Hey Ya'll

Monday November 30, 2009

Hey ya'll. I hope everything is good. Things are awesome here. I love it and it's nice to actually be doing missionary work! I am sitting here in South Carolina writing my first email back home.... kinda weird.... but in case you were wondering - I did make it. It was a close one... the MTC almost got me but I escaped!

I landed in SC around 3:00 p.m. and it is gorgeous. Everything is so green. Oh! and there are SO many trees!! They took us to the chapel near the mission home and we were there until like 10:00. Pres McConkie... is great. He knows what's up. Awesome man. He acknowledged my letters (Mom & Dad - thanks for encouraging me to write him!) and said I was the only one who wrote frequently prior to my arrival. Sister McConkie said that she and the Pres saw you two at a play a while back at Pages. So I was greeted warmly and really felt the love from the McConkies. So awesome. We then went and stayed at the mission home overnight. We got both dinner and breakfast made by Sister McConkie.... mmmm she knows what’s up in the kitch!

The next morning we got our transfers. (So that’s the last time I saw Elder Finch.... I wonder how he's doing...?) Entonces... they announced my name... and I am serving in (drum roll) Charleston! Well technically Goose Creek just north of Charleston in the Crowfield Ward area. Interesting thing is... my trainer Elder Johnson and I were white washed in... meaning that no other Spanish elders had really been in that area for a while... so we've had to start everything from scratch. Oh! And my comp.... Elder Johnson... is awesome. He's been out 21 months. So he has 3 months left or 2 transfers, and it is very possible that we will both just stay together in this area until he leaves. So I’m very happy about that.

So the past few days we've just been contacting and finding Hispanics and getting to know the area. There are SO many churches down here. One of my favorites being titled - "The EXCITING Baptist Church on St James Ave".

Thanksgiving was fun. We went onto the military base and ate with Elder Prichard who is the senior missionary over the base. The best thing I had was almost like a pumpkin pie (it tasted like it) but it was made with yams, and it had crusted cinnamon pecans on the outside.

Okay, so apologies to all the foreign missionaries of the fam... I’ll just say it... I’m spoiled. haha I know. I realize that and I’ll try not to brag... except... I am very grateful for the luxuries we have. We do have a car. Debit cards with 135 a month. Also we have a comp cell phone. Our apartment is new... well to the mission. No missionaries had lived there before - as Elder Johnson pointed out... "...it's clean."

We've already found a bunch of areas. We have a few investigators already. In fact one came to church with us. So awesome. I went and scored some himnos from the RS room and the three of us sang the hymns in Spanish. He liked that. There aren't enough Hispanic families to have a branch so they do the translation thing with the special church equipment - it's pretty cool.

Best church quote of the week...

There was a linger longer after church with Thanksgiving dinner and they used the ovens to warm the food. One of the dishes was dripping and so it smelt like something was burning. The missionaries of course were hanging out by the kitchen and every time someone walked by they'd ask "Is something burning?" Well this sister walks down a little while later, sniffs the air a few times, and then with the thickest Southern accent you can imagine says "Oh! Are we sacrificing a Baptist?" and then just busts up laughing. Hysterical.

Well things are great here. I love everyone and I’m doing so well here in SC. My testimony has grown so much in this past week just in doing real missionary work. I love it.

Paz.

Elder A. Stoneman