Elder D!
Subject: Corvallis 1st & Philomath...This work is hard...ummm I'm not in Eugene anymore...
So my companion and I cover two wards in the Corvallis Zone, Corvallis & Philomath. They are similar types of ward. I am excited to see what comes from this transfer. The greenie I am training is from Northern California. He is super excited to do the Lord's work. We are having a lot of fun. Honestly I am learning the same as he is since we both have a steep learning curve. I am not going to lie. It is hard!! Honestly I feel like I have no idea what I am doing. I feel useless sometimes. But luckily we are in the same apartment with the Zone Leaders so they can help me to know what the best thing to do is.
Our apartment is larger than the family's home I lived in Eugene. It is a two bedroom one bath apartment. I have to admit living in a foursome is quite fun! My comp and I spent 17 hours tracting in the span of 4 days. One really nice thing about my new comp is he isn't shy and not afraid to talk about the gospel.
Well, I hope you all are well & sorry I am not able to write more...short on time today!!!
LOVE!!!
Elder Christian James Delis
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Mom's Note: In today's mail we recieved a letter from Elder D's Mission President informing us about his new job as a trainer. Here is a portion of it...
"...This is an opportunity that only comes to our best missionaries...To me there is no more important call than that of a Trainer. Every parent prays that their son or daughter will have the best trainer as they start their mission. I appreciate that your son is worthy to take on this important assignment. I am grateful that the Lord has sent him to the Oregon Eugene Mission."
Yes! This made my day!!!
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Hermana Delis
Subject: LISTO POR BAUTISMO!
Bueno familia! Felize dia de la preparacion!
Okay. Oh Mom--favorite day: I love Saturdays. People are home and outside! It's easier to go up and talk to people, and we get to talk to more families. And then we get to talk to lots of our investigators at night to invite them to church, and less actives, we make contact with everybody. And that is fun. The people make the whole mission--seriously. I love people!
My favorite person was baptized on Saturday! I guess that is another reason to love Saturdays, ha. Bautismos. I am so excited to meet him. Ah, he is the mejor. He is 62, and my comp and I were actually the ones to knock on his door like two weeks into the area. He immediately let us in, and when we asked why he us in he was like "Because you're women of God!" Haha, he is so animated, and he's just been searching for the truth his entire life. He read the LdM in two weeks--did I tell you this? He was reading the index and asked us for a Bible so he could understand it better. Haha. Heavens. But after an incredibly hard week--he moved, he had personal trials to get through, family things, but he was baptized on Saturday.:) The Sunday before his baptism he kept saying "Listo por bautismo! Listo por bautismo!" which just means "Ready for Baptism" in cute Spanish rhyme form. :) He is just AWESOME. I've never met someone with so much faith and desire to know. Teaching him was really special--we did nothing. Seriously--I couldn't understand almost anything for the first month (one of the members was trying to tell us he has a thick accent...but I'm pretty sure I don't know Spanish well, either, ha). But I love being in lessons because we don't teach--the Spirit does everything important. We work hard every day to make sure that we are becoming better teachers--don't get me wrong, but the Spirit converts. One of my very best friends is this little Mexican man who I can barely understand, ha. After the baptism, we were talking with him, and I don't think I have ever heard nicer things come out of someone's mouth--he said such heartfelt things, and at one point he was talking specifically to me and I just started to cry. I am so grateful for him. He moved into such an AWESOME ward--there was so much love in the little baptismal room with everyone there--only we (my comp &I) knew him well, but he was so taken care of. I was so grateful for those members. I have no doubts that he'll be taken care of. I can't wait for you to meet him. :)
Oh family, the people. They are everything. I wish you could know them too. Some day soon, I hope :) Anyway, I have to get going. :) I hope everyone is doing great!
Love you lots--you're in my prayers always!!
Hna Delis
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Week of May ONE-TWO: Emails state Christian is a TRAINER, Katie is diligently working & a Ward Mission Leader writes TOO!
Elder D
Subject: Ummmmmm this is NOT at all what I expected...
Hello family!
Well as you can guess it is Monday, so it is the day that you hear from me! I have some news that is exciting and sad. I am getting transferred to Corvallis, OR to whitewash (when two missionaries are transferred and two new missionaries are transferred to an area) train. What that means is I am going to be training a new missionary in an area I know nothing about. I have no idea what the people will need help with. So I am going to be relying on the Area Books and the ward to try and find people who ready to hear this message and pray every moment thanking Father in Heaven for all I have and been given. So it is weighing heavy on my mind right now. I am not sure how I am going to train my new companion. It really is kinda of scary. I am going to be in a ward that I really know nothing about and an area that I am just as clueless about. It is humbling to know that both my companion and zone leaders feel that I am read for such a monumental task. so it seems that all my efforts may have far greater reaching work than I have thought they could have. The Spirit has testified that this area is going to do well and the work that has been done will assist in our progress.
My week, well as always it has been about finding people. In addition, this week was Zone Conference and President MacDonald's final zone conference. It was uber spiritual and sad :( to say goodbye. I have mixed feelings on this whole fact that I am leaving this place and getting a new mission president. But know I am good and I love you guys! I hope all is well! :)
Elder Christian James Delis
(Mom Note: Below is an email we received Sunday night from the mission leader of the Eugene 5th Ward.)
Mr. & Mrs. Delis,
I am the Ward Mission Leader of the Eugene 5th Ward (one of the two wards) where your son is currently serving.
Please note, that we have noticed how much he has grown as a disciple of the Lord these last few months. We surely will miss him as he leaves us to head to a new area.
He has a sweet spirit, and I really enjoyed his great work ethic. The members and non-members that he has influenced in our Ward and boundary only have good things to say about him.
Thank you for raising him and sending him our way.
Kind Regards,
Eugene 5th Ward Mission Leader
(Yes, my heart is melting!!)
--------------
Hermana Kate Delis
Subject: BAHHH! CHRISTIAN IS TRAINING!!!!
YAY BUBBA NUBBA!!!! Haha, jokes about the name, of course. I meant ELDER Bubba Nubba. :) Haha, in all seriousness--that is awesome. Christian, I have no doubts that you are going to be wonderful for this new elder coming to Oregon. Companionships are so very inspired. You are awesome, Christian. Ah! And the letter at the bottom of Mom's email--Christian (she is talking about the one above). I actually just hung up a picture of you and me before we both left and I look at it every morning. It gives me so much strength to know you are out there serving, Christian. I love that we get to serve together. Thanks for your love for the people and your hard work. You do so well Christian--you really really shine. I am so lucky to have such awesome brothers. Thank you for your example.
Anyway, the work is going great. One day I will have so many stories to tell you about this branch, ha, but for now I will let you know that it is going under some renovations and there is not a lot of stability. So we decided that we will be the stability that they need. So we have AWESOME plans. It was a really special experience making up our plans for this transfer. Ah, it was so important to me. I love this people so much. And family, it is going to be so good. SO good. Mark my words--"It's gonna be big" (Haha...Hercules quote. :) ). This transfer is the transfer of John 14:14--look it up. :) That promise is real, and I encourage you to apply it to your own life. One of our investigators is right now--ELENO! He is getting baptized on Saturday. Naturally, his world is falling apart right now--it's so awful to watch. But he is so faithful, and he knows that the "Dios le escucha" (God listens to him). He is 62 years old, skinniest little man ever and has literally JUST family and ONLY joy. We call him "Eleno: la lleno de gozo" (Eleno: the full of joy). :) We've been teaching him for 4 weeks--he's read LdM...all of it, ha. But this week we had two SUPER difficult lessons with him--he was just all over the place. And in lessons I catch the feeling more than I catch the words. He was so flustered, and worried, and unsure. This night though, more than any other time on my mission so far, I felt the Lord telling me exactly what to say to Eleno. As soon as I started to speak, the room just hushed. And it was not me talking. Nuestro Parde Celestial nos concoce--our Father in Heaven knows us. He knows Eleno. When things like that are happening, you don't realize what a big deal they are--you just have to act and say what you're being prompted to say. At the time it just seems like you're just obeying, just doing what is right. It was one of those lessons where we just came out exhausted. I knew we did what we needed to, said what we needed to. But you just come out and you think "Did that really just happen? Did that really happen like it was supposed to?" Things just go crazy out here, guys, ha. You hear stories about how great the missionaires were for this family or this person and you create a picture in your head of how those missionaries must have been, or how those lessons must have gone. I tell you it is different than you think it is. The phones are ringing, I'm tired, my companion is carrying the whole lesson because I can't understand half of it, kids are running around, the investigator looks confused, someone knocks on the door, the pizza comes, you name it--it happens! It's not always quiet, focused, smooth, or overwhelmingly spiritual. But it is the Lord's work. So then I wonder: what about in a home? Sounds similar, right? Nothing goes according to the way we think our plans for the day, week, year should look or sound. But when we are living the way we are supposed to, miracles happen. The Lord sees us, and He knows us. Miracles are so much closer to us than I ever really noticed. I honestly don't believe I see even a hundreth of them. But I trust with all that I am that they are there and they are real. This church is Christ's church. I know that. I am so far from a perfect teacher, obviously far from even moderate Spanish, ha, and I always want to be more obedient. But His work will always move forward. I am so grateful to be apart of that work right now and for forever. Ah. It is so happy, fam.
Okay, I have really got to go. BAH! Love you love you lots. :)
Hna Delis
Subject: Ummmmmm this is NOT at all what I expected...
Hello family!
Well as you can guess it is Monday, so it is the day that you hear from me! I have some news that is exciting and sad. I am getting transferred to Corvallis, OR to whitewash (when two missionaries are transferred and two new missionaries are transferred to an area) train. What that means is I am going to be training a new missionary in an area I know nothing about. I have no idea what the people will need help with. So I am going to be relying on the Area Books and the ward to try and find people who ready to hear this message and pray every moment thanking Father in Heaven for all I have and been given. So it is weighing heavy on my mind right now. I am not sure how I am going to train my new companion. It really is kinda of scary. I am going to be in a ward that I really know nothing about and an area that I am just as clueless about. It is humbling to know that both my companion and zone leaders feel that I am read for such a monumental task. so it seems that all my efforts may have far greater reaching work than I have thought they could have. The Spirit has testified that this area is going to do well and the work that has been done will assist in our progress.
My week, well as always it has been about finding people. In addition, this week was Zone Conference and President MacDonald's final zone conference. It was uber spiritual and sad :( to say goodbye. I have mixed feelings on this whole fact that I am leaving this place and getting a new mission president. But know I am good and I love you guys! I hope all is well! :)
Elder Christian James Delis
(Mom Note: Below is an email we received Sunday night from the mission leader of the Eugene 5th Ward.)
Mr. & Mrs. Delis,
I am the Ward Mission Leader of the Eugene 5th Ward (one of the two wards) where your son is currently serving.
Please note, that we have noticed how much he has grown as a disciple of the Lord these last few months. We surely will miss him as he leaves us to head to a new area.
He has a sweet spirit, and I really enjoyed his great work ethic. The members and non-members that he has influenced in our Ward and boundary only have good things to say about him.
Thank you for raising him and sending him our way.
Kind Regards,
Eugene 5th Ward Mission Leader
(Yes, my heart is melting!!)
--------------
Hermana Kate Delis
Subject: BAHHH! CHRISTIAN IS TRAINING!!!!
YAY BUBBA NUBBA!!!! Haha, jokes about the name, of course. I meant ELDER Bubba Nubba. :) Haha, in all seriousness--that is awesome. Christian, I have no doubts that you are going to be wonderful for this new elder coming to Oregon. Companionships are so very inspired. You are awesome, Christian. Ah! And the letter at the bottom of Mom's email--Christian (she is talking about the one above). I actually just hung up a picture of you and me before we both left and I look at it every morning. It gives me so much strength to know you are out there serving, Christian. I love that we get to serve together. Thanks for your love for the people and your hard work. You do so well Christian--you really really shine. I am so lucky to have such awesome brothers. Thank you for your example.
Anyway, the work is going great. One day I will have so many stories to tell you about this branch, ha, but for now I will let you know that it is going under some renovations and there is not a lot of stability. So we decided that we will be the stability that they need. So we have AWESOME plans. It was a really special experience making up our plans for this transfer. Ah, it was so important to me. I love this people so much. And family, it is going to be so good. SO good. Mark my words--"It's gonna be big" (Haha...Hercules quote. :) ). This transfer is the transfer of John 14:14--look it up. :) That promise is real, and I encourage you to apply it to your own life. One of our investigators is right now--ELENO! He is getting baptized on Saturday. Naturally, his world is falling apart right now--it's so awful to watch. But he is so faithful, and he knows that the "Dios le escucha" (God listens to him). He is 62 years old, skinniest little man ever and has literally JUST family and ONLY joy. We call him "Eleno: la lleno de gozo" (Eleno: the full of joy). :) We've been teaching him for 4 weeks--he's read LdM...all of it, ha. But this week we had two SUPER difficult lessons with him--he was just all over the place. And in lessons I catch the feeling more than I catch the words. He was so flustered, and worried, and unsure. This night though, more than any other time on my mission so far, I felt the Lord telling me exactly what to say to Eleno. As soon as I started to speak, the room just hushed. And it was not me talking. Nuestro Parde Celestial nos concoce--our Father in Heaven knows us. He knows Eleno. When things like that are happening, you don't realize what a big deal they are--you just have to act and say what you're being prompted to say. At the time it just seems like you're just obeying, just doing what is right. It was one of those lessons where we just came out exhausted. I knew we did what we needed to, said what we needed to. But you just come out and you think "Did that really just happen? Did that really happen like it was supposed to?" Things just go crazy out here, guys, ha. You hear stories about how great the missionaires were for this family or this person and you create a picture in your head of how those missionaries must have been, or how those lessons must have gone. I tell you it is different than you think it is. The phones are ringing, I'm tired, my companion is carrying the whole lesson because I can't understand half of it, kids are running around, the investigator looks confused, someone knocks on the door, the pizza comes, you name it--it happens! It's not always quiet, focused, smooth, or overwhelmingly spiritual. But it is the Lord's work. So then I wonder: what about in a home? Sounds similar, right? Nothing goes according to the way we think our plans for the day, week, year should look or sound. But when we are living the way we are supposed to, miracles happen. The Lord sees us, and He knows us. Miracles are so much closer to us than I ever really noticed. I honestly don't believe I see even a hundreth of them. But I trust with all that I am that they are there and they are real. This church is Christ's church. I know that. I am so far from a perfect teacher, obviously far from even moderate Spanish, ha, and I always want to be more obedient. But His work will always move forward. I am so grateful to be apart of that work right now and for forever. Ah. It is so happy, fam.
Okay, I have really got to go. BAH! Love you love you lots. :)
Hna Delis
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Week of June FIVE: Fun JIVE!
Elder D
Subject: The spiritual understandings of this week!
Hey family!
It's been raining a lot . Although Friday and Saturday were great days, so we were able to spend seven combined hours, it was really awesome! We spent so much time finding people more than previous weeks. I am grateful for the investigators that I have and have had. I can see that the labor we put in is really to bless us and help us find those searching for the truth. I know the Lord answers prayers.
I have been fasting and praying a lot about how I can get the investigators that we are teaching to progress. Katie Washington, a woman I have talked about in the past, and her family have been investigating the church for a while. Brother Colata Loganimoce was talking to Katie about taking the discussions. She said one thing that hit me in the chest that my patient's has paid off on this family. She said, "I will pray about when I will start to take them and will get back to you on Friday." When I heard that I could feel the Spirit and I had tears in my eyes. I knew without a doubt the Lord is helping that family.
Well family I love you all I hope you are all well!
Elder Christian James Delis
---------------------------
Hermana Katie Delis
Subject: MILK DAYS: the greatest thing Harvard has to offer!
Bueno, familia!
Como estan? Everyone sounds like they are doing great and things are happy in Vienna. Que beuno!! I LOVE to hear that in emails. :)
Well, this week I taught Relief Society. Ha, I am not kidding. We teach something in church literally every week. I had made a lesson a few weeks ago and we ended up not teaching it that week, and then this week Hna Jiminez came up to us and asked if we could teach it this week five minutes before it started. I had everything with me (weird) and I lead the lesson, discussion, and comments. Crazy. It was hard. But I was definitely a mouth piece for the Lord. I feel like the people in the BOM stories that say "I feel slow of speech, everyone hates me, and I'm so dumb"...but the Lord just carries you through it all. We have had a mess of a week--the branch is having a lot of troubles. I literally sit in meetings and conversations and catch myself asking "What in the world could I possibly do here?" I can do some things, and I think they will definitely help. But a better question is "What would the Lord want me to do?" That gives me better ideas, better drive, and better hope. Then a really humbling question hits: "What can the Lord do?" The answer is pretty simple: everything. This week had been an opportunity to see that the Lord is on our side--yours, mine, Woodstock's. He knows who I am, He knows the people here, and He knows you. So if I am perfectly diligent in the things I can do, we will see miracles here. I have no doubts. It is so hard every single day, mom and dad, but it is so good. The Lord really does know us and these people, and I am here to help other people see that in love in themselves. I love my call so very much.
OH! And Milk Days was this week, haha. It is the BIGGEST festival ever in Harvard, IL all about cows and milk. I kid you not--the town's population expands by 7 times--it is ridiculous, ha. So we showed up and contacted the people walking around and bought "UDDERLY FABULOUS" T-shirts to celebrate. Haha, ooooh how fun. Great mid-week party for us! :)
Also, my favorite Mexican foods these days: HORCHATA (rice and cinnamon drink--DIVINE!! I drink it everywhere, haha) and LENGUA TACOS (...cow's tongue. Don't make fun--it is SO good.) (really...my daughter has Celiac's disease and cow's tongue is her food of choice!?!) Who'd of thought you'd get funny foods in IL?
Haha, love you
Hna Delis
Subject: The spiritual understandings of this week!
Hey family!
It's been raining a lot . Although Friday and Saturday were great days, so we were able to spend seven combined hours, it was really awesome! We spent so much time finding people more than previous weeks. I am grateful for the investigators that I have and have had. I can see that the labor we put in is really to bless us and help us find those searching for the truth. I know the Lord answers prayers.
I have been fasting and praying a lot about how I can get the investigators that we are teaching to progress. Katie Washington, a woman I have talked about in the past, and her family have been investigating the church for a while. Brother Colata Loganimoce was talking to Katie about taking the discussions. She said one thing that hit me in the chest that my patient's has paid off on this family. She said, "I will pray about when I will start to take them and will get back to you on Friday." When I heard that I could feel the Spirit and I had tears in my eyes. I knew without a doubt the Lord is helping that family.
Well family I love you all I hope you are all well!
Elder Christian James Delis
---------------------------
Hermana Katie Delis
Subject: MILK DAYS: the greatest thing Harvard has to offer!
Bueno, familia!
Como estan? Everyone sounds like they are doing great and things are happy in Vienna. Que beuno!! I LOVE to hear that in emails. :)
Well, this week I taught Relief Society. Ha, I am not kidding. We teach something in church literally every week. I had made a lesson a few weeks ago and we ended up not teaching it that week, and then this week Hna Jiminez came up to us and asked if we could teach it this week five minutes before it started. I had everything with me (weird) and I lead the lesson, discussion, and comments. Crazy. It was hard. But I was definitely a mouth piece for the Lord. I feel like the people in the BOM stories that say "I feel slow of speech, everyone hates me, and I'm so dumb"...but the Lord just carries you through it all. We have had a mess of a week--the branch is having a lot of troubles. I literally sit in meetings and conversations and catch myself asking "What in the world could I possibly do here?" I can do some things, and I think they will definitely help. But a better question is "What would the Lord want me to do?" That gives me better ideas, better drive, and better hope. Then a really humbling question hits: "What can the Lord do?" The answer is pretty simple: everything. This week had been an opportunity to see that the Lord is on our side--yours, mine, Woodstock's. He knows who I am, He knows the people here, and He knows you. So if I am perfectly diligent in the things I can do, we will see miracles here. I have no doubts. It is so hard every single day, mom and dad, but it is so good. The Lord really does know us and these people, and I am here to help other people see that in love in themselves. I love my call so very much.
OH! And Milk Days was this week, haha. It is the BIGGEST festival ever in Harvard, IL all about cows and milk. I kid you not--the town's population expands by 7 times--it is ridiculous, ha. So we showed up and contacted the people walking around and bought "UDDERLY FABULOUS" T-shirts to celebrate. Haha, ooooh how fun. Great mid-week party for us! :)
Also, my favorite Mexican foods these days: HORCHATA (rice and cinnamon drink--DIVINE!! I drink it everywhere, haha) and LENGUA TACOS (...cow's tongue. Don't make fun--it is SO good.) (really...my daughter has Celiac's disease and cow's tongue is her food of choice!?!) Who'd of thought you'd get funny foods in IL?
Haha, love you
Hna Delis
Friday, June 3, 2011
Week of May THREE OOOHHH: Hiiii HOOO! Off the work my missionaries GO!
Elder D
Subject: Well here is the week in a nutshell...
Well, here is my week... The last couple of weeks I have been super busy when it comes to my writing you all a good email but, this week I am going to try to and write as much as I can and not bore you to death.
Monday, was an intense day. We had a Dodge Ball tournament with our whole zone of 30 missionaries. It was FUN! We were teamed companionship against companionship. Super intense and it turned into a battle of strategy against companions--it was LOADS of FUN! I totally think that Elder Johnson and I dominated, just kidding, but seriously! Later in the evening we had Splits with the Zone Leaders. The name of the Zone Leaders are Elder Nelson and Elder Sorenson, they are awesome! I really love those guys. They are super good at keeping us pumped. We had this thing called "Collect the Elect" and it has got the whole Zone focused on baptism and getting our investigators to the temple. Elder Nelson is who came to our area. He is great guy. I will take some pictures with him and send them your way.
Tuesday, Elder Nelson and I spent the day trying to find individuals who are ready to hear the Gospel. It was really kinda cool. We were just OYMing people around the road. And trying to just talk to anyone that we could about the Gospel. It was exciting we were just walking and literally talking to every person on the road. We ran into this woman named Kelly Parvin. We got her info and now Elder Johnson and I are now teaching her. I think she is ready!
Wednesday, hmmmmm....let me think, ohhhh! I totally remember now! Elder Johnson and I are trying to get a boy named Collin Peters to take the discussions. We've decided the best way to do this is by playing basketball and we did just that! We played basketball at 8:30, it was really intense how everything just fell into place. It was really fun! (Even though I am absolutely horrible at the sport, I was playing anyways...)
Thursday, we had what will mostly be our last interview with President MacDonald (he and his wife are being released and the new mission president arrives in July). After the interview we had a combined district meeting.
Friday, it was really just a day that I was trying to finding people to talk too.
Saturday was busy!! We had splits with the Eugene 5th ward twice that day. It took up a lot of time and it was well worth it! The people that we saw I feel were blessed from our visit!! I have to say I love when that happens! It makes me feel good that we can bring the Spirit into individuals homes and have them know they can be blessed in some way. Elder Johnson and I taught Kelly Parvin and it was really cool. We had Brother Ruhnow with us when we went. It made the lesson go by smoothly and it helped her open up. I can see how having a member present really does help us. I have to say that was an AWESOME day!
Well I hope all is well!!!
LOVE!!!!
Elder Christian James Delis
--------------------------
Hermana Katie Delis
Subject: CUATRO INVESTIGATORS A LA IGLESIA!
Hi fam! Happy Wednesday! Okay. It takes me forever to write emails. I am sorry. This week was great. We had FOUR investigators at church!!! We were so excited. The branch was too. I think they are really starting to see that we mean business out here, and they are so ready to help. Oh boy, I love this branch. Let me tell you a story about them this week. We were SO busy at church--with investigators, teaching lessons, leading and helping members. Sacrament meeting is the last hour in our branch, and by that point I was like going crazy (on the inside, of course--cool on the outside, running like mad on the inside...ha, not a joke). Hna Monge was thre (YAY! Sweet meno-activo) with her two grandkids, Memo y Bella. They have a hard time following rules. Hna Monge can rest. So Sacrament is about to start, and Memo just takes off, and Hna Monge is like "Hna Delis! Vengale! (Go to him)" So of course I went to get him. He's like on the stands (this is before the meeting starts), and normally he listens okay to me, but he would NOT on Sunday. And there is a regla in la mision that says we can't pick up kids. So I couldn't pick him up, and he was going crazy. If I weren't a missionary, we would've just gone and to sit outside on my lap, but I just couldn't do that. I felt so awful that I couldn't help...I just was at a total loss. And so I just looked at my companion and mouthed "Get Hna Jiminez." Now, Hna Jiminex is this TINY little Mexican woman, just tiny--a good four inches shorter than I am. She's a grandma and helps take care of her four year old granddaughter and then works night shifts at a factory, I think. Definitely works nights, and if I knew Spanish better, I would give you a better description of where, ha. Anyway, she always looks beautiful for church, and she invites us to her home ALL the time. So Hna Miller got her, and without a word she came picked him up, and she ended up sitting with him for the entire sacrament meeting. I can't tell you the impact that had on me. I trusted her so completely to help--and just like always, Hna Jiminez was just there ready to give what she could. We went to her house later that day, and shared with her D&C 18:10--the worth of souls is great in the vista de Dios. She is someone who really lives with that perspective. I felt so bad that I couldn't help like I wanted to that Sunday, and that I made her Sunday much harder. But she told us that she was grateful that she could help her dear friend Hna Monge. It was a crazy Sunday, but I hope so badly that I can be someone that people can trust to help when they just don't know what to do. She is so awesome. The members here are AWESOME. I am excited for the people who will be baptized into this ward--they have a wonderful family to welcome them.
Well, I have to get going. Sorry there isn't ever a whole lot of information in my emails! But I am happy, and I love love love my call. It is so hard, ha, but so happy. Such is life, probably.:) I love you lots and am excited to hear from you soon!!!
Hna "Day-lees" (the way everyone says mi nombre, haha) :)
Subject: Well here is the week in a nutshell...
Well, here is my week... The last couple of weeks I have been super busy when it comes to my writing you all a good email but, this week I am going to try to and write as much as I can and not bore you to death.
Monday, was an intense day. We had a Dodge Ball tournament with our whole zone of 30 missionaries. It was FUN! We were teamed companionship against companionship. Super intense and it turned into a battle of strategy against companions--it was LOADS of FUN! I totally think that Elder Johnson and I dominated, just kidding, but seriously! Later in the evening we had Splits with the Zone Leaders. The name of the Zone Leaders are Elder Nelson and Elder Sorenson, they are awesome! I really love those guys. They are super good at keeping us pumped. We had this thing called "Collect the Elect" and it has got the whole Zone focused on baptism and getting our investigators to the temple. Elder Nelson is who came to our area. He is great guy. I will take some pictures with him and send them your way.
Tuesday, Elder Nelson and I spent the day trying to find individuals who are ready to hear the Gospel. It was really kinda cool. We were just OYMing people around the road. And trying to just talk to anyone that we could about the Gospel. It was exciting we were just walking and literally talking to every person on the road. We ran into this woman named Kelly Parvin. We got her info and now Elder Johnson and I are now teaching her. I think she is ready!
Wednesday, hmmmmm....let me think, ohhhh! I totally remember now! Elder Johnson and I are trying to get a boy named Collin Peters to take the discussions. We've decided the best way to do this is by playing basketball and we did just that! We played basketball at 8:30, it was really intense how everything just fell into place. It was really fun! (Even though I am absolutely horrible at the sport, I was playing anyways...)
Thursday, we had what will mostly be our last interview with President MacDonald (he and his wife are being released and the new mission president arrives in July). After the interview we had a combined district meeting.
Friday, it was really just a day that I was trying to finding people to talk too.
Saturday was busy!! We had splits with the Eugene 5th ward twice that day. It took up a lot of time and it was well worth it! The people that we saw I feel were blessed from our visit!! I have to say I love when that happens! It makes me feel good that we can bring the Spirit into individuals homes and have them know they can be blessed in some way. Elder Johnson and I taught Kelly Parvin and it was really cool. We had Brother Ruhnow with us when we went. It made the lesson go by smoothly and it helped her open up. I can see how having a member present really does help us. I have to say that was an AWESOME day!
Well I hope all is well!!!
LOVE!!!!
Elder Christian James Delis
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Hermana Katie Delis
Subject: CUATRO INVESTIGATORS A LA IGLESIA!
Hi fam! Happy Wednesday! Okay. It takes me forever to write emails. I am sorry. This week was great. We had FOUR investigators at church!!! We were so excited. The branch was too. I think they are really starting to see that we mean business out here, and they are so ready to help. Oh boy, I love this branch. Let me tell you a story about them this week. We were SO busy at church--with investigators, teaching lessons, leading and helping members. Sacrament meeting is the last hour in our branch, and by that point I was like going crazy (on the inside, of course--cool on the outside, running like mad on the inside...ha, not a joke). Hna Monge was thre (YAY! Sweet meno-activo) with her two grandkids, Memo y Bella. They have a hard time following rules. Hna Monge can rest. So Sacrament is about to start, and Memo just takes off, and Hna Monge is like "Hna Delis! Vengale! (Go to him)" So of course I went to get him. He's like on the stands (this is before the meeting starts), and normally he listens okay to me, but he would NOT on Sunday. And there is a regla in la mision that says we can't pick up kids. So I couldn't pick him up, and he was going crazy. If I weren't a missionary, we would've just gone and to sit outside on my lap, but I just couldn't do that. I felt so awful that I couldn't help...I just was at a total loss. And so I just looked at my companion and mouthed "Get Hna Jiminez." Now, Hna Jiminex is this TINY little Mexican woman, just tiny--a good four inches shorter than I am. She's a grandma and helps take care of her four year old granddaughter and then works night shifts at a factory, I think. Definitely works nights, and if I knew Spanish better, I would give you a better description of where, ha. Anyway, she always looks beautiful for church, and she invites us to her home ALL the time. So Hna Miller got her, and without a word she came picked him up, and she ended up sitting with him for the entire sacrament meeting. I can't tell you the impact that had on me. I trusted her so completely to help--and just like always, Hna Jiminez was just there ready to give what she could. We went to her house later that day, and shared with her D&C 18:10--the worth of souls is great in the vista de Dios. She is someone who really lives with that perspective. I felt so bad that I couldn't help like I wanted to that Sunday, and that I made her Sunday much harder. But she told us that she was grateful that she could help her dear friend Hna Monge. It was a crazy Sunday, but I hope so badly that I can be someone that people can trust to help when they just don't know what to do. She is so awesome. The members here are AWESOME. I am excited for the people who will be baptized into this ward--they have a wonderful family to welcome them.
Well, I have to get going. Sorry there isn't ever a whole lot of information in my emails! But I am happy, and I love love love my call. It is so hard, ha, but so happy. Such is life, probably.:) I love you lots and am excited to hear from you soon!!!
Hna "Day-lees" (the way everyone says mi nombre, haha) :)
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