Week 57 in El Salvador

January 24, 2011

Hey,

Changes aren’t until next Wednesday...and a couple things have happened between my companion and the president, so I might actually stay one more change here.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, my companion had to go to the special capacitations for the new missionaries (even though he has like ten months in the mission)...I enjoyed the two days. I was with Elder Coca, one of the district leaders, and a very good missionary. I felt my stress be lifted, I was super relieved. We worked, and we could do things together. Reminded me of when I had a good companion about four months ago. The next day, the assistants wanted to work with Elder Coca, and I got to go with Elder Evans. One of my old friends from other areas. Very good missionary, and we got to work in my area...it was awesome. Found two families, and now they’re reading the Book of Mormon.

I had a cool experience the other day in the bus.... usually the buses are packed tighter than center stage at a high school prom...I mean they have to shove people in. You`re lucky if you get a seat, because most people stand.... I saw a lady sitting down, reading a book...noticed the book had references to the bible from Pablo and Tesalonecences, and she was really interested---actually very common here for them to be studying religious books. I debated whether or not to squeeze through the crowd to talk to her, but I pulled out a Book of Mormon, and pushed through.... seriously it was the shortest contact I’ve done in my life...I tapped her on the shoulder, and asked if she had read the book.... she looked at the cover, a little confused.... and all I said was “it’s another testament of Jesus Christ, and I know its true”---her eyes lit up, and she asked me how much it cost. I asked her if she would read it, and she said yes, so I gave it to her. She was excited, and we had to get off the bus. I’ve never had someone accept it without an explanation. Cool cool!

Thursday was the conference with Elder Jay E. Jensen. Sister Perez separated me and my companion, and made him sit up in the front row with the sister missionaries (he was the only elder on the front row of he ENTIRE mission, and with a purpose.) (I should mention that the mission is now down to 173 missionaries, meaning about thirty have gone home or to other missions)...we got to shake Elder Jensen’s hand, and he looked at us in the eyes....

Cristian is preparing to get baptized this weekend. He’s an older investigator that went to work for his grandparents for Christmas, and just got back. He’d forgotten a couple things, so I coordinated with the Sunday school teachers to cover the topics of the restoration, along with their lessons. It worked out really well. We have little time to teach him...a youth of thirteen years of age. He came to church every Sunday in November, and part of December.

We have reactivated about five families----New Years helped us a lot.

Oh...I bought a really nice hammock...it’s a softer material. At first it was really expensive, but we talked the price down from 48 to 25 dollars.... it’s huge. I’m hoping all the stuff will stuff in my suitcases.

Last night I had a nightmare--ha-ha--we were tracting, me and my companion, and he was dragging his hands on the wall whining that he didn’t want to work, and I was trying to motivate him...then I woke up even more excited to motivate my comp...

I’ve been really tired lately. I’m a little stressed I think.

So, question for the missionaries up there----how many missionaries are there in the mission?

Sounds like things are going good up there. Has the snow melted yet?

Well, that’s abut it folks. I’m doing good.

Chow

Elder Day

Week 56 in El Salvador

January 17, 2011

Hey,

Well, sounds like lots of things have happened.

As for my rrr´s, my tongue is still like a floppy piece of jerky.... when I try to roll my rrr´s, I can’t, but when I’m talking it somehow comes out.... I have more difficulty with words like perro, but I can tend to pronounce other words like terremoto.... I have been practicing with every companion I have had, and they have all shown me how to roll my rrr´s... but, there are also Latino’s with speech impediments to pronounce the rrr´s...the solution is we use substitute words...perro=chucho, carro=auto, and so on. I’m still working on it...I’ve tried every rhyme and song. My MTC teacher couldn’t pronounce his rrr´s either.... as for me, it depends on the words I say...kinda weird.

Katerin was baptized. Now we’re doing everything we can to help her get to all the activities and enter seminary when it starts.

Well, something funny happened.... I guess that package did get to me (the one with dads card).... I thought you meant the card was WITH the kleenex, and not INSIDE the kleenex.... I found it the other week when we ran out of toilet paper.

My cocinara got the package, super excited...by the way I should probably tell you, she has also gained ten pounds during the time I’ve been here. I don’t know if there is any relation between her weight, and the new taste of her food.... her three-year-old adopted daughter walked up. ”mommy, when are you gonna have the baby?”...thanks for sending the package mom, ha-ha she’s now on a “diet.”

I’ve been busy. I think I’ve worked or have had to do projects every P-day this change, and today I need to renew my visa and immigration records....

I’ve copied my photos to a DVD.... bad news, my camera has virus in the memory card.... even the machines in this country get parasites.... tell me what you can do from up there...the photos are still there, just don’t want to infect the computer.

As for my sicknesses.... things have mostly cleared up. I still have a little cough in the morning, and a little phlegm in the morning.

Well, that’s all for now folks,

Elder Day

Week 55 in El Salvador

1-10-11

Hey,

That’s great about the artwork. I should have told you, the other week I bought a cheep sketchbook, and am drawing pictures in the lessons, to keep their attention...if there are kids or youth.... the other day, were teaching a lesson to a girl who has a tendency to be “blond”, very hard to teach her, but I pulled out the sketchbook, drawing pictures of the plan of salvation, and something clicked, and she asked, “are you trying to tell me that we are here on the earth to choose between right and wrong???” ---I was shocked, she learned and remembered a complete lesson, and later she repeated it to us. Her name is Katerin, and she’s now got a baptismal goal for this weekend. I’m pretty sure she could pass the interview, but we will be spending this week making sure that she will stay in the church afterwards. ..........Also, as for artwork, I did a drawing for our cocinara, of her adopted three-year-old daughter.

Marihelena has been going to the church activities, but every weekend she goes to clean her other house in Apopa. It’s a bit difficult to change habits, but we’ll be talking with her this week.

I’m doing well. My cough is clearing up.

Ok so, I have a couple favors...I told some youth from Pepeto, that I know where Santa Clause lives, that he has his little store and about three reindeer...and they are bugging me for some photos. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here (maybe two weeks more).... if you could send a couple pics of the Santa Clause house, and Santa, and the reindeer, and the toys...haha, if you could be so kind. Thanks

Chow for now,

Elder Day

More pictures

Misc Pictures

Week 54 in El Salvador

January 3, 2011

Hey,

I don’t have much to say this week. We’ve been working like crazy. We had one lesson that I remember I had in a dream once, and she is very positive...Hna. Marihelena. On the second lesson, she came out to meet us, with three pages of notes over the CHAPTERS she had read in the Book of Mormon. But, like normal, my companion was distracted during the lesson, flipping a coin up and down, and at the moment to talk about baptism, the coin hit the baby daughter in the head, sending her crying....Hmmmm, almost. I’ve put restrictions on him.... no playing with stuff on the ground while we are talking to people, no flipping coins during lessons.........I’m planning on inviting members with every lesson we have with Hna. Marihelena, maybe he’ll be less distracted. I like how you describe him though...odd...I think I was searching for that word last week.

This transfer is going to be hard. Working with my last companion, many investigators were lost, so we don’t have much for this month, and working with my new comp, well I don’t know. I’m hoping things will pull together soon.

One of my friends, and elder from Costa Rica, got hit by a taxi, and has broken his arm in three parts. He’s in a splint, from what I’ve heard.

New Years past again. Lots of fireworks. The house was shaking all night.

Chow for now,

Elder Day