Monday, October 25, 2010

Real Milk This Week

Wow it sounds like I missed all the party with Brooke Walker!! Dang I want to be on TV. Maybe I’ll just do something crazy here and they'll put me on the Spanish TV. Okay just for the record we went into a member’s house and I watched a little TV. GASP!!! Yes, I’m a sinner but I don't know if it counts if I can't understand it. I can basically understand all the words that people say to me but the news is flippin crazy!!! Goodness!!! I can just imagine how a sports game would sound! But how did you work out the whole Brooke Walker thingy? It sounds like you were in the right place at the right time on this one! I've always wanted to be a movie star. Well there always is after my mission. =P

OH!! Before I forget, does anyone have Tyler Conrad's email? I got a letter from him finally, and he said that he hates writing and is going to start emailing from now on but I think that he might be writing to one of my other email accounts... =( Sad day....

So speaking of the Mo Tab Choir, I have a new profound love for them here on the mission. We are allowed to listen to other music here, but ALL of it is slow and they sing about sad things.. Mo Tab is always way fun to listen to because they are more up beat!!! (Hahahah) I'm growing more and more appreciative every day of the things I used to have. Even now I’m sleeping on my spare mattress sheets as a pillow because I don't have one. HAHA It’s not bad I’ve been doing it for 4 weeks or something.
Dang! We have changes in like 2 weeks! That went by way fast! I figure that when we work hard, everything goes by way faster! Church goes by faster, p-day goes by faster and even the weeks go by relatively fast! It’s really a whole new world out here on my mission! It doesn't feel like real life! AH! I probably have said that before but it feels like I’m on a vacation right now and I’m going to be back like next week. HAHAHAH SURPRISE - I’m really on a mission.

Well so you're having some chilly weather. Let’s see right now it’s like 75 and it’s going to get hotter and lets see..... Yesterday.... the SAME!!!! And the day before that.......... THE SAME!!!! It’s so flippin hot here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I don't want to hear about this chilly weather such because I’m sweating my face off every single day!!!! HAHAHA =P
Everything is going to change though in the raining season. I can tell you right now it’s going to rain buckets. Literally; EVERYONE has huge buckets in front of their houses. (hahaha) but guess what, no snow... =( I'm going to be having a scolding Christmas. =( Maybe you could send me some snow? kidding kidding.

Oh speaking of which mom I got the Halloween package from you! Okay I love you so much. Literally, when I get back I’m buying you a car and another house.. You are the best ever!!! We all love the Halloween pumpkin. My comp had no idea what it was but I do. =) That was our Halloween present. =) Plus the candy. I am sharing a little with him. (hahaha) I also got some letters from you and Amanda. I wish I could do something for you guys. Literally you guys made my day!!! =)=)=)=)

1 - Do you have a specific street address for where you live? (we got on google earth and want to see your approximate location) Are there any special “city” landmarks around you?

Ah.. Good question I really have no idea what our specific address is. They don't really tell us and I don't know why.. But look for our stake center. I don't really have any other way of getting to my place then that.. Well there is a big cathedral in the center of town and also a big mall! The city is Santa Ana and our zone is Modelo my area Independencia. =) I'm kind of lost in this planet of El Salvador. Hahaha

2 - Have you found that there are certain foods they DON’T have down there that you miss?

Well let’s see they basically don't have everything but they have Pepsi and Coke. That’s for sure and besides that, if you can find it American here it’s flippin expensive! Like name cereal here is way expensive so I don't get it. I get this random kind here with an elephant on the front of it. I don't really remember what it’s called. There is no canned soup here which is weird. This week I’m going to buy real milk!!!! =) no more powder milk for me for a little while. (hahaha) I’m so excited!!! They don't have all the candy that we have there in America. They love crackers and cookies here so those are really cheap and I get tons of them.

3 - Does your companion come from a big or a small family, members or non-members?

Well actually my companion was nacio en la iglesia or was born in the church like I was, and he has a lot of brothers and sisters - I don't remember exactly how many but a lot. He lived in the mountains in Guatemala so it was freezing cold at his house and no one had electricity so that was weird, but they just finished building a church in his town and the church has electricity so that will be a surprise for his family!!

4 - Have you seen any more giant bugs lately?

Well let’s see there are tons of those giant bugs but my companion hasn't killed any yet. He tried to kill a gecko with one of those bottles of insect killer but that just made it mad and it ran away. He really is crazy. I told him that if he killed it that he had to eat it. =P

5 - Are you a regular playing the piano in church yet?

Oh yeah I am definitely a regular at the piano there. Everyone expects me to be able to play all the himnos here and so far I have done a good job at it but who even knows about next week. I'm just waiting for one of those hymns that are only in Spanish to show up and I’ll have no idea how to play it!!!! (hahaha good times. =P) Yet again mom I owe you another house and a car for making me take and continue piano.( hahahah)

6 - Did you have your meeting with the general authority yet or is it this week?

Yes, Elder James Martino came and we spent the whole day talking with him. Our zone and like 2 others in our stake center. It was way awesome! Both he and his wife came. They are right now living in Guatemala because he is in the area presidency over those areas too. =)


My week was pretty good. I really loved the general authority who came. He was really powerful and I wrote and learned a lot about of things that I need to do better and what I need to study. I still love the members. I´m alright with the walking a lot, but I definitely get tired through the week. (Hahah - especially Sundays =P) Well I’m trying to get a little better every day with Spanish. Some of the members say that I’m learning really fast, but I don´t know if they are just being nice or what....

I´m looking forward to our call on Christmas to hear your voices.

Adios,

Love your son
Derek

Monday, October 18, 2010

Vegetable Soup - Yuck!

Buenos Tardes de Santa Anna!

Well Yes, I did actually get to see Bryant Schaugaard! It was pretty cool. Honestly I was in shock to see him. I had no idea that I was going to see him that day. We were going to a follow up meeting for all the “newbies” and their trainers and out pops this red head! (hahah) Literally I was in shock to see him. I could barely talk in English. He told me that I look a lot different and that he almost didn´t recognize me. Which is weird; I don´t think that I look any different but that’s probably because I have to look at myself every single day. Dangit.... =P But yeah from what I hear we get to have a Christmas party with all the missionaries which should be lots of fun. I´m still not sure what I should do about presents or if we are even allowed to have any presents. I don’t know. I don´t have any idea what things I would want.. hahah. I´ve just been trying hard to remember the people here and their names and where they live let alone think about what I want for Christmas.... Its going to be soooooo strange having Christmas in the blazing heat... I can´t believe it, but it´s going to happen twice so I better get used to it. =P

So it sounds like the construction project for the new room is under way and I’m assuming that dad and yourself mom are the main work force with Megan and all her projects and stuff every single day. Who knows? OH, one thing that I would really like that I told Amanda and I’m gong to tell you. PLEASE take pictures of the project while its under construction and all that stuff. I don´t want to be left out =(..... That way I can have some sort of idea what’s happening over there in never land. I remember the time I went and helped Graydon and Kevin strip wall paper from a house and that was tons of fun!!! NOT!!!! So exactly what are you going to do to the whole house??? Or just the family room or the basement or what???

1 – How is communication coming along with your companion and the people in your area?
Well the communication is coming along. It’s not perfect because he can´t speak English but everywhere I go I have my little note book and my dictionary and if there are things that I don´t know I write them down and when I get a second I look them up. All the natives steal my dictionary to look up dumb words and then proceed to yell them at me in terrible English. HAHAHA its way funny. =P

2 – What is the best thing you ate this week? (We hope you are eating more food than less food – you don’t have room to loose….)

Well the best thing that I ate this week.... Probably two things: First I ate this stuff last night for family home evening where they got eggs and put like chili on it and stuff. It was quite good actually. (I still have yet to get sick. =) knock on wood) hahah Second our cook made this potato stuff which I really liked! It was made with like cream and all this stuff. Very good.

I did find something that I didn´t like though. They call it sopa de vendura (vegetable soup). It’s got all types of squash in it and meat and this stuff that was nasty. I recommend no one try it. Hahaha

3 – What is the best thing that happened for the week?

The best thing that happened to me... Well I’ll tell you two things one about our investigator that we found. He lives in this house kind of by Carmen Ordonez whom we are teaching. He was sitting out there one day and started talking to me in English, and I thought it was yet another drunk trying to be funny. So I just ignored him until I realized that he actually could speak English. So we went and talked to him and he was kind of drunk so that was fun. But we convinced him that we would stop by a few days later. Then this week we stopped by Carmen Ordonez´s house and he was out there so after we went and talked to him, and he apparently lived in the states for quite some time until he was deported. (hahah) All the drunks here were deported from USA. (Not really but it seems like it.) But eventually we got to talking and he is very interested in the church and actually came to sacrament meeting for an hour the day before I even taught him part of the lesson in English!!!!! Way awesome!! It was the primary program too so I hope that he liked that yesterday... Talk about difficult though. It’s hard understanding grownups speaking to me let alone little kids who can barely speak themselves!!!! It’s all good; one day I will be able to understand everything. Spanish is coming along.

4 – Who does your washing? (you or is there a member you pay)

Every Monday morning we get up and at seven walk to this lady´s house that does our washing for us. So to answer your question, a lady in our ward does it. So it’s the Elder´s quorum president´s wife. =) If that makes any sense to anyone. She does a very good job too at it. All the dirt in my collars is gone the next week so that is amazing in itself!!!

5 – Do you know either Elder Preston Ferrin or Elder Finlinson?

I do know elder Finlinson!!!! (Hahaha) He is in my zone and when we get together we always talk!! He is pretty cool! That missionary mom´s website is quite something! But I don´t know Preston Ferrin... Never heard his name before.... =( Santa Anna is pretty big and I don’t know all the missionaries in it. Just in my district and zone. We don´t get to see many other missionaries. Elder Finlinson went to the capital today to fix his police report because they were having some problems.

I just want to take the time to say how smart you are mom. How you had me pack all these things that I would have never in my life thought of it and then had to come down here and use my money to buy... Let’s just take one example: Q tips. I used those this week and I would never have thought about it. It’s quite crazy. There is a reason that you’re my mom. I´m glad that you made me think of those things ahead of time. It still feels like I’m on a vacation right now. Like in a week, I’m going to come home and keep going to school. I don´t know how to explain it. It’s one of those “newbie” things. I’ve been talking to Elder Finlinson about this, and he feels exactly the same way as I do. It’s almost not real. When the day comes that it does feel real, I’m going to be almost done with my mission. That’s why I’m doing my best now to work hard, obey the rules and have a little fun. =)

I want to see the front yard all dug up. All I can remember is all the flowers. I can´t believe that it’s getting cold there and going to snow in the winter. People here think of snow as in the fairy tales and such... Like not real. My companion lived in a small town in the mountains of Guatemala and his parents told him last year that "it fell snow" as they say here. And people were like shaking their heads because they didn´t believe it!!!! hahahha

Oh I got your letters mom. Well two “Dear Elders” talking about before Megan’s party and then the other one was about after the party. I kind of laughed because of how I got them both at the same time. At the same time it made me realize that life is still happening back at home without me. Why didn´t you stop time, mom?? I thought you were going to do that for me???? hahahah I bet you´ll get right on that. =P

Wow Brandon is home now. That feels like such a long time and yet such a short time that he was out on his mission. Did he like it? What did he have to say about it? I have been receiving a few emails from Jared just simple chats and he seems to be doing pretty good. It’s almost a third world country in Chile so he almost knows how it is here. =P You don´t really know what poor is until your sitting in a shack on the side of the road, and they use what little money they have and get a soda pop and put it in a refill mug because its the best they have. =) Yet the people here somehow find a way to still give. They have nothing but still give everything. We could learn a lot from mimicking the people here.

OH!!! You looked up where I live???? It is pretty cool huh. =) Well I live really close to the stake center. It’s called Modelo and my area is Independencia. If you can find that then your really close to my place like 4 blocks away. (hahaha) You should look it up on Google Earth and next week I can direct you to my house. I bet you’re at Taco Time right now with grandpa and grandma... How are they doing? What is happening around the family? I want to know!!

Oh that is what my blog looks like!! Dang, I had no idea. I don’t know if I can look at my blog, but I did anyway. (hahaha) You should tell my friends and everyone about my blog, mom, because it’s really really really hard to find time to hand write on p-day. I don´t know if you understand, BUT ITS REALLY HARD!!! Don´t worry I make time for you guys in email. But yeah I loved the letters you sent me. Also, Paul Wood sent me a little letter and I finally got that. If you get the chance tell him how much I really appreciate hearing from him even if it was just something they had to do for elders quorum; I still really appreciate it.

Well this week a councilor from the area presidency is coming to the stake center which happens like twice a year and we get to attend it!! This really is a huge deal here. The mission president, who lives 2 hours away, drove up here yesterday and is coming a couple more times this week to prepare for him. I don´t remember his name but he is white and speaks Spanish and English so I hope that I can hear a little English but I doubt it. There are some people here that speak English but it’s broken and not so good. It helps though that they try. If anything the members are patient with me. It’s hard. I don’t know if anyone can really understand unless you have experienced it. It’s funny to see all the heads turn and everyone look at me and my short little companion. =P They are really funny. When I talk to them you can tell they really pay attention because I’m a big white guy in a shirt and tie. OF course they are going to listen to me. I just need to speak some more. My companion is pushing me to talk to members which is good. I know having him as a companion is helping me learn in more then just one way.

Well also I just want to say how much it means that you write to me. Some of the elders here don´t receive letters from their parents or anyone and they just write things to their family and hope that they get them; they have nothing to look forward to on Monday besides just resting. I almost just want to give them your email so you can write them but they only speak Spanish. If you learn fast, I will. =P If anything you won´t forget about me huh mom. =P

So we are hoping for a baptism this month. I found out that this area that we´re in is one of the tougher areas so that is part of the reason why we aren´t baptizing like all the other elders. We have people they just give us a time to come teach them when they know they aren´t going to be there. It’s pretty sad because we waste time just looking for them. Oh well: I’m still doing this for God. If nothing I’m learning how to speak Spanish and you guys can have the blessings. =)

I hope that the food is good at Taco Time and that you ate something for me, mom. I hope that Megan is doing well in the boy department and in school. Remember that I survived school and that means you should pass with flying colors. Just don´t take it for granted; you only get high school once. =) Dad, I got your picture from work and I sent you email back but you weren´t on... =( Just remember, dad, that I’m always going to be your son no matter where I am in the world. Amanda, I just wrote you but remember to have some fun. Life is nothing without laughing. =)

I pray for you all every day.

que les vaya bien.

Elder Sutton

Monday, October 11, 2010

October 11, 2010

Dear Family and all others who love listening to me. =P

Well yesterday wasn´t terribly lucky for me being 10/10/10.... I didn´t die! How about that? But yesterday was honestly one of the most amazing days ever. I have such an appreciation for Sundays now that I’m here. I got to play the piano in two wards here because no one else could play the piano and I was totally fine with that. I love to play the piano and while I did that, my companion took some of the young men to get our investigators to come to church. I really thought that it was awesome.

Dang!!
Uncle Ken had a birthday already!! That’s crazy to think that I’m going to miss everyone´s birthday for the next 2 years including my own. Oh well who knows how birthdays go here or even if we do anything. There was some sort of celebration yesterday, but I don´t know what it was. Lots of fireworks that sounded like guns so that freaked me out but my companion reassured me they were fireworks. =) We passed by this church that was partying with lots of people, and I told my companion that we should go and preach to them all in their chapel. HAHAH Kidding.

I totally remember Bruce Merrell in the airport. It was very strange to see someone I knew. Like literally I was staring at him trying to remember who that was and he was walking by me and I stopped him to say hi and we talked for a few seconds before I checked my luggage. I wish I would have asked him more about stuff but he looked busy.. I sort of miss white people... =( I like the people here and all, but I just stick out like a sore thumb! Everyone knows that I’m the gringo and so they try and talk to me in English and it makes no sense. Just like the little kids! They watch movies in English and just yell things at me. Sometimes they aren’t so good...... hahahah

Who all is reading my blog?
Like all of the family or just you guys and the bishop? I would like to address my fan club personally, but I don´t know who they all are!!!!! HAHAHAH
Kevin is back already?
Wow he was at church too? Of course when I’m gone! Maybe I was just a bad influence on him or something =P Really, I’m way excited that he is going to church and all! It makes me happy! Someone should tell him to hit me up with some letters or something! I want to see how things are going!

- What direction is the village you live in (N/S/E/W) from San Salvador? Is it one hour by bus ride or walking?

Okay well that’s a good question... I believe we are east!! YEAH I remember now we are east!! Haha I remembered when I was typing it. The place is called Santa Anna or the closest place I believe, and it’s more closer to two hours in a bus. But they are charter buses that we take to and from the capital with a movie playing (that I can´t watch) and they kind of stink. But they are better then the regular buses. I don´t go there much but it’s an awesome experience.

- Have you used your filter straw yet or regularly?

Well I haven´t used my straw yet but I have used my bottle. Usually where we eat they know that we can´t drink the water so we get like juice or pure water. Our cook has a jug for us that she puts in the small fridge before we get there.

- Is it getting any easier to communicate with your companion? Does he like to work hard?

It’s getting a lot easier because I’m getting the ear for it. Speaking is still a struggle but I imagine that comes with time... I don´t know. Well yes he likes to work. He is a pretty good companion and the problems that we´re having are being resolved. Don´t worried mom. He knows a lot about the scriptures and is a pretty smart guy. =)

- How was the hamburger last week?

I ended up not getting a hamburger... =( I am going to try this week! I got like nachos because they were cheaper.. We have a budget you know... Are you proud of me because I haven´t used my money yet? =) I have had to eat less though some nights... But it's all good!!!!!

- Have you been able to teach any discussions yet or are you guys mostly just making contacts?

Well yeah we teach lessons every day usually like 4 lessons and we contact also. We try and get 4 new people and addresses every day to put in our investigator bank so we can teach them. =) It's tough contacting people... I´m struggling with talking to them but my companion is there to help. Usually hahahaha... Okay but get this - everyone here is a lot more friendly then back in the states. You can just walk by some random person and say Buenos Dias or Buenas or hola and EVERYONE will say it back or say a little phrase Que le vaya bien (that’s the Spanish of the day).

- What is the best thing you have eaten so far?

Well the best thing that I have eaten... Probably the tortillas are really amazing and I love the refried beans. I could live off of those. I kind of do (haha), but you can buy them in a bag at the super market for pretty cheap and they are really good. Just heat them up and make an egg and your good to go. =) I want to eat a real pupusa here. Maybe we´ll do that today.

Dang!
That’s too bad about the miners in Chile. I bet Jared has heard about the whole deal with Chile because that is where he is. How long have they been down there?

And BE football? Are we actually trying to play well now or what!! HAHAH finally!!

Oh dang!!
Megan has my cell phone number now. Well does she get any texts from my friends thinking that it’s me? That’s pretty funny if you ask me. Plus it’s purple and girly so I don´t want it anyway. =P But it sounds like she had quite the adventure for her first experience with the dating scheme of things! I would like to go rock climbing but there really aren´t mountains around here... There are a couple of volcanoes and I think that we might go climb them one day or something. That would be pretty cool!!! I really don´t know what we´re going to do as a companionship today for our p-day. It better not be just sitting in our house or I’m going to shoot my companion... It's even better if we do something with another companionship because then I can´t kill my companion or there will be witnesses. =P

Okay so lets see.
Now is the time where I tell you all my stories and such... Well we did have 2 baptisms in our district last Saturday and that was awesome! My companion got to baptize one of them and I don´t know why or how he got to do that because they aren´t our investigators. Maybe she asked him to. Both were girls and older. One is like 75 and the other around 40 so yeah.
The weather is still scalding hot and I’m going to try and buy a handkerchief today to wipe the sweat off of my face!!
It literally is super dooper hot here.
We also had a service project that we did last week where we went to a school and gave it a make-over and such. We painted the walls and fixed the garden and all that jazz.
One member in our ward is an artist and is awesome with spray painting and he painted a mural of a cove and a boat and a light house. It was awesome!!!

Well this week I got an e-mail that said that I have 2 packages at the mission home!!! I´m way excited for those!! =) They are small but still it’s something from home and I can´t wait!!!!!
Hum.. I don´t know what you guys want to know about what’s going on..
It’s a lot like the cities in Mexico.
There are tons of dirt roads with huge pot holes that they fill with broken plates and such (it’s weird but resourceful). There are also these huge locust looking things that fly around at night and they are huge! (As long as my foot.) My companion stepped on one the other night and it was the grossest sound I’ve ever heard in my entire life!!! Crunchy and all that sickness.. ewwwwwwww

Well I have my camera today and I’m going to take some pictures and avoid being pick pocketed so that will be tons of fun!
I´m still trying to figure out how to send letters and such so I probably should write some today but we´ll see if we´re totally busy or what is going on. =)

Until next week.
I love you guys. Like I said, I pray for you all every night. I know that you will be blessed too because I’m out here and that I’m trying to work hard every day and stay on task. I miss ya. =)

Love,
Elder Sutton

Monday, October 4, 2010

He Has Arrived!

October 4, 2010

Wow, family, the only thing that I can say is WOW!!! Talk about getting thrown into a different world! It’s so crazy here! Okay, it’s not terrible or bad or anything but from the MTC to here is definitely going to take some time getting used to. =) But before you start worrying mom, I’m perfectly fine and safe here so don´t get all worried. Enough people do that already. =P First of all I’m going to tell you that I have like about an hour on my p-day to write to guys so don´t worry about asking tons of questions because I’ve got tons of time. =)

Dang! It sounds like to me Megan is a lot more popular then I ever was. It’s probably because she learned from me. We´ll just leave it at that. hahah How did you get grandpa to let you use his house for the party? I´m jealous I didn´t get to go and party with you guys and, p.s. I’m sorry that I’m going to miss all your birthdays for two years…. You guys should send me a list of people´s birthdays so that I can give a shout out the p-day before they have them. =)

1 - Did you watch conference in Spanish or English?

Well this is the tricky thing. The stake center is right in our area so we could walk to it. The first day (Saturday) the elders who could understand English went into a separate room to watch it, and it was fantastic. But Sunday..... something went wrong and they told us that we had to watch it in Spanish!!!! I didn´t get as much that time.... It’s super hard to concentrate on Spanish with crying babies, people around me talking in Spanish and then writing notes!!! But I think I actually got the jest of it. If anything, I just took notes on my feelings. HAHA

2 - Who is your companion, and where is he from?

Well... now this is another tricky thing. My companion is named Elder Choc. He is a native... sort of..... He is from Guatemala and he speaks Ceck Chi. I don´t think I spelled that correctly but its a language in Guatemala and he learned Spanish here so basically I only communicate with him in Spanish. He has been speaking Spanish for 13 months. Sometimes I get a little frustrated and such but I keep reminding myself that I have only been here for a week. If anything, some of the members tell me that I have a good accent so I’m trying hard to learn. It’s hard when you have no one to ask questions to... But alas, what can I do but complain. =) I´m being able to understand a little more and more every day. Speaking is a different story. It’s like not even the same language as in the MTC!

3 - How is the humidity and the weather?

Well let’s see. Right now I’m sweating, yesterday I was sweating and the other day was the same!! Haha but right now is their/our winter so it also rains. ALOT! It´ll start like in the afternoon and rain a ton! You´ve never seen rain like this!!! Well I’m sure that you would love it here mom, and I’m sure that you would die just like me dad!

4 - Where are you serving (in San Salvador or another city)?

The place that I’m serving or area is called Independencia so that is obviously Spanish for Independence but yeah it’s like an hour from San Salvador in the middle of a valley and there are a ton of people here! We visit members in their houses and ALL of them have cell phones and TV’s but like none of them have a real door or real chairs or like anything else. It works for us because we can call them. =P Also I just want to take a moment to give you guys a few tips. If you come here make sure to always bring with you your umbrella, sombrilla, because it starts pouring in a matter of seconds!!!

5 Is your home/apartment relatively normal and are there more than 2 in it?

I have tons of pictures of my apartment, OR, at least a few but it’s not bad; it’s really a lot better than most people have here so that’s awesome! One really cool thing is that we have a giant whole in me middle of our house and a grate over the top so when it starts raining the rain just falls in. =) There is a drain and such but it’s really cool even though the bugs can come in…. even then, there really aren´t a ton of them. They don´t really bother me. =)

6 Have you seen Bryant?

No, I haven´t seen Bryant. He is like a ghost here. I don´t know what area he is in or anything, but a lot of people seem to know him. Maybe because of his red hair or something but still it’s different. =) I want to see him.

Well during conference I thought about last year when I was watching it with you and how I would fall asleep and such. It’s like now I’m not even tired. I think I’m getting used to being tired all the time. Plus, I am really really listening to the conference talks and they really are amazing! I never realized how little I was paying attention to them until now.

I’m going to give you a rundown of some of the things that we do slash some of the thoughts in my head. =) First of all I want to tell you and everyone out there reading this to invite the missionaries and feed the missionaries and just plain talk to them. You have no idea how much members mean to us here. The reason that I’m still smiling and still having fun even though I have no idea what’s going on is because the members. They give me food. They try to help me with Spanish. They actually listen to me. They are the reason that I’m making it right now. I know that the members here are a blessing from God. And honestly, the church is still true here in El Salvador just like it is in Brigham City or Germany or anywhere. Remember that!

Second, I’ll tell you about Hermana Constrella, I believe that is her name. She lives in this little shack right off the road. I´m going to send you my memory card somehow so that you can see what I’m talking about when I mean poor. But she is THE NICEST SISTER EVER. Besides you mom of course =) She is always there to make me smile. I honestly love her and I‘ve known her for just one week. She has such a powerful spirit. She is our cocinera so that means we go over and eat there every lunch and she gets food for us and cold drinks and everything even though she has so little. We pay her once a week but ´m sure that never is enough. She really is a saint.

Well we pretty much teach all day every day. This day we contacted 80 people and got a lot of people to set dates for us to come back and teach. =) I´m going to look and see if I can buy a panuelo today. (He said to look it up and it’s a “head scarf”.) I need one way bad (por mi cara). hahaha

I have to write my mission president right now or I’d write you more. My computer crashed and some guy worked on it or I’d have more time. =) Expect letters from me around this time every day.

I love you all family. Everyone! A day doesn´t go by that I don´t think about you each individually.

Thanks, mom, I’m going to try and keep smiling. I love you all. Really.

Que lay vaya bien familia.

Elder Suit-oon (that’s how they say it)

Friday, October 1, 2010

MTC Room Video