Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Christmas 2010

Wasn´t that crazy talking over Christmas. I feel like it wasn´t even real. When I hung up I was just like "wow, I just talked to my family on the phone...." (hahaha) Then after, I was going to ask you more questions because I forgot to ask but decided against breaking the rules. I´m such a good kid huh... (hahahhahhahah) But yeah, talk about weird. I could just imagine all of you sitting at the table talking on the speaker phone. How weird. =P

Well the way you're telling me, it sounds like you didn´t do anything super fun for Christmas because I wasn´t there!!! I know that's a lie but thanks for the thought. =P Eventually something fun has to happen while I'm gone so you can´t hide it forever. I´m just teasing. But I really like the pictures that you sent me. I have the pictures from last year's party at the PEAK. Good times. It's weird to think that I'm going to be in El Salvador this WHOLE year! The mission kind of messes with your mind, but the good thing is that I'm going to stay super busy so supposedly it's going to go by fast.. =) But just for the record I loved all the presents that each of you gave me! I´ve played with/used them all!! It made my Christmas feel at least somewhat like it.. hahaha =)

1 - How did the baptism go on Christmas day?

Well now that is kind of a sad story. I had all my baptismal clothes at the church and all that jazz and the sisters showed up without the girl who was supposed to be baptized. They proceeded to say that she is in San Salvador in a hospital and super sick! So NO BAPTISM... sad day for us... but we´re hoping in January!! (if she gets feeling better) Pray for her.

2 - What did you end up eating for you special Christmas dinner/food?

Hopefully these pictures will all work but yeah we had the whole mission party thing called The Multizona Navideña. where everyone in our mission went to a huge stake center and ate. We all got some cool soccer jerseys for Christmas then at the end we went and watched movies that the missionaries had made for Christmas. It was super cool!! Then we had a dinner that a rich member made for us like the 23 or something... hahah Then on the 24 (aka their Christmas) we ate at a members house! =) So I'm all fat and happy from Christmas. (hahaha)

Well I'll tell you guys a cool story that just happened last night. Deal!

Well about like 10:20'ish last night my comp got off the phone and was in his bed praying and I was laying out in our cool hammock writing in my journal about all the stuff we did when all of a sudden I heard some weird scratching coming from in our room; I thought it was my comp just scratching himself (haha - we found out he might be allergic to something here and has all these spots that are super itchy on his body) when all of a sudden from out of our room comes this HUGE RAT!!! I sat there still in my hammock watching it. This thing was huge though! Not like our other one that we killed but huge! So I told my comp and the rat went and hid among the boxes in our back corner. We both decided - we´re not going to sleep with this thing alive so we started to take out the boxes really slowly so not to scare it. My comp had this huge shovel and when it bolted we almost killed it. It ran out and into our drain and was sitting in there. So we tried everything to get it out. We used my peanut butter, tried throwing things at it but no. So at this time it was way late so we decided to block it off and kill it tomorrow (Today) So we got these huge bricks and put them in both the entrance in our house and in the drain in the street... So this morning my comp checked and someone stole the brick from the street and it escaped!!!!!!!!!!!!! Someone took a BRICK!!!! Man, everything here gets stolen!!!!! (hahha) That was the most resent and quite a long story but that is funny...

Well, it was awesome talking to you on the 25th and really I appreciate all that you all are for me. You all help me in a special unique way. Thank you.

Love Elder Sutton

Monday, December 20, 2010

December 20, 2010

Goodness goodness goodness...... Where in the world did December go?????????? Like literally I remember getting your package at the beginning of December and thinking, "Man, christmas is forever away. I don´t need to even worry about it" and now it feels like I was transported to the week of it!!!!!!!!!! Flippin crazy if you ask me.. Well we have transfers tomorrow and here is the news with me.............
=============================News==========================
We officially don´t have changes. Both me and Elder Winters are going to be together for another change!! =) I´m pretty excited but at the same time kinda bumbed I didn´t get to a new area. But literally it's going to be great spending Christmas here in my area and then also his birthday and maybe my birthday. He kinda is feeling like my brother that I never had... (thanks alot parents =P) I hope he doesn´t mind being with me another change. hahaha. Plus we get to go to people´s houses on Christmas and Christmas eve and all that such. =)=)

OKAY, I´m going to explain the Christmas season here and what everyone does. =)
Alright so first off all they try and make everything all pretty by painting the trees in the side walk white.. It just turns out looking funny but they try. Some people have like one string of lights. Like the most lights that I´ve seen here is one string on someone´s banister of their house. hahah they would be blown away if they went to the states and saw ours..
Next they all party! Like that's what they do. Like in the states it's a little more reverent and all that. Here they have HUGE fireworks like every night and huge dances and all that. So like the 24th is when they do everything. Open presents. Party. you know the whole thing we do on Christmas back in the states... lol Well then Christmas is like the day that everyone rests. Me and my comp call it the day that they sleep off their hang overs.. hahahah But yeah basically it's a reason for them to party!! hahaha but it's all good. hopefully a member will feed us and we won´t have to be in our house all Christmas then go out and work..... =) but it's all good!!!! =)

OKAY. update with the temple here. they almost have finished the outside. Like they even put up the angel Moroni and all that stuff! One member here works on the site and showed us the pictures. It's so cool. He is in charge of all the electrical and all that stuff here. =)

Man it's crazy to think that christmas is this week. But I´m glad that I´m here and going to experience this. It´ll be all for the good. =) and Jayda??? What??? no one bothered to tell me that April was even that pregnant! But now we have someone else in our family. Cool! Someone should send me pictures of the party!

hahaha Megan on a date. That just sounds funny to me!!!!! Does she even have a facebook yet? Lol I remember her wanting one all the time but mom wouldn´t let her. It's crazy to think that she is going to be a Senior when I get back. hahaha

1 - Have you been enjoying the 12 Days of Christmas?  Anything stand out as being more fun?

But yeah we have been enjoying the 12 days of Christmas!!! Literally it's like the highlight of our night! My favorite so far is the coloring book... hahah I´ve already colored like three of them... lol I do it while my comp is calling his district so don´t get to worried. hahaha

2 - Details for our upcoming chat with our favorite son?

Well details... Um... I´m going to call in the morning on Christmas. I think that is like set in stone but I don´t know of anything else. There are still a lot of options and I´m going to go get everything in order so don´t worry too much. If there is anything you wanna talk about write it down so you don´t forget. haha I know mom is super organized so she might already be doing that. =P love ya mom... Besides that I think we´re good. I don´t really want a lot of people. hahah if anyone really wants to they can talk but yeah you know. =)

3 - Will you ask the mission president's wife to add us to facebook?  (Dixie said she actually posts things once in a while so I think that might be neat - even in Spanish)

Well I´ll try and ask her but I dunno if she will remember. Like I´ll talk to her when we all get together for the multi zone activity this week. It should be pretty sweet. =)

4 - Are you still on track for upcoming baptisms?

Well those baptisms fell.... =( =( like we don´t know what happened but they decided that they didn´t want to be baptized anymore... we think they talked with some other people about it but it's okay. The work still goes forward. We found a girl this week who had been taught by other missionaries before and almost was baptized but just didn´t feel ready. So we´re working with her to baptize her. =)

Well I can´t think of anything more to write you guys.... =( I know that I´ll remember something as soon as I send this letter but it's all good. =) There is always next week. Hahah remember I´ll be here for two years. =P hahaha 

Feliz Navidad a todos y espero que todos disfruten esta epoca a recordar nuestro Salvador y Redentor. Sin el somos nada en esta vida y después tambien. Un buena escritura a leer es Lucas capitulo 2. Sobre el nacimiento de Jesús. Que Dios les bendiga siempre y les guarde.

Elder Sutton

December 13, 2010

Feliz Navidad! Honestamente no puedo creer que casi es la navidad.  Realmente el tiempo está corriendo como loco!!!   Haha-  well just a little Spanish to throw into you guys.  Really easy translating so you can have some fun with that.  (hahahaha)  Man we´re going to be talking on the phone in like two weeks.... It feels like I just got here!!!  Literally, the time is running away!  But yes, don´t worry, I got the most wonderful package from you guys ever.  I love the rice crispy treats with people´s comments on them.  :)  :)

Wowwwww!!!!!!!!!!!  Look at our house!!!  Where did our dungeon go?????  Like I totally can remember there being nothing down stairs and I didn´t recognize our basement for like 20 minutes!  I thought that you were in some other room or something!  Then with the huge television and the leather couches and all that..  Man!!   Why didn´t anyone tell me that we were rich?!?!?!   I would have bought tons of stuff growing up like an I phone!!!!   (hahaha)

 I miss petting dogs like it's my job!!!!!  It's a rule here that we can´t touch pets of any kind!!!!  But I'm going to confess that I have pet a dog before... :(   I´m a sinner....  But p.s. I love your pictures so much!!! One day I'll be back there with you guys.  :)

So you actually received my memory card????? Legit!!!  That's awesome.  I was hoping that it wouldn´t get stolen or anything like that.  I just sent it through regular mail..   My old companion was crazy; I'm not going to lie. 

1 – Are you calling home on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) or on Christmas Day?  Have you purchased your phone cards yet?

Well, I'm going to call you Christmas morning and I hope with my companion, Elder Winters, so then you can hear him too.  But yes, we´re talking to the members about finding the cheapest way to call - like buying phone cards or all that jazz.  Don´t worry, I'm figuring it all out.

2 – Where did you come up with your wacky, first companion?  We were just awed at him in his special music video…..(Josh Groban sing-a-long). It’s all fun!

Hahah - Elder Choc............. He really liked Josh Groban, but he had no idea what he was saying.... Definitely a......................... Special missionary.................... hahahahahahahah

3 – Have you bought anything for yourself for Christmas? (I put $100 in your account just in case you want a machete or something…. J)

Really??? So I can like buy something with the money?  Like maybe I'll buy some egg nog cause it's like $4 for a little.... I miss it.... =(  

HEY!!!! Remember to take pictures of the party and send me them. The Christmas parties.... =)

4 – Is there anything you want us to tell the family at the Wiggins’ Christmas party at the Peak this next Saturday? 

Tell them that... I miss them very much...  Everyone. Cheyenne, DeeDee,  The Harveys... all of them. Tell them that they all should have tons of fun for me and remember that with our family we can experience some of the best times in your life.  I know I have.

5 - How about the Suttons whom we will be hanging with on Sunday at their party?

Well maybe tell them that I miss them..  Tell grandma that I think about her too.  And I hope that she got my letter.  That I´m trying to have some fun too but that I'm working really hard to make everyone proud of the Sutton name. =)

Well I'm going to sign off so I can go and buy food for the week....  I just want to say how much of a deeper gratification I have for the Christmas season this year.  All the other years I guess I just took it for granted like just for the presents.  Now this year when I don´t have nearly as much (thankfully some, love you mom and others!!) I just realize that it's not about presents.  We hear that all the time but until you don´t have it, you don´t know. I love everyone of you guys..
Love you all friends, family... Megan, Amanda, mom and dad (even Maggie). 

Smile for me and remember to have some fun for your little brother in Central America. 
Don´t forget that I love you. really

Elder Sutton

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Derek and the Volcano

Thanksgiving in Elder Winter's old area


The crazy volcano we hiked to in our suits


The district


Elder Winter's and I in front of our house

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

December 7, 2010

Well hopefully you guys got my 3 pictures that I sent to you.

- The first photo is of us when we went to Elder Winters’ old area for a baptism. His bishop then went and got a turkey and the whole ordeal for the missionaries - that was my Thanksgiving!!! It actually wasn´t bad. (hahah) I still missed the real one, but my companion was really missing it. Every single year his family goes to the dunes and has Thanksgiving there with all his family and this was his first year not with them. He and his family are HUGE riders, 4 wheelers, motorcycles, etc. I tried to cheer him up. J

- The volcano of doom was the next photo! Man, I still feel tired from that trip and it was a week ago!!!! That was an experience that I’m not all that ready to do again. This next p-day we´re going to be chilling in our stake center playing ping pong and lacrosse and maybe get some food. (hahah) You should have seen us coming off that mountain. On the way back in this small village in the mountain there was a store, and we all went and cleaned the whole place out buying soda and chips and everything this guy had!!
J

- This photo is us in front of our house. We had to take a picture for the Christmas video that the zone is making. I thought it was funny so I sent it to ya’ll!!!!!

Well guess what??? We have a baby Christmas tree that my companion got from his ex-comp - it’s pretty legit. In our house we have a corner of Christmas stuff and lights. I think it’s pretty cool. It’s a lot better than other missionaries at least.

December 18 for Megan’s date? That should be fun!! Hopefully on that day we should have some baptisms! (cross your fingers) I remember the good old days of dating.... Sometimes I miss it and then at other times, I’m way happy I don´t have to deal with all that garbage!!!
J

Why haven´t you sent me a picture of Maggie in her new hair!! For all I know she is dead!!!!!! Man, I’m dreading one of these emails where you tell me that she is dead.. I think you should just lie to me and tell me she is forever alive and just buy me a new dog in her place! (hahahah - kidding kidding....)

OH, speaking of dead - my comp smashed a rat´s head in yesterday with a broom! Okay so here is the story. We have this giant whole in our house and two drains so that the water can leave when it’s raining. A rat came into our house through that whole.. My comp was on the phone when I saw it and so I was quiet and once he got off we got this ancient trap from inside our house and tried to set it up. It was too old to work so my comp decided to be Rambo and I gave him a broom, and he proceeded to chase after it with that broom until he finally trapped it in the corner and then proceeded to swing at it and making the funniest sounds I’ve ever heard. I can only compare them to like a ninja or something. I was laughing so hard. On my camera I have pictures but that’s at the house so another day you can see it.

Cut & Paste:

1 – Did you ever get cookies from your Grandma Carlene? (she sent something else off to you yesterday for Christmas but I said you hadn’t mentioned it…..?)

Nope... I haven´t received anything from Grandma Carlene yet. It’s probably in the mail as we speak. J But I’ll look forward to an awesome package from her sometime soon!!! HEY plus I sent you guys my memory card through the mail, let’s hope that it doesn´t get stolen!!! J J J

2 – Have you taught your companion how to use a lacrosse stick yet?

Of course I’ve taught him how to play! What kind of companion would I be if I hadn’t? (hahaha) He actually likes to play it so that’s even more of a bonus. One day we went out in the street and threw the ball. He wasn´t too good but the people were definitely watching us. J

3 – Are you getting to be a shoe shining fool?

Yeah I’m definitely a pro at shining my shoes. Man I almost do it every day because I want my shoes to last longer. I don´t want to have to go get new shoes for a while... because A. I don´t want to spend money on shoes and B. they aren´t all that great quality shoes here. (hahah) Oh but this week we tract into a guy who makes shoes. He was making them as we were talking to him. He had been doing it for like 50 years!!!! He definitely was pro at it.

So it must be true that Megan is starting to like basketball more than soccer right now. She must be doing good at it..
J I never was excellent at basketball so maybe all those genes went to her... THANKS ALOT PARENTS....... (hahahaha)

Well, we watched the Christmas devotional yesterday too. That kind of made me baggy (homesick), but it wasn´t terrible because it was in Spanish. I´m definitely improving because I understood a lot more than last time I watched conference. When it came time to sing the words were in English so my comp and I were the only ones singing; we sang loud!!
J

Well I just want to say that my family is the best.. Like I told you before my comp is what we call rich...... (haha) and he has always had all that he has wanted all his life and I just feel like I appreciate things a lot more than he does. I´m grateful for that!

So I’m throwing out ideas, but I might want to go out of state for college. Not too far but like maybe Arizona, California, or somewhere. I´m sure mom is opposed to that, but I just want to get a feel for real life out of flippin’ UTAH. (hahaha) Tell me what you think..
J

Love you all..
Elder Sutton

Sunday, December 5, 2010

November 30, 2010

Man do I have some stories this week but I don´t want to type it all… J I´m working on trying to get my hard drive and my pictures on the same but this computer I’m using is terrible and I’m probably just going to go to a members house where their computers aren´t 50 years old! I´ll answer the questions right now so that I can tell all the stories!

1 – Do you and your companion have a cell phone or a house phone (either)? How do you communicate with zone leaders, etc.?

Well only the zone leaders and the assistants get to have cell phones so that is sad, but we actually have like two phones; one is a set line and one is a ¨tellular¨ (it’s like a cell phone but bigger like a regular phone). We usually use the land line because its tons cheaper!

2 – What time do you get up in the mornings – leave to tract – come home in the evening/night?

Well we get up at 6:30 every morning and we eat, shower in the cold water and study until like 11ish then we go and do all the work until 1:00 and eat. We eat dinner at like 9:30 when we come back. That’s not always the most fun but sadly it’s a rule not to eat dinner until we come back at night. L

3 – Have you done anything fun on your p-day (checked out some topless babes or anything)?

Well really we haven´t done anything super crazy but our volcano experience. I’m going to write about that in a minute. J

4 – How was your interview with the mission president? (did he give you a promotion?)

Well it was really boring. He sat us in there and prayed, asked if there were any questions and then we bore our testimonies in English (I think he wanted to practice his English) then he shared an experience in Spanish then sent us on our way. Nothing really special. I don’t know, maybe I just haven´t done anything wrong. But it was lame!!! (hahaha)

(Hahah) Black Friday! I forgot totally about that! I definitely don´t miss doing that! It’s more of a girl thing then a guy thing I think. I still am not that all into shopping. J

Well let’s start off Sunday. First we went to my companion’s old area because he got to baptize his old investigator and so we went to our sacrament meeting then ditched to go to Atikisia. That was really legit! (It was tons of fun going to his area.) We went to see members and friends he had and all that, but it literally was a jungle! Like dirt roads and bridges and cows and farms and all that in the mountains! Then we went to the church building and it was tons nicer than the one that we have here!!!!! (hahahaha crazy) That night was the best. We ate Thanksgiving dinner with the bishop over there! Like turkey and potatoes and all that! It was our own Thanksgiving! J

Okay so yesterday we went to hike the volcano near Santa Ana! It was really legit the only problem was that it took us like 4 hours to get to the top and we got lost on our way up! Our so called ¨guide¨ got us lost and then some parts we had to crawl on our hands and knees! To top this all off, we were wearing church clothes because it is a new rule in the mission to always be wearing church clothes!!!! Let me tell you we all almost died. We didn´t plan for being out there all day long! We left at like 8 am and got back at like 6:30! (hahaha) I got some pictures! But everyone is dead today! Let alone my shirt is super super super dirty!!!!! Man, this story doesn´t even give it justice what we all went through!!!!!!

But all in all we got a great story and some pictures!!!

All is good here though. Christmas is coming up and we´re seeing Christmas lights and all that more and more every day. It’s crazy to think about how long I’ve been out on my mission already.. (hahah)

Love you all.

Elder Sutton