Service, Investigators...and more Service

So my week was so good ! We have so many amazing investigators !

Monday we played district sports after sending our emails (editors note: mine by the way, was WAY too short!) and then we went to FHE at our Bishop's house. 

On Tuesday we did some service for a family that are a little less active. They were kinda rude, but well, service is service :)
That night we started our first Book of Mormon class for our investigators and it was really good. One of our 16 year old investigators, Veronica, came and loved it. 
Wednesday we had a big service project at the Senior Centre preparing food for a big function they had. We then did some more service for the less active family and this time, both my companion and I were shocked to see how bad they actually were acting. They just don't care about anything, but again, service is service. 

I mentioned earlier the less active man we've been helping. His name is Jared and we have started to teach his non-member girlfriend. She wants to be baptized but she is living with Jared and that's the issue. But I think we have come up with some good solutions and we hope that she will be baptized before April. It looks like that might just happen :)

The new haircut 

On Thursday we had our district meeting and I got a hair cut by another Elder. It's short but I like it lots. We did more service today, picking fruit from one of the member's fruit trees from her backyard. There were oranges, tangerines and grapefruit. 

Cool lizard Elder Routledge found 

The little bugs here are driving me crazy though ! There are so many bugs here in Cali and they like to crawl on humans and bite you. It's so annoying, but I love it. The heat is getting crazy though, like 80's and 90's but summers are like 110 so I hope I am not in Fillmore during the summer (should we tell him we've had -15 weather here??) 

Thursday night we had exchanges, where you get a whole new companion for 24 hours. It was so good. I had Elder Lee. He is so great, I just love him !!

Supper made by Elder Routledge

During our exchange on Friday we did service at the Senior Centre for a few hours preparing food, then they took us out to lunch. I had a heaping plate of strawberry pancakes. (I may need to tell him THIS is why he's gaining weight!). 

The rest of the day was beautiful and then that evening we got 3 new investigators, taught 4 lessons and 2 member lessons, did 3 hours of service and then met with the family I talked about last time. 
Everyone in that family wants to be baptized !! (They just want to know a bit more first). The 9 year old boy said he dreams about Jesus and that Jesus tells him he is doing the right thing. The dad, Robert, said he does not have a desire to drink or smoke anymore and the spirit brought him to tears and if you saw this man, you would not think that he would ever cry. The other son is jumping for joy because we invited him to mutual. This whole family is just great !

Scripture Study...and selfies !!

Afterwards, on the way to Ventura, Elder Lee and I had a great talk and the spirit was just great. 

On Sunday, one of the Elders was able to baptize his dad while he was on a business trip. There was an exception made to see his dad so he could baptize him, so I was thinking, get Scott down here so I can baptize him haha. It was so good and it just reminded me of baptizing dad. I am reading 'Our Heritage' and there is a quote by Joseph Smith when his dad is baptized. It says" Praise to my God that I have lived to see my own father baptized into the True Church of Jesus Christ". 

Stay strong and know that I am loving it here and I have never been so happy in my life. Love you all. Muah. Talk to you later. 

Shirt made for Elder Routledge by an investigator