If you would like a documentary on my life, please refer to "The Best Two Years", pay close attention to the dorky new Elder Calhoun who doesn't know a thing. Yep.
But WOW! The field is so cool! I love being here in Van Nuys, California! It's really been an adventure. There is so much that has happened to me since I got here, don't even know where to start. But a very good place to start is the beginning, probably there.
I got to cali and the AP's and mission president treated us to a hotel stay and many hours of sleep because of our jet lag! Ha I laid there in a big queen, thinking "a mission isn't so bad! What's everyone talking about?" I was so young back then. We had transfer meeting the next day at a church, which was fun and funny because they conducted it like a game show! I won the prize of my great new trainer, Elder Durrant. He's a champ. Really nice, pretty quiet. Great singer. Great trainer. He only just finished his own training, so the mission president must really think a lot of him. I was so dependent on him for those first few days, like a newborn or something. I mean, I still am, but not like "Elder, is it okay if open the fridge? Elder, where are we? Elder, how do you say this? Elder, where are we?" Haha I actually still ask questions like those.
Being trained is really fun! I love being here and learning. You can learn so much here, way more than MTC. I absolutely loved the MTC, but they shelter you. You gotta get out in the world and have some doors in your face! It's the only way to learn humility. I thought our apartment was really bad when I first walked in, but like you said Shaylee, I've learned to appreciate it real quick. Welcome to the land of one-ply toilet paper and kitchen's smaller than Harry Potter's cupboard. I'm sorry,I make it sound like I'm bitter. I LOVE THIS MISSION and everything about it, the ups and the downs. "We are the Great California San Fernando Mission, and we baptize!" Every day we get up, I eat maybe some oatmeal, or I've made some egg/mcmuffin type sandwhiches (I am an EXPERT cook. Not really but I try) we do an hour of personal, companion, language, and "the first 12 weeks" study. 12 weeks really helps. I've learned a lot about really, REALLy studying. There's a difference between reading and feasting, Studying and learning, Teaching and bringing the spirit, respectively.
I loved something Elder Holland once said. he said that why would we (missionaries) wonder why it is so hard, when it was NEVER easy for jesus? Christ, the very one whose word we are teaching, had the hardest time of all. I am loving to learn to be more humble and teachable.
We already had some investigators and stuff, when I came, so YAY. There is a less active named Victor, and a investigator named Amber who live right next to each other. They are both so cool. They both speak perfect english, so that's a blessing. Amber is very pregnant, so needs a lot of help. Poor lady is moving, and can't fit her furniture in the storage unit, so we helped her get rid of ALL of it. Sad. But teaching her is fun and very spiritual. She's made some mistakes (hence her pregnancy), but really feels the love of Christ and wants to change.
Contacting on the street: I thought I hated it at first, but it's actually a lot of happiness at the end of the day. Every day, from 4-6 we do "knockout", which is two hardcore hours of finding and teaching on the street. My spanish was shy at first, but I've learned to just talk and make the mistakes, who cares? For the fifth sunday, all the missionaries gave talks. SCARY. But it went well. I got so many compliments later this week on how good they thought my spanish was! I also played a musical number in church which was a lot of fun. I'm gonna play for a zone training meeting tomorrow.
I don't have time for my 1,001 stories. But i'll write about the mission conference we had. I am LUCKY to be here, they only have them every six months or so. At a church the whole mission showed up, and Elder Hamula (Hemula?) of the seventy talked to us for a LONG time. It was so fun. We got fed lunch, and had a Q and A session. Really spiritual. Elder Hamula is a cool guy.
Alright better get going, thanks for the emails and stuff! I love being out here on a mission. The language will get better, it just takes some faith. Challenge: smile at a random person in a public place and see what happens.
LOVE from Elder Parkisimo Wilcox
My humble abode. It is Glorious!!
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