Stories and Thoughts: Area 2: Refineria II

Time in Refineria: 7½ months
They called the sisters' ward in Apopa "Refineria" because there is a sugar refinery nearby. Of all places in my mission, I definitely learned the most in Apopa. It would be impossible to mention here all the people and events that had a formative impact on my testimony and my character. With the benefit of hindsight, I can now sincerely say I appreciate every single good and bad thing that happened to me in this place. They have helped make me the person I am today. God truly does have a perfect plan for our lives.
Companions: Hna Escalante (3 months), Hna Infanzon (4½ months)
Honorary Companions: Hna Cano (4½ months), Hna Huamani (7½ months)
And a very selected list of stories...

Christmas in El Salvador
Christmas on the mission is mostly just business as usual, except missionaries tend to spend more time with members because very few investigators agree to have a lesson on such a big holiday. The Salvadoreños celebrate mostly on Dec 24, staying up most of the night shooting off fireworks and partying. Hna Escalante and I spent most of that day with some of our favorite people ever--the Argueta family. They were a big, wonderful family who was just returning to full-time church activity. We visited them often to strengthen them as much as we could. The two older daughters, Yanira and Yanet, went out visiting with us several times a week. Yanet in particular was a special friend to Hna E and me.

For Christmas, we brought a large piñata filled with candy and the Argueta family put on some traditional Salvadoreño Christmas music. (It was nothing like any Christmas music I'd ever heard. It was very upbeat and Latin-y, and didn't have lyrics--it was instrumental.) Pedro (the youngest brother) shot off fireworks while the rest of us talked, laughed, and ate El Salvador's traditional Christmas food, panes con pollo.

How we met Cristian
Cristian was one of those ready-in-six-weeks miracles. He had suffered many afflictions in his past that prepared him to accept the message of the restored Gospel, and he worked harder than almost any other investigator I ever had to be able to get baptized on the date we challenged him to.

We knew him by sight for a long time before we even thought to try contacting him. He drove one of the buses to the Colonia Los Angeles. One day, after recognizing us as Mormon missionaries, he plugged in his mp3 player to the bus' stereo and played a Ricardo Arjona song, "Jesus: Verbo no Sustantivo," in which one of the lines claims that Mormons have nothing better to do so they made up a lie that drinking coffee is sinful. As we were getting off the bus in Los Angeles, Hna E had the brilliant idea to leave a Word of Wisdom pamphlet with Cristian with a note that said: "If you ever want to know the real reason why we don't drink coffee, feel free to ask us." And the very next time we saw him, he did. The rest is history.

A Missionary Paradise/The Baptism of Hna Infanzon's Dad
"Refineria 2 feels like a whole new area, now that I'm seeing it anew through Hna Infanzon's eyes. I'm remembering how I thought I was in missionary paradise when I first came because of how willing the members are to work with us con todo. ... President called us tonight. He asked me how I was and stuff, but it was really Hna I he wanted to talk to. He told her her dad is GETTING BAPTIZED on March 8 and Hna I has permission to watch it live via Skype! Hna I started crying and repeating, 'That's so cool. That's so cool.' Then she thanked President and hung up.

"It's a true privilege to be Hna I's companion at this key moment of her life. Of her dad's life. It's a testimony to both of us of how the Lord works. Hna I has worked her whole life to help her dad accept the gospel. He had to give up what sounds like varios vicios... but at 59 years of age he did it, and he's getting baptized!" (Journal 2, 22 Feb 2014)

"False Prophet" on the Bus
"Funny quick story from yesterday. As we were on the ruta 109 to re-exchange companions in the 5 de noviembre, I started talking to the woman sitting next to me in the bus and it became a very involved conversation. She told me how years past, Mormon missionaries had visited her regularly and that she really liked what they taught. I pulled out a folleto of L1 (La Restauración) and was testifying about how the restored gospel blesses families when a preacher stood up with a Bible in hand and started to shout at the people on the bus.

"That kind of thing happens often in El Salvador, and I just ignored him as I talked with the woman. After we got off at the stop, Hna Dumay asked if I had realized the bus preacher stood right next to me and the woman and repeated pointedly, 'Falsa profeta,' calling me a false prophet.

"I started laughing and asked Hna Dumay if she was serious. (She was.) I didn't notice a thing! I was so involved in the conversation, the things the preacher was saying just became white noise. :)

"Funny story, huh? This was quite the eventful intercambio..." (Journal 2, 23 Mar 2014)

28 Nov 2013--Daniel's baptism
Hno Burgos, a couple the other companionship taught, Daniel, Hna Vasquez, Hno Vasquez, Fatima, Opisbo Flores

Dec 2013--Hna Escalante and me

Dec 2013--Día de Navidad with zona Apopa at President's House

Celina, Hna Escalante, me, Hna Rosa, Roberto :)

20 Dec 2013--Zulma's baptism!

Hna Escalante, Levi, Zulma, Rosa (Zulma's aunt), me

21 Dec 2013--Rosa's baptism!

Her brother Jaime drove up from San Salvador to baptize her

25 Dec 2013--Yaneth, Jenifer, Hna Escalante, Magaly, Pedro, me

Magaly and Jenifer

9 Jan 2014--An Introspective Doodle

25 Jan 2014--Cristian's Baptism!

Hna Escalante and I with Hna Rosa

El Castillo, close to Colonia Los Angeles

January 2014--The Chaparrastique Volcano in San Miguel erupted. All missionaries in the area were immediately evacuated. It caused a scare and let off a lot of smoke and ash but never actually spurted lava. I wasn't anywhere close when it went off. After things calmed down, the missionaries returned to work there.