Saturday, December 27, 2008 - Baptising Fatima - Second Area

Happy Day for Fatima and me!!!

Elder Martinez, Fatima, Evalyn and me.

Our Christmas tree and all my packages from home!!!!

Elder Martinez, Fatima and Evalyn's Family, and me.

Oh Holy Night!!!!

Our District by some cool arches.....

My first baptism of Joaquin (first area).

Maybe Joaquin's son and his wife and little girl.

Elder Winkfield, Joaquin and ME.

First Day in Guadalajara with GOOSE, aka Elder Crowther.

This letter is going to be unusually short because I have maybe 10 minutes to write, I´ve been dinking around with photos. Good news is I´ve uploaded every photo from the mission and on to Walmart.com. I don´t know if you need to login to see them or not, I don´t know. Anyway I hope you enjoy! THis computer will die before I leave. Small itty bitty pieces of happy relief!! If I get my way I´ll be writing again. Also forgive me if I´m missing a few spaces, the space button doesn´t work very well. To start off, I´m glad that I´m getting a few emails from David now, the last was a little short, but very happy Christmas wishes and all that jazz. The happy part is the two baptisms we had, Evalyn and her sister Fatima. I baptized Fatima, it was pretty funny because I had to lean WAY forward to dunk her. Lol. You´ll see how small she is. Only 8 years old. ...Fatima´s cool, we´re buddies, but not as much with Evalyn. We received a 5 minute video of photos of all the different baptisms we´ve received with some really cool video clips and music. I can watch it a million times in a row and enjoy it. Lol. Now they´re going to have 2 of me. Lol. I read Elder Kellly´s emails andhe seems an infinitely better misionary than I. I woke up on time at 6:30 P day or no pday. Exercizedfor roughly 25 minutes. I don´t seem to be getting much stronger but then again I only manage to do it every 3-4 days. It´s 15 after 5 and we had district classs at 5 so Im going to wrap up a few things. I want to just love my companion and forget the little gnats that bite at our relationship. The little bites are the ones you shove aside but when you get hit by a brick,you flinch and pick it up. Always heal every wound. Lest it begins to bleed. Or attract more knats. Or mosquitos. ... or dogs. that one actually happens. Writing is beginning to clear my mind. I know my desires and now Ineedto meditate. Clean tidy, organized, loving, receptive, obedient, wise, thrifty, brave, reverent, representative, and many more.... We prepped a little and then went to playbasketball at the stake center with a few other elders. One of the elders was a little good. Even then his knowledge of rules and afew things ofthe sort was abit .... off. The rest weren´t quite as talented . LOl. Afterwards we went tobowl. 3.10 dollars for one game. Already it was 2:30 we went to lunch. KFC! turnedout to be a nightmare 6.50 for a chicken nugget. (metaphor) . Before this point though, I learnedtheydon´t accept credit cards. Iwent to anATM. To learn that 500 pesos are missing from my account. So we´ll see. Fortunately I haver you guys, andI don´t needto worry about much, exceptthatI´m going to guard the money I take from an ATM, because we think it´s hidden charges of un imaginable sorts that is the problem. I´mgoing to roll.I apologize for this horrible email.Excepttoend with a good note. I´m learning I´m in the fire and I´m not just sitting init, I´m being molded. Adios!-Jaker-----Original Message-----

December 22, 2008

I felt like saying that in the subject. Well, here is your long awaited reply! May I start off by saying, that reading your and David´s letters, (yes he emailed me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) have given me the warmest feeling I´ve felt in quite a long while. My heart sizzles with your Christmas wishes. I feel I´m going to put a few insights into this letter also. I´d also appreciate it if you´d forward it to a few people. karlfranzemporer@aol.com, priceboy007@gmail. (David and Daniel). This week has been tough, I´ve begun to find out why I don´t agree with a few things though, why things aren´t the way I imagined. THERE IS NO REASON THIS ENTIRE DOESN´T BAPTIZE 1 PERSON EVERY SUNDAY! Absolutely no reason. Not everyweek we´re going to have one, we´re not going to snap a finger and start having baptisms. But let me recount a few things that we do and you can tell me if it´s missionary. The initial problem is I´ve been having a few struggles with my comp. Well, first off there´s a language barrier, there always is. But I love the kid, he´s great we have a lot of fun and such. I get along with him for the most part. The rough part is there´s rules and thigns he doesn´t want to do, that are utterly senseless. FIrst off getting up, when I arrived he told me ¨what time do you get up? caus if you get up late, we get up at 6:30 here¨. We don´t usually get up. I can get up at 6:30. I can get up on time if I have enough sleep. That´s the problem. we don´t get home til 10:10 or 10:30. That´s the CURFEW! I asked him, I told him, ¨It´s a rule to be in the house before 9:30 and sleep by 10:30. The zone leaders told me the President said, no excuses be in the hosue by 9:30 unless the bus doesn´t show or you have a really late lesson but plan to be home by 9:30. My companion replied. Well no the President said it doesn´t matter what time you get home, and after about 5 or 6 months, you don´t go to bed util 11 or 12. Uh.... No it´s a rule, ou can´t argue that, most of the time we don´t use our time wisely. I conflicted his reply and he responded. Well, next change you´re going to set a great example, but for now we´re going to bed at 11:30. Holy poooP!! I asked him, where are we? He replys look at the map..... Ok,....... I can stare at the map all day long, but if I don´t know wher I am ... it´s not going to do anything. He tells me we´re at Aurelia Guevara. Ok... this street crosses the entire map. Where are we? He points at he map, we´re right here! I look at the street signs on the corner and contest, no we´re right here. He disagrees no we´re right here. I reply, no look, the streets are right here! He finishes exactly and why can´t you figure that out? Like he was right in the first place and I´m a bafoon! Oh! Then he asks ¨You know what you´re problem is...?¨ That´s my vent. We´re working on that, other than this though we´re good. He did just tell me though that we have to leave. I really wanted to write alot more, maybe I can arrange to come back. We´ll see, I´m really sorry I cant write more! I have so much to say and all I did was complain about him. Ugh... I´m going to kill myself with trying to be who I want to be. President Wright sent us a letter with a quote from President form Elder Holland that put afew things in perspective about the speed of the work. I still believe it could be alot better here. Alot better. The point that I started with is that this is a Frito mission, frito meaning fried this refers to the missionarys that don´t do anything. We had a companionship that went on exchanges for 3 days, without permission caus they don´t like their companions. One complained to the President, ¨But he´s not who I wanted to be with!¨ We screw around so much... I don´t know. Here´s the tid bit of information I have concerning Christmas. I´ll have to tell you the rest then I think. I´m going to be with a sister whose number is - 33353201 at 11 in the morning. You need to find out the rest. That is the family´s number. call the operator, or something ask about country codes area codes long distance. I´m sorry, we don´t know much more than that. I love you so much. I ´know my Father in Heaven loves me and when I pray I receive an answer. But to hear from you both and finally from David. He said so many things that made me cry. I want to talk to you all. I understand alot I have ideas. No matter what happens the time will pass. Take it or leave it. You can serve God or you can not, you can seek to improve or you can not. YOU CHOOSE YOUR LIFE! The hardships make us stronger, the afflictions make us broader and the tears make us softer. But always if we are obedient if we open our hearts to the SPIRIT , if we just try it! If we just want to believe. If we just listen. Yet we will always be frail, too weak to do it. Always we need our Father. Pride is the first thing in this world that will lead to our own self destruction. Hardening our hearts for reaons beyond reason. I have to go. Love is my footstool right now. And if it falls, so will I. Til Christmas.Friend, child, leader, lover-Jake Taylor

Monday, December 15, 2008

I´m going to answer dad´s questions really quick, I don´t have alot of time. I kind of miss my area, because I finally knew what´s up and I had a lot of ideas, but it´s too late now, I feel like I failed my chance in that area, there were so many things we could have done if I had spoken up or done something that I knew I should have. Too late now. I like this area, except a few things, we got called gringos and guerro´s alot back in Sante Fe, but here I´ve heard more and been harrassed more in this first week than the whole change there. It´s so frustrating! I want to reply, say something, but I can´t. I don´t know. It´s just really annoying. Sorry agian if this letters not quite a piece of wonder bread. This morning was both very upsetting and very good. Very upsetting because I didn´t get out of bed til 8 because of exhaustion. And good caus I have about half of this house cleaned too. Every missionary house has one thing in common. They´re about as clean as a hobo´s cardboard shack behind the hedges. So I did alot of that. Swept all of it, moved the furniture and stacked some mattresses, each bed has a new mattress, so I put the old ones under it and now we have doublle stacked beds! Lol. Our little Christmas tree I put on top of a dresser on top of a teddy bear blanket, very cute, and I put our Ferrero Rocher´s beneath, and all the other gifts we´ll get. Lol. Organized our missionary book case, all the phamphlets and items, books etc. Filled a black garbage bag with poop. (Not literally) Random thought, I´m going to investigate the mail system this week with the members, Lol. I want to send a few Christmas letters, like I said before you might be getting most of them and run a few errands. Lol, sorry! = ) Christmas here is as of now doesn´t look too bright, Christmas eve I think we´ll just be working til 9:30 or 10. Elder Martinez likes to stay up a little later, so we get home really late and basically plan then sleep. I don´t like it and am trying to change it a little. This just means I don´t have time to brush my teeth, organize the area book or write in my journal... nothing much, lol. Christmas day, we call home, I don´t know when or how. But we´re going to. Lol. Then we leave and work ... walk around all day. Yesterday was bad, and this is why I like and dislike the area. The members are all realy good, fóod´s alot better, more hand made tortillas and such. = P The area is alot nicer, not much trash, and most of the houses are rather nice, bigger decorated and all. Some are still poor and others just trashy. Every part has its ghetto. The bad part, yesterday though we heard a gun shot and 10 minutes later an ambulance showed up, so I´m a little scared. There are a ton of drunks too, this mixed with eh harrassment, I don´t like walking around like we do at night, there´s one part of the city that´s down a little hill, or slope. And the whole things filed with mist, this whole little valley. This and there´s half as many street lights, it was incredibly scary. I think I´m going to talk to Elder Martinez about reserving nights to the other part of the city and avoiding dark streets or streets where we know there are kids and such to annoy us. Speaking of your avocado tree. I had one yesterday... can´t anything but feel the creamy texture. Weird. I don´t know. Spanish is good, interesting story. Wednesday or Thursday I just lost everything, it all left me. I couldn´t understand anything ELder Martinez told me let alone the other people. It was sudden, in the afternoon. All that morning I was fine, then we went to an appointment. ANd it was all gone! The next day too. Alot of praying, but then the NEXT day, I could speak, better than before. I have a million miles for improvement. But Sunday I could nderstand alot! Of coruse I don´t understand eerything, alot of idioms that I don´t get and words of course I still have yet to learn. One day I started to talk to someone who´s door we had knocked and said, Hola soy elder taylor este es mi compañero Elder Martinez somos missioneros, y nos gustaria compartir un mensaje de Jesucristo con usted. She replied, sorry I don´t speak English, of course in Spanish, but still. Grr.. I don´t believe these photos are going to go through, again. I´ve been struggling with alot lately, this last week has been a race for my mind. Alot of struggling, I´ve just felt so down lately. I don´t know what or who I´m going to be, but as of now I enjoy the growth I get from a mission. I need to go REALLY soon. I HATE contacting, well I did, it´s become easier in the last few days, but stopping somebody on the street and introducing ourselves and our message. That sounds easy, and there are somepeople just sitting around who are happy to talk, but others don´t care who we are. We have to contact 180 people every week with Elder Winkfield we´d SCHEDULE 2 hours or so more or less to do it, and just interrupt everybody's busy life. Get addresses and interested people and never visit them. Here I only contact if I feel like I should. 2 or 3 of the which have responded yes please come in, one of which has a baptismal date for the 27th. I beleive in contacting. I just can´t bring myself to like it! I don´t know, knocking is easier now too. I don´t know, I´ve been down on myself as a missinoary this whole week. In terms of people, we have two people who just need to go to church 1 time and they can be baptized, but they just don´t want to come. They´ve received a testimony and such, but just don´t come. One her mom is a member and her kid is a member, but she doesn´t care. A few others, but as of now I don´t know what direction this is going. We have just over 300 members in the ward and the attendance yesterday was around 70. So we´ll see. References and lessons with members are hard to come by unless we´re teaching the kids of a member which is a freebee. We have a lot of work to do. Maybe if Dad has ideas how we can motivate the ward and help these people. For this Sis. Dean. Has she asked? Has she searched for the answer. Ask and it shall be given seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened up to you. I believe this is a process for finding answers to all of our problems or questions. I firmly believe it means Pray-Scriptures-Act. People develop a testimony by living there lives in a way that is good. When we conform our lives to the way we should as taught by the Savior, we see that it is good. Pray.... I love the news about sweet cakes on trade! Lol, that´s amazing! I love hearing about the houses and the family and everything. I hope Rena´s doing ok, I never finished her letter before I got here, and as such never sent it. Oh well. It´s hard here, I don´t know what to think. I have hope for a brighter future and that everything will work out and I know either way the times going to pass, it doesn´t matter WHAT you do, the times going to pass. You can choose to slack or you can choose to use it, plan ahead cause there is no going back. I just hate being inadequate. I love growing but I´m so pathetic, I know so little my testimony and skills are so weak. I just need some loving. I only have like 300-400 pesos for the rest of the month. I lost 200, taxi was 130 and our lunch appointment fell through 50 and I bought some toiletries 100. I´m not going to use your money either caus I´ve been a fool with it. But I´m going to reduce my consumption a little. There´s good news though, I seem to act depending on the cleanliness around me. Once the house was clean I really spruced up, bought some gel, popped up and Im´beamin! I love you guys, I really miss you and the guys more than anything else. I feel I´m going to be pleasantly surprised for Christmas but as of now my hopes a little gloomy. Elder Martinez is cool, a little different at times. And this week has just been hard. I don´t know. My thoughts are all over the board. Maybe I´ll finish them in a hand written letter! Lol. A good meal sounds good, we´re going to that buffet today! I actually will use my card for that though. Lol. Buy that sign from Sweet cakes and the Ferrerro Rocher chocolates. Yesterday I thought about asking you to buy them so we´d be a little piece of chocolatecloser together! THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGES!!!! I havent´gotten them but the thought of a little Christmas present warms my heart. I think I found something for David, lol. We´ll see, I hope to buy a few things in Vallarta if given the chance! Lol. The comment Dad made ¨At this speed, I will be dead soon¨ actually made my heart sink. I hate the thought of how many years you both´ll have when I get back. ... ............I want a little joy in my life. I KNOW ALL OF MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! I know, my Spanish came back in full force, I gaind a desire to find people to knock doors and contact. Everythings going good with this member. I know he´s watching out for me, I just feel so pathetic for my sincere collage of weaknesses and follies. This member though, story until I wrap it up. The bishop´s son has been back from his mission for about 7 years now, he´s who we wash our clothes with. LOl. He asked me for 500 bucks the other day, not pesos. D.O.L.L.A.R.S. He´s ´trying´to open a ´business´and needs ´my help´. I was told two days before he asked me though by an inactive sister that he asks every white missionary, all the ´gringos´. So I had a very fortuante heads up. I know it´s all good though, no problems or anything such. Mom/Dad, friends, Christmas. Those have been my longings. I hardly thought about video games too this week. I´ve seen a few pictures of Christmas lights as seen in the states, I miss the music, the beautiful lights, sittin back and drinking hot coco. My friends, everything. I saw a really nice starbucks over in the center of the city and I long so bad to just go grab a nice hot chocolate and chill. IN a nice building. Relax by the fire. ... This is tough. My thoughts are gone. Í don´t know. Everything will come around though. I know. I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH! I thank you indefinately for everything you´ve done for me. I still look at the intials you scribbled on my garments and the occasional smiley face or heart. and it warms my heart so much, the little things that went into packing. I cried the other day again to think of how I acted the night before I left. You worked so diligently to help me go, with a warm heart knowing what was going to happen. I just wanted to fluff around. I hate myself for the pain I´ve put you through. I want to think about something happy though. I get your packages tomorrow, I believe! Tomorrów´s zone conference, and if they´ve gotten to Mexico, I get ém tomorrow! A few requests though, that you can just slip into a package that you send in the next few months. Chocolate, gum, mints, like altoids and icebreakers, Five gum and Stride. A few more pairs of those awesome socks you sent me lol! Don´t rush it or anything, just some surprises I wouldn't mind seeing again in my life. Lol. one week left though, to get a letter from the guys for Christmas, I´m going to start praying. Caus´that´s on the top of my list. I know it´s Christmas, but I wouldn´t mind chatting with maybe a few of them on Christmas too. I´m outa here, I love you guys! Remember remember remember. Send me photos too! I LOVED THE one of you and dad and Jason´s kids, it was good to see you two in Pine, and all the rest too! LOVE YOU!!!!!!! Until next Monday = )Love and Sincerity,-Jacob Daniel Taylor, Elder
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Monday, December 8, 2008 - Transferred to Reforma in the District of Zapopan, (Pueblo) just an hour outside of Guadalajara

Subject: Line reads: Do wa shi-diddly-do-wap-bo-wap.....so I think he's happy today!!!! I´m not entirely sure what the subject means but it was pretty cool. Lol, well I´m sorry about the photos, lol. But I guess you know what my laundry and living conditions are like. That couch, I was not allowed to sit ANYWHERE else. Elder LG is such a stubborn dwarf that he would yell at me if I sat on another couch or in his room. Frickin gnome. Today too, before we left! He´s getting ready to go and I sit down to tie my shoe or something, yeah I put on my shoes and he says, ¨Hey your couch is over there, that´s mine.¨ In his disgruntled muffled blubber. And of course it´s in Spanish. Lots has happened, and at the same time I can´t remember most of it. Yesterday was fantastic and horrible. Usually they're just horrible or ok. It depends on how much crap I get from LG and WInklepuff. For example. If nothing happens all day, it´s just a day, a good old fashioned usual day. If he gives me crap it´s a bad day, if something breakthrough happens or we have some good relationship time with someone else it´s a good day. Nothing else really affects my days. No matter what they´re successful, always we´re making an impression, and always something happens that leads to something good happenening. That´s our presence as a missionary. What makes it good is when we have a ¨I know Joseph Smith was a prophet¨ or we break through and make a friend with a neighbor. If I have a blister or get hurt, that doesn´t make it a bad day for me, even though I did get a little upset juggling my bag today. If I lose money it´s not a bad day, if a family isn´t home or didn´t pray, it´s not a bad day. A little bummed but I keep popping and a few minutes later I´m happy. The only other thing is that if a family stops progressing, your spirit sinks. Any, why yesterday was good and horrible. Horrible, first, because Elder Binky decided to cry and get his way all day (like usual). This usually consists of ¨Que hacemos¨ (what do we do). ¨Well I think we should visit with this family, because they´re progressing,¨ I reply. ¨No that´s stupid, do you have all your contacts?¨ That´s his fettish. We´ll have days with 0 ... listen, ZERO!!!!! lessons taught, but we have 45 contacts. That´s all he ever wanted to do. But that´s why it was bad. Now for why it was terrific! First off, church was great! I talked with a ton of members and I can understand more or less what they´re saying. After church I played for the Church Choir, Angels We Have Heard on High, on the piano to help them practice, and I was going to play for their Christmas performance! Afterwards, we're convinced the Relief Society President hates us... completely. Just had a few flojo frito (lazy, fried) elders in her ward maybe, we don´t know, but no nos caya bien (we do not fall well with her....that´s actually an expression here). Well our lunch appointment fell through with Hna. Mijez and as such we went to eat with her. The first half was as usual, not talking much with us. I began to chat about the Relief Society and how they´re doing, what they´ve been up too. She mentioned they have a problem with menosactivos, or obviously, innactives; which I have been putting a great deal of thought. They´re are 500 +/- registered members in that ward. Less than 100 are in attendance at any given week. We talked a little about that, and I thanked her diligently for the food, seriously not just thanks, we really are grateful for what you do, as President and for the food. Breakthrough! After that we visited... like... one person and went home early, because yesterday was the day of... cambeos. Changes...The second reason yesterday was good, as you´ve probably been able to tell from some of my implied language, I´ve been using a unique past tense tone. I was changed yesterday. Elder Stinkywinky stayed. I now email you from the area of Reforma in the City of Guadalajara. District - Zapopan. Quiet little suburb, referred to as Pueblo here. Actually either means, suburb like thing or town. An hour from the mission offices, not too far from civilization. The foods cheap, there is food. And an Hermana has a 2-n-1 washer and dryer. I have clothes that I haven´t washed since I´ve been here... which I had the glorious opportunity to wash. Before I move on, I was changed. Last night while we were packing, Elder Wink me preguntó (asked me). Do you hate me Elder. Not even a question, just a .. just saying it to be the ¨Oh, yeah, um, I´m a jerk, but I´m, uh, innocent, so I´m going to make this look like, uh, it´s com, uh, pletely your fault, yup... yeah.¨ Up to this point I avoid it, and apparently I´ve done fairly good. I replied, looking throughthe door at him, ¨is that a joke?¨ I said ¨Well I wouldn´t put it quite that far, but more or less, yeah.¨ He still didn´t get it. Enough of the past. My new companion has already stated, ¨You can forget about all of the past cause this is a new change.¨ We´re going to have fun." El nombre de mí nuevo compañero es Elder Martinez. Éste es un pocito chistoso porque mí último líder de distrito, Elder Del Angel, tenía un compañero se llama Elder Martinez, y en los classes de distrito iríamos y ver Elder Del Angel Y Elder Martinez y los dos son bien chidos. Pero, tenían algunas problemas entres ellos mismos y necesitaban cambeos. Entonces, tres semanas aqui ellos cambearon. My new companion's name is Elder Martinez. This is a little bit funny because my last district leader, Elder Del Angel, had a cmopanion named Elder Martinez, and in the district classes we would go and see Elder´s Del Angel and Martinez and they´re both cool guys. But, they had a some problems between themselves and needed a change. Then, three weks here they changed. Elder Del Angel got a new companion, and Elder Martinez went to Reforma. He was an awesome guy, really cool. Well, I heard my new companions name yesterday and it´s Elder martinez, the same one! So here I am with him. He´s awesome, I feel kind of funny for some reason. He´s just such a good guy though, helps with Spanish I help him with English, this is before too, just when we would meet! This is what I needed. I had alot of fear who my next companion was going to be, but when I heard his name, well it went like this. ¨...YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!¨I was happy. This area's pretty slick, he´s awesome. We´re friends, workers, we´re here WHILE our laundry is washing. The members are awesome, well this one family I´ve met so far. He speaks a little English, and loves to talk with me. I´m excited for next Monday, so I can report on how everything went! Cool, well on to the other stuff!Well Last night, Elder Wink didn´t want to, obviously, go to the stake center to see the Devotional, nothing happened. But I sure wish I could have seen it. I did not know that Elder Kelly had been there 6 months! Wow, I´m going to miss that bugger, you should stock with some stuff to go home with. Will he be here for Christmas? Give him a present, and some food along with our address and phone number, I want to call that kid when he´s done. Brad Carter going to The Ukraine. It would be interesting to see David´s response to that. David´s grandparents are from the Ukraine, fled during World War II and he loves the Ukraine... I gave David a book of Mormon in Ukraine and English, I told him to start reading it, I wonder if he did? Speaking of David, did you call him, or he call you? It´s good to know he´s trying, that really raises my heart a lot. I hope the others are trying too. I love the guys, I´ve been really torn lately, I´m having more mental conflicts. One of those things, I´m consciously aware of everything I do wrong.... As such I want to appreciate my friends and more over, you two, much more than before. I just love you guys. I thought about all of the little trips we´ve had recently, lol. Six Flags, Disneyland, MUN, Orgington, cause we didn´t quite make it to Washington. Lol, all of them. I love my friends, I look back at them and desire the best for them. Still haven´t heard from any of them except one from David, while in the MTC, at least I know he´s trying... I would like to hear from Ben, and hopefully I get that letter from Jon. Lol. That´s funny you saw the picture of the Applebee´s we ate at. Lol. We met up with two other misionaries, I don´t know if I told you that. One of which was in my district in the MTC! Elder Marcusen. I don´t know how Christmas works, we´ll probably go to a member´s home, I´ll call you and let you call us back maybe? I don´t know. Hopefully we´ll work something out! Kind of exciting huh? Speaking of Christmas, I left my two strands of Christmas lights with Elder Hoffman, I hope he enjoys his Christmas. I bought this cute little Christmas house, oh wait I told you. Lol 4 bucks. It´s really cute! I did just buy one of my ¨Up to Christmas¨ things. Something to enjoy during the season. A 32 set of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Lol. I´m sure you know what those are. The little crunchy ball things? Kind of pricey, 17 bucks, lol. I wanted to enjoy something leading up til Christmas day. Christmas we´ll probably go to eat with a member I´m told, but on Preparation day we´re going for some good food! Just for you guys, lol. Thanks for the money, I feel bad everytime I spend it, every purchase I feel is unworthy of your love and money and selfish and spoiled. That and usually expensive. Lol. I spent a little bit more of it, not sure how much. I hope not much at all. = ( I still don´t know what I´m going to do about pictures, but I´ll figure it out next week, probably. I think I´m going to get alot done this change. I´m sorry to hear of Rena´s mom. That´s really unfortunate. It is an opportunity to share the Plan of Salvation with her though, I´m sure she doesn´t know much about that. Ernie, You named the cat ... ernie. Wow... I sure do miss Puff. It´s a rule not to have pets in the field, but It´s sure a temptation to do otherwise! Christmas presents are a sign of appreciaton. A birthday, we show appreciation for another wonderful year celebrated with the life of this person. The life of the Savior, his birth, his entrance into this life and world. Don´t buy presents caus´we´re supposed too. Presents are a service. My thoughts are disorganized on this. I don´t know, but I thank you for whatever you get me cause I know it´s a symbol of love and adoration! Appreciation! I wish I could send something back, but I haven´t found anything interesting, good or unique. So Dad wrote his letter during the Westwood Christmas program, must´ve been good. Lol. Well, the letter, sorry, but it´s pretty much set. Maybe there is, but I don´t like to deal with it, especially since I change so often. And at best I´ll get them eventually. Just write the things you don´t put in the emails. That´s what I´m doing, lol. I laughed when I saw dad write ´lol´ or say it, I know Mom typed it, haha Small tree...? That´s blasphemy, or at least from what I can see, Oh what glee can a small Christmas tree be? The houses sound awesome, I´m excited to go to Josh´s house to play games and stuff! Where exactly is it? Mi Español esta veniendo, poco a poco es mejor. Con mi compañero ahorita voy a aprender mucho. Pienso que Daniel quiere que ´correct´ mi Español, aunque él no sabe nada. Lol Puedo ´roll´mis r´s, todo está bien alla! Haha Lo amé el cosa sobre ¨El Espíritu del Cristo¨ como ¨El Espiritu de la Navidad¨ I want to love everyone into the church. Well I have to go. Please kick my friends in the butt and tell them I beg them for a Christmas card, or letter. Tell them what´s up with the post. I got two letters from Carrie already, standard mail. They were posted or written the 17th, I picked them up the 30th. Dance in the Rain, thank you for your support. I hope it isn´t dwindling yet, and you´re not used to having me out of the house cause I still need some lovin´. I hope everyone´s staying in contact and you´re doing what you can do bring more to the gospel. Thank you for everything, cosas amor y aun las cosas que son ´implied´. I love you so much, I still think of you, and consciously ponder how I´m going to spend my time with you when I get home. I´m going to sacrifice so much more just to spend time and bond and bind this family. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pues, hasta luego! La vida no es sobre esperando para pasar la tormenta. ¡Es para aprender a bailar

December 1, 2008

Hey! I´m replying in this one caus I´m attaching photos on another and it takes for frik dang ever, so I´m multitasking. Even with this I wilil only be able to send a chunch. Never mind it just deleted all of them... I hate this email service. I hope this doesn´t screw anything up. Anyway, I´m going to have to type really fast and really messy probably. Lol. I want to send some of these bloody photos to you. Later I´ll research that walmart thing you did for me... K, well first off. Elder Winkfield is still Elder Winkfield. I don´t know what else to say. We are working better together now, this week more so than last week too. Thursday we all went to the President´s house for a Thanksgiving dinner! It was amazing! It was just nice to have a day off too. That was probably the best, especially since that morning up til we played basketball 10 minutes before my interview with the president I was feeling horribly inadequate. He said there will be a change. I might go, Elder Wink might go, I don´t know. But ´there will be a change´. I hope to high heaven though taht Elder Hoffman gets a change. I can´t refrain from saying much more. The last 4 or so days I´ve been making whip sounds to Elder Hoffman whenever Gonzo demands something. I refer to Elder Gonzalez now too as ´Lawn Gnome´ He´s 5' tall and kind of chubby, this parts serious too. If I find a pointy red hat, like a dunce hat, I´m going to buy it, then I´m goign to make him squat in the lawn and I´m going to get a picture! Elder Hoffman´s been struggling as much as I have, but he´s been denying it, or so I feel. At the 3 week mark, I asked him about it, and he got a little uptight, not mad or heated even, but you could tell he was serious, and he defended Elder LG (Lawn Gnome) and said he was going to learn what he could and accept what he says cause maybe it is all true. Lately he´s taken to my side. We chat every night now and he told me early about a 1/2 hour. I can´t relax when he´s around. Which is true. We got back from the store to buy Elder LG something and we walked in the door and Elder LG says Listo? (Ready?) made a few clicking noises while pointing to Elder Hoffman´s room and said now! or something of the sorts. He thinks he has all control, and it drives me nuts. I´ve learned alot from Elder Winkfield, he didn´t teach me crap, but I learned... I haven´t finished learning either, but I´m getting better and not letting Elder WInkfield and his crud affect my happiness and attitude. It´s still hard at times, but it´s alot better than before. But watching Elder Hoffman being put through this is insane. So either way, my companionship is going to change, I´m really nervous though, what if the second is just as bad? How can I make my next companionship work? What can I do to make us friends. I know that if something I don´t like happens, I´m going to tell him. Let him know,´He´s my companion too, not my boss that´s going to be known. I don´t feel prepared. This is an absolute joke, I can only send 3 pictures at a time, I´m sorry. But I´m going to have to find something else to do with pictures... I don´t know, I´m filled with confusion right now. I´m going to focus a little on your email and see if I can chill a little. I´m glad thanksgiving went well! It´s a shame about Josh and Erin, though. I got an email from Josh finally! I feel bad cause I can´t reply, I got one from Linda too, she knows I can´t reply but I want to, just tell her and the fam I said a million thanks and a wink. And to keep em coming. The water product thing Josh and I invested in comes out January now, Nu2o, you should check it out next month, I´m curious. Speaking of stocks, one of the Urinals in Applebee´s had a newspaper above it to read while you pee and I saw the dow is up 8,000 points! Seems everythigns going back up. Speaking of Applebee´s too. We went there today for lunch, we´re going to Sirloin Stockade next week too I hope! To celebrate my freedom and release! It´s kind of funny that today´s the first and Elder Winky gets changed the 7th. On the first day God created the Earth, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and on the 7th day he rested... ahhh..... Lol. Dang I don´t have much time. I managed to get 4 days of laundry done today. Or less, hopefully I can do a little more tonight. Applebee´s was amazing, going back to my point. 8.50 bucks for a bacon cheseburger and 3 for a lemonade (free refills) kind of pricey but worth it. We haven´t eaten ´food´ for quite a while. The food sucks here, it sucks! It´s not like so bad everyonce in awhile or even all the time that you grow to like it, or deal with it, and appreciate other food. I just sucks, it´s not bad enough to adapt, but it´s just not good. Every meal is just, well that sucked... Just not that good, and all the time it´s just not that good. You don´t adjust. I eat cookies and miik for dinner and Zucaritas the Mexican equivalent of Frosted Flakes, even has Tony the Tiger just a diffferent name and a little Orange Juice. 2 Liters of Orange Juice is only 90 cents though, which is good. I still feel bad for spending so much of your money, especially that Rolex. That´s funny about Erin´s, mine broke that night. So I just went another week with out a watch, and didn´t buy one today either, so we´ll see what happens, lol. Mexican food in the states is just a completely different type of food. It´s also funy that you mentioned Jordan´s, caus I had a craving for that and for Burrito Express. I´ve had two actual tacos sicne I´ve been here, and 10 fake ones. That´s kind of hard to explain so I´ll leave it for later. I have 10 minutes, I´m sorry. This email is pathetic. Well, there are SOME American foods. like pringles and such, but it´s insane. The price is insane. It´s not worth it for you to give me the money, it´s just insane. There are monters, but they are 3.50 bucks, so maybe I´ll ask for a little money to buy one of those around Christmas, lol. I´m looking at your email, I don´t think that Omega will be much better... the other watch, my Fossil, is just dead. Same problem as before I left. I don´t know, maybe you can take my other one and see what´s wrong, I´m just curious! Being in American situations, or maybe just relaxing situations do relax me, when I´m away from my thoughts of what I have to deal with. Elder winkfield.... everything else is fine. I´m not saying he´s the only bad ting in the world, but I can enjoy the house, I can´t wait to rearrange it when the other two leave. IF... the people here I love. There´s a lot of crap and bad stuff my I just love em. That kitten sounds hilarious btw, you should send me a pick, does he like to hang arond Pikachu´s cage? Lol, I think he would. Here´s a random thought. BTW, tell me how Piky is! But I was playing the piano here, and they all sound clanky. I remember dad can´t tell the difference between our two pianos, but wow. Our piano is luxurious. Lol. Is incredible. Not just because I´m grateful cause of these other pianos...ok, maybe it is... but still, it´s great and I knw it was, but now I miss it. I want to play more, I know what I have to do to learn, it´s not fun but I know. Pingpong sounds fun, reminds me of pool when we played the other week, one of the picture I would have sent you was a picture of that... but oh well... Government in the U.S. sucks.. what´s new... Christmas will be interesting. I´m just so nervous about the new companion, he could be awesome, and that would free me to enjoy myself. But I want to enjoy it. There are cheap things here, but you have to differentiate yourself from what you might have wanted and what you really would enjoy. I found this little Christmas house with snowman and a santa, it´s just adorable. And it´s 4 bucks. Like that little Halloween house I used to have?! But twice as big for 4 dollars. Twix and snickers are a 1. You have to separate yourself from what you´re used to and find the good stuff. If only I could do that with watches. I just got 3 letters from Carrie today, btw dad. I got the letters you sent from the 13 th or so and from earlier. I just got mom´s from the 17th. I haven´t gotten any packages though, aside from the shoes. I did get the shoes and socks, I meant thank you for the ones you sent! They´re incredible also. My blisters are gone except for two new ones that came from playing basketball, which should be fine soon too! I think it was just everything that helped, shoes and socks, everything. Thank you! Thank you dad for your support. I can assume your sick of my complaining and it seems we´re both in the routine of talking on Monday´s and such, but I hope so dearly you´ll continue you´re support vocally. Email´s and everything! I just started writing hand letters today too, I still don´t know how it works, but I have a few sources I can ask... So hopefuly you´ll get one soon. Lol. I´m glad you´re getting the houses fixed up, it is unfortunate, though, that the business is slow, how about next summer though? Lol Sounds like everythings a blast. I can´t say my thoughts have been far from home. I´ve been thinking about all sorts of stuff. Kind of a distraction now. What I want to do when I get home, not the sort of longing, oh I want to go do whatever. Just thinking about it. I know what I want my car to look like though! Lol. Focusing on the work though is what I want though. I like to think about home it´s relaxing, but I don´t want it to impede me. Well, here´s a rap up. Shoes, thank you! Another pair in a while, like a long wjhile, will be good. Lol, but I´m tidied over for awhile though. Zune is great, thank you! The speakers blow through batteries though, so I´have to stock on those soon. Elder Hoffman is doing great, the bites are almost gone, very fortnately. The biggest blessings of this week were two nights ago. I went home after a rough day with the W and Elder Hoffman and I haven´t been talking as much lately, he´s been focusing on his comp, he joined my side! Lol, he came over and plopped himself on my little couch and we chatted for hours. and yesterday too, and today too. It´s great. Oh one thing, I looked up Bambino, it doens´t actually exist. Lol, I don´t mind though, it can be our word! Lol. Bug spray won´t do much our house is just an empty can in the local dump. Go get a bagel, tell ´em I said hi. and get a second one for me, maybe take David with you. He´ll get a pizza bagel on cheese with cookies and a coke. Test me on that. I´m goinn to try and send hand written letters but I might need you to make some deliveries. Thank you for your spiritual words too. I think the Lord is slowly tempering me too. I´m going to go love some peole now! Lol, LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!