorter than usual letter.
Con amor,

Elder Nathan Gruenewald

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