Balloons, Scotland

Family!

Another exciting week has passed in Dayton.  We plan out the days each night, but things never go exactly how we plan.  I couldn't plan some of the crazy stuff that happens if I tried... =)  Well, here goes my attempt to sum up my week...

We met with Y------ (E----'s mom) a few more times this week before she headed back to New Jersey.  We also were able to talk with her friend M----, who is very interested in learning more about the gospel.  Both have plans to come back to Ohio to stay before the year is through, and Y------ wants to be baptized as soon as she is back!

Before they left, we had a birthday party for E----.  Their house still doesn't have electricity, so we found some glow in the dark balloons and used those as a light source (as well as the generator-run lamps).  It was a super cool party!  One of E----'s friends from school and his parents came, and since they don't speak any Spanish, the party was bilingual.  It was definitely my first bilingual birthday party held in an abandoned house with no electricity...

I had to give a training for the Spanish Zone this week at our Zone Meeting.  I was a little nervous, but things worked out really well and I felt really good about it.  It made me think of something my MTC teacher always said: "The Spirit honors effort."  If we put effort into what we do and prepare beforehand, it is a guarantee that the Spirit will help us.  That's a promise I've learned to rely on a lot on my mission.

We had interviews with President this week, and while we were waiting to be interviewed, we did role-plays for the assistants.  Ours was in Spanish to the Spanish Assistant.  They recorded us teaching, and then had us watch the lesson and critique ourselves.  That was the first time I've ever seen myself teach and the first time I've ever heard myself speak Spanish!  It was super weird...  It got me thinking though, and I really wish that I could have recorded my first lesson in the MTC and compared the two...  

We had an amazing lesson with the less active family that we found through spy work, and they came to church again this Sunday!  We had 48 people in church this Sunday!  It was absolutely amazing!  The branch is growing so much!  Before I leave this area I want to see 60 in sacrament meeting.  That's my goal; I'll let you know when it happens.

Just to give you a sample of one of our culturally-diverse days, I'll tell you about a bit of what happened last Friday.  We got a call from our friend from Uruguay asking if we could help him move a washer and dryer for someone.  We met up with him, then went to his friend's house to move the washer and dryer.  His friend turned out to be a 70 year-old Scottish woman.  She spoke her Scottish accent to us, and it was amazing!  After we finished moving her stuff, she took us out to lunch at an authentic Mexican restaurant.  Later that day we passed by a less active from Honduras, then taught a member from Ecuador and her neighbor from El Salvador.  Lots of countries...

E---- turned 16, so he got ordained to be a priest yesterday!  He'll be going to the temple soon!

Speaking of the temple, we get to go this Wednesday!  I'm super excited!

Well, I think that's about it.  I'm sad to hear about Grandma Pat, but I'm glad that I got to say goodbye to her and that she passed relatively quickly.  Let me know how the funeral goes.

Love,

Elder Foote  

Glow in The Dark Birthday Party Balloons

16th Birthday Party