I don't have a lot of time right now so this is going to be quick. I hope you all had a great Father's Day weekend. Things in Delano are going really well. We spent a lot of time with Rustum and Amerika last week. Rustum is such a great guy. A couple of weeks ago we set him with a date for baptism for the 27th of June and he is really committed to being baptized this coming Saturday. It has been awesome to be able to teach him. Over a year ago I remember that dinner when we taught him his very first missionary lesson. It is amazing to have seen him then and to see him now. In just a year he got married, had a baby girl, has developed a love for the Savior and is committed to follow Him. It is just so great to see. They are all so happy. Amerika and her family are all members and Amerika's dad has done so much to help. They are all so excited for Rustum. It is really so amazing to watch his conversion. We are pumped for this Saturday!
This week we were asked to pass by the church to turn on the water in the baptismal font so that it would be ready for a baptism. So we stopped by the church and when we opened the doors to the font, it was filled with roaches! It was pretty gross, but we figured out a way to get them all out. That is one thing I really don't like about California that I never noticed about Michigan. There are roaches everywhere! So we got the font cleaned up and then the Bishop had to call a plumber because I guess the cockroaches come up through a drain in the font. So that was a fun time!
We made a lot of visits to all of our friends in Delano this week. Jamie is doing great! She has come to church a couple of times, but has never been able to stay for Primary, which is a bummer because that is where she could meet a lot of the girls her age and make new friends. This week we invited her to a swimming activity the Primary was having and she came! It was really great. She made a bunch of new friends her age and when she came to church this week, she stuck around for Primary. I am so happy she wanted to stay.
Adrian is doing great. He is a super cool kid. He always texts us and asks when we are going to come by to teach him. He is such a fun kid to be around. Adrian and his mom are so good to us. They are always inviting us over for dinner. They treat us just like family and I love them.
All of our other investigators and people we visit are doing well. We keep being led to new people to teach, which has been really cool. We met the Espinoza family this week. When we knocked on the door, a lady answered and said, "There you are!" Hearing that when someone opens the door is always a good sign. I guess missionaries used to visit them and they loved what they taught, but all of a sudden they just stopped visiting them. We have no records for them at all so we are not sure what happened. They seem like a really great family and we are going to visit them again this week.
I really love serving in Delano. It is hot, but I think I am getting used to it. When people heard I was getting sent to Delano back in April, everyone would say, "Oh…. Good luck!" I guess the area had a bad reputation in the past, but I love it here. There is nowhere else I would rather be. I haven't been here too long, but I love these people. It has been a privilege to serve them and get to know them. I am excited to meet more people here in the time I have left in this town.
Well I hope you all have a great week. I sure will! We get to go to Los Angeles on Wednesday to go to the temple. I am really looking forward to it. I am so happy here in the hot, hot town of Delano. I miss you guys, but I am doing great. Take good care.
Much Love,
Elder Chad Thompson