I hope you are having a great week. We don't have a ton of time for emailing this week, so this is going to be kind of quick. One of the other Spanish Elders here in Delano, Elder Ackermann is going home tomorrow so we have to do some last minute running around to get him ready to go. We got our transfer calls this weekend and I will be staying in Delano with Elder Tapia! I can't believe this will be my third companion that I will be killing off. Elder Tapia goes home in six weeks. I am excited to be with him as he finishes his mission. We're going to work really hard for his last transfer. It is currently 110 so I'm not crazy about staying in this Delano heat, but I am happy to stay in Delano for another transfer because there are some really great people here.
This week has been great. I am not sure if I have mentioned it yet, but last week on P-Day we got permission to go and visit Wasco and Shafter. That was my first area and Elder Ackermann and Elder Tapia both served there as well. It was a really fun little trip. We visited some of my favorite families in California like the Perazas and Fernandez. It was so cool to see them again and catch up. I really miss that place. That is where it all started for me and those families were always so great and patient with me and my gringo Spanish. Elder Tapia and I stopped by to see Henry and Henry Jr., the people Elder Ruelas and I found and taught and then Elder Tapia baptized, but they weren't home. We did find Iris though. It was so fun to see her. She was such a great lady. When I was in Shafter she had 13 kids and now she has 15! She had twins since I left. She is doing great, but said that ever since Elder Ruelas and I left she hasn't let any other missionaries in because she said it just wasn't the same. We convinced her to let the new Elders visit her so we are going to refer her to them.
This week Rustum and Amerika had their baby! We had an appointment with them on Friday and we called to confirm, but nobody answered. We stopped by their house and Amerika's mom was just leaving to the hospital and told us that Amerika was in labor. We are so happy for them. There were some complications so they are holding her in the hospital for now, but for the most part both mother and daughter are doing great. They named their baby girl Keira. We are going to stop by later this week and we are excited to meet her. It must be such a cool time in their lives, with the birth of their new baby girl and with Rustum getting ready to be baptized. I'm really happy for this sweet family.
This week we visited most of our investigators and had some great lessons. Jamie is doing well, but she was in Los Angeles this week, visiting her Dad. We spent a lot of time in the hot California sun knocking those doors. We found some cool people who we are excited to go back and visit this transfer. So one of my good friends in the mission, Elder Ackermann is going home tomorrow. He is going home with a huge group of missionaries. Between this transfers and next, about 50 missionaries will be going home. This mission is fairly new. It is two years old, so all of the missionaries who came in to get the mission going will be going home in the next six weeks. Companionships will have to cover larger areas. I expect next transfer there may just be one Delano Spanish area.
I am doing really well. I am excited for six more weeks here. I may not love the heat, but I love the people. Great things are happening here in Delano and I am happy to be a part of it. I love you all and I thank you for all of the support! The good people at the post office know me well now and go and grab my mail and packages each time they see me walk in the door. You guys rock! I really do appreciate it and love hearing from you. I hope you all have a great week. Take good care.
Much Love,
Elder Chad Thompson