Elder Erik Kapp: MTC Week 2 - California Week 1

Hey everyone! So I completed the MTC. It was an incredible experience. I loved it. I miss my MTC district and hope they are all doing well.

I am now serving in the Carlsbad, California Mission, specifically in San Marcos and Escondido. It is different!! The missionaries often joke and call it Escon-ghetto... Most of the people we contact are Mexican. At least 1 out of 4 will say they don't speak any English. It is hard! I am serving with Elder Phillips, but not the same Elder Phillips from the MTC. He is very smart and obedient, but we don't have much in common. The entire mission goes out and runs every morning for 30 minutes at 6:30. I like it.

Right now we don't have an apartment. We are living in the small upstairs with the Zone Leaders outside of their apartment. Elder Phillips and I are "White Washing", which means we are a new companionship in another area. In other words, neither of us knows a thing about the area. We have spent most of the last week contacting outside of our area and organizing our area book and ward list. We have taught 0 lessons. We have 0 investigators. We have 0 potential baptisms. So on the bright side, we have lots to improve on! We are ward sharing with sister missionaries. Today we move into our apartment. It's nice. I am excited for that. Right now we are going to member meals and having them drop us off in our area and then we walk home. Which isn't nice because it's an hour walk and it's dark and scary.

So I was contacting this young kid, maybe like 14 years old. He was just chillin' and we asked him if he would watch the new "A Savior is Born" video for Christmas. He pulled out his phone and we were watching it when one of his buddies comes by on a bike, stops, they exchange money and a container of baby formula. Then I realized... HOLY CRAP I JUST SAW A DRUG DEAL!!! So yeah. I witnessed a drug deal on like my third day.

So we went back to the apartment and were sitting upstairs of the apartment when I heard the door open and close. I was like, "Dude, someone is in the house." Phillips was like don't worry about it. Then we heard tapping and stuff so we thought it was the zone leaders messing with us. We went down and called them, but they weren't back yet. So I locked the door and went back. About 10 minutes later, Elder Richards and Elder Glover came up and were talking with us. They made fun of us for calling and said, "Oh yeah! Thanks for checking on us..." When all the sudden the front door SLAMMED!!... (Holy crap. Someone is/was in the house....)

So like men, we grab some lacrosse sticks, tip toe down the stairs (Elder Richards was pushing me saying, "Kapp go! You're new blood"). Glover checked the kitchen and was walking into the bedroom when all the sudden a man ran out screaming!!!! Elder Glover cocked back and swung and..... IT WAS THE ASSISTANTS TO THE PRESIDENT!!!! They came to check, saw the door was unlocked, and so decided to mess with us. Needless to say I was super freaked out the rest of the night.

We contact lots of Mexican people. We talk to EVERYONE. Yesterday I talked with a drunk for a while. He told me he thought "Elder Kapp was a fancy name" and that he wished he could give me a ride back on a magic carpet... Kids, don't do drugs. Really..

The ward is awesome. Very supportive of the missionaries. Most days We eat with members. But because we don't have an apartment, my comp told me not to buy too much food. I wish I didn't listen to him. All I bought was granola bars and top ramen and soup. I am out of food. I just ate my last bar and have 2 packs of ramen... Ahhh...

Oh, and it's "cold". It feels like it. I have already gone soft!!! It is like 50 degrees and I am freezing!!! We are pretty far from the ocean.

I like being in the ghetto area, but there are some nice homes!! I mean, Del mar is much fancier. (Del Mar ward is the #1 highest paying tithe ward in the entire world. Carlsbad isn't far behind.) Elders who serve in Del Mar talk about all the Lamborghinis and Maserati's they see there.

I am praying super hard for success. We have a Potential Investigator we are stopping by to teach today!!!! Hopefully that goes well.

I don't know if I can upload pictures at the library, but I will try. I love you all! Church is true!

Elder Kapp