Wednesday, August 19, 2015

NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.

So I have been transferred from of the ASL program and have been moved to English in the most southern area in our mission which currently is in Mesa. I've only been here a couple of days, but it’s been great so far. I'm kind of sad to be away of ASL and its not fun having to bike in 118 degree weather, but I’ll get along.

We have more investigators in this ward right now than I’ve had my entire mission in deaf work. We have 17 Investigators and many less actives with 5 people on date for baptism. Wow does the work move faster in English.

Mesa's like a mini Utah. I've heard many rumors about how everyone in Mesa is either a member, Hispanic, or Anti-Mormon. Missionaries that go out to eat almost never pay for their own food because members will pay for them most of the time because they're EVERYWHERE, and they won't even pay for 1/2 the groceries they get because members will see them and pay for it all. Pretty crazy. I didn't really believe it until I got here. I had just gotten home from transfers and we were biking to our first appointment and halfway there, a car stopped by us and handed us two really big water bottles. The first 15 minutes in the area and already stuff like this is happening!

I haven't met too many people, but we've already gone team teaching with a non-member and have had 3 lessons in one afternoon. That's more than we would sometimes get in a whole week.

My companion, Elder Clark, was my zone leader when I first got here, so I knew him pretty well. We get along great but he goes home halfway through next transfer, so I’ll probably stay in this area for the next 2 transfers minimum. We were practically whitewashed into this area because Elder Clark was in Snowflake a week ago but got Emergency Transferred down here to Mesa. Then I came a week later and both of us don't know most of the people in the entire ward. Lots of work to do here.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Please pray for the heat down here to 1: either not kill me, or 2: drop down to a sudden 80 degrees and stay that way :)

Elder Sands