Holla-ween, Habaneros and meetings, meetings, meetings!

Our ward's chili cook off was on Friday.  Elder Smith and I have been trying to reactivate this older couple, and the husband claimed that he can eat five habanero peppers and not blink an eye.  So in an effort to get them to the chili cook-off, Elder Smith and I told him that we would make a chili that would make him cry because it was so spicy.  But he had to go to the cook-off to try it!  He accepted our challenge.  So Elder Smith and I put SIX habanero peppers, THREE serrano peppers, and a jalapeno (for flavor) in this chili that we made.  We also made a warning sign, so as to express that the chili was EXTREMELY hot and not for just any ward members.  We roll up to the ward party, put the chili (and the warning label, mind you) on the table, the couple shows up and we were pumped!!  He downed an entire bowl in like 2 minutes and didn't blink.  Didn't phase him.  What a champ, Elder Smith and I were super impressed.  We were not, however, impressed with the common sense of the ward.  The ward members saw our warning sign as a challenge, not an expression of concern for their health.  Our chili was gone in a matter of minutes just after the party officially started.  Everyone thought it was a joke and we got a few light-hearted complaints haha.  Good thing they love us!

Goodness, this week was rad!  Not super productive as far as numbers go due to a lot of meetings that were super rad and really productive.  They were also super lengthy, but it didn't seem like it!  I was engaged and attentive (somehow, who really knows how) the whole time. The highlight of the week was hands down meeting and being instructed by Elder Martino of the Seventy.  He spoke in conference!  He is super rad.  He is currently touring our mission, which I guess is a thing that general authorities do.  But anyway, on Tuesday, he went out with the zone leaders whom we live with and taught some less actives and investigators with them.  Earlier that evening, Elder Smith and I came home to eat dinner (we turned our leftover fajitas into a southeast Asian cuisine, call me Bobby Flay) and the minute we finished eating we hear a knock on our door.  I opened it and it was Elder Martino and the mission president just chillin'.  I let them in, we introduced ourselves, then Elder Martino asks us, "Why aren't you out working?"  And I didn't know what to say haha.  I mean obviously we'd just finished eating, but at the same time I was like, "Dang, we gotta get to work."  So that little encounter with a Seventy totally sparked and new flame within me and Elder Smith and I are gonna teach lessons like it's nobody's business this week.  Or at least we will try haha.

One of the long meetings was an eight hour training given by Elder Martino.  Yes, I stayed awake the whole time, it was crazy.  He was so engaging!  At the end of it I was so confused, I was like where did time even go?  His main focus was on 2 Corinthian 3:3 which was rad, I wish I could share my notes, but I took like five pages, so I won't.  He talked about how the Gospel should not just be spoken nor preached, but written on "the fleshy tables of the heart," it has to become a literal part of us or we are not true disciples.  He also talked about how to best work with members, but I liked his sermon on 2 Corinthians, it was inspiring.  

I had a follow-up new missionary training on Friday which was also something like eight hours.  Stayed awake for that one too, who knows how haha.  It was really good.  We watched Elder Holland's MTC version of his talk "The First and Great Commandment."  I would encourage everyone to go watch it when they get a chance because we must CONSTANTLY remind ourselves that we love him, and as such we are called to feed his sheep; missionaries and members alike.

Halloween was actually fun!  Our work day ended at 6:30 haha, but the shack was poppin'.  We played Risk, Scrabble and invented THE best game ever: Pictionary, but we used the red cards from the Apples to Apples game. So if you're ever looking for a hilarious activity to kill a TON of time, play that haha.  We did not go trick or treating, but somehow ended up with more candy than all the primary age children in the Boise Stake due to loving friends and family who are dope and sent us TONS of candy, treats, junk food, etc. that we binged on that night.

Remember to keep the faith, feed his sheep, and remember who you serve!!!  

Elder Tuscano