Monday, February 28, 2011

Baptism in the River

Good afternoon family and cool people that read my emails!!!

I hope that today's email will be entertaining because in my head it seems really cool but who knows if I'm just being a weird missionary. =)

Well more snow huh? I hope that you all are loving it up there while I'm sweating down here. I kind of know what it is like to be cold. In the mornings here it's super cold!!!!!! Especially at 4 a.m.!!! Okay, I'll explain why it's so early... Well we have an area called "Jujutla" and we usually go there like 2 or 3 times a week but we don´t want to spend the whole day there so there are buses that go there at 5:30am and 6:30am then at 1030pm. We usually go to the bus stop at 5:00am to wait; surprisingly you can see your breath!! (hahah) But for that reason alone I'm super tired. We crash every night without one single problem. I´m super glad that I don´t have problems sleeping. Thanks parents for the awesome genes!

What???????? Box Elder basketball is actually doing something good???? Man all the amazing stuff is happening while I'm gone! Who is it that's actually doing good on the team?

Megan is going to the prom already? Wow... man I'm getting so flippin' old. Why couldn´t everything just go on pause for like 2 years or something. I imagine that you are going to take lots of photos and send them to your dear beloved brother that is in El Salvador... RIGHT??!!

HAHAHAHAH way to go dad!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep that Xbox in good use! Him subscribing for one more year made me actually laugh out loud here..

1 - Have you actually received your packages? (One for your birthday that was mailed the 1st part of January, a card with pictures and your memory card & do you actually get the dear elder letters we're sending - Emily has been sending dear elder letters too)

Okay so this is the thing. I got a package this week and I'm hoping and praying and fasting that it's from you guys because if I do say so myself it's a little late. BUT, it´ll just be another birthday!!! (haha) Yes, I got my memory card and I'm going to send my ones I have but man I'm just so busy all the time. Running errands and teaching everything!!! And yes, Emily, I got your emails and I sent you one that should be in the states by now!!! =) I know I'm slow but I still love all the letters and dear elders and EVERYTHING!!!

2 - When does the rainy season actually start? Are you ready for it? (I'm going to send a couple of "sham wows" for you to use - as seen on TV)

Well the raining season is supposed to start in April or May, but the thing is it's been raining here quite a bit. Two days were pretty rough last week and I used my umbrella and I went to use my poncho and guess what???? There is no cap for it!!! I think that I'm going to go and buy another one here that has a cap on it... I'm not even ready for the raining season here. I really do like the sun and I'm going to cry when I can´t see it. =( =(

3 - Since your comp likes to cook, has he taught you any good recipes (pupusas)?

Well not really. I've learned some things but not pupusas yet. We are going to make lasagna this week and he is going to show me how so I'll take notes of how they do it in Costa Rica. Deal. But yeah, I will learn how to make pupusas one day. I can make tortillas here but that's about it.

4 - Have you taught your comp how to throw & catch a lacrosse ball? (the season is about to start - hahaha)

Well I am going to have to teach him really soon then. But no. Really I need to practice and all that, but I've been reading my scriptures too much.... My comp needs to tell me to stop studying and play lacrosse with him... hahahahahahahah Just for the record, the scriptures are super awesome. I never really realized how awesome they were until I had to read them every day. =D

Well actually this week we had a baptism!!!!!! His name is Mauricio and he lives alone in the mountains of Jujutla. He has 25 years and so he will be another priesthood over there!!! But really the baptism was so awesome. I´m going to try and send off some pictures of it but I did it in a river up there!!! Awesome huh? The only down fall was that we had to hike an hour to get there, and on the way back it was pouring rain.. But it was totally worth it!!! (hahaha) We literally changed his life forever. It makes me so happy to see him and know that now he knows where to go with his life. =)

Hey so family, I kind of have a request right now..... So if by any chance you haven´t sent your package by now, I was wondering if you could send me some Tide-to-go pens.... I have completely loved them here and I'm out... =)

Well I'm going to head off right now and maybe go and buy some food for the week. Sounds good?? I hope so because I'm starving!!! (hahah) I know that what I'm doing here is what needs to be done and it's the best thing anyone can do with their life. =)

I love you all. =)

p.s. Hey now... I am a child of God is supposed to be sung like that. ("with parents kind of dear") Everyone else just is a little confused. =P

Monday, February 21, 2011

It's all SUPER here.

Well in my area I'm pretty sure that it's going to start raining. I´m not looking forward to tons of rain all day every day for months.... I might just cry until the sun comes out again. (hahah) Who knows how things will be here because a lot of my area is just dirt roads and if it rains really hard everything is going to be washed away like the primary song "the wise man and the foolish man"... I'm not saying the people here are foolish just that they don't always have enough money to build smart... (okay that was kind of mean)

Well let's see, a new head coach for the JAZZ. Man that will be really different. We´ll see if the jazz can pull it together and win some more or if they are going to go downhill without Sloan. I´m sure that you´ll keep me updated but my bet is that they will go downhill for the first few months and then towards the end get better. =)

Okinawa??!! That sounds super cool that Kevin Tyler's going there!!! I told you guys about the story in my old area when we learned a little bit of Mandarin Chinese and that was SUPER cool. I´m jealous of him. Someone should tell him to get into contact with me somehow. I´m willing to ask permission to my president to write him a little on internet. =) But like what is he going to be doing over there? How often does he get to do fun stuff? Can he use internet and phones or is he a hermit like us? DETAILS!!

Wow so mom & Megan went off partying with Amanda. Dang, well I went partying too! Last week there were two girls in our ward who turned 15 years old and they asked us to take pictures of it and a video so we went to that for a little!!! We didn't´ get to dance or anything like that but it was at least a party!! (haha) The prophet was there at Abravanel Hall??? I´m super jealous... I told my comp that he should fly to Utah and then after my mission we could go to conference together. I told him if it actually would work out, he can sleep in my house. =D (hahahah)

Dustin is back huh? Wow man I'm getting older and older. I remember when Lyle came back but now I'm out on the mission and everyone else is returning. One day that will be me you know?!?! I´m not going to be on the mission forever?!?!? (haha) But man I wish I could play some serious lacrosse with pads and everything.... I just have to be patient. BUT I'm not in shape AT ALL so that will be funny to see me running down the field huffing and puffing like an old man. BUT I've already made some goals as to what I'm going to do physically when I get back. =P And no, I'm not baggy....

Well I'll probably write a letter to Emily but that will take about a century to get there so here is a baby shout out for her.

!!!!!!Happy Birthday Emily!!!!!!!!
Feliz cumpleaños a tí, feliz cumpleaños a tí, feliz cumpleaños a emily.
Feliz cumpleaños a tí. =)

A package!?!?! Cool! Then I can have two packages. (I'm still waiting for the one you guys sent me.......) Well I'd really like some peanut butter, some more socks maybe (mine are dying) and maybe some chocolate or candy.... I´m really sick of the candy here. It doesn´t taste really good... =( But that's all on my mind for right now.

1. Do you have good toilet paper in El Sal? or do you use leaves?

Well thankfully we have toilet paper but the gross thing is that they don´t want us to flush it so usually we put it in a garbage can by the toilet and it just sits there for a while stinking!!!! How fun??!! But sometimes, like in our house, I just flush it because I don´t want to be smelling that all day long...

2. So how do they grow coffee? Do they really use burrows to haul it off the mountain?

Well like TONS of people go and cut coffee here. They are little trees in the ground and they completely cover the hills here. I might have some pictures to sent you guys, I'll look, but they have cars usually and if no, then they literally use horses and burros. (hahahah - not even joking) There are horses here, like back in the olden times, just wandering the streets.

3. Besides your family, what do you miss most from home?

What do I miss most about home. Well not to put me homesick or anything... =P Let's see, well I miss most.......... Good question...... My freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want. (hahahah) It's not like a jail here or anything but if I want to go and jog during the day or go to the store on a Wednesday and buy a drink - that kind of stuff. =) I hope you guys understand that whole thing. My English is getting harder and harder to speak. =(

4. Tell us the habits, good & bad, of your companion.

Well the habits of my companion... He is super clean!!!! So he is always cleaning which is super awesome and he wants to be a chef so he knows how to cook too. Well surprisingly we are a lot alike, we have a lot to talk about and there really aren´t any bad habits that he has. =/ Well the only thing I'd say that is bad (not really super bad) is that he thinks a lot about his family. And who would blame him, he has less than 50 days left on his mission!!! (hahha) He just told me that his stake president has his calling in the stake and in the ward ready for him when he gets back... So that kind of helps make him think about his home and he has a pretty attractive girlfriend there waiting for him..... So to sum things up, he is ready and set to leave El Salvador.

5. How do the local people react to your message?

Well let's see. That really depends. We always try and be super friendly and act normal around them so that they see we are real people like them but usually in the bus and stuff no one wants to sit next to us because they don´t want to talk to us. The whole bus is packed and we have two empty seats next to my comp and I. I actually laugh sometimes at that, but it's not super bad here. Religion isn´t taboo like it is back in the states. (I hope I used that word right; I remember there is a game downstairs called that in Amanda´s room!!! But yeah we´re walking tons in this area. I´ve got tons of photos that I'm going to send you guys. Let's hope that they get there. But it's all super here.

Well I think that I'm going to end right now. I´ve run out of things to say. Talking in Spanish 24/7 kind of is destroying my speech. You should hear me pray in English. I sound terrible. (haha) I'm just so used to Spanish. It's like Christmas phone call but worse!! :)

I love you all and hope that everything is super back there. Keep me informed!!

Elder Sutton

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day

Feliz Dia de amistad!!!! hahah or Dia de san valentin. But let's talk about depressing here. I think everyone here has a girlfriend and basically are walking around kissing every ten seconds. It's pretty gross by the way. But that's El Salvadoreños for ya. =P


Well about my package. I got a notice that one came for me this week so I should be getting it around Wednesday in the afternoon if all works out well. (Let's cross our fingers for that one.) It'll be like another birthday!!! That's sweet plus I literally have eaten all of my food that everyone has sent me so I'm hoping that there is a little something to eat in this one. If not, then it's okay too. I will be ecstatic for whatever I get!!!!!!

I just want to say that Megan gets the award for the best injury of the week. Man that picture of your bruise looks sweet!! I thought I won because we went to do service for an investigator on the top of a mountain =D and guess what we were doing? Gathering corn husks so that he could feed his animals Sunday and could go to church!!! And guess what???? HE CAME TO CHURCH!! So if all works out he is going to quit smoking and then going to be baptized this end of February!! =D I'll keep you updated!!!

Oh yeah. I remember Tate and all that. We talked about that with him for a while. Like he was saying he wanted to go do the military route and I also knew that he had a really bad back. But that's sad for him. I feel bad. Well that just means God has something else in mind for him to do. =) Now he just needs to find it.

Wow Megan. I want to go on a date with you sometime. (hahah) Guess what I've been eating for the past week.... Toasted sandwiches with cheese and ham... hahaha I ate a whole loaf of bread this week by myself. So when I get back make some time, Megan, to take me on a date. =D

1 - What did you do to celebrate your birthday last week?

Well if you saw last week I took out some money and I took my comp out to this restaurant (can't spell again, Spanish is destroying my English). It's supposedly the best place to eat in our area. (HAHAH) It was basically a giant cowboy place. Like with a rodeo ring and all. We ate like a meat meal and it was really good but kind of pricy. It was definitely made for tourists.

2 - Do you have a new cook? If so, how is the food - different in this area?

Well the thing is we don't have a cook this time. We cook for ourselves. So it's whatever I make I eat. So I would really love some more recipes that I could make. Some that I can do over the stove on a pan or we even have a blender so that's sweet!!

3 - Do they have a keyboard they use for your new ward? Do you get to play for the members?

Well we have a keyboard once again. Man I hate keyboards....hahah - like it is literally impossible to make it sound good. But it's way tons better than nothing. Before, my comp just would sing in church without piano. So when they found out I could play, they were pretty excited. I'm going to start giving lessons to members and my comp is going to give directing classes too - hopefully to get some new investigators and such. I'm going to start English classes. SWEET HUH!!! So Amanda tell me some tips on teaching. (hahah)

4 - Are the people in the area more receptive to listening to you in this area? Are they friendly?

Well not tons more friendly but a lot better than my first area. At least the people will hear our message then say they don't want us to come back ( hahahahahahah), but it's really sweet. I'm definitely getting used to the super cold and the constant wind up there. But in reality, it's a sweet area. The church is kind of beginning there. Like the church isn't really strong, but its sweet!!!

5 - What is your companion, Elder Merin, like?

My comp is awesome. One of the best yet. He is teaching me so much in Spanish and just about being a missionary. He is super awesome. Sometimes we have "relief society meetings" at night (aka talk forever) and before we know it, it's like 11!!!! But really he is awesome.

Well I'm thinking about sending some pictures so I'll stop here. The church is true and I know that what I'm doing here is exactly what the Lord wants me to do with my life right now. And I know that Thomas Monson is a prophet of God. He has the same power as Moses who parted the red sea.

Elder Sutton (is cool!!!!! =P )

Monday, February 7, 2011

Happy Birthday to Me

20 YEARS OLD..... Man I'm older then dirt now. I´m not even a teenager anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AH!!!!!!! How do you feel parents, now that there is only one teenager left in the house? (Thought I'd throw that one in there.)

Well I'm thinking about going and eating some place special or something good because literally, I live like an hour by bus away from the city so I can´t really carry a cake up there. Maybe I'll just get some of my money and buy some ice cream up there. :) Hopefully things will work out. It's my birthday for goodness sakes!!!!!

Already the super bowl..... Man time is flying by. When I look back at what I've done it's really flown by, but when I look ahead I still lack 18 months so not a huge deal. Still time to get everything done. =P But at least someone besides the Patriots won the super bowl. It's all good. But I miss corn dogs soooooooooooo much!!! I explained to my comp the other day what they were and man I am craving them soooooo bad and you ate them during the super bowl!!!!!!!!!

Well tell Megan that she is going to have to carry the team so that they can win. =P Or tell her that her big brother is going to beat her up when he gets back. Maybe you guys could like video a game and save it so I can see her play. Just an idea..... =D

A translator for grandma & grandpa in Mexico?? (hahaha) Well grandpa better know that translators aren´t cheap, I mean I know a fantastic one that is going to have 2 years of real life experience talking to people - can read really well and loves to talk in Spanish. =P We´ll see if he can afford this guy.. =P But I would love sooooooo much to go to Mexico and see all the differences between my Spanish and theirs there. It's like totally different sometimes. There are words here that only exist here and words that only exist there!!!! THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!!!!!

AWE!!!! Tell grandma that she is awesome for my birthday money, and someone give her a huge hug from Elder Sutton in El Salvador. =)

1 - Since your area appears to be closer to Guatemala (further north) what is the weather like?

The weather, let me see................. FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Literally it's the coldest part ever!!!! I have to sleep in pants, t shirt, sweatshirt and two covers every night!!! Then when I wake up, oh man, I have to take a shower!!! Okay let's do a comparison right now. It's compared to going out in the middle of winter, turning on your hose and getting under it. How does that sound to you, mom?! Today I splurged and heated up my water which took like an hour of heating up water in a pot and putting it in a jug. (hahahahah) I'll work on sending you some pictures and all that really super soon. I sent some last week and this week but I don´t think you got them.

2 - Did you realize that there is a different volcano outside that city as well? (your dad suggested another field trip - haha - maybe)

Well I don't know about another volcano because as a zone we don´t really do a lot of fun stuff. They are a bunch of party poopers here. But my comp and I are going to do something fun at least.

3 - What is your new companion like?

My comp is called Elder Marin. =) He is from Costa Rica or they call them "ticos" here, and he is super sweet! He has like 23 months in the mission so I'm probably going to kill him. I´m thinking about being in this area for 2 or more changes. (haha) but it's alright that it's only a branch here and super tiny. Like the assistance (membership) of the ward was 44 people yesterday. Then after our church we went to our other area, Jujutla, and had a sacrament meeting over there with our branch president and because one member was having a baby there were like 5 people in that sacrament meeting. =P So if that gives you a little idea what it's like here.

EVERONE here cuts coffee and works all their life. Sometimes it's really sad to see, but I know that what we have will bless them forever. :)

4 - Have you received your card or your birthday box?

I haven´t received anything!!!!!!!!!! I just thought that I fell off the face of the planet and no one wanted to talk to me. I bet they are having problems with the office and getting us our stuff especially with the changes and stuff.. =( I´m going to make some phone calls and all that and see what's going on. If not, then I'll have two birthdays. =P

5 - How is the new ward/branch?

I kind of explained that a little bit. We all get together in a house that the church has rented. But in Apaneca (which is the bigger of the two) there is a plot of land that the church has bought and is just waiting for the assistance (membership) to be around 80 people for 6 months and then they start building on it. Sadly that hasn't ever happened here. I want to see this place grow, and I talked to my comp - we´re going to do it. You´ll see. =) Plus there is no baptismal font so we baptize in rivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( hahah) I hope I get a baptism. =D

6 - Megan is trying to plan a "sweathearts" day date and needs ideas.... any memorable day dates?

I wasn´t ANY GOOD at doing that back in the states but let me think.... Well you could go to Crystal Hot Springs - if that isn´t too weird. If I was a guy going, I for sure would want to eat something good and go mess around doing something active. Laser tag, paint balling, you could make ice-cream sculptures with boxes of ice-cream. =) Just remember, if it involves food guys are all on board!!!!!!

Well I'll definitely remember about having 3 birthday parties or at least 3 times the fun. =P We might go today to eat at a place that's like KFC... (hahaha) - not many choices here in Ahucahpan. BUT it's my birthday for goodness sakes. I have to do something!!

Okay story of the week. So I got pretty sick actually..... hahaha like I had to go and do some crazy stuff. So one day I was at a members house and they gave us some sandwiches ( I think that's what caused it) but like a few days later I wasn´t feeling good at all!!!!! This was one day before changes, and I was waiting with a different companion and I just had no energy; I didn´t eat for a few days, everything was going downhill. So I called the nurse and finally after like 4 times trying, she answered and I told her what was up and so she told me I needed to get "un examen de heces" or a stool sample!!! So this is the fun part, there was no place to do it in my area so we went exploring for a place and finally found a libratory that would do it for us. Then they asked me if I brought it with me and I said no. They proceeded to tell me that I had to bring it with me and I couldn´t do it there. At this point, I could barely walk a block without being super tired. Finally after finding a bathroom and getting the sample we got the results and that sandwich that I ate actually had amebas in it and I had amebas!!!!!!!!!! HURRAY!!!!!!! That was the reason that I had no hunger and why I was constantly going to the bathroom... I started to take medicine but the problem was they wouldn´t start working for like 3 days!! So I got to my new area sick. My comp was being super nice and helping me and all that. I told him that I hadn't eaten in days and so he made me some rice and eggs. The little we had in our house we proceeded to eat. (bad idea!!!) I went and threw that up.... Side note..... I haven´t thrown up in years!!!! Remember this day in time, Wed. - Feb. 2011. Now just to say I'm hungry again, and still fat as ever. The only problem is the pills I'm taking now turn my pee almost black.... hahhahahahaha That was a surprise the first time I saw it. At first I thought it was just because I wasn´t drinking enough water but that wasn´t it. That's my story of the week.

Love you all. I´m working on that smiling thing. =D

Elder Sutton