Week 2 in Mexico

Puerto Vallarta

Ok, so I had to take a six hour bus to Vallarta and when Elder Brown and I came into the station our comps were not there for like ten minutes. I was freaking out!!!! I thought I was going to be lost my first night in Mexico. Then they finally came. What a relief. Ok, so the first couple of days have been really good and really hard. I never thought it would be this hard. My first couple nights I was really struggling. I didn`t think I would ever learn because I can´t understand a word they are saying but I have prayed and conference made it that much better. know I will be blessed to understand and speak and just need to be patient. My comp is pretty cool. No, he does not speak English hardly at all, so I guess that’s a good thing. He is from Vera Cruz. He is about a foot shorter than me, probably not that much but I don´t know how he walks as fast as he does with those short legs. I can hardly keep up. And it’s about 130 down here so good thing I didn´t bring those blankets. I am sweating myself to sleep every night. I have a fan right on me just blowing hot air at me, it's amazing. Mom, don´t get any ideas, I don´t need anything else right now. Don´t send some huge fan or something, ha, just cause I would have no where to put it. And I am basically living out of my suitcase. There are no closets. Yes, I did get to watch conference in English, thank goodness. Holland killed it!!!!! I had been praying for a stronger testimony of the BOM and that pretty much sealed the deal. He was amazing. It was interesting that a lot of talks were focused on God and the nature of Him. I also loved Pres. Monson’s talk about anger. That was great. All of them were amazing. Well I have no more time pretty much, ha. So talk to you next week. I love you so much. and miss you so much, too.

I didn´t understand my comp when he said we could come back later. I didn´t have much time cause I had to use part of my time for writing to my Mission Pres in Spanish!!! Ha ya, so I guess I can write you twice on p day.

But ya, that is so cool that grandpa got to see Elder Holland. There is no way that he didn´t feel something. Well I have not taught much cause for the first week my comp just wanted me to try to learn more Spanish, which was ok I guess but I am going to start to teach more this week. But ya, my first street contact I got denied but so many people are willing to listen. If you say you are from the Church of Jesus Christ, they will listen to you any time. We are pretty close with Vicente. He has probably seven or eight kids and they all sleep in a room probably smaller than my room at home. Ya, it is really sad to see how people live here. Seriously it’s unreal how simple people live, I kinda wish that is how it was sometimes. But ya, I think we need to work with him more on the BOM. I felt strongly last time while I was sitting there in the lesson not understanding anything that we need to get him to read. And I asked my comp after if he has read and he said I think so. Are you kidding me!! That is the main focus and the only way he is going to progress. So I need to put my input in quick. Cause a lot of times I don´t think he focuses enough on the BOM and after hearing Elder Holland, how can you not. He has a different style of teaching but that’s a good thing cause I can teach what I already know and then learn different ways to convey the lesson. The food is alright so far. I have not had anything too out there but I am sure that I will. Sometimes you just have to scarff stuff down with a smile even though you want to throw it up. Ya, I have done that a couple of times. Well, so my first night my comp and Elder Brown’s comp picked us up and they didn´t have money for a taxi so we waited there for about 30 to 45 minutes and then they found some members outside in the street and we hopped in the back of their truck. Ha ya, so pretty much my first night here I was riding cholo, halla!!! It was pretty funny. I was laughing to myself. My comp is a convert and he loves emo music and does that scream stuff that I can´t stand, ha but I put up with it. It's all good. I want the Chivas Guadalajara jersey probably a large I don´t know just check it out. Don´t send me something to look at cause I won´t get it forever just pick one out. And maybe a Ronoldiño jersey. I love that guy. Just type in his name you will find one. Well, the language is alright. I feel like I am just listening a lot and not talking as much. I try to talk to my comp but there seems to be not much to talk about. But I am going to start talking to more people this week. That is the only way I will learn. But it all comes down to vocab. I hear one word in a sentence and it trips me up and then I am done. Ha, but ya, I am not worried I know it will come. And I probably won’t write letters cause I have no idea where to send them for right now. So ya, I am so lost, but it's all good. It sounds like Heber is a hit, every letter I get it seems like you are up there. So, I was thinking that a hot tub would fit in so good in the backyard. I don´t know that was just a thought. My first door approach I got denied too. But I end up just sitting there cause my comp just does a lot of it and never really gives me a chance so I have to ask him if I can do it then he will let me. Anyways, Anna, in my apartment I am living with two other elders. Elder Dorphlin or Dolphin, not really sure. But he said he lived close to you and knew you, he went to UVU. Anyways he is soooooooooooo good at spanish it is unreal. He came up to me one night when I was having a hard time and talked to me and that made me feel so much better. Itss nice to know that someone speaks English here. He is really funny too. Yes, we can listen to music, which is so nice sometimes. All the music my comp has is in English which is so weird, he can´t even understand it. My area is pretty good. It might be literally the armpit of hell because of how hot it is so Mike, we have something in common with our missions. Ya, I have a rag in my pocket and pull it out probably every five minutes to wipe my head off. But it’s all good. I never thought I would get this tired but I have been way tired this first week which makes things a lot harder. But I read over some notes from when Elder Holland talked at the MTC and he said that a mission is never easy, because salvation is not cheap. This is supposed to be hard and I need to push through it.

I am trying to think of other stories............This week was really nice because I kinda had a break with conference for my first week so it was a good transition. We only have 5 families in our area in the ward. I wish that I could actually speak cause I want to work more with the members. After we eat at their houses my comp just asks if they know anyone else. That's not how it works, you have to teach them and get them pùmped (yes, that is the Spanish keyboard). But ya, you have to get them pumped and then ask them and the spirit will be more likely to work on them. So I think we could improve there as well. But ya, watching conference made me miss home and the scones that Mom makes. I also liked, I think it was Uchtdorf who said that never assume that someone knows that you love them, you have to show it. That is what I am trying to do with everyone here cause that is pretty much all I can do is smile and say buenos dias. It’s amazing how everyone speaks though after being here for only like 6 or 7 months. I hope I will be that good. But I shouldn’t compare, it will come when it needs to be there. But I have grown to love even more the Book of Mormon. I am in Alma 50 around there right now. The stories are so applicable to today. Oh ya, I just remembered........ when I walked into the bathroom I was looking around everywhere for the shower head cause there were two knobs for hot and cold, but no shower head. Ya that’s right there is a hole in the wall where it comes out. It’s pretty sweet I am not going to lie. And I just turn it on as cold as it goes because I wake up sweating. Well actually I go to bed sweating and it gets better during the night. But ya, just don´t send me too much stuff that I have to lug around if you send anything cause I already have enough. Jess, that is sweet that you get to go to the finals if you win. Buenos Suerte!!! I am trying to do all my studying in Spanish now, which is way hard because it takes forever to read the Book of Mormon and then look at my English one every two seconds but that is one thing that Elder Dorphlin said helped him was reading out loud the BOM so I have been trying to do that. Between the first and second session on Saturday, 8 of us went to eat at Carl’s Jr. Oh yeah, American food, and we just hitch hiked the whole way there it was awesome. You just throw your thumb and people will pull over and you are both going to same direction most of the time they will take you. Ha ha, it was awesome riding cholo. Our goal for this month is seven baptisms. My comp has said that this is a harder part of the mission but it doesn´t have to be. We just need to focus more on each person and what their needs are. I think I am going to tell him that. I heard that somewhere. That sometimes you should just take your whole personal time and focus on what you think your investigator needs and then combine it in comp study. But wow, we have been sitting here forever. So if this is how it is next week you can write kind of a longer letter and then I can come in the morning and print it out and then read it and come back and answer most of your questions which is nice. Our house is pretty ghetto though, there are ants everywhere and my first night I saw a lizard on the wall. It is awesome though. I love all the little kids here though. I could kidnap one of them. We always give them bones though. They love that here. Even my bishop gives us bones. I was going in for the shake and he pulled out for the bones I was like what?.. It was funny. I just looked and I think I can send pictures through these computers so I will see if I can do that next week. And I have a video of our whole zone singing Hasta Ver, it's awesome. I hope it works, cause I have no idea how to send it otherwise. Ok well, we are heading out but until next week. I love you so much. Keep praying for me, I need it. Love you all and miss you so much!!!!!!!!!!!