Many Names

Sorry, there's not a whoooole lot to talk about this week! It was just
packed with a 3 zone conferences in a row (meaning Meet the Mormons
three more times. By the third, we just sat and talked with President
and Sister Reeder while the missionaries watched the movie), and some
follow up training for the new missionaries that arrived 4 weeks ago
and their trainers, and they all seem to be doin just great! Then of
course the best part of the week was Ariel's baptism on Friday.
President and Sister Reeder came, and seemed to enjoy themselves.
Ariel gave an awesome testimony at the end, recounting his ups and
downs in life with his family, drugs, work, and a bunch of other
stuff. He was ready and it all went great. We ended the night by
attending the wedding reception for one of the members in our ward.
And we got some free food so that was a bonus. Sunday we lucked out
because Ariel got his 18 year old daughter to come to church, and she
hasn't been too open to us up to this point, but this could be a great
beginning for her. And then Tupe came again! We didn't even have time
to visit Tupe over the week, but he still came and it was great. After
church we presented the Because He Lives video to the ward to try and
get them excited and involved. We'll see how that goes...
But that just about sums up the week. I also got my package, and it's
great so thanks again for that! Mom, Happy Birthday this week! I love
you so much and I'm excited to go hang in Newport when we get back!
And to get Torben off your back haha. I love you all and hope you have
a great Holy Week, because we will be shut in with all the craziness
happening this week! (We almost got trapped by a huge procession of
Catholics marching down the street with a float with Christ and a
cross on it. We barely made it to the car and got out of there in
time, or we would have been there for who knows how long...haha)
Oh, last thing. Because Anika included a list of the names she's
picked up, I thought I would add my own (Some of these are almost the
same, because Filipinos often get B and V mixed up...):
Elder Van, Ban, Von, Bon, Boerum, Van Bo Ehrum, Ban Bweroom, Van
Voroom, Van Buko, Spicy, Kwan, Elder Ano Iyan (What's that), Vanny
Pacquiao, Van Broom Broom, Elder Marlboro (I feel like this last one
needs an explanation. Our recent converts son has some sort of mental
disorder, like a psychosis or something, to small degree. He's also a
chain smoker. We talk to him a lot to try and help him out. Well, he's
never been able to remember my name, so the closest thing he could
think of to Van Boerum is Marlboro... don't know why.). There's others
too, but I can't remember them all.