Excerpts from June 24 to July 22

June 24

To start off, the concert went very very well. I'm going to try and figure out a way to send you the numbers. I was very happy about it. Unfortunately we didn't have the turnout from the members we were expecting, but we did have more non-members than we were expecting. So that was good. A member who I have gotten close with told me she cried when her daughter and I sang. Her daughter also said, "I cried when you sang. I never cry. Ever. AND I got chills." So that made me happy. The daughter is a really awesome girl who plays trumpet and sings.

As for transfers, they haven't happened yet. They're on Tuesday, but we know I'm leaving. I kind of had a feeling I would, but there was always a chance I would stay. The next cool thing is that Elder Waidmann is now training!!! This, mind you, is immediately after he finished getting trained. I would like to take credit, but Elder Waidmann was pre-trained. Guess I didn't mess him up TOO bad. Darn... :P He's worried, but I'm really excited for him. He is definitely ready and will do great. Plus, I'm happy to be getting a grandson. :D So with that I've made about 300 cookies (that is not an exaggeration) for all the members that have helped me and gotten close with me. My week's been full of visiting and saying goodbye to all my members. I was really happy this Sunday because a Less-Active member I started working with 8 months ago finally came to church this Sunday. It was a wonderful last Sunday for me. I found that most of the ward was really sad I was leaving. A lot more than I thought would. It was really nice and I was able to take a lot of pictures. I'm sad, but I'm ready... sin the packing part, but when do I not pack the night beforehand haha.

Yes, we got to see the broadcast, but sadly I showed up late and didn't get to hear the actual part of the fb/tours thing. We're excited though. Also, I knew at least one person in EVERY SINGLE VIDEO CLIP. Did you see that one of the "missionaries" was Brandon Christiansen. Also, I knew the missionaries in the clip about the "drought" and a few in the choir. Crazy! I loved Elder Packer's talk. I thought it was perfect. I've found that just giving it up to the Lord when teaching is not 2nd nature but that when I do, it goes perfectly and the spirit really directs me in the way that is right.

I don't know where I'm going now, but we'll know tomorrow. I love you a lot. Going to try and send more pictures today. [the pictures didn’t come through]

July 1

So I ended up getting my ball that was stolen. Turns out it wasn't my ball that we thought someone had and one of the members picked it up because we'd left it and then they got it back to us. So woo. Haha nothing too big. 

To start things off, we'll talk about how my last day with Elder Waidmann went. After I emailed you last Monday, I went to my Spanish "family"’s house to say goodbye and to give them the cookies. It was a good time. Then I went and dropped by the Sonrisa woman to give her her cookie and say goodbye. She was surprised to say the least and cried a lot. Not sure whether it was because I was leaving or the gratitude for visiting her or both. Either way, I was really touched and of course there were many tears on my part. It was very nice and was a good way to end my time in Dyker Heights. 

Next day was transfer meeting. E. Waidmann got his "kid", my "grandson"; we got a posterity pic and sat down for the meeting. A lot of good stuff. I got placed in the place we all were pretty sure I was going. I am now in a place called Midwood. It is legitmately 2 miles from my last area, so I didn't move very far. In fact, many of the members in Dyker had been members here before boundaries got changed. So I'm really close haha. Now I'm with Elder Adams. He's really cool. I'm his "step-pops." We actually went to high school together. He graduated a year after me. We had never seen each other before but knew all the same people. In fact, his mom was once my boss. She was one of my referee coordinators. So that was pretty cool. Someone knew him before I became his comp and said, did you know Adam's mom. I was like, "why would I know her?" "She's a ref coordinator." I was like, "No I...... OH MY GOSH HIS MOM IS PAM!" So that was really funny. And then we became companions. Crazy. We get along really well. We're different, but in a good way. We're trying to get things started in this area. It's kind of hit a lull for a while, so we're trying to get it moving again. That makes it sound like it's me doing it, but it's just that I'm picking up where the last guy left off.  In my district here, I am with one of my friends who was in my MTC district so that's really nice. I'm friends with all the people here, so that's really good. I really like this district. 

Things have been pretty good otherwise. We do a lot of activities to try and find people to teach because this place had been worked over at least 40x and new things need to be done. So we did an activity called "family tree" where we put up a paper tree and ask people to write down the things they love about their family. It's actually pretty good. We asked a guy as he was walking and he pointed, snapped, and said, "SMOKE MARIJUANA BOYS!" And kept walking casually. It made our day. 

Well that's really it for now. On Thursday we're going to Coney Island for the 4th as our Pday. we're only emailing now because the libraries won't be open on the 4th, obviously.

July 8

This week has been pretty good. It's weird having a birthday on the mission. It doesn't feel any different whatsoever. That's ok cuz it was a fun day. My district did something really nice for me. They made me a cake and we had a good time. Cake, friends, and soda, what's better than that for a birthday? Nothing haha. That day we did service, which was a really good bday break. I love doing service. We just helped people put up insulation and dry wall. Very different than the destroying we had been doing just 10 months ago. So all in all, it was a wonderful bday. 

I got your guys' package the day after my birthday actually. Someone had picked it up from the office. It was great. I got some recordings down and I'm going to try and send them.

I got a very nice card from Barb. Tell her thank you so much. I really can use the subway giftcard because they are expensive here but are the most healthy and thing I am willing to eat on a regular basis.

[Steve: I debated about including this sad story in J.D.’s blog, but here it is]

As for my "grandparents", his son was a douche and threatened to cut him off from his grandkids if he didn't move to long island with him, and the son hated [the to-be wife] and wouldn't let him get married. [The son] is abusive. And I literally mean abusive. So he couldn't get married and stopped letting the missionaries come over, but he was very sad and crying about it; you can tell it wasn't his choice. Now I'm gone and I have no idea what's happened.

We went to Coney Island for the 4th. It was a wonderful time. I watched a man devour 69 hotdogs in 10 min.  I never thought I'd get such enjoyment from watching a grown man shove a lot of wieners down his throat. ;) De chiste, but it really was funny how into it you get when you watch them and want the reigning champ to beat his record. (he did btw, by 1)

Things are going well here. I had a really cool experience. I talked to this woman in Portuguese. We were just talking to random people on the street and she came up and was trying to speak English with the English missionaries so I went over to try and help thinking she was Spanish. I said something in Spanish and she went off speaking. I understood it all and thought it was in Spanish. She then stops and says, "you speak Spanish." I was really confused. Then she was like, "I'm speaking Portuguese." It was a really crazy experience and very cool. Luckily another missionary came over who speaks Portuguese, so I left it to him haha, but it was one for the records.

Well that's really it for here. We're still getting things started. Nothing much is new. Just having a grand old time. I'm happy. I think a new area really helps.

July 22

Lots of heat. It's cooling down though which is nice.  Glad Timberline was good, Dad.  And yes, I do know Joseph and Isaac. I love the Meacham family. They are so awesome. And yes, people still hang out on the streets in the evenings here. 

Life has been pretty great. We recently started teaching a new person and it's going great. This last Saturday I went to a wedding of a couple in my old area. I loved it. It was awesome. Everyone had missed me and they were so happy to see me. It was very nice to see. It reminded me that I am loved.  It's what I needed. I was able to see all the people I had affected, the fact that I had touched hearts, I had helped people in the way I wanted. I couldn't see it when I was there, but I could see it when I went back. That was what I needed. It reminded me of why I'm here; my original reason. It also gave me the fire to be my own missionary. So it was very good for me. It was good to be able to look back and say I really did do something and was successful.

Excerpts from June 10 and 17

Excerpts from June 10

As for flooding, there really hasn't been much here. Just a whole boatload of rain. And I had no idea about the cicadas, which should answer your question of whether I am experiencing them or not. Natural sounds like bugs is kind of a phenomenon to me at the moment because my current natural soundtrack is horns and trains. Not complaining, I'm not bothered but I can't imagine hearing bugs or birds.

On Saturday I was asked to sing for a funeral in the Chinese branch. That was cool. I always like doing that. The branch actually knows me by name and really well now haha. In two weeks we are going to do another concert to teach the Restoration through music. This one is just a small scale version of what we did in the hurricane area. Plus this is in Spanish and just for our area and not focused on the hurricane victims.  

Excerpts from June 17

It's been a pretty good week this week. Transfers are next week and I'm really not sure whether I will go to another area. 8 months in one area is really REALLY long, but president says that he wants missionaries to start being in areas for 6-7 transfers. (1 transfer = 1 1/2 months) So I'm really not sure what will happen. I'm just trusting that whatever happens is for the best. I'm ready to have a new area, but I really love this area and all the members. I've really gotten close to a lot of them. So we'll see.

So I don't know if you remember, but we started doing soccer here on Saturdays and part of the ward wasn't too happy about it. Now that's changed. They love it. A lot of less active members came as well as investigators. It was so cool. Unfortunately, at the park a ball that I had bought was stolen. Dangit. Oh well. It was funny, the other missionaries were more upset than I was. I was just kinda like, "yeah it sucks, but it's just a ball." And I really didn't care much haha.

I've been crazy busy this past week. We are doing a concert here in the ward and I am in charge of planning it. So between finding people to play/sing/speak, I've been planning what's happening when. It's fun but crazy. To advertise for it we went to the park and handed out a bunch of flyers for it and free English class along with free lemonade. The park was INSANELY crowded and we asked if they wanted a demonstration of the concert. So I sang the Nella Fantasia (Gabriel's Oboe) song and the ENTIRE park when dead silent and just watched me. It was so cool. I hope it made more people want to come. So we'll see :D

Another cool experience. In all the 5 burrows, there have been traveling pianos placed in parks and one came to this park. We went and took hymns and I started to sing/play them. No one really was interested so I was like, forget this and started playing my covers of pop songs. Then all these little girls came over and started dancing to me. When that happened, people started coming over and then people started videotaping me. It was CRAZY but so cool. From it we were able to promote the concert and get some info from people. It was way cool. What about that people who say that playing that music was bad haha. It really was an amazing experience and I am truly glad I had that opportunity.

Today we went to a place called Buffalo Wild Wings and we did the challenge of eating 12 of their hottest wings in 6 min. Only me, the Honduranian, and one other could do it. I was crying. [picture attached].

So that's really it for this letter. We finish training this week. Crazy! The time has really flown by fast with Elder Waidmann. I've really grown because of him and have really learned a lot. I really would not have a problem spending another transfer with him. So we shall see.

Excerpts and pictures from April and May

April 1

Well, I'm training this next transfer. I am so stressed out and worried. I actually said no the first time pres called but then he told me to think about it for a few hours. Then I did and he called and we had a good 30 min talk where he talked me into doing it. Ugh. So now I'm training.

Haha, I can definitely tell that I am one of president's biggest psych cases in the mission, along with my friend Sis __. We both have bad anxiety which is not good haha. During the meeting for trainers, she and I sat next to each other and one of the people giving the workshop asked, "what were some of your thoughts when you got the call?" Of course we had to give regular cookie cutter answers, but then [the sister] leaned over and wrote this on a paper: "Elder Goates sh*t a brick." I couldn't stop laughing. I got a few glares, but it definitely made me calm down a little bit. The meeting was interesting and fairly good. I'm still super stressed, but whatever. I'm going to try at least.
So I'm afraid I have Plantar fasciitis. I got some excercises that I am doing for it so it should be good. At most I think I'd have to get a shoe implant. Funny thing was that in an article that the mission nurse gave me it said, "try to stay off hard surfaces or hard concrete." Yup, I can totally do that as a missionary.

I don't really have a good April fools’ joke this year. I'm so lame I know.... oh well.
I gave a blessing to an investigator's daughter yesterday. She is deaf and had a surgery this morning so she could hear. It was a very cool experience. It was my first time meeting these people too. All I wanted was for them to know how much I loved them, even though I'd never met them and how much God loved them and how everything was going to turn out alright. So I think it was a very good experience.
How is everything there? I missed going to Easter Mass.

April 8

To explain training, it is me, with a brand new missionary. We have an assigned thing to study for 12 weeks to "train" him. I just don't like being in charge. I liked being junior comp. It's really not that bad, and I like it a little, but it's stressful not having someone who can easily just jump in and we can team teach with ease.
I love my greenie (kid) but shoot dang he got greenie fire. It's bad. I'm getting a tan just being around him, he's so bright. Like the greeniest greenie that ever greeniely walked the greenie green path. Haha he's good though. He's very sheltered... and he's from CA. To put it in perspective, he never listened to any regular music, only Christian songs. Aside from King, all my comps have been very sheltered... Hm... I wonder why that is. His name is Waidmann and he's only 18. He is very interesting.

Conference was good. I saw a lot of my friends from choir singing. I was jealous I'll be honest because if I was there I would have been there singing with them. Oh well. I loved Uchtdorf's talks and the fact that he said that and about the darkness. I also loved that someone finally said something about bullying. It was really needed.
Something cool happened this week. A woman read one of our pamphlets and called us and said she wanted to learn more. She came to part of conference and really loved it. We had an amazing first lesson and she agreed to be baptized once she learns more. She believes it's true, but she wants to be able to get work off to get more time to learn more about the gospel and come to church more often. it was a really cool and amazing lesson. So we'll see what happens with that.

April 15

It's been a pretty mixed week. Overall very good. There were a lot of notable moments. First, I sang in a funeral for the Chinese ward. They really like me/my voice and always ask me to sing. So they had me do a solo "be still my soul" and then a verse solo of a song the choir was singing. It was really cool. What was most notable for me wasn't the singing, but the funeral. The son of the man who died started off talking about his father saying how as a child they weren't very close. I first thought this was going to be a very depressing funeral because I was afraid it would be one full of regret. But it wasn't. The son then went on to talk about how he realized the love his father had and how as he got older they bonded through their little "personal projects." It was a very touching funeral. They talked about how this man had had Pancreatic cancer but how his faith had kept him strong and happy to the end. Because it was a funeral a lot of people were very sad and because I could feel it I nearly started bawling. It also made me think of Gram and Pap and then what the future would be like. Nothing bad, just remembering them with fondness and happy memories.
The next day stress really got to me and I really did not feel like doing anything. It was a very me shutting down kind of day. Because of it we were sitting at the church and the other elders were trying to figure out a way to go and see this woman seeing as she was single and we need more than 2 guys to go and see single women. So Waidmann and I went with them thanks to Waidmann saying, "why don't we go with them." I was fine with that. I just didn't feel like making decisions and trying to find people so this was good. We went and it was really good; then the other elders had a dinner appointment and would have had to take the food home instead of eating there because there wasn't another guy, so I was like do you want us to come. And they were like sure. So we went up. Now this member is one of my favorites. She's always been so nice to me and really likes me. She is older and her kids have moved out and have their own kids. She is very lonely sometimes. We show up and she had all the food ready and packed up. She then saw there were 4 of us and was like, "now you can come in and eat, right?!" So we did and she started crying. She went on to tell us how she had been thinking and kind of praying that Sonrisas (Smiles in Spanish, what she calls me) would come and then I showed up with the other elders. She was so happy to have the company. She was in tears because she knew that this was the Lord answering her prayers and knowing just what she needed. Then because of other circumstances, we ended being in the perfect spot at the perfect time to find the sisters and the English elders and went into a store. Because of that a woman in the store asked us if we were Mormons and we explained a lot and now she is coming to church. It's really amazing how the Lord works and how the Spirit guides without us even realizing it. Everything really does happen for a reason.
Unfortunately something else happened this week, one of the members I'm really close with got arrested and is facing deportation. It's really sad and is really hard for the family. There's was a lot of racism in the arrest and discrimination. It's really awful.
Sadly, we had to drop an investigator this week because he really didn't care anymore and just didn't want to do it anymore. Those are always hard. He was the 16 yr old whose bro was a recent convert whose parents don't know he's a member. Looks like gossip is a big problem here too and that really drove him away. It's really sad and very frustrating for me.
 

April 29

So here's a little view into what's happened.

I dislike when people are naive when they could not be. For example, people will look at the people of other religions and say, I just don't understand how they can follow that, it's ridiculous. I just hate the refusal to accept that people might actually feel the same way and as strongly about their religion and beliefs that we feel about our own.

An interesting thing. There are lots of polygamists here.... haha I'm not even joking. There is a Mormon break off group in the part of Mexico where everyone in this area is from so a lot just come to our church because it's the next best thing since their church isn't here. Hahahahaha, oh goodness. So yes, there are polygamists in my ward hahaha.

May 20

I've had a pretty normal week thought. I've had some amazing lessons and had some irritating moments where I only hear people say really, really dumb things. But something came from it. I was able to realize the real book I want to write when I get back. It is partially inspired from your article and also from the conversations I've had. I'm going to call it The Possibility of Being Wrong. While talking with people, I thought about why it is impossible, or seemingly impossible, for people to understand each other when I came to a realization that it comes down to the inability to accept the possibility that your belief or stance might actually be wrong. Why and really how we do accept [this possibility] and from there truly become able to understand each other. Not just what we believe, but where we all come from, why, and how we believe or "know" these things. Unfortunately I've had to suck up my pride and apply it to myself and it really changes my perspective. So that's the general idea.

Funny story. With the transfer a kid named elder Wayas (super awesome guy) came into our zone. We kinda knew each other but not too much. Anyway, he randomly was like, "so how does it feel to have the entire mission call you David Archuletta?" I was like, "WHAT?" Haha that was the first I'd heard of that. He's like, “yeah, whenever you get up to sing everyone always turns and says, 'there's David Archuletta.” so I thought that was kinda funny and cool.

May 28

This week has been really good. We have been teaching this family from Guatemala and it has been amazing. They are so incredibly nice and awesome. I just love them. I've also had some funny instances. Yesterday we ran into a member from a different ward and she was talking with us. She warned Waidmann about how in the summer that people tend to wear things they shouldn't. I was thinking she meant something like immodest but no. Quote, "Sometimes people wearing things they shouldn't. I look at them and I'm like, 'Oh no, someone call GreenPeace, we got a beached whale here.' I mean, it'd be different if they actually were good to look at." I died of laughter. It was so brilliant. Mainly because I've said to Waidmann, I love and hate summer. I love it because people wear tank tops; I hate it because of that same reason. Some people just should not wear them. I want a good show, not a freak show haha.
Last night we were on a train and this guy goes, "Are you soldiers of Christ!?! Will you pray with me?" He was very gay and very wasted. It was awesome. We prayed with him and talked with him. it was good just very funny. Top line from it, "So are you soldiers like... soldierin' right now?" Haha it was a wonderful night.

Short excerpt from 3/11/13

So, it now takes even longer to get your mail because they still haven't switched my new address and it's all getting sent to my old pad so I get it when Hogge remembers to give it to me.

I taught this really cool family this last week. It's the bishop's less active son. His wife is Catholic and they have a son who goes to a catholic school. Not exactly like us, but enough so that it reminded me of us. It was a really good lesson. We had her crying, me crying, them all laughing asking us when we are going to come back. It was just a very heartwarming experience that reminded me of home.




District volleyball! We had a tournament with our ward!
Me being me.

Email excerpt and pictures from 3/4/13

 Something cool happened this weekend. Our mission got asked to march in the Far Rockaway St Patrick's Day parade last Saturday. We went and wore our suits but with our yellow vests over top. It was a really cool experience. As we walked down the street everyone was cheering for us. It was so nice and amazing. But let me tell you, it was cold! Also, there were three girls who were flat out shiz faced drunk and ran though the huge group of missionaries trying to slap as many butts as they could. It was funny to me and really surprised me when I got spanked randomly. Not complaining, just funny. Of course some people were really awkwarded out by it, but me being myself was totally ok with it and kinda whatever haha. I didn't encourage it, but I didn't freak out. I guess I'm just really unorthodox. :P

My pres is a really good guy and I like him, but he definitely gives me anxiety whenever he talks about obedience and stuff like that. My thing is that I am pretty obedient naturally, but when obedience is brought up it gives me anxiety. That's my only. And of course I miss music. I WANT MY P!NK!

 Anyway, this week has been interesting. I am now living in Coney Island. I'm getting used to my new pool and I'm really liking it. Other than that nothing much is new.

[By the way, family, J.D. always asks about you, especially Grams and Grandpa. I just edit out the personal stuff.--Steve]

At a Dinner Invitation

His NYC "Grandparents"

My first time trying mongu (dominican SO GOOD!)