News from Dyker

Tomorrow we are having a big (large) Sister Training Meeting (a.k.a. sister pamper. lol) so hopefully I will be able to see and talk to Rachel there!

Yes Alexandra (the one who canceled on us three times last week) canceled on us again this week! Imagine that. Lame-sauce. I'm keeping the hope though and maybe she might actually show up next meeting. If not, we might just have to teach her on the street since she is a street vender with her own jewelry stand. If we get to that point, well, that'll be interesting.

We're really trying to push family history work around here and I think it would be awesome if you helped the missionaries back at home make it big too. We don't have a family history center and we aren't allowed to touch church computers anymore because a few too many problems have occurred with boys who "know how to hack systems" and then accidentally take down the whole church system so, we have to stay away from that buttt we can help guide them around. We have family history nights once a month and hopefully we can get those cool new family history pamphlets the church just came out with too. We really ought to push it a lot more than we do.

Yes, soccer is still every Saturday and though the turnout is like a roller coaster and it's unpredictable how many folks we'll be getting, it's been nice and of course it's always fun :) It makes the mission life just that much better. Also, Elder Hernandez is an amazing soccer player so it's been fun to play with him and learn a trick or two. Besides that we advertise english class and this week we are getting more into different service opportunities where we get to sport the yellow helping hands jersey! I'm excited for that. I love service!

Oh man oh man, the weather here is absolutely craaaazy! I tried to prepare for the winter by buying warm dresses and shoes and what not but I don't think I prepared for the summer as much as I should've. The humidity is killer. It got so hot in our apt this week that my Vaseline melted. Also, I had a bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard and, well, now it's just one huge candy bar because those all melted together too. gahl. It's disgusting!

Good news! We have a new investigator named Gladys and while we were teaching her the first lesson she asked about baptism and when she could be baptized! Her husband is a less active so for a few years she has been coming to church just every now and then. Well, something clicked, I think she realized she wanted her son (who is so adorable!) to be raised in the church. I'm excited to keep teaching her and I hope her husband decides to follow her great example and get back to church!

As for Luis and Rosa...man oh man. Luis' son got inside of his head too much (his son is abusive and was the one holding him back from marrying Rosa in the first place) and Luis said we can't meet with him anymore. It was so sad because when he told us that he almost started crying. Poor guy. As for Rosa, she is moving to east New York soon to get away from Luis' son and she will be baptized there. It's sad to see them separating but I would hate to see Rosa stay in a house that she isn't welcome in. I just don't understand why Luis is staying with his son! He is blind to his son's problems. It's so sad. I hope the best for them all though!!

One more story. Last night we went to go visit a 12-year-old boy who got baptized almost a year ago. His name is Antony and that kid is such a crack up! I love him. Last night his younger brother (who is usually with his dad) was visiting Antony and his mom so I got to meet him. He is 4 years old and earlier that day Antony taught him who Jesus Christ was. Well, when we were leaving I pulled out a pass along card and I said "Dariel, who is this?" and he said "Jesus Christ!!" I wrote a note on it about how Jesus Christ loves him and then gave him the card. It was amazing to see how happy such a simple little card could make a 4-year-old but he absolutely loved it! He gave Jesus a big hug and starting chanting "Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ!" then he ran to show his mom his new picture. Aww it was just so precious!! It was a good reminder to be appreciative of the little things. For example, we know Jesus Christ and we also know that everyone has the opportunity to know him on a personal level if they want to as well. We know He loves us more than we can comprehend and because of that love He came to the earth to perform a miracle none of us were able to do for ourselves. We were helpless but He has made it possible to do the impossible.

I love you all and so does Jesus Christ!! Never forget that!!

Take care!!

--Hermana Watts