Transferred to Indepencia

Last Sunday in the Gospel Principles class before his transfer

Dear All,

So yeah, I got transferred. I'm still here in Tijuana, but in a different area called Indepencia in the Tijuana Stake. My new comp is named Elder Alegria (Elder Happiness haha) and we are the Zone Leaders here. So that's kinda cool.

But yeah this week went by super fast. And it was probably the best week Elder Priego and I had the whole time we were together. We almost hit 40 lessons, we took a few families to church, and had a ton of fun. It was pretty legit.

The best moments were these:

We visited a less active man, who we have gotten to go to church about three times in a row now, but who still hasn't stopped drinking. So we go to his house. He is PLASTERED but like HAMMERED it was sooo funny. He's an old guy and his wife died a couple years ago, and there was going to be a fancy black tie dinner on Friday in the church to raise money for the cultural event of the temple, and so he was begging us to give him the number of another single sister in the ward. And then he told us he was just going to go to the church and ask her. And then we kept talking and trying to teach and then he tells us he can't go to church on Sunday. I was well aware of the fact that he was not in any way going to remember that lesson, so maybe I did a bad thing. I started to play with him a little bit. I started calling him out on little stuff like that. I was like "No but wait literally about 5 minutes ago you said you were going to church what happened in these last 5 minutes?" and he started saying something about how he had to work, but he was also bragging about how much money he makes, so I said "Wait but you said you make enough money that you only have to work one or two times a week?" and "well you would have more money if you didn't buy beer, you know that right?" Elder Priego was dying. I was having fun. After it all, he didn't go to church. He spent Sunday drunk. So sad.

Another: I think I told you guys about Chuy, a guy with mental problems that is a member of the church and who always sees us in the street and steals our pass along cards and pamphlets to give them to "all of his references". So anyway on Sunday we get to church and BOOM there's Chuy in an olive green suit and a Winnie the Pooh tie. Such style. I never, but like never ever, expected him to come to church. And then when he found out I was leaving, he hugged me and almost kissed me and then sat next to me in preisthood and was caressing my leg the whole time. Haha awkward...

ALSO: there is this club here in Tijuana (actually its in my new area) called "Las Pulgas" (The Fleas) which is like the big hot thing to do here. And we have been knocking doors to give out temple open house invitations, and when we knock doors people are like this:

"Que se ofrece?" (What do you want?)

"Disculpe, podriamos regalarle una invitacion?" (Could we please give you an invitation?"

"Para que? Las Pulgas?" (What for? Las Pulgas?)

HAHA holy sin. Even the little viejitas said stuff like that to us. It was pretty funny explaining that no, quite the opposite. Its been legit though, we almost gave out 1,000 invitations, and as a ward I would estimate about 10,000. So it's gonna be straight dope.

So yeah. That's what's up in good ole TJ. There was not even a hint of a hurricane here, don't you worry. They say "El Nino" is coming, but who knows really. It was supposed to hit in August, then September, and then until February. Let's just say Mexicans and the weather doesn't go real well together. They are a wonderful people and I love them, but they never quite get the weather even close to right.

Keep being cool, don't do drugs, and Congrats McKay and Sadie! Ballin' hard. Allie, you too, for pictures and stuff.

Los quiero mucho,

Elder Rawlings