Knocking Doors

This week was a lot of knocking doors and a lot of finding. We didn't have very much success and I would be lying if I said I didn't get pretty discouraged. It is just so hard for me when I see people open their doors so happy but right when we tell them who we are their smiles fade and they become angry. However at the end of the day I can always say that I worked my hardest and I did all that I could. I love being a missionary. I love all the meetings, knocking, cooking, cleaning, smiling, I just love it all! We had Zone Training Meeting this week, we learned a bunch of new and awesome things that we can do to improve our work. My Spanish is coming along slowly but surely. Also my companion is AMAZING! I seriously love her so much. The mission is teaching me so much about myself and I love it!

Monday – My first official Pday in the field! We played basketball with the Elders in our zone. They are all super into the game here! I asked them if they had their basketball shoes sent to them or if they bought new ones on the mission because the Elders are all die hard. I mean cut off t-shirts, jerseys, headbands, even arm sleeves. We played “Chicago fire” and it was pretty fun. Then we had dinner and wrapped up the day!

Tuesday we knocked a bunch of doors and studied a ton. We went out to Cole Valley to work on Mormon.org and knocked out there too. Not too many people wanted to talk to us, even on their porch! We had dinner at the Petersons. They have a bunch of kids and we taught them the Restoration using gummy bears. It was pretty cool.

Wednesday we had Zone training in Davenport. The AP's Elder Cox and Elder Jakubczak taught us some cool stuff. Then the STLs, ZLs, and DLs all did some training. I had to say the opening prayer and Hermana Pearson did the spiritual thought. We learned some good things and got some new challenges to work on. Then we all went to Pizza Ranch. This is a huge Iowa buffet thing where they serve tons of kinds of pizza, chicken and ice cream. It is super sketchy but the Elders all love it, even though Hermana P and I are feeling sick to our stomachs. We knocked more doors and it was freezing and no one wanted to let us in! We had dinner with Sister Johnston and her friend. She is like a super cute grandma to all of the missionaries. We had some lemon chicken that she heated up in the microwave, some crab and broccoli salad from Kmart and delicious cheesecake. I won a giant Twix bar for winning a Christmas trivia game. We all know Snoopy kissed Sally under the mistletoe, even though Hermana Pearson says I cheated, I shared my candy bar!

Thursday we tried to have a lesson with Elena. We even brought the most awesome member from our ward. Hermana Martinez-Bringas is the sweetest lady in the world. She is super spiritual and we were so happy she could come with us. Elena wasn't there when we knocked on her door so we went contacting around her neighborhood, we tried again a couple of times but then Hermana Martinez-Bringas had to leave. We took Elena off of our contact list, we just want this more for her than she wants it for herself right now. Later we went to the Bringas' for dinner. We played with the kids and had so much fun. They are seriously the cutest family ever! Grandpa Bringas was awesome! He told us all about how he grew up in Mexico and came to America to become a Doctor. He shared the funniest story about getting expelled from kindergarten for lighting a firecracker and throwing it in a bathroom stall at one of the Nuns. He got revenge! But he also got kicked out of the good school and had to go to the scary normal school where he got into fights every day. Later we went to a Relief Society thing and learned about food storage and 72 hour kits. All in all the members are just so nice here!

Extra Info:

• They always email from the library. This week was the Cole Valley library because she forgot her library card and they can't use the internet in Davenport without it!
• They have bikes but cannot use them right now because it is very cold outside and they don't want to die. They drive a 2017 Chevy Malibu that they are given 1700 miles a month to use. They have a separate gas card and they track their miles every night during planning time.
• Nikenna is learning how to cook but has found it harder to go grocery shopping and figure out what she wants to eat. Lots of good life lessons.
• For exercise, they go to the local church. Hermana Pearson dances around the church and Kenna runs laps, and does lunges and sit ups until it burns. Plus they do calf raises as they wait for people to come to the doors they knock.