This morming we attended the Cortez Branch, one of the Spanish-speaking units in the stake. We have started the rotation around the stake again. Visiting the Spanish-speaking units is a challenge for us. Although many speak English and greet us in English, the meetings are in Spanish. A member of the Stake High Council, who is assigned to the branch and also does not speak Spanish, challenged the branch council to become more involved in fellowshipping newly baptized members.
One of the missionaries who recently returned home early (Miami) was at the branch. He would like to find work in the Bradenton area. He said that it has been a challenge for him to adjust to no longer being a full-time missionary.
Following the block of meetings, we drove once again to the Van Wezel auditorium to pass out materials as the matinee ended. A few seem interested, a few are absolutely uninterested, and the majority just aren't interested. The missionaries who have been doing this (Sisters Packer and Swanson and Elders Ware, Treanor, Casperson, Rees, Bowden and Gardner) are exhausted because the evening performances end at 10:30. But they are excited about having been able to talk with people.
Most of the patrons for all of the performances are older. I was joking that I had never seen such a collection of walkers in one spot. One woman asked me today what I thought about the play. I told her that I was disappointed that my beliefs were being mocked. She told me that she thought I was "brave" for being there to talk about our Church. I don't think it was being brave -- just my responsibility as a missionary.
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