Holy CRAP!! One year ago on Thursday I entered into the MTC (for the first time)! I can NOT even believe that it has been one entire year since all this started! Time flies by real quick. Time on the mission is pretty weird. When I was in the MTC the days went by long and the weeks went by long. In training and a little bit after that the days went by long but the weeks went by fast. Now the days are short and the weeks are short! I've already been in Odessa for five weeks (well, this is week 5) That is SO insane. I'm pumped time is going fast, cause I miss all y'all, but I'm even more pumped that I still have a year, cause I don't want to be done! Weird concept haha. I still have a year full of so much good stuff, so I'm pumped.
We talked to a Jew this week, the first non messianic-Jew I've talked to. He's full on orthodox. I had a ton of questions about what they believe and how they worshiped and stuff so we spent a good 10 minutes talking about all that. It made me sick. I felt so sad for the guy. Orthodox Jew means he's hardcore, same as the Pharisees, that means he doesn't believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior. Everything inside me wanted to give him the testimony I have of the Savior and his Atonement, but nothing I said did anything. He started to get kinda rude so I just asked him if before we left if I could share my testimony about what I know to be true. He allowed it. I quoted the Living Christ to him. I memorized it at Christmas and I was so grateful I was able to use it at that moment. The guy is still a Jew and still not interested, but I think that experience made my testimony a little bit stronger. Now I understand why The Living Christ was even written, it really is a great testimony and document of TRUTH!!
Church in a Spanish Branch is really funny. Sunday is always interesting. Half the time the assigned speakers don't show up, but it's no big deal because it's expected to happen! The Branch President always has a back up assigned hahah. A lot of the people, when they give their talks or testimonies, have to ask the congregation how to say certain words in Spanish!! This last week a woman was talking about Girls Camp and couldn't figure out how to say what she wanted to say, so she just said the sentence in English and the congregation as a whole yelled back the phrase in Spanish! It's priceless. There are only a few members who don't speak English at all, for the most part its just Mexican who want to stick with their culture. I hear some of the most fluent Spanglish ever during church. "Y sabia que my prayer was answered y que Dios loves us." "Uno tiene que wantar salvacion (wantar isn't a word. It's just want with a Spanish ar at the end haha)" It is so cool. I don't even care how well I learn Spanish, as long as I can speak some good Spanglish.
We saw miracles this week after our real dry week last week. We taught quite a few lessons and have 4 new investigators. We will keep working hard and the Milagros will keep coming!! I am so grateful for this work and I know that God is in charge. We really are just tools in his hands. I hope I can always be counted on to get the job done when I am needed. I love you all so so much and I'll talk to ya later!
LOVE, CALEB!
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