Letters from Kelsey - 51

Hey everyone!

This week was a little bit faster than last week, which I was very grateful for, and this next week should be just as fast and great because we have a baptism this weekend! Damien, Justin, and Hno. Chavez are all set to be baptized this weekend! It will be great because we have their baptism and then we have the Branch Christmas party right after! We are having a menudo (cow stomach) and pissole (also animal stomach, but cooked different) night. They both are pretty gross, they are like a soup/stew thing, you don't really chew it you just swallow it. There will also be tamales (hopefully) and other food so I won't starve :), but Hispanics sure know how to throw a party and it is a great thing to get our investigators to so they can meet the members and just relax. All you have to do is tell people that there will be food and dancing and Hispanics are there- they love a good party. Special Christmas edition of the INVESTIGATOR WEEKLY!

De Hoyos!: My favorite family ever. So this last week we watched the Restoration DVD and then went over the baptismal questions for Damien and Justin. They did great and they are progressing so much it is just fantastic. On Sunday Hermana slept through her alarm and Hermano was at work but he called her to make sure they were going to church! So they were a little late but they came! The kids are slowly getting quieter and more reverent during Sacrament meeting and this week we are going to teach them about the sacrament and its importance which will only help them more. Hermana told us on Sunday that she has stopped drinking! This is a big thing for her because she told us that it was a weakness for them and all we did on Saturday was review the Word of Wisdom with the kids and that is what made her stop! They even went to a birthday party on Saturday night and she didn't drink- she was so happy to tell us... oh man I just love them!

Hno. Chavez: He is just great and told me that if I don't come back next year to go to the temple with them they won't go! Ha ha, then he said he was kidding and they would still go without me, but I promised them I would be there! He is great and is so ready to be baptized and free of all of his past transgressions its fantastic. I'm excited for him and feel so lucky to have been here at the right time to see him be this type of person and change. OH! AND!!! He went to all 3 hours of church for the first time in a long time! He has a little fear about being asked questions and not knowing the answer, so we just had to promise him that no one would ask him questions and then he would come, and it went well!

Gavino & Ana: They are still in McClellan (spelling) and won't be back until the end of the month but they are still reading, praying and have stopped drinking coffee and smoking! We are just waiting for them to come back so we can help them get married and baptized! We are also teaching their daughter-in-law and granddaughter now and they are awesome also.

Oh man- things are good now and I have never taught so many families at the same time as we are now. We also have about 2/3 families that we are just starting to teach that also have a lot of potential. It will be a great end to 2011 and a great beginning to 2012 as I can see these families entering the waters of baptism at the beginning of the year. OH! Funny story- so all the members think I am just this funny little gringa (white girl) because I can't eat spicy things and I try and translate English sayings into Spanish and they don't really translate. This week though I hopefully changed their minds! So we ate dinner with the Torres family on Thursday and Hna. Torres is probably the one who gives me the hardest time (she yells (not really yells... just tells me very loudly ;) ) at me to eat my vegetables when she sees me picking them out), especially for the fact that I don't like spicy food, but on Thursday she had this chili- it was green and was about an inch long- and she was kinda ragging on me a bit and so I told her I would eat it. Her 3 daughters were there also and none of them thought I would really do it- so I did it! When I put it in my mouth they all kinda started screaming a little bit (which is kinda normal, they all have high pitched laughs, its funny) and they were all looking at me like I was going to die or something. I couldn't really feel my tongue or mouth and it kinda made my teeth hurt but that was really it, so it wasn't that bad. I might still be a crazy gringa but now they can't give me a hard time for not eating chilies right?

Anyway- there is my funny story for the week! I hope y'all have a great week and get all of your preparations done for Christmas! I love and miss y'all tons! Merry Christmas! Remember the reason for the season! Go Cougars!!

Love Always,
Sister Kelsey Berg