So, Mondays are PDay [prep day, a day "off" - mom] and I am able to do my emails and laundry, etc. Yes you can email me in español. Its nice to hear someone else speak in toddler Spanish =P. haha,
I'm glad everything is going well back at home. I am having a wonderful time here. My area is Nuevo Laredo, right on the border (across the border from Laredo, Texas), about the most north part of the mission there is haha. So once the mission splits, I will almost always be on the border or close to it. Its great here, different than what I have ever experienced but exciting and new. My trainer is awesome, he is a 'gringo' the same as me, excellent in español, and only has three months left here in the field. So I am his last companion. He is great, he's from Idaho, loves Captain America, and video games, the same as I do haha. He is a great trainer, and I am learning sooo very much, especially in Spanish. It is very hot here. I don't know what temperature it is ever, but it's hot, and walking is tiring in this heat. Soon, or maybe already, the ´´dog days´´ of summer will start, which I am told is ridiculously hot. Already sometimes my shoes stick to the tar from the heat. I have been very diligent in putting on sunscreen, because I dont want to be sunburned and have to do missionary work.
The people here are great, its easy to love them. They love sharing even if they really dont have anything. Almost every house would be considered ´´rock bottom´´ back in the US, but they dont see it as such. They are very receptive to teachings, and understanding of my poor español. We had an awesome week this past week, or at least that's what my trainer told me, I dont have any other weeks to compare it to, but it was great. Our crowning achievement, was to get 11 people to come to church, 11 investigators!! So tell Morgan and the elders that, just to impress them haha! We are teaching a lot of youth here, which surprised me, but I think it was because I am just used to teaching older people in Maine.
Anyway its great here. I'm in a city, its small, but much like Bangor for its density, just bigger. I can see Texas from my street, haha, and the members here are awesome. We have one 17 year old with us almost everyday all day. His name is Angel ( Ann-hel) and he is great. I have trouble understanding his Spanish, but that's just because he speaks quietly. Its great for lessons with members and its great for the investigators to see a member. There are lots of less actives here as well.
The food is interesting. It is absolutely bland, I didnt really understand Hermano Thomas when he said that, but it is bland. However, it is good. The members feed us everyday. The coke here is awesome, and the water in bottles is fine, the tap water tastes weird, even after I have filtered it. We fasted yesterday, and it was the hardest fast I have ever done. I was so thirsty, for 24 hours without water in Mexico, working and walking in the heat is very hard. But we were blessed because of it, with 11 people in church and 3 baptismal dates in two days.
My situation has kind of flipped, before I could understand the español everyone was speaking, and had trouble speaking it. Now it's very hard to understand people, they talk so fast and I get lost in their sentences, but it's all good. I can understand some of it sometimes, and if I dont get anything, I ask my companion.
I think only one other elder from my MTC [Missionary Training Center-mom] district will be with me in this mission. Elder DeMille is in our district here, so I know he will be, but other than that I dont know. I am having a great time here, and love it, and am getting tanner everyday, haha. When I come home, I will be multi-colored because the tan wont go to my chest and legs haha. I will take a picture of my companion's tan so you all can know what I will look like haha. I am soooo white here is pathetic. I'm white in America, but here, you always know when I walk by because all the kids start laughing and yell ´´Gringo!´´ haha. The best part is when they try to talk to me in Spanish, thinking I dont know anything, and the few times I can understand them and respond, they get so confused haha. The adults here think its the cutest thing to speak English, in greetings and goodbyes haha. I am enjoying it, and am having fun.
I hope you all are having a good time in Maine. By the way, not a single person here, so far, knows where Maine is. I have to say, "where New York is but Maine is more north and east than New York, on the border of Canada." And even then I dont think they really understand haha. And yes it is definitely true, solamente traves el espiritu santo podemos traer personas al señor y la iglesia de jesucristo. I am in the same situation of Bro. Thomas, I definitely dont know all the words in español, but the spirit works wonders.
Love you all, and hope you all are enjoying the weather in Maine, whenever it gets hot, just add some more heat and thats what I doing, haha! Morgan ought to have some sympathy for me, haha. Anyway, love you all, have fun, and continue in the gospel. Also I have realized I cant spell in English anymore, so forgive me my mistakes in spelling [mom spell-checked ALOT!], I keep thinking in español, and its doesnt translate every time very well haha.
Adios! =D Tim
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