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Thanksgiving Stuffing; Illness; Queen of the South; and Creepy Driving

I've been out of town for 2 weeks, so I am just now posting Jackson's last two e-mails.  I have some photos I can add as well.

This week has been a lot shorter and felt like it kinda didn't even happen.

Thanksgiving went by really fast and it was super fun and tasty. We first played a turkey bowl where there were four teams, 3 of which were wards and the other was a team of just missionaries. Of course the odds were in our favor to win, but we didn't but we atlas came in second so there's that. After the turkey bowl we were super tired and our first appt didn't start until 2 so we took a nice long nap until then. Then we drove over to where they were having a nice big party with a bunch of members and non members alike. The food there was great and I also stuffed myself and regretted it after elder Gerardo reminded me we have another dinner we have to eat at. We then went over to our other appt where I ate an even larger meal there. So I was quite full the rest of the night. Then we visited a member just to say hey, didn't eat anything over there thankfully.

Friday I woke up super sick. But I didn't really say anything and kinda kept on keeping on with the day. We had a lesson with a less active where we found out her crazy past. I'm not sure how much I can say, because of confidenciality plus I'll probably get on some FBI lists but it just has to do something with one of her family members being the biggest drug dealer/cartel leader in the south, so much so to be nicknamed the Queen of the South. So that was pretty mind blowing, especially since we go and see them quite a bit. We also made up a plan for light the world that day where we can use it for a new non threatening finding tactic. By the night I was really weak and just not doing well at all though so elder Gerardo kinda figured out that I was pretty dang sick

Saturday I woke up sicker than the day before. But I had to drive elder Gerardo to a district leader meeting so I did that and then that went on for a long time and by the time they were done I wasn't doing well at all. We then went to lunch where I tried to have conversations but I couldn't string words together very well. So we went back home and I took a nap from 2 to 9. Then woke up took some nyquil and went back to sleep.

Sunday I woke up and was doing a bit better but still was feeling pretty down. But we still went to church you know since we basically run everything. Plus Shellie came to church this week. So that made me feel a bit better. Then we spoke in primary about how to prepare to be a missionary. Then after that was the rest of church. Then we had dinner. And we visited a member and some former investigators to show them the light the world video. And then we came home and I fell asleep again. 

Today we can't do much since we only have 60 miles left for the week and we average about 60 miles a day, so we are staying put for today. 

Driving in south Carolina is pretty nerve-wracking.  Drivers down here just don't care and will cut you off at any given moment. Especially the big pickup trucks with confederate flags waving on the back. Besides the drivers driving at night is the creepiest thing in the entire world, since I have yet to see one street besides the city of Columbia that has streetlights. So you are surrounded by forests on both sides in the pitch black. Your mind can only wonder about what is lurking in the forests and what you should do if we round a corner on a dirt road and a clown is standing there in the middle of the road. Both me and my companion decided that we would just mow him down. But besides that driving is really fun down here. 

Chapter 4, 8, and 9 is being changed in preaching my gospel and I'm not exactly sure what is changing in the white handbook.

That is pretty much it, I didn't really spend a whole lot of time this week being homesick since I was actually sick but maybe that is better, I don't know. 

Thank you all and love y all 

Elder Bertoch 

Monday Zone Conference - Wednesday P-day

I thought it was pretty cool that his Spanish is coming along better and that he even gave a talk in the Spanish branch.

Okay this week has been really long since we had to stretch out the whole pday thing so I don't remember much from the beginning of last week but I'll try my best.

Monday we had a ward noche do hogar or family home evening, where there was a lot of food and a really good spiritual thought shared by our second counselor. After all of the spiritual stuff was done we played soccer with the youth where my team was brutally murdered. And I was absolutely no help so there's that too.

Tuesday I had my first really good lesson where my Spanish was super understandable and the teaching flow was pretty good. So I was pretty hyped the rest of the day and then we also taught a less active and got them really hyped to coming back to church and getting their kids back on the right path. I know that the lord has really blessed me with learning the Spanish and that with my work and faith in him I can nail down this language. 

Wednesday we had a meeting in the morning so they could put in a new driving safety box where we got absolutely rebuked for driving terribly and everything, especially my companion, since he gets quite a bit of aggressive drivings. We also had another lesson with Shellie where I had the best meal I have had on my mission yet, it was so good that I completely neglected to take a picture of it. Plus we got an invite for Thanksgiving from them. 

Thursday we went out home teaching with a member and was unable to see a single member so the member just made fun of the fact that I couldn't roll my rs the entire time.

Friday not much happened.

Saturday not much happened

Sunday I gave a talk in church about Thanksgiving giving that seemed to go alright. Everyone was smiling and such so that's good I guess. Everything else went well and then we saw two less Actives, got a Thanksgiving invite from one of them. Plus Shellie didn't come to church since she was bailing someone out of jail. 

Monday was zone conference which was all about being yourself and talking about all the pilot programs that we are starting. There are changes coming to preach my gospel, the white handbook, and the mission presidents handbook.  So that zone conference was really good. We saw Shellie again, really committed her to coming to church this time. 

Tuesday we helped out this sweet old lady that is super deaf. We organized a bunch of her pinata making stuff and fixed her door. Then later in the day she fed us some super good dinner. 

Today I have started driving since my companions license expired today. We did our district light the world video, and now we are playing basketball. 

That is all love you guys. 

Elder Bertoch 

Ups and Downs

Monday our team won at bowling twice so that was cool, I at least broke 100 once so that's cool too.

Tuesday not much happened we went out to lunch with the new elders in the district where some members paid for us so that was super cool. We also got a new investigator, but didn't really teach her much since she just went on and on about her immigration story. We also had English classes where we had people turn out for the first time since I've been here. And that was that day.

Wednesday we had another lesson with shellie where not much happened and we also had a lesson with someone that we were just about to drop since we hadn't been able to teach them for awhile. We were even debating not going that day but we felt as if we should so we did. And we were able to teach them and it was a really good lesson that put them back on track to being able to be baptized.

Thursday we saw a recent convert and had a good lesson with him, plus we had a lesson with a member family and got them all hyped about missionary work.

Friday we had apartment inspections which we passed with flying colors, we also had another lesson with shellie which we really pushed the importance of going to church this Sunday since she had to in order to be baptized. We had English classes again this day where we also had people come so that was cool again.

Saturday was the worst day since I've been here, we went to see 7 different people and everyone that we saw wasn't home or didn't let us in, so we went about 100 miles that day without teaching a single lesson so that was just great.

Sunday then topped Saturday for the worst day of my mission. Shellie didn't come to church which means her baptism is going to be pushed back to December 9th since she's out of town the next two weeks. But saying that the rest of church went well, it was our branch presidents birthday so we had a party after church which was super fun. Then we tried the exact same people from Saturday night and we got in with one and had a good lesson with them.

Today we started our insanity workout since last week was the last of our eating out and everything. Insanity is literally Satan. And to top it off after insanity we went and played basketball for 3 hours, which I got the winning 3 on one of the games thank you very much. Now we are bowling again since it is the cheapest thing to do around here.

I also saw my first cotton field. So that was cool. 

Down to two

Okay so another week has passed by with one less person tagging along with me. Life without elder hill has been weird but it feels more normal to be with just one person now.

On to the week. Monday went as normal, we had a lesson with Shellie again which went well as always, and we also had a family home evening with one of the members and her investigator brother. That was really fun, the member is really sweet and funny and may try to contact mom at some point and be best friends with her, don't worry though she speaks perfect English.

Tuesday was elder hills last day in West Columbia and also Halloween. To wish elder hill goodbye our branch president took us and the hermanas in the branch out to lunch. We had a good time there laughing and talking about all sorts of stuff. Then we taught one lesson then went back to the apartment for lockdown. Lockdown was fun since we had the other elders in the complex over and did a bunch of stuff with them.

Wednesday was the day of transfers. In the morning we went to the transfer spot and waited for it to start. I met a bunch of other missionaries in the mission there, as well as said goodbye to a couple that I had known at least a little. Then when transfers started we learned that elder hill would be going up to Spartanburg with an elder who just barely got out of training. So that was a fun time. Later that day we had another lesson and a lot of cancellations.

Thursday was filled with a lot of knocking and the most walking I have done since I have been here. We just parked the car and started walking up and down a street filled with trailer parks and found a lot of different potential families. So that was cool, we didn't teach anyone that day though.

Friday, I taught a lesson by myself to máximo which went really well.  I talked so he could understand me and I understood him a lot better. We also had a lesson with our investigator on date as well.

Saturday we had service in the morning and had a lot of finding in the afternoon.

Sunday was a normal church day. A lot of people shared some really good testimonies about the book of mormon and a had a lot more conversations with the members than normal. My Spanish is finally getting a lot better. We also had another lesson with our person on date since she didn't come to church, but it was for a good reason.  We also move her baptismal date up since the family she lives with was planning to be gone over Thanksgiving. So she is now getting baptized on the 18th. Which is cool.

Today we are planning to go bowling so that will be a lot of fun.

Anyway I think that does it

Love you all,

Elder Bertoch