Week 14 - Oildale

The weather has been looking less polluted, but about once a week our neighbor smokes weed and it gets all over our apartment. The first night Elder Chamberlain and I both woke up with headaches and burned eyes because it was just so thick.

Our town has the Highest pollution in the US.

We tract in a town called Oildale, a town literally in the top 10 most dangerous and ghetto cities in the US. It also has the Highest teen pregnancy rate and a high murder and drugs rate. I think going to Woodlawn has prepared me for that kind of stuff, though. It is very interesting to see the kind of stuff that goes on in Oildale, and it is very ghetto. 

When we knock on a door, this is what happens:

*Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock

*Door opens

"Hello?"

"Hello, how are you doing?"

"Fine"

"That's awesome. Well, we're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we're in the area to share a message about Jesus Christ to people who might need more peace in their lives, want stronger families, or just want to know more about God. Do you know anyone who might need this message?"

"Well, everyone needs that message". 

"Do you think you could benefit from this message?"

"Yeah, what's it about?"

"Well, first, God is our loving Heavenly Father...."

My favorite food is tamales! Have you ever had them? They are really good.

I love talking to people about Jesus Christ.

If I look out my window, I see a big tree, and a street called Real Road. Speaking of that, there is a street called Easy Street in Oildale, but as you might imagine, it probably isn't the one from Annie.

On clearer days, you can see the mountains. There is a ski resort in our mission, a place where it actually snows.

Our investigators are pretty cool. Our big investigator is Eddie and his family, and we have really high hopes for him. He has finally started reading the Book of Mormon, and is taking notes and questions that we'll hopefully answer tonight.

We picked up a family, and the father is just messed up a little. He smoke weed for many years, and just has no idea about who Christ really is and is proud about what he does know to where he won't take any other knowledge, and we're trying to help him with that. His wife is the sweetest lady though. If not married to him, she would be baptized, I think. We're working on them though.

Juan says he feels uncomfortable about leaving his Catholic religion and doesn't want to join the Church, but he hasn't kept any of our commitments either, and that's what he needs to do. 

I got sheets and a blanket when I first came in. 

What I eat every day is, after showering, honey bunches of oats with fairlife chocolate milk, and for lunch I have eggo waffles with nature valley bars with chocolate milk, and dinner often depends on if we have members feed us. But I also drink chocolate milk.

Something happy this week is that Elder Vellvehr and Elder Jacobson set up a lesson plan for devout Christians that will definitely help.

Something sad from this week is that Kim, one of our recent converts, had her appendix taken out, and we're not sure where she's living, possibly with her boyfriend.

Something funny was that as we were walking to an investigator, we saw a home with a home-made sign that said, spelled exactly like the following "BEWEAR OF DOGS!"... I love Oildale.

Something challenging is that Jose has a super strong belief in the Trinity and says "Are there three Gods? No, just the one." We're working on that, though. 

I love bearing my testimony of Jesus Christ the most.

It can be hard to plan things out for the day.

There are many Hispanic families in the ward who feel super terrified about Donald Trump, and some couldn't go to church.

It was a great week this week!!! I left my camera at the apartment a half hour away, but I have this week's and next week's pictures next week.

I bear my testimony that fasting changes lives and brings miracles!! 

I love you all,

Love,

Elder Daniel Jacob Sant

"Go and Do"