Week 66 in El Salvador

March 28, 2011

Hey,

So, I copied both the discs of my pictures, and I’ll be sending them soon with a couple other things for the family as well. They run over my whole time in Soyanpango, and my first weeks in San Miguel. I’m not sure there are very many videos except for the time the clouds came rolling in and we got wet, or one of the stake dance performance/service projects, but there are various photos.

This week has passed well. My comp is very cool, and we are working well. We’re still facing the repercussions of the past changes in this area, so the bishop is mad at us because we haven’t had any baptisms yet.

We are teaching various families, people I really care for, but they have huge difficulties in their lives, so it’s difficult for any of them to progress at this moment. About half the families that we are teaching are not married, some don’t want to get married and some can’t----I’ll give some examples of the situations, because they are bizarre...

Family Flor and Adàn: have been going to church and want to get baptized, but aren’t married, and they can’t get married because he first needs to get divorced from another woman, and if he gets divorced with her then her kids are going to lose their heritage (he is rich), and the kids have already threatened his life if he divorces...

Family Oscar and Sofia: A young couple, not married. Very friendly. Oscar wants to progress, but Sofia no, and Oscar wants to get married, but Sofia thinks he only wants to get married for the church’s sake. On top of that, he will need an interview with someone other than a district leader, because he use to rob cars in the US when he was seventeen, and finally got caught stealing a police car.

We are teaching about four other families, but mostly it is just basic commitment problems, so I’m hoping things will shape up soon.

I have seen a couple things happen in these last weeks, also happening in my previous areas, and have decided that you guys should not make plans to come down here. That’s final, so don’t plan it into your calendars.

Well that’s it for now folks, general conference is coming up WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Chow for now,

Corey

Week 65 in El Salvador

March 21, 2011

Hey,

Well, another change has gone by, and the mission is going fast. I guess the mission is like a roll of toilet paper...the closer you get to the end, the faster it runs out.

Life is good. I’ve got a new companion: Elder Anton, from Peru. He’s a good kid. He converted to the gospel about five years ago, and I swear he knows more than me. It’s good to work with him.

My goal in the next few months is to baptize a complete family...mother, father, youth and children...the president has spoken in several multi-zones that there are many missionaries with a good amount of time in the mission who have not baptized complete families...I have had the opportunity to complete several families, but never baptize a complete family, so according to president I am still immature. But I’m hoping that all will go well. I realize that the center of the work is in finding people, so I’m hoping I’ll find various families.

That’s good that everything is going well for the wedding. Send pics.... I’m sorry I don’t have photos right now...this week I will make copies of the other disc I have.

Corey

Week 64 in El Salvador

March 14, 2011

Hey,

So, sounds like everything is going good for the wedding, sounds crazy. I’m still having a hard time believing it.

So, I guess you guys didn’t get hit by the tsunami from Japan. Everyone was talking about it down here. Sounds like it happened right on the coast.

So, I’ll have to tell you what happened with my comp...the patience has paid off. Changes are coming up, this Wednesday, and my companion got to thinking about it, and realized that we might be separated...and he started to change his attitude. Yesterday he told me, “forgive me for my rancid and bitter attitude, I never learn to appreciate things until I tend to lose them.” ...he’s working, hard. This whole time I was praying that we could help to change and help the life of someone, an investigator or family, but I wasn’t expecting the miracle that has happened with own my companion. We still are suffering the repercussions of the other bad weeks, because we only brought one person to church, and might not be baptizing this month. I have hope that the future will be better...tell grandpa thank for the scripture...D&C 84:106.... Other details.... my companion tends to have a bipolar attitude, some days are good, and some days are bad...so a couple of weeks ago, on one of his good days, he told me that he was never going to be discouraged again in the mission, so I made a little contract that day (kind of the same stuff we do with some of the investigators with bipolar decisions.... do a little contract for goals, and have them sign it)....anyway, I pulled it out, half joking, half seriously, and he immediately changed his attitude again, and told me it was no game....but, yesterday while we were walking, he told me to pull out my agenda, then told me to flip to the first page, ...he had signed the contract. He told me that he was going to change for the mission. Maybe I couldn’t help many investigators this week, but I could hold it out for my comp.... thanks everyone for your support!

...So, my camera had a virus.... I copied my photos to a disc, then I had to format the memory and camera.... it gets rid of the virus and the photos.

Umm. Mom-----ok, so I don’t think I’ll be needing anything soon.... maybe shoes, but I’ll be buying those here. I’m good on contacts, I’ve got my own medicine closet, as for the salmon...the canned stuff is actually pretty good, but the stuff in the sealed bags taste like raw chum salmon...really don’t worry about sending anything. But, if you absolutely feel the need to do something, you can send me one of those maps with the slots for the state quarters and provinces quarters. Ha-ha, I’ve got a little collection going.

Anyway, that’s it folks. Good luck on the wedding. Tell Kendra to write me on this....

Corey

Week 63 in El Salvador

March 7, 2011

Hey,

Well, sounds like everything is going good up there...

I don’t have much to say this week. My companion has been depressed, very depressed, because he hasn’t been able to communicate with his parents for the last three weeks, even though they have been able to communicate with them. He doesn’t want to work, or study, or get out of bed, and pretty much has lost all motivation. I try to help him, but he has always had a bit of a strong attitude, and in these conditions he’s very bitter, and yells to criticize me...I’m seeing re-runs in my head over and over again between my comps, and I’m hoping that president is going to change the cassette...but not likely. I’ve tried talking to my comp about experiences in the mission, Alaska, movies, really anything I can to keep his mind distracted, but nothing prevails, and he keeps repeating that he wants to go home.

I’m doing well though. I’ve learned that faith is a decision, hope also. It just bothers me that I have had so many companions like this, because we are not able to work, and do not have the spirit. I feel that my potential is so much greater, but I am stuck to babysit, and the results of our work are always lower than they could be...than they should be.

On the other hand, my studies have been going well, and everything is piecing together well.

Well, good luck on the wedding. Congrats to Kendra. I hope it all goes well.

That it for now folks...

Elder Day.

Week 62 in El Salvador

February 28, 2011

Hey,

Well, I’m going to try to compose my thoughts well enough so I can write this in English....

I’ll write what has happened here first.... um, let’s see.... well, Monday I’m pretty sure I broke my nose again, this time playing soccer. I didn’t think it was until it was still sore on Friday. It’s funny though, because now instead of being a little crooked to one side it kinda makes a zigzag shape, so if I do the math and take the overall sum, I’ve got a semi--straight nose again. Actually it’s not too bad... life is good.

Tuesday.... we finished teaching the final lessons to Yansi, who was baptized on Saturday. Her mom, who had been inactive for a while, told her ex-boyfriend (who was the problem of her in-activation) that she was going to come back to church, and was going to be firm. She told us that she had broken up with him so that she could reactivate herself and support her daughter. Her ex-boyfriend wasn’t member, and didn’t allow her to go to church, every once in a while they had communication by telephone (he’s in the U.S.), but she told us she is coming back for good now. She gave her testimony at Yansi’s baptism.

Yansi’s baptism was on Saturday. We got the stake youth and primary together, because our ward would not support. The room was full, and it was a very cool experience. Yansi’s mother nearly cried in the

testimony.

We have been getting families to church, and we just found a recent family. Very positive, though they are not married. I’m hoping that they will progress all the way.

My companion has been a little depressed about the mission. He says there is too much injustice with the leaders and that there is a lot of bad missionaries. I told him that the mission is not for missionaries but for youth who are learning to become missionaries. I told him that when we get home we might not be able to say that the mission was the most enjoyable experience in the world, or that we were all close friends, or that it was all the most spiritual experience.... but if we hold it out we could repeat the words of Paul “I have fought the good fight,” because the mission is a long and continual life lesson.

That’s about it.

Ok, well I’ve chilled out a little bit...one question about the wedding.... 2011? Or 2012?...actually the wedding doesn’t come as much of a shock.... when Kendra called last Mother’s Day and she told me she was dating some 26 year old bloke, I freaked out and felt it wasn’t right.... but when she told me a little about Stephen I actually felt chill about it. After seeing the photo I actually had the feeling that they would be getting hitched soon. I feel fine about it, and trust Kendra. Tell my new cuñado hi. Send pics.

All right, chow for now.

Elder Day

p.s.-- Do me a favor, and take Frankensled [his snow machine] out for a ride, and send me

photos so that I know you have warmed it up this winter.