Written by Elder Dallin Remund, currently serving in the Virginia Chesapeake Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Spanish.
Hello everyone!
Como estan todos? Well, the weeks officially have no significance because I feel like I was here in the library emailing y'all a couple days ago. I guess that's a good thing though because I'm really enjoying the field. Everything feels much more natural now. I'm really getting the flow of being a missionary!
It's been super rainy out here in North Carolina! I love it! It POURS out here. You walk out for a couple seconds and you're soaked! Haha! But things just grow out here. No one has sprinklers in their yards. And no one plants grass. I don't even think they water their crops! Kind of nice for water bills!
This Friday, we had dinner with a family in our ward. We were asked by the bishop to see if they were all right doctrinally because there were some people that heard that they don't like their pictures to be taken and something about pork. I ended up having to ask about it and I was SO nervous I would offend them, but they ended up saying they don't take pictures or eat pork because they want to sacrifice things in their life to focus more on God, like how missionaries sacrifice TV and their family to serve. The sister also doesn't eat any seafood besides fish because Jesus only caught fish out of the sea... And she doesn't wear clothes with zebra patterns or any other crazy patterns... Weird! But hey, I guess it's not bad if they're trying to get more of their focus on God!
Later that Friday, we met with an investigator of ours named Jaime, whose family are all recent converts. (The Hernandez family is his daughter, Daphne's family if you remember my previous letters.) He's a very smart man and he helps Elder Knott and I with our Spanish while we're talking to him, haha! He knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God. He's not exactly sure if the church is true. He says he doesn't know because he hasn't read the Book of Mormon or prayed about it, and he knows he won't receive an answer if he doesn't have real intention. Right now he says he doesn't really have the desire, which is so upsetting, but we believe he will be baptized one day. He gets it, he just hasn't acted on it! Great man!
Yesterday, we went to a birthday party for a Hispanic boy named Danny. We had carne asada and rice and beans! So good!!! They fed us well. We had lunch yesterday at a super great lunch at the Jones' family. Biscuits, roast, rice and gravy, and butterbeans. So Southern! Sister Jones' sister and her husband were there, too. They're a senior missionary couple serving in the area and they're from Magna, UT! It's always fun to connect with Utahns and figure out how close we live together!
Sergio, our investigator, went to church again, which is one of the greatest things to see as a missionary! He's progressing nicely, and the ward is getting to know him well. We are waiting to receive permission from the mission president to see if he could go to our ward instead of the branch that his area is in. He is elect, though!
I've finished my first transfer in the field! Elder Knott and I are staying in Albertson, and Elder Knott got asked to be the new District Leader. He'll be staying busy training/leading! Haha! He's taking the place of Elder Bowes, whose headed back to Queen Creek, Arizona. Hope he says hi to the Maycocks for me!!!
Well, the time is up! I had a great week and I got lots of letters and emails from y'all this week! I will do my best to write back! Keep sending news from back home! I love hearing it. This gospel is true!!!!!
Mucho amor,
Elder Remund
Hey, ya'll, from North Carolina!
The Work in Albertson, North Carolina - Week 8
