Rockin' Modesto

hey mom and family.

How are you all doing. I'm pretty much in Mexico.I don't understand anyone and cant read anything. I'm in a Spanish branch in Modesto California. woot woot. it is pretty fun. i got here met president Gonzalez and my companion elder Martinez. they got to know me a bit. and we were off from Fresno to Modesto. we got to our apartment, what i imagined it to be. two small rooms one bathroom and a small kitchen. there are four of us. we are kind of one big companionship but we go out separately my other "comp" is from Peru. Elder Valencia. the last is Elder Krebs he is going to Mexico too. anyway, we went to our appointment with Silvia. she is a recent convert. she speaks English and Spanish but more Spanish. kinda Spanglish. i could understand most of what she said. probably because it was part English. haha. she asked for a blessing and we gave her one then went home. our apartment didn't have electricity that night they hadn't turned it on for us yet. so we planned in the dark with flashlights. and got ready for bed. the next day we visited Nancy a recent convert. i couldn't understand her at all. ya it stressed me out.

next we went to Alejandra and Fransisco's. They are a couple living together they want to get baptized but have to get married first. they are waiting for legal papers to become citizens first. so as soon as that happens they are good to go. Later, we went back to Nancy 's to teach her daughter who was also baptized recently. we could speak English and Spanish with her. i tried mostly in Spanish but when i couldn't i talked a bit in English. we drove around a lot from house to house to our appointments and no one was home big shock. :( not really.

anyway, to continue about my week we taught a man in the hospital, named Molesio, he is a little brain damaged. i couldn't understand him but he wants us to teach his sister. he told his sister to call us and she did. we teach her wed. this week at the hospital with her brother. we are excited. Mari Cruz and Cesar are a family who i met last week who had a baptismal date for Sunday (yesterday) they got married Saturday. i help with that set up clean up what not. then the next day Sunday night they and their 2 daughters that could get baptized got baptized. it was wonderful. i was so happy for them. when they were changing after being baptized me and Elder Krebs, were in charge of giving a lesson. yeah i was freaking out. but we taught about Joseph smith and the book of Mormon and it was all good. oh i also had to get up and tell about myself on Sunday. bear my testimony and what not. that wasn't so bad either.

we found a lady who wanted a copy of finding faith in Christ. (a DVD) we took it to her and she knows quite a bit. (she has nephews that are missionaries) he contacted her and we need to go back to teach her more. I'm excited my companion is making me extend the baptismal date. I'm nervous. i hope i say it right.

every girl likes my blue eyes. it freaks me out a little there is a girl that flirts with me and my companion. he both hate it. i act super awkward when i talk to her. which feels weird because talking to girls isn't hard for me haha. my companion told her she needed to stop it. i was grateful for that. we are going to drop the family of that girl. I'm really sad to do it because well you know. they just aren't keeping commitments or coming to church. it makes me sad.

oh David and Elva have a date we are just waiting for them to get married too. they have an interview with president Jimenez of the branch. then we can finalize the date for them. I'm excited for that.

well i don't have much more to say other then I'm doing my best out here. trying my hardest to learn Spanish. slowly i am starting to understand more and more. but not the pace that i want. oh well i am on the lords time.

i love you all so so much. keep up the good work. keep praying and reading. how is the book of Mormon coming. don't give up please. i love you all.

mom I'm gaining weight again. i am eating so much here. it makes me sick haha.

I'm doing good. don't worry about me just pray.

i love you

love your son and brother,

Elder Taylor Paskett