This week has been a fantastic week!!!

So I will start with Monday. We were going around trying to find more people to teach because we didn’t have any appointments that day and we were going by someone who was in the area book from a long time ago and we decided to give it a shot. We arrive at the house and the first thing we notice is there is a bridge in the front yard with a little pond that has a bunch of fishes… Not the most Hispanic looking house… haha, but we went up and knocked on the door and this guy answered and he only speaks Spanish! It was crazy because 98% of the people we teach live in apartments, but this guy invited us in and he had a nice house. All fancy looking and stuff. very modern. (there was a garden inside the house!) But we started talking with him and his son is a member who was baptized in the English ward like 5 years ago and is now off in college somewhere. SO we started talking about the Book of Mormon and he is interested. He says he is going to start reading because he wants to know more. He has seen the influence that it has made on his sons life and how we are so young but dedicated to the work and he wants to know why.

Then we had a broadcast to all missionaries in the world on Wednesday that was like a mini general conference. Bednar, Anderson, Clayton all gave super good talks/trainings and things to work on, and how to better teach with the spirit and the role of the spirit. It was funny because we were watching the broadcast and all the missionaries in the audience had iPads…. but we don’t… 🙁 oh well… Then Elder Oaks gave a powerful talk about repentance and baptism and how it is the only way to salvation. It was epic.

On Thursday we picked up this really cool new investigator named A_______ who was a referral from a member who lives in Downey (which is out of the mission) but they are related somehow… (i should probably figure out how) but we went of and had a lesson with him and he is awesome. He is this old retired guy who wants to read the Book of Mormon and learn about the church. He told us that he just chills at home now, and watches TV and sports and plays guitar and reads. So the member gave him a bunch of his books. A quad scripture set, gospel principles book, and a couple other deep doctrine books and he is reading all of them. He asks some of the craziest questions, and it is super fun to teach him. He even came to church this week. He always gives me sports updates too which is nice haha.

We helped a single mother in the ward paint the inside of her house. That added a little color to my week 😉

Than on Friday a lady called us and asked us to come over. We knocked on her door like 2 weeks ago and gave her our number and a Book of Mormon and a restoration pamphlet. She had been reading and wanted to talk to us. So we go over and she starts opening up to us. basically giving her whole life story and it was crazy. It was something that could probably be in one of those Spanish soap operas… hahaha. Her husband was cheating on her, and abusive, and she was forced to live in a garage, and then there was a witch who was making love potions and doing weird black magic, and then there were detectives and she caught her husband who doesn’t want to get a divorce because he would have to owe too much money. so she made him buy a new apartment with new furniture and they just moved in when we knocked their door. They are currently living together but all the guy does is just sit around and thinks all day. It is a weird situation and she wanted to know what she should do. I had no idea what to say, but we kinda just told her that if we have a faith in god and trust in him, and follow the commandments that we will be blessed and happy (Mosiah 2:41). She talks a lot and my head hurt from all the Spanish. haha. Then her grandson came in and basically did the same thing but in English (what a relief) but his was he wants to move to San Diego to join a reggae band and stuff like that. It was a crazy lesson. haha

Then in church we sang in the choir. that was fun even though i feel like i might be a tad tone deaf, because i think I sound great… but i get the impression that most people think otherwise lol.

Then we got transfer calls. My companion Elder Stephenson is leaving and going to my old area in HB. and I am getting Elder Valenzuela (not sure if I spelled that correctly) I think he is from Mexico and is a native speaker so he should help me with my Spanish. I am so excited! It should be a great transfer!

Thanks for all the letters and I hope that y’all have a great week!

Elder Bryce