Called to serve: Indianapolis Indiana : Welcome to Indiana!

I am finally in the field. Let me start off by saying that I have never done anything more exhausting in my life, and it's only been 5 days. Eeek. It seems like YEARS ago that I left the MTC, and well.... I kinda miss it. Our last meal was buffalo strips and curly fries, man... I'd kill for that again. I miss the people too, I had such a great zone. ANYWAYS,

So woke up at 2:30 AM last tuesday to board a bus for the airport to fly out to Detroit. When we touched down in Detroit they had a Taco Bell and I nearly cried and had some and I was so happy, haha. Then we hopped back on a plane and headed to Indianapolis. When we landed the mission president was there to welcome us and the whirlwind began. We stepped outside and it was about 105+ degrees with high humidity. Everyone sweat unceasingly the second they stepped outside, it was RIDICULOUS. I was dying. We all then loaded into big vans and headed for the mission office. Our driver got lost and we ended up getting an entire tour of Indianapolis because of it, which I can't complain about! It is a beautiful place, all of Indiana is covered in trees, it's beautiful. We had a little orientation at the mission home and the mission presidents wife made us all BBQ Pork and Brownies, so good. Also, we found out there that there's actually 18 spanish missionaries, not 8. Cool stuff.

So on Tuesday we had a mass sleepover of new missionaries and then on Wednesday we had more orientation and then finally, we got our companions. My companion is Elder Oliva. He was born in Mexico and moved to California when he was 10 and now lives in Chicago, well Indiana now, but you know what I am saying. He was baptised when he was 17 and he has been out for 19 months, so he has 3 or 4 transfers left. Good thing he speaks fluent Spanish because the people here talk SO fast.

Our first night out we were on bikes. We have the car Friday-Sunday, share Monday, and we share it with other Elders who have it Tuesday-Thursday, My companion doesn't have a license so I am the driver, WOOHOO! I LOVE IT. Usually you never drive your first 12 weeks, but I do! Anyways, it's stinking HUMID here. People here don't wear shirts when they drive, which isn't bad except for when certain people who shouldn't not wear shirts think they don't have to either, blah. Also got cussed at by some random guy while we were riding, that was cool, haha. The people are mostly nice though, they give us water all the time when they see us and we even got free shaved ice!

Where I live, forgot about that. We live in Columbus Indiana. It's south east and if any of you heard, it just had a heat wave, lucky me. -_- The town is kinda like an old town with a nice side of town and an old run down empty side. For those back home, it's like having an entire town being just like that neighborhood by the Liquour Store by Edna Hill and that neighborhood behind FoodMaxx. A cool thing is that like EVERYONE in the town works at a place called Cummins. That business practically employs everyone, it's kinda cool. We stay in the bottom floor of the Branch President's house. They live in a nice neighborhood. The son and his wife also live in the top story and they have a 6 and 2 year old so it's awesome, I get to see kids! I have a queen sized bed and the house is gorgeous. We have a full kitchen for our use and our own laundry room and such. We are so lucky. The Elders we share a car with live in an apartment that stinks of cigarettes and the AC broke and is leaking water EVERYWHERE, I feel bad, but I won't trade! HA!

On Friday we did service at Hermana Lopez' house. She is an older lady in the ward. We dug up her garden in 100+ degree humidity. It was horrid, I'll just let it be known LOL. She then fed us lunch and I have no clue what it was but I ate it.... Ah!

So, I'm changing this place! Before I came, the average was 2 lessons a week, in my 4 days we have taught 7, YAY for young enthusiasm! My first lesson was to Israel. He is really humble and nice, most people here are like that. Very good people. At the end of our first full day we were riding home and my companion felt prompted to go back and we did and got a new investigator out of it, we were lead by God on that one!

SUNDAY! Ok, so our ward is called a "Gringo Ward", there's not a lot of actual latino members here so they call families where the husbands went Spanish speaking on there missions to attend the ward and that way when investigators come they have people to fellowship them and become their friend. The ward has 60 members in it and me and my companion have to do English > Spanish and Spanish > English translation, it's intimidating. The people are so nice though and I am blessed to have a ward that is bilingual, YAY! For dinner we went to the Bejars and they made us Pupusas which were AMAZING. I put cholula hot sauce and salsa and lime all over it and I loved it. And get this Mom, I had salad. It was disgusting, I knew I was right.

ANYWAYS, this life is so crazy but I am here for the long haul. I hope to continue to do amazing things here and hear from you all soon!

Much Love, Elder Groseclose.