To Do Good in This Generation: The Goal for Ghettoness

September 21, 2015

I had two pretty solid weeks in a row. I think that's a new record.

First, I got a new companion, Elder Baum (pronounced like bomb. He's heard all of the jokes already, I'm sure), here in Yuma. We did some tracting this week, and we actually saw some success come from it! That hasn't always been my experience in the past. One day, we got 2 return appointments and taught one lesson, and that was from an hour of tracting in a trailer park before a birthday party we got invited to. It was for an 8 year old, and this kid had a party bigger than any of mine that I can remember. The first thing I saw as we rolled up was a 15 foot tall Pooh Bear. It turned out to be a bounce house, but since the lower half was blocked by a trailer, I thought it was just a blow up Winnie the Pooh. Later when I went in the bouncy house with about 6 kids, we were playing keep away with the football, and I couldn't throw the ball to my companion in time. About 4 of them tackled me into the wall, we all started sinking down, and it started to deflate. Luckily the parents weren't super mad at us and no one was hurt. Just my pride.

Last night we also went tracting for about an hour and half, and we got 2 lessons in and 6 return appointments for this week. That's definitely the most success I've seen come from tracting. I love being in a place that seems to seriously be an embassy of Mexico. We were talking to a kid about 12 years old and started off in English and then he asked us to switch to Spanish. It blew my mind. We had the same thing happen with another kid about 10 years old that didn't speak English either. I didn't know that was possible for kids after being in the states for a year or so, but I guess I'm wrong.

I also have some pics of more ghettoness that I've come across this week. I love it for some reason. Elder Baum and I are looking into moving into a trailer if we can find one, and I'm so stoked. I would love to be able to say that I lived in a trailer on my mission, so we'll see if it lines up or not. We're also going to be looking for housing when we walk and post English class flyers and street contact as soon as we have a relatively cool day this week.

The automated bank teller this week told me that I have exactly $0, so I naturally thought it was an error since what are the odds I spent the exact amount to bring me down to $0? I also was expecting the area adjustment of $30, so I didn't know what was up. I called the financial secretary, and it turns out that I'm actually just broke. The financial secretary of the mission's wife heard what happened and also asked me if I had gotten the package that she forwarded on Monday. I said that I hadn't, and she felt bad since it was Thursday and I was in Windsor just the day after she sent it, Tuesday. This morning we got a letter from her in the mail for $20 saying that she hopes I got my package, sorry for the stress, and hopefully you guys don't starve this week. Sister Taysom is a homie. It was such a nice surprise.

Our remake of NWA's cover art on transfer day.

So funny story. I got my fortune and said, "Elder Baum, this better not be you" and then he showed me his and said, "You either". Then we looked into each other's eyes and freaked out a little bit.