There's so much work to do here in Calexico, but at the same time this past week has felt like a whole lot of nothing. We try to contact so many people, but very few answer their doors or phones. Of those that answer, few are interested in having a conversation. Of those that we can actually talk with, few are interested in receiving lessons. Of those that schedule lessons, few actually follow through. And every single one of the few lessons that have happened in Calexico have been in Spanish. In short, I've had to adjust expectations a lot. It's tricky when SO much of what we plan ends up getting cancelled at the last minute, and it's pretty common for us to try and contact a member or progressing friend only to discover that they've moved. I suppose that's often the norm with missionary work, so it's good to get acquainted with that right off the bat. It does make scheduling a lesson a victorious highlight of the week.
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| This is the beautiful San Diego Temple when I first arrived. Haven't actually had the opportunity to attend yet, especially as I'm out in the Valley. |
We've been trying to organize English, guitar, and Bible classes at the church to start making use of the building throughout the week. No one made it to the English class unfortunately, despite a few interesteds who contacted us, but a cat did turn up! We sat in the foyer waiting for arrivals, and he walked up to the glass doors, peering in at us. He was not the student we were expecting, but we were ready to accept him all the same! However, he ended up running off before we could start him on his ABC's.
Speaking of cats, I fear for the ones around our apartment. They always hang out right behind the cars' tires. Every time a car starts, a small feline form darts out from beneath it. Ah well, I suppose they've survived this long.
Next, I must relay to you the tragedy of Mike. In my first week, my companion and I were making calls when we came to a guy named Mike in our area book. We only had his number and a timeline of previous visits from other elders. It had been a while since any visits happened with him, so we wanted to see if he was still interested. He also spoke English, so my companion passed the phone to me and I excitedly dialed him up. Turns out Mike is super friendly and kind of hard of hearing, so he cheerily shouted into the phone about how he loved meeting with the elders. We chose a day to meet the following week, and just as we were about to put him down in our calendar, he said "Oh no wait, that doesn't work for me" and proposed the next day. This same interaction repeated like 3 more times, farther and farther down the week, Elder McLean and I cracking up more and more with each new reschedule, until we reached Friday on our calendar. At that point I began to wonder if he was pranking us, but we managed to settle on a time and he even began making plans to serve us ice cream! A missionary's dream! He then asked my name, and apparently "Elder Tolman" just couldn't make it to his ears cause what followed was like a 3 minute period of saying and spelling it out, until he said "Elder Herman?" And my companion and I looked at each other, shrugged, and said "Yup, Elder Herman! Sorry about that." I wondered whether I'd have to make some nametag alterations for our meeting. The next Friday rolled around and we realized we didn't actually have his address so we called him again to get that and confirm our appointment for the afternoon. He responded with an enthusiastic "Hey Elder Herman!!" and we had another entertaining conversation. But here's the tragedy. We plugged his address into Google maps afterward and discovered that he's not actually in our area! He lives an hour and a half north of us just outside the border of our mission! We grieved a lot and had to call him back yet again to refer him to other missionaries. We wish him well!
This past Sunday was the ward's primary program, followed by a luncheon to say goodbye to a family that was moving, so much of our finding and visiting has centered around inviting people to that. One night we went out with the bishop to invite members, and he gave us a mini tour of Calexico. He grew up here, so he had a lot of stories and background information about all of the buildings. I saw the border wall for the first time that evening! It is so much closer to our apartment than I thought it was. There was this huge line of cars on the other side waiting to get into California (bishop said the average wait time was an hour and a half), and it's funny hearing about all the businesses crowded in Mexicali where people go specifically to be outside of the US.
The primary program was a success. Not quite as miraculous a turnout as I hoped, but attendance went up to 65 and one of the nonmembers we invited walked to the chapel that morning to attend! The kids' mannerisms were cute to watch, and partway through one of them called out "Another song??" in exasperation. We all appreciated his sacrifice.
Later on Sunday we did some brief exchanges with the assistants to the president who were dropping by the Valley. Both of the APs were English speaking, so we had to plan my companionship's visits pretty carefully. Those exchanges ended up being filled with small miracles on both ends. I had been really struggling to focus on and enjoy the work I was doing, but going around planning quick messages for our English friends on a shining afternoon reignited my hope, even though we barely got to talk with anyone. I was also feeling very socially inadequate that day, but Elder Mickle, my companion for the afternoon, gave some powerful words of encouragement that helped me move forward. He was an answer to prayer in multiple ways. On Elder McLean and Elder Udall's end, while they were out at a park near a member's house, the member's inactive husband sought them out and, filled with emotion, expressed how much he missed coming to church and how he wanted to put his life back together. Elder McLean and I got to meet with him again yesterday, and we have high hopes for him. I really wish I knew enough Spanish to understand the discussion they had and offer more encouragement.
That difficulty with language has been wearing on me quite a bit. I'm not even close to being conversational in Spanish, and an hour of language study per day hasn't changed a lot. I'm caught between the two equally negative mindsets of "Elder Tolman has it so hard serving without knowing much Spanish" and "pff, Elder Tolman has is so easy being able to take the back seat in most conversations while his companion does the talking". I know this is a God-given opportunity that He can consecrate for my good, but I'm definitely feeling a bit disconnected from the people and longing to be able to teach more. Hopefully by the end of this transfer I'll know enough to bear my testimony in Spanish and refer someone to Spanish missionaries.
Guess what?? I recently learned Elder McLean's middle name! Want to know what it is?? Floyd!! (To those unaware, my MTC companion and I named our favorite tree Floyd back in Provo.) This absolutely delighted me! Though I had to bid Floyd adieu, in small ways, he's still with me.
We had an awesome zone conference where we discussed the role of the Book of Mormon, and it's incredible looking at God's purposes in commanding that it be compiled and sealed away in the earth. Look at Moses 7:62: "And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem." The Book of Mormon ("truth...out of the earth") is a tool to gather together the people that will receive Christ at his second coming, and God's intent is for it to "flood" the earth, giving all the opportunity to accept it, thereby becoming God's "elect". When life feels aimless, it's rejuvenating to look at how God is even now orchestrating mighty works.
God be with you,
Elder Tolman
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