Hola familia y amigos!
There's sooo much to tell, even though we've got a lot more time to write, I hope I can write everything that I want to. And also, I can send pictures back too! Finally! Anyways, I'm serving in the San Rafael Central area, which is basically the next major city after the Golden Gate Bridge, and the other San Rafael Spanish Elders' area goes down to the Golden Gate bridge. But we get basically the downtown of San Rafael which has parts that are almost all Hispanic. There's even a part on Canal Street and generally refered to as "Canal" that is basically 100% Hispanics from all over and there's apartment complex after complex with them, probably over 2,000 Hispanics all on the same street. We've had limited time this week because of General Conference and other meetings, so we haven't been able to go there much yet, but it's pretty amazing, like you just jumped countries or something because all of a sudden all you hear is Spanish.
So, because we have just the downtown that means we get to BIKE!!! (Sarcasm there if you couldn't catch it...) We haven't been able to get me a bike yet, so I've been riding the backup bike so far... It's not a bad bike, or wasn't before the year of sitting out in the rain... but it's just not very efficient to ride, and has a weather hardened seat. It's brakes work well though! The first day we biked I was following E. Rawson (Because I didn't know where the heck to go) and three times that day E. Rawson would decide to just stop with no warning because he saw someone or something that he felt he should stop for and I almost biffed it all three times. I'm (mostly) ok (mom, I only got a sore rear, don't worry) and one of the times we were able to help a lady and walk her to where she wanted to go. The third time we even had a good gospel conversation with a black guy named Jerry who seemed pretty interested. He spoke English though, so we weren't able to do anything beyond refer him to the English Elders.
We've only had a few lessons with people so far, mostly because the area just got split (just for me! kinda...). The area used to be just San Rafael and there was a threesome here, then I came and they split the area and they put me with E. Rawson, so I'm in an apartment with my companion and two other Elders: E. Hyde and E. Fonseca. E.s Hyde and Fonseca drive a car and cover the largest area, while we're on bike and cover the small center part. Anyways, so we basically are opening up a new area and only have a few people to teach, and no "progressing" investigators, or investigators that are progressing toward baptism. We did find one person, Antonio, with whom we've had one short lesson so far. He's been taught by missionaries before, but we don't have any records for him and so are basically starting from the beginning with him. Other than the lesson with him, we've only been able to teach Fausto, a less-active member of the branch, who is having some rough times, but still has a testimony. When we visited with him he seemed close to the point of coming back, so hopefully we'll be able to give him the little push to start coming back.
I really love the food here. I am so excited to continue eating dinners made by the members of the Spanish branch here. I'll get some pics sent back too.
-Elder Whitaker
There's sooo much to tell, even though we've got a lot more time to write, I hope I can write everything that I want to. And also, I can send pictures back too! Finally! Anyways, I'm serving in the San Rafael Central area, which is basically the next major city after the Golden Gate Bridge, and the other San Rafael Spanish Elders' area goes down to the Golden Gate bridge. But we get basically the downtown of San Rafael which has parts that are almost all Hispanic. There's even a part on Canal Street and generally refered to as "Canal" that is basically 100% Hispanics from all over and there's apartment complex after complex with them, probably over 2,000 Hispanics all on the same street. We've had limited time this week because of General Conference and other meetings, so we haven't been able to go there much yet, but it's pretty amazing, like you just jumped countries or something because all of a sudden all you hear is Spanish.
So, because we have just the downtown that means we get to BIKE!!! (Sarcasm there if you couldn't catch it...) We haven't been able to get me a bike yet, so I've been riding the backup bike so far... It's not a bad bike, or wasn't before the year of sitting out in the rain... but it's just not very efficient to ride, and has a weather hardened seat. It's brakes work well though! The first day we biked I was following E. Rawson (Because I didn't know where the heck to go) and three times that day E. Rawson would decide to just stop with no warning because he saw someone or something that he felt he should stop for and I almost biffed it all three times. I'm (mostly) ok (mom, I only got a sore rear, don't worry) and one of the times we were able to help a lady and walk her to where she wanted to go. The third time we even had a good gospel conversation with a black guy named Jerry who seemed pretty interested. He spoke English though, so we weren't able to do anything beyond refer him to the English Elders.
We've only had a few lessons with people so far, mostly because the area just got split (just for me! kinda...). The area used to be just San Rafael and there was a threesome here, then I came and they split the area and they put me with E. Rawson, so I'm in an apartment with my companion and two other Elders: E. Hyde and E. Fonseca. E.s Hyde and Fonseca drive a car and cover the largest area, while we're on bike and cover the small center part. Anyways, so we basically are opening up a new area and only have a few people to teach, and no "progressing" investigators, or investigators that are progressing toward baptism. We did find one person, Antonio, with whom we've had one short lesson so far. He's been taught by missionaries before, but we don't have any records for him and so are basically starting from the beginning with him. Other than the lesson with him, we've only been able to teach Fausto, a less-active member of the branch, who is having some rough times, but still has a testimony. When we visited with him he seemed close to the point of coming back, so hopefully we'll be able to give him the little push to start coming back.
I really love the food here. I am so excited to continue eating dinners made by the members of the Spanish branch here. I'll get some pics sent back too.
-Elder Whitaker