Dear Mom, Dad, Lisa, Kate, Friends, Family, Princess, That 1 guy, and those 1 girls, (Those ones that don't exist. ((write me! hah.)
SAK PA SE NEG YO!
Whats up!?
I'm in Florida. I think you got my letter from the first day yesterday Mom, so, I guess this week is a double dosage of Elder Turek and his crazy shinanigans in the AWESOME Miami Shores zone!
So stoked.
Out of all the new Elders, I got tossed into the most Haitian populated zone. About 3/5 people we run into are Haitian. It's insane. The gift of tongues is real. Because without it, I'd be as useful as a paper bag right now. Miami is definitely a culture change. I wouldn't say shock, because I'm not freaked out as easily by the ghetto. I love the ghetto! This is my second love! As Elder Hoole and I were out Harvesting a few days ago in "Little Haiti" I realized, "This isn't the United States. This is a 3rd world Country." I'm not exaggerating... It's seriously different. I love it though. These are my people! Haitians are the best! The Haitian Momies are full of sass, the kids are out of control, the don't believe in air conditioning, or using lights in their house, all their houses smell weird, and they're always smiling. Anyways I thought to myself "I wonder whats more Ghetto... Miami Florida, or Arcadia California?" Elder Turek, (The other Elder Turek) And I will have to compare the ghettoness of our areas when we get back.
I've said ghetto a lot. I love it here, don't think I'm using it negatively! It's my home.
I seriously don't know what to type about. I'm given an hour to write you now! (No more evil timer...) But I haven't been as focused on writing home as I was in the MTC. I would think about stuff to write home almost everyday, and make a short summary list before I'd go in and Email. But since I stepped foot in Florida, I don't think my mind has ever been more focused in its crazy 19 years of life. I'm actually really suprised with myself. I'm really in the mode here. Lets hope that's not just because I'm a greenie, and I've got 6 days under my belt. Lets keep this spirit going forever! Like I said, don't let me come home, unchanged.
Speaking of changed, in all my 6 days of being here, I've totally developed my street talk. I sound so Gangsta.
A few days ago, President Anderson called Elder Hoole and I, and told us to do some service at the Haitian Health fair. It's a service project the local university puts on, so that Haitians get a chance to get some medical care. (Since they have 0 insurance, and 0 money.) So they check um out, and make sure their alive and healthy. They called us because they needed translators. I was really not sure that I could translate. (I've been speaking this language for 9 weeks and 4 days by now!) So, Elder Hoole called the closest Creole missionary he could find to help translate since I was useless. (Not like the gift of tongues isnt with me, but asking a Haitian Momie if she's had a papsmear in the last year, is a bit much...) The closest Haitian Missionary was Elder Shipley. My Grandpa. Elder Shipley trained Elder Hoole. He was an awesome guy. His companion and I, Elder Hunt, decided to go out harvesting together, since both of us had nothing to do at the Health fair. We got into a pretty nice apartment complex, and blessed 4 people in there. It was an amazing experience. 3 of the 5 blessings we did, I did in Creole. (Elder Hunt is a Spanish Missionary.) It was an incredible experience. I was flying solo, and Elder Hunt says im fluent already. One of the Haitian Momies Elder Hunt and I blessed, told us she had a dream that 2 men in white would come and bless her. It was really powerful. She didn't want to be baptized though! I thought we had a sure thing there haha
On the way back to the Health Fair, Elder Hunt Got stopped by a guy named Charlie. He was homeless, and asking for some food. We gave him a blessing right there on the street corner, and walked to the closest market and bought him lunch. Then, making our way back to the fair again, Elder Hunt (Elder Hunt is awesome. He passsed out cards, and talked to EVERYBODY. I wanna be like him. He's got a ton of faith.) walked up to a Haitian guy and started talking to him. The guy didn't know any English, so I flicked on my Creole switch once more and went to work. He had a ton of kids on the porch peeking out the door, and when I walked up to his gate. "Sak Pa se! M' parle Creole ti kras. M' rele Elder Turek! Nou represante JeziKri, ak, Jezikri te voye nou pou bay ou, ak fanmi ou yon benidiksyon. Ka nou antre, ak bay ou benediksyon sa?" (Something like that.)
He lit up! Amsis (The Haitian guy) Was smiling so big! And all his kids FLIPPED! "HE'S SPEAKING CREOLE!? BUT HE'S NOT BLACK!! HE'S WHITE!! NO WAY!!) It was hilarious. Haitians Freak when they see white guys speaking Creole. They get so excited.
We blessed his home, and family too. It was awesome.
We helped a Haitian Momie take out her trash, and she got so excited when we were speaking Creole she let us come and bless her, and her family, and we even got a return appointment. And because we took out her trash, the next day, some other guy who lives around the apartments came up to us, and was like "Hey, I seen you take out that ladies trash, and thats how I know you 2 are for real you know?!" We got his info, and sent his refferal in. SO! Be an example to everybody is the moral of that story!
We see 1 family a lot, Natasha's family. 2 of her kids got baptized a few weeks ago, but before she, and her 9 year old daughter Princess, were about to get in the font basically, she backed out. And wont let us baptize Princess or her. We don't know what the deal is. But we see their kids a lot. We want their whole family to be united in this. And seeing Princess, Shamel, and Mark in church yesterday was awesome. I know the church is true. Go to church family and friends! You feel the spirit there so strongly.
Speaking of church.
Currently, Elder Hoole and I have 1 investigator, with a baptismal date. His name is Wagner. (Don't know if thats his first or his last. Haitians never tell us their full names...) For the longest time we called him "Wazner" because that's what the refferal said... Whoops. Anyways. Wagner has a baptismal date for November 4th! I'm so excited for him! In our Mission, investigators must come to church twice before they're baptized. And he was all set to come to church this week, and Elder Hoole and I were super stoked. He told us he'd only come if he felt okay. He's pretty old. I'd say somewhere in the 60's, and he's pretty sickly. Lots of meds. Anyways. We called him Sunday morning to remind him to come to church! But... He said he was feeling sick. And wasnt going to be able to come.
We got pretty bummed.
I went around and shook everybodies hand that I could. And passed out programs before church started. I accidently asked a woman if the man next to her was her husband, It was her son... mistake. I felt really stupid. My greenie zeal was showing really hard yesterday haha.
Anyways, the ward is super awesome!
Sacrament meetings whole, was the primaries program. It was so awesome. But it was really stressful. Elder Hoole and I had to go up to the front to do translation for the few Haitian members in the ward. So, we were up in the corner, he translated, and I tried to keep all the kids sitting around me contained. They were ridiculious, It made sacrament meeting fun though! I love it when little Haitian kids give me attitude right to my face.
Anyways. After Sacrament, Wagner showed up!
It was so cool! He said something like "Its not my time. It's Gods time. And God wants me here."
Its so awesome!
He's still on for the 4th of November! I'm so excited!
Anyways
Gotta wrap up.
My mission is the best in the World.
We were the highest baptizing mission in all of the United States and Canada last month.
Ridiculiously awesome.
Anyways, I love you guys.
I love you all so much.
This is such an incredible work.
It is such an honor to serve here.
And to serve the Lord.
I can think of no better privilege, then to wear the name of Jesus Christ across my heart.
He's here with me.
With us all.
If any of you are reading this, that might not believe that.
Maybe you should look for Him.
He's there waiting for you.
You've just got to open up for Him to come in.
I love you all so much.
And he loves you.
Keep on going my friends.
Send me some mail!
I was dry this week haha xD
I'm focused. But mail is always helpful.
I love you all so much again.
Miami is the best.
People!
I have homework for you.
I want everybody who reads this, to send me their favorite scripture, and why. Or, share with me your testimonies of the Gospel, and how you got yours. Tell me an experience you had, revelation you got, or a time in your lives when you felt the pressence of the Lord. I wanna know who's reading my emails. And I wanna know, what kinds of things you're thinking about.
So, I better be getting like 600 letters this week! ;)
Steph, wheres that picture of Seour Johnson and her new comp by the way? I wanna see!
She hasn't written me yet. Obviously she's too busy baptizing millions of Texans.
So proud of that Missionary.
She's my example.
How's Elder Turek doing by the way?
I want to know these things! Print off his emails and mail them to me or something haha xD
I love him so much.
I hope Arcadia is treating him good. And that he hasnt been eating too much fried rice..
He's my teacher.
And did Elder Hellbusch ever make it to Korea?!
Whats going on in his life these fine days? Whats the weather like in Korea?
How're the K-pop bands over there?
I love that Elder.
He's my friend.
Aight.
So!
I need Motab CD's.
It's all we're allowed to listen to here. Mormon Tabernacle Choir only.
I need every CD they've ever made, ever. Especially all the fun ones. If I could get the music from Pres. Monsons 85th birthday thing, my life would be set. Also, If I could somehow get Shanes recording of "Does the Journey Seem long?" I would weep tears of sweetest joy every day I lived. I need MOTAB! Also, I need a walkman or something. I have speakers, just no way to play a CD. My iPod is contraband here now, because it has more then just MOTAB on it.
Sigh.
Kelsee Soelburg doesnt get my emails does she?
Ugh! I shoulda gotten her on this list before I left!
She was a huge friend to me at UVU. I wanna know what shes up too... (Kate, would stalking some people on facebook for me be too much? I think so. But I'm a bit demanding with my craving for letters... So... you know what to do. Spread the word on Facebook for my friends to write me. ;) )
I bet she's married by now anyways. ^_^
Daniel Johnson!!!!! You kept saying i'd be hitting the streets of Miami someday. And I doubted you.
You win.
As your prize, what kind of rad Miami gear do you want? Some Miami Heat stuff? Send me a list, and I'll totally get you some ballin Miami stuff. ;)
Some of the Elders here claim they see Lebron James driving around in his lambo/ferrari (whatever it is) all the time. I'f I see him, I'll get an auto graph for yah.
Same goes for everybody!
Send me a list of Miami/Florida stuff you want, and I'll pick it up here and there over the next 2 years!
Elder Owens and Stuart (my roomates) met Flo Rida. And if you watch one of his music videos on youtube. (Something with the word "cry" in it I think.) At the end of the music video, for about 2 seconds, you can see 2 people in missionary garb in the croud haha. He was filming the Video in Miami in his home neighborhood. They actually gave him a Book of Mormon, and they wrote inside "These are Gods Rhymes, read them!" or something like that. They left their number, but Flo Rida never called back. Man...
Aight, well,
I gotta go.
I love you all!
P.S.
Kate...
Im pretty sure I lost all the pictures you sent me.
And now theres a hole in my heart.
Send more?
I love you all!
Write me!
Be safe, be strong.
Bondye avek ou jistan n'a w'e.
Mwen Renmen tout ou!
