Week 60, Snow Storm Hercules, Less-Actives, and the Gas Station Story.

We have had some crazy weather! It has dropped into the single digits and snow storm Hercules brought lots of snow. We shoveled for lots of church members and then went around their neighborhoods and helped everyone else who was outside. It was a lot of fun. Everyone thought we were crazy for shoveling snow all day, but I just told them that I am from Arizona and I will never have an opportunity shovel snow ever again! My back was dead the next day though!

We seem to finding less-active members who are not even in the ward's records everywhere. One was a miracle! Walter was a media referral who wanted a bible. He came to church and enjoyed it and we gave him the requested materials. A few days later he says that he thinks he might actually be a member if this church. He said I either had a dream or I was baptized a long time ago. We this last Sunday we got his information and while we were teaching him, the other Elders walked in saying that the ward found his record! Walter was so happy that he was really was indeed a member of the church. He was baptized in 1979 at the age of 19. He does remember lots of random things about the church in Peru. We also located another at a rehab center we were at and she was baptized a few years ago in Parkslope, but lives on Staten Island and really misses church she says so we will contact her tonight. Then we got another lady's full name and date of birth to get records moved into the ward. They are just coming from everywhere! I think the Lord knows that there a few families that are moving out of the ward soon.

Donald Meehallage received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday! He was very excited and very well prepared for it as well. We has been taking it very seriously and is going to be such a huge help to the ward. We are taking him to the temple this week as well! We are very excited to take him of course! He is very excited as well. He attends every week, even if the roads are icy and it is 10 degrees and half the ward doesn't show up.

Here is the crazy story for the week: We needed some gas so we went with the other Elders since we lost our gas card. Donald's gas station was crazy! ( Donald works at this gas station) There were people racing in front of each other to get their fuel. Donald had us pull up to another gas pump that he blocked off to keep the crowd under control. So I filled our car up and that started all the trouble. One guy was mad that I was able to go right up and another guy was yelling that I was filling up my own gas (there are some gas stations that you can't fill up your own tank, they are full serve pumps) then they started yelling at Donald. Donald then nicely yelled back that they are missionaries and it is OK (which I thought was awesome and I was just thinking "Yeah, what he said!". Then my conscience kicked in and I felt so bad. Donald told us to just come up while we were waiting in line, so I just did what he said! So then I was like - Donald go to the other pump and I will start filling people up on this pump. So I filled up a few gas tanks so Donald could refocus. I felt so bad for him! Tons of crazy stuff. I probably broke some rules there. I wasn't thinking right, haha! I told one guy that we were part of the company and stop freaking out, which worked! It was quite funny! I really am obedient don't worry!

So we met with all the Fernando families in one setting and we felt prompted to talk about scripture study for one of them in particular. It went really well and we also found out that it was that person's New Years resolution to have deeper scripture studies. We also had the chance to just talk with them about their culture and such. They taught us how to say lots of phrases and such. They told us said at times they accent Honedi (hone die=good) sounding like honediiiii. Then Elder Legere is like that is why Donald always says gooood. And good good good. It was just so funny to realize that, and it just started a whole hysterical conversation about pronunciation of both English and Sinhalese. It was so funny. I would try to pronounce words in Sinhalese and they would laugh at how bad I did and such. It was such a funny experience. When ever I see someone from Sri Lanka I hunt them down and say what Sinhalese I know to them :D.

Well I have to get going now! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,
Elder Hooper

 This is what Snow Storm Hercules left for New York so far.

 The view out my apartment window.

 New Years Resolutions and Donald Meehallage.

Needs no explaining!