This week we tracted a lot in the ghetto and the best part is we are almost out of miles in our car so we got to walk around everywhere. I've been in the ghetto a lot of times, but this week I think we were in the most ghetto of all the places I have been in my entire life. I enjoy walking the ghettos. You experience so many funny people and have some of the weirdest conversations - probably because everyone is completely high or completely wasted or most likely both. Good thing for the word of wisdom!
If I wasn't a missionary I would probably be scared out of mind to be walking through parts of this city, but as a missionary, I really have no fears because one, I trust that God will watch over us and two, all the people love us. We are like celebrities in the hood. We just smile and wave and have no worries on our faces at all because we are as they say "The Jesus People."
A funny experience this week was that we just arrived to a new area and in our car we said a prayer and no kidding in the middle of the prayer we hear 6 gunshots so I opened my eyes looked around and saw nothing and then went back to my prayer and said "please protect us and watch over us." Good ol' Milwaukee.
This week the highlight is that we had the opportunity to go down to Oshkosh for the Hmong tournament held there. All, but 1 of the Hmong Elders was able to go! I love the Hmong brotherhood! It's cool to see how close we have all gotten in the last 22 months. We are super good friends which is fun and a great blessing because there is no such thing as a bad companion for us in Hmong work.
At the tournament, there were so many Hmong people. We got a brief glimpse of a foreign mission of being to street contact and talk to so many people. It was legit! Other than that we ran into a few members from some of my past areas, we walked around the merchandise booths to find souvenirs, got sunburned really bad, and even had an experience were Elder Parker and I were video recorded with a legit video recording camera. He walks over to us and it was like an interview that you see on the news. Just asking us all these questions in Hmong. It was pretty cool! So maybe we will be famous on YouTube or something someday haha.
The funniest thing that happened at the tournament was a mother was walking with her kids and she sees us in our white shirts and ties and tells her kids these white guys know how to speak Hmong. She then speaks Hmong to us and we speak back and her kids were just mind blown. Her kids then wanted to take a picture with us. I wish I had it because it was super funny, but at least I have the memory of being a famous celebrity for 30 seconds.
Monday we had interviews with our Mission President which is why my P-day is today. Anyways this is President and Sister Williams last transfer before they go home so Elder Lamb and I thought it would be super cool to make him Pho! So we did that and not to be prideful or anything, but he said it was one the best bowls of pho he has ever had, if not the best. So... Yeah it was pretty good haha.
It was a great last interview and last way to show our gratitude for all that President and Sister Williams have done for us these past 22 months because it really has been a wonderful past 22 months and I wouldn't change it for anything!
Love,
Elder Rich
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| Making President Williams Pho |
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| Hmong elders at the Hmong tournament |
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| totally soaked |
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| Pretty Wisconsin |
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| Picture with my district before transfers |
