Other Freeport Stories

Story #1 

One of the inactive members of the branch invited us over for dinner for her husband's birthday.  The drink they gave us was carbonated and a light pink color - I just thought it was soda.  Then I tasted it and it didn't taste familiar, so I thought it was just some kind of weird soda.  Apparently my companion was trying to catch my eye across the table because she knew what it really was after just one sip, but I wasn't paying attention.  Later she looked at the bottle that the drink came from and when we left she informed me that the drink contained 0.6% alcohol!  It didn't affect me physically at all, but I felt awful for drinking it, even though I didn't know what it was.  I was/still am kind of naive, so I had no clue what alcohol tasted or smelled or looked like.  Even though it wasn't something I did intentionally, I still felt so bad for the next couple of days.

Story #2


My first Sunday in the area I was asked to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting.  Not unusual when you're a missionary.  However, it was my first time doing this sort of thing since it was my first area, and I was feeling a little worn out and discouraged that day.  So I start talking and then I start crying and after I sat down I continued crying and didn't stop for the rest of the meeting!  I don't know why I couldn't control myself.  I think it had just hit me that I was on a mission and what the heck was I doing there!  Sister Gines had 3 tissues and I used them all up before I was done.  One of the sweet little girls went and got me a cup of water and after the meeting all the hermanas surrounded me and said how glad they were that I was there and were all trying to speak English to make me feel better, etc.  It was really nice and that really started my love for that branch.  Also, that night at our dinner appointment (we went to the same house every Sunday) Hermana Nerio made the best pork chops and mashed potatoes (not an easy task when mashed potatoes aren't a part of your culture).  She told Sister Gines that she wanted to make the meal to make the new missionary (me) feel more at home.  She was such a sweet lady!