Monday, May 14, 2012

Week 19 in Sonsonate

Previous to this email, we were able to talk with David for Mother’s Day.  We looked forward to that for months, knowing that in just a few weeks he’ll actually be home.  Wow.  Just a few more weeks!

Subject:  Those aren't moist towelettes, those are baby wipes.

Before I forget, I wanted to reiterate a couple things from the phone call yesterday. First, Elder Duzett and I were talking about rooming together after the mission, so if that is still a possibility I'd like my personal secretaries to make it happen. Second, I wanted to expound a little bit on this post-mission roadtrip idea that Dad kind of threw into the conversation at the last minute. I was just thinking about this, and that sounds like an awesome idea if I could pull it off. Specifically I was thinking that it would be a great chance for Michael and I to go visit all family in Utah, Arizona, and even California (on the way back), since I haven't seen anyone or anything in two years, and he won't see anyone or anything for two years. Plus, it would be a great bonding-type thing for me and him, since we will only have two months together before another two year gap. Plus I could start getting him pumped for the mission. So I was kind of thinking it would be awesome as a me-and-Michael road trip, but I wouldn't want to limit it to that if anyone else wanted to go. I just think that it would be awesome. Here are the things I would want to know about that: 1) Would it be feasable? 2) Is that how the word "feasable" is spelled? [editorial note:  No, it’s feasible] 3) Would Michael be able to get work off for several days? 4) When would be a good window for said trip (Probably in the first few weeks when I get back would seem to make the most sense. To me at least) 5) What car would we be driving in? 6) Should we worry about fund raising, or just fun-raising? 7) How many of you ACTUALLY rolled your eyes at that pun? 8) How long would the trip last? 9) What is the current plan with Michael's iPhone? (Not essential for this trip, but I'm still wondering) 10) Anything else I should think about that I haven't mentioned?

And here's a quote to sum it all up: "Wait a second, I can't just pack up and leave! I mean, I've got a mother, a father, a girlfriend, a great job, and ehhhhh!" (Okay, so I do have a mother and father, but still. I thought it was funny.)

Now what kinds of interesting things can I say that I didn't say yesterday? I guess that, for the sake of having it written down, I'll repeat what is going on with our investigators. Mauricio passed his baptismal interview, but refused to get baptized on Sunday like we were planning. We still don't really know why, but it probably has to do with some sin that he doesn't want to leave but knows that he should. That's generally what it is. We have an appointment with him for tonight, so we'll see what's up there. Then we have the Mira family, who now have baptismal dates for this coming Sunday, which is really exciting. We've even announced it in church already, so we're going for it. Tuesday they have their interviews, and should pass with flying colors. Their kid, though, as I've mentioned before, is horribly obnoxious. In church yesterday he kept running and screaming and hitting and being ridiculous. When we split for priesthood and relief society, he went with his mom, and then started crying saying that he wanted to be with his dad, so she'd go leave him there, then he'd start crying saying that he wanted to be with his mom, and the whole thing repeated. We eventually got him calmed down, though, by literally playing fetch with him with a small Barney toy thing. So we seriously spent most of priesthood throwing this thing across the room for him to run and bring back to us. In this case, I think I would have preferred a dog.

Speaking of which, there was a dog running around the chapel during church. That's happened a few times on the mission, but it turns out that this one was from the Carias family's neighbors, and the dog had apparently followed them all the way from Lomas del Muerto to the chapel, even getting on a bus with them. So it just kind of chilled in the chapel for a while. I was contemplating counting it as an investigator at church, but didn't because I don't want to go all the way up there to teach him. Well, that, and it was a dog.

Our attendance used to be around 110 every week, but for the last month or so we've been hovering right below 140. This week was 138, and we've already gotten 138, 137, and 136 several times. Why can't we just cross 140? We're so close!

Anyway, an old investigator of ours named Jason showed up to church this week. We had been teaching him, and he even had a baptismal date, but we had to pass him to the sisters in Sensunapan because he technically lives outside of our area. But the sisters stopped visiting him, since he doesn't want to go over there to that ward, and our ward mission leader and another member have started teaching him. And they got him to church, and we got him to accept a baptismal date (again) for the 27. And he's excited for it. That's a nice little consolation prize for all of the people we passed to the sisters.

And another guy named Daniel showed up to church, but we don't know much about him yet. We'll get on that.

That's the stuff about investigators, I guess. Not much else going on there.
Is there even anything else interesting going on in the world? Probably not. In between last night and this morning I think the only thing that has changed is that I realized we need to take our laundry over to the lady who washes it. And I ate some Captain Crunch, which I didn't even know existed in this country until a few days ago. And yes, it cut the roof of my mouth. I even tried to be careful.

I'm running out of time and interesting things to say, and I still have a couple other emails to send, so I'll send this off. Thanks for all of your love and support, and it was fantastic to be able to talk to everyone again. A lot of missionaries out here won't get to again for seven months. I get to in six weeks. Ha!

See you in six weeks!

Elder David Arrington

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