Email 03/31/2014 Well I got changed

So I got changed to the zone right next to mine which is only a half an hour away. Not very exciting but at least I don't have to deal with mud anymore. Okay lets start from the beginning of this week.

So when I was back in San Rafeal zone with Elder Ramirez we had divisions. That was pretty cool cuz I was able to be with Elder Gomez for a day in his area and I helped them with one of there baptisms. Then that same day I got yelled at by my leaders because I don't eat all the food sometimes and the momitas (members who feed us) complained. So that sucked especially because the momitas always tell us if we can't eat it all don't worry. Yeah so that put a damper on my day. 

Then yesterday my companion and I had no luck whatsoever, none of our investagators were home practically nobody came to church. Then later that night a teenager tried to rob me with a broken glass bottle but I had nothing to take. Oh that's another thing I haven't had money for about 4 weeksnow because the bank kept stealing my money. Then more later that night I was told I was being changed in an emergency.

So today I arrived in my new area only 30 minutes away and to my new companion from Peru. It wasn't a very warm welcome. His name is Elder Cahoamon. When I arrived here he immediately asked me what I did wrong. Because apparently the leaders said I'm disobedient. So now this whole zone thinks I'm disobedient and the president too. Haha I read an email from the president and he pretty much yelled at me to wake up on time. 

So to everyone it's just a huge misunderstanding. Because when I was with Elder Ramirez the leaders visited us in our house at 9 in the morning when we wake up at 6:30. But we were still in our PJs because we were waiting for our clothes to dry. So yeah that's the end of my sob story for the week.

But I'm here now and ready to work as always. I just hope I can gain the confidence in my new companion because he seems like a nice enough guy. The area that I'm in is a small city and it has a small mall. And the mall has a KFC with really good ice cream but terrible chicken haha. So that's the bright side right now, pray for me here.

Love ya all,

Elder Rodriguez

Email 03/24/2014 Oh, Baptism!!!

Well this week was changes and I thought for sure I was going to get changed. Yeah nope. Neither did my companion so we are still stuck in this area. Both of us are kinda bummed because this area is just tiring. The members here are super great and a lot of help but nobody really wants to listen to us. And the people that do just have problems that impede in their lives so they can't be baptized. So in this change me and my companion are going to be contacting alot.

 Well this week we had a another Baptism of a 13 year old named Fabian. The baptism was great. This kid in the first lesson we had with him already wanted to be baptized and already knew who he wanted to be baptized by. This kid grew up by a member and by the members example this kid in turn found that desire to join the church. 

 Well for the three days this week we have been a companionship of 3. It's me my companion Elder Ramirez and another Peruvian named Elder Gomez. He has been like an adopted child for a while being bounced around from companionship to companionship because his companion (our old district leader) was sent how early. But I really like Elder Gomez he's a cool guy. He also knows a little english, just a few words but is very willing to give me pointers. 

The man who baptized the kid is my favorite member ever. I told him he can vist me in the states with his family. He is the same age as Dad. Oh and his wife makes the best cakes for me.

Love you all and I hope for the best.

Elder Rodriguez

Email 03/17/2014 Well this week is weird

This week was really weird for all of us. First it started out by us finding out 9 missionaries were sent home for doing some seriously wicked things. One of the 9 was our district leader.  Then the week continued. My companion & I had the most awkward lesson ever when we taught all the the police. There were about 40. Then later on in that day we were robbed.....TWICE. Twice in one day is pretty bad hahah. The first one was pretty scary because the thief came up like a ninja and got my companion in a head lock and his friend was coming up behind with his hand in his pants like he had a gun. So they stole my companions watch and 50 cents but from me, nothing. Then later in that same night some others tried to rob us but since we had nothing, nothing happened.  I laughed at that because my companion says its always the Americans that get robbed but it was like i was invisible to the thieves.  Then the next day it rained hard off and on. And at one point I was standing out in the open and just 5 feet away it was raining but not on me. Well thats all.

Love ya all,

Elder Rodriguez

Email 03/10/2014 Back to the Grind

Well now that Carnival is over the work continues as usual.

So we started proselyting again knocking on doors. So my first one i go and knock and talk to this one guy. Well he pretty much yelled at me to stop being a bum and get a job then slammed the door in my face. So that got me down a bit but right after we knocked on this one lady's door and she was super nice. We have a scheduled lesson with her and she thanked us for doing what we do. So that was cool.

This week I found out my companion is a bit of a freak. He caught a bird in mid flight with his bare hand. Then he caught another bird that wasn't able to fly because it was dehydrated so we gave it some water. He's a wierdo but really cool. It's amazing how much happier I am right now than I was with my other companion who was just annoying in all ways. Yesterday I asked a Elder that is companions with my last one how it was going, and he just replied HELP ME hahaha. 

The work is going a little bit better now but it's really hot here. And this week I had two more close calls with thieves. The first one we were walking and I saw two thugs a little was off. Then the started following us. My companion had no idea but I just kept telling him to walk a little faster. Then another time at night we had to walk down a road and I felt that we shouldn't but did anyway. And when we were in the middle of the street some thugs started to kinda circle us but we kept waling and luckly a huge black man was walking the other way which I think scared the hooligans.

This week I'm feeling really good with my Spanish, I realize I can still barely talk but I'm understanding practically everything. Well that's really it for me. No pictures sorry. 

I'll keep you all in my prayers if you pray for me.

Haa especially for my language here.

Love ya all,

Elder Ivan Rodriguez

Email 03/03/2014 Carnival

Well this week it was Carnival. And I'm a bit disappointed. I thought Carnival was gonna be crazy but all it is is people playing with water for 4 days. So from Saturday, Sunday, this Monday and Tomorrow we can't  proselyte. We can only go to meeting and lessons that we have an exact time scheduled for. Everyone is lucky that this week we had no rain.... All the days before this week it rained...Every single day and it's just mud.

So that all for Carnival. We just have to be careful when walking in the streets to stay away from kids. The kids throw water balloons around this time.

So everything else has kinda been slow. Oh one night me and my companion were just walking all normal when a huge rock flys by my head. So we look back and 4 men want to fight us. Ha so I turn back to my companion and he's gone, running in the other direction.

So we are both running and one of the men ran after us for a while but stopped. My companion was kinda freaked out about that so that wasn't too cool. 

But everything else is fine.

With our investigators we have just really been stressing the importance of marriage. Here in Esmereldas they like to only be in a free union.

So that's all that has been going on here. The work is a bit slow because we can't proselyte. My spanish is still coming little by little but I'm progressing.

Thanks all for the pics. I really enjoy seeing everyone and how everyone is doing.

Gracias

Love ya ALL,

Elder Rodriguez

Elder Rodriguez with his companion Elder Ramirez inside their apartment.

Elder Rodriguez drew this picture.