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