{6.29.15} The Cuban Finger (& hardest working week ever)

Family Foto

Two things to sum up why this week has been great.

1. WE GOT A CAR
2. I haven't spoken English for 5 days.

So yeah we have a car now.. one of the Sister Missionaries in our ward went home, and they don't have enough missionaries right now to give her a new companion so she was sent somewhere else for the remainder of the transfer to be in a trio. This mean we inherited the Sisters proselyting area in addition to our own HUGE bike area. Since the Sisters car was going to be just sitting for 3 weeks, they decided to be merciful and loan us there car! at least until the end of the transfer. The best birthday present I could have ever gotten! No more coming home every night, stinky, smelly, sweating through my white shirt and slacks. No more biking my brains out to try and get to an appointment on time! Needless to say, Elder Chaparro and I are stoked! Elder Chaparro however, lost his driving privileges, so I'm the one behind the wheel. Hialeah is the most dangerous city to drive in the US (from what I've been told by locals), so it's definitely been a crazy experience having not driven for almost 5 months and now driving with Cubans who think an acceptable form of signaling is sticking your finger out the window and pointing the lane they're about to speed into.

I probably shouldn't stereotype like that but it's true... it's called the Cuban Finger hahaha. (there's also the Cuban Sneak)

This week has been insanely difficult but super rewarding. Our investigator Dennys is trying to quit smoking (about a pack a day) and drinking coffee (about 7 cups of cuban, which are waaaay strong and super addicting). In order to prepare for his baptism, he needed to quit by today. When we told him, we had 5 days. He wasn't sure if he could do it, but I testified super hardcore that he could quit and he just needed to take away 2 or 3 cigarettes each day. In order to show my faith that he could do it, I told him I wasn't going to speak English for 5 days. Hardest Days Ever. Luckily, everyone in my apartment is completely fluent and so my Spanish has improved like Crazy! It actually felt weird to speak in English today, and I dreamed in Spanish two nights ago. I actually think I'm going to do it again because it helped my Spanish so much. My favorite sentence was definitely "Yo quiero mis palabras!" hahaha. I guess I have a different personality in Spanish., according to my companion Elder Chaparro and my roommates.

We have been working insanely hard. I come home every day so exhausted. We've been getting members out with us, setting baptismal dates, helping our investigators progress, and finding new investigators. Our teaching pool had like 11 people this week (not including potential investigators) so it's been super difficult to see everyone and try and prioritize (everyone is important to God, how do you pick) which is another reason we are super grateful for the car. The 11th of July is a HUGE day, and not for me or what has happened on that day... but because we have 6 potentials for baptisms.

Elder Chaparro is really challenging as a companion. He knows the language so well, but he also knows doctrine soooooo well. He teaches super simply, which is helping me teach better because we can teach in concise power statements. A true teacher can take a profound subject and explain it an a way a child can understand. That's our goal as missionaries, because in reality many of those we teach are babies spiritually, especially Cubans due to the circumstances in government over the years.

This Church is 200% true! I know it. OH also, Reintjes family! Quick shoutout! Thank you SO MUCH for the parcel. The Stance socks are so sweet! I'm wearing them right now (couldn't wait for the 4th of July). Also mom I got all your packages. I LOVE the picture book, and we're making the cupcakes on the 4th (we have to come in at 7:30) and we're planning some different stuff to make the most of our little break. Love you all! Grandma and Grandpa on all sides, I'm getting your letters. Thanks so much for writing I really appreciate it!

Love, 

--

Elder Johns