train tracks to Appopa

The train tracks to Appopa. That’s me and my companion at 6:00 am. We had to travel. Lost the train. Went in bus and got there the same time as the others for the multizone.

Gabriela

A girl in the primary called Gabriela. She reminds me a ton of how Alyssa is, and she’s almost got the look down too.

Week 45 in El Salvador more

Hey,

We are a little late in writing, and I think our time is going to get cut short too. The other cyber-cafe shut down, so the whole zone had to search for another one...and we couldn’t find one. Finally the zone leaders called the Pres. and he gave us permission to go into Plaza Mundo, probably the biggest mall in the country.

I love the pics of the fire, but doesn’t look like you got much snow.

You should be getting a package from me. It’s all for mom and dad, but I want the stuff when I get back.

I’m sending two photos.

The first one is the train tracks to Appopa. That’s me and my companion at 6:00 am. We had to travel. Lost the train. Went in bus and got there the same time as the others for the multizone.

The second one is a photo of a girl in the primary called Gabriela. She reminds me a ton of how Alyssa is, and she’s almost got the look down too.

I forgot my other memory card, and I’ll try to bring it next week, cause I’ve got some cool pics on that.

For my binder.... I hope you are putting your letters in there too. I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping track of my mish in my journal. I’m planning on saving it all, and the photos, and writing a book when I get back. I’ll just have to retranslate it all right now, ‘cause my second journal is almost all in Spanish. It goes by so fast.

Elder X is coming back to the mission. He went home in the MTC, but he’s gonna be here in December.

We have another baptism coming up this weekend, possibly two. Her name is Myra Hernandez. Its a long story, one I can’t really explain in writing, but its one of my best experiences. All I can say is that everything was prepared before us.

How’s the ward?

That’s about it.

Chow for now.

Corey

Week 44 in El Salvador more...

October 18, 2010 more

Hey,

This computer says to send pics, I need to format my camera. And the batteries just went out. I should be sending you one of my memory cards, with all my photos from Bosques de la Paz. The photos on that memory are the ones we revived, so they are still there, but you can only see them on the computer, because the camera now won’t read them. I’ll see how sending the package goes.

Other note. I will probably be using your card for my basic needs for a while. Every month, we have to send in our receipts. And even if the bills are paid and we don’t have the receipts, the president won’t pay us. And this month the owner had to pay for a problem we had with the water in the house, and there is no receipt, so the president took 70 dollars out of my assignation. Just a heads up...

Elder Day

Week 44 in El Salvador cont.

October 18, 2010 cont.

So, I’ll finish my letter.

We also did a service project for one of the high schools in town. We went one weekend before transfers and this last weekend. After we finished up, the church dance group put on a show of dances for all the groups that helped in the service. Two other groups were invited to dance too. The church groups that performed the dance shows were classic Latino American dances. Next one of the dance groups from the school went---the largest group by far, and performed a mix of modern dance (rap, hiphop, and break)---which later the stake president absolutely freaked out, and apologized for having invited us to the service project. I thought all of them were well performed for their age and extremely creative. The two older groups were the best---one of the church groups, and the modern dance group, the rest of them looked a little nervous to be there. I got parts of each of the dances on video, so I’ll send it in one of the packages.

I have some kind of mark on my hand and wrist. It hasn’t left in three weeks. It looks like a mild rash, but it doesn’t hurt or itch. The nurse doesn’t know what it is. Elder Foote has it too. One of the families I’m teaching says it is cockroach bite. I have no idea. As for the features, as close as I can explain, it looks the same as skin after frostbite, but we know that’s not the case. It’s too light-colored, so my camera won’t pick it up to send it to ya.

I’ll see if my camera has batteries. If I can, I’ll try to send some.

Chow for now.

Corey

Week 44 in El Salvador

October 18, 2010

Hey,

It’s a long story. My computer broke last week in the middle of writing the letter, so I switched to a different computer and tried to start over, and that one also closed down on me. By the time I was finished, I couldn’t write anything, because the zone leaders were leaving, and we aren’t allowed to write anything without them in the room. By then the second group of missionaries, the Illopango zone came into the cyber, I wasn’t allowed to stay with them, and so I talked to Elder Nay, one of my good friends. I told him to send a note to his mom, so she could contact you, saying that whatever was left of my letter would be in the draft pile. I wrote a note reminding him, and he set it out on his desk, wrote his family, packed, and then saw the note---he told me like three days later, so I figured you didn’t get a letter. Things happen, and I guess some things aren’t supposed to happen. I sent what was left of my first draft. The rest doesn’t exist.

So we had a baptism last weekend. Sonia Escobar. She will be one of the best baptisms we’ve had, the most prepared. We have two strong ones coming up for the 30th of October if all goes well too.

We had a capacitatoin meeting. He was supposed to deliver the message of what the apostles have changed in the missions. Basically its the same exact stuff that was already in Preach my Gospel, just explained with movies, so that we could see how we were suppose to do it.

I don’t know if I told you, but Elder Brandao is with Elder Dennis. It’s weird to see them together. Brandao has gained a lot of weight. He gave me a pair of skinny jeans that didn’t fit him anymore.

Things are still going good with my companion. We have the same charisma as I had with Brandao. Things are going well.

I’m still healthy, despite the fact that I almost swallowed a cockroach that was in my hot chocolate. My cocinara freaked out when I pulled the cockroach out of my mouth. She apologized, she said she looked through all the chocolate pieces before making it. She let me drink a two-liter thing of seven up, and also gave me a typical El Salvador-moral as an “early Christmas present.” I feel bad for her, but she still has a sense of humor, so I can bug her about it.

I’m sending you a package today, if I can. It has a couple little watercolors. Everything in it is for mom and dad. Mostly just pictures and posters. I’m also sending myself a little book. It explains the history of El Salvador from the ages of the Indians to the formation of fmln. It’s in black and white and in Spanish, but you can look through it.

I’m putting into practice what Uchdoft said in his talk--to simplify life---I actually get more done, have more success, and tend to have a little free time when we get home for the night. It’s smooth. It’s not that I’m doing less, I’m just doing it easier.

I’m gonna send this one before it deletes.

Chow---I’m gonna write more.

Corey

Spider

Week 43 in El Salvador

October 11, 2010

Hey,

Sorry. This letter didn’t send from last week. Here’s what was saved by the computer.

That’s weird about he weather up there. Down here there wasn’t much rain at all during the rainy season. People are surprised too. They tell of stories of storms and stuff, but while I was here there have only been about 6 bad storms, and not even that bad...just a little worse than the Missouri storms we use to get. We’ve only had to be shut in the house for two of the storms.

Monday we had a cool experience. We’ve got this lady we’re teaching. She’s read every version of the bible, from the Catholics, Jehovah witness, centro-america, latino-america, new world. She had been an orthodox catholic all her life and we have been teaching her for about a week, and are doing a little family home evening thing every Monday. Monday we did a little testimony meeting, and she started crying, and decided to get baptized. The whole story is really long, but honestly we hardly had anything to do with her preparation. It was like everything was set up for us before.

We did a bunch of projects this week, and the weeks past. I’m gonna try to send you photos.

Week 42 in El Salvador

Hey,

So, I didn’t have changes. I’m still with my comp in the same area. Elder Dennis moved up to zone leader and is with Elder Brandao in another area. They called a little while ago, and it’s weird that they are together, because back in Zacate, our district was so close that it seemed like one big companionship.

I saw Elder Johnson’s mom, and also Debbie Twitchell. President didn’t let her carry the package to me, even though she has been carrying it the whole time, so I should be getting it from him.

Yeah---I knew it was the Guatemala national bird in my painting. I believe that some of the ancient Mayans worshipped it as a god.

Not much has happened this week other than conference and transfers.

I have neither lost weight nor gained weight. But, back in Zacate, the first time I was sick with parasites, I dropped like fifteen or twenty pounds in two weeks. When that ended, my weight went back up to normal, and hasn’t moved since. I’m not sure I told you that.

Conference was great. I particularly liked the talk from Deiter F. Uchdorf on time management, and tree rings.

Alright, so I thought about your question on Christmas.... get me music on cd’s or mp3-cds. I can’t find Josh Groban here. I have one of his discs, but not the same one as we have at the house---particularly looking for “you raise me up.” Also, that Christmas cd that you have, I think it’s called Handles Messiah.