Monday, August 29, 2011

County Fair Week :)

Man those were good old times going to the county fair.... I still vividly remember all the things that we did. How we made like crocodiles out of bread dough with Val and how the leather stuff I made etc. Then how happy we were when we got the money. But I remember looking at all the animals and the booths of free stuff. Good old times. I’m guessing there wasn't anything earth shattering there like a pig with 4 heads or anything but it was always a good time to be with ya'll....

I actually remembered it was Sarah & Grandpa Jode’s birthdays!! I was going to ask about them in this week’s letter, but I do believe that you have beaten me in that subject. If anything, I hope that they both had a Happy Birthday!!!!!!

There really isn’t much else that I can say. I feel bad but I’m really slacking in the letter department too. It’s just I’m always sooooo busy. Every single second that I have free, I find food or rest. I sure hope that not only Sarah but everyone that is waiting for letters doesn’t get mad at me....... If any of you have been on the mission - you will know. But shoot me back a letter and I’ll do my very best to send you one in return.... =)

Well speaking of elderly men. We contacted an old man and his wife and child who sell like food on the street the other day (or in their house). He is like in his 80’s too and he isn’t in such good shape. He has to sit down all day and barely eats. He actually fell in the shower the other day so we went there to give him some encouragement. But his wife is still running around crazy. She is always happy and always gives us a little bite to eat. Then they have a son, Manuel, who is 15! (haha - that’s quite the age difference huh?) But it just shows that we age really well in the United States. Or at least we take care of ourselves better - I’m not sure which...

Dad should go over to Fred’s house with an offering like cookies then ask him if he can help him again! (hahah) The cookies kind of soften him up a little. I mean if someone were to come up to me and give me some cookies and then ask me a favor I’d do it, especially because the cookies here aren’t as good as the ones in the states. (hahah) Here I’d rather eat pupusas.... hahah - so if someone were to bring me pupusas here and ask me a favor I’d have to say yes.. =P

But actually some members have been saying that there have been some hurricanes in the United States. Like last night we had a big storm and supposedly it was the tail of this same hurricane or something. We don’t get to know the weather here so we kind of wing it like in the olden days. Look outside and if there are clouds - we bring an umbrella... =P

Well this week was the winding down of the month; and I’m not going to lie, the zone didn’t do that fantastic. So now we’re in the phase where we pick ourselves up and dust off the bruises and keep on working. The thing is that the missionaries lack the motivation!!!! That’s something that I’m learning lots about in the mission. About what really motivates us - to do the good or the bad. How if we feel this motivation we’ll go to church and do the right things, but if we don’t have this same constant motivation we lose that sight... that vision… and fall behind.. It’s a constant struggle looking for that motivation here in the mission. (Not only the missionaries but the investigators.) Some might be their own family and the thought of being together forever. Others it’s the love God has for us... There are tons of reasons. WE just need to find ours and never let it go...

Well I love you all. I hope you loved my spiritual thought of the day.... hahahah

Elder Sutton (the most handsome missionary that you all know)

P.S. Jennifer, I love that book that you sent me about the powers of heaven.....

I’m reading it and going to read it again. (hahaha)

Monday, August 22, 2011

Tasty Treat

Derek's favorite new El Salvador Treat. A Liches

I'm Hungry So It's Short & Sweet

Well I’m just going to say that I’m going to die because I’m so hot right now. I have to go and eat right now, but I’ll write your answers to your questions. But man I need to eat. It’s 4:00 and I haven’t eaten lunch or breakfast.

1 - We have been anxiously anticipating hearing about your musical performance for Pres. Eyring. HOW DID IT GO – Details!!!

Well that’s the thing, I thought that we sounded good. Better than some of the choirs that sang for the dedication and all that. But President didn´t say anything to me about how it went...... But I liked it and it sounded good to my ears.

2 - Were you able to watch the dedication?

We did actually see the 3 sessions and man, President Eyring did some cool stuff in them telling almost the future of the people here in El Salvador. But man that guy has something special about him. You can just feel the difference of the room when he comes in. But at the same time, he is a human like us. I can´t explain it; you just have to be there. (hahah)

3 - How did the baptism go last week?

They went super good. She even went to the dedication of the temple and she started to cry and said that there is no doubt in her mind that this is the true church. I don´t know - it was like a little boost in my week to show me that what I’m doing here matters.

4 – Are night time temperatures a little cooler and easier to sleep?

Man it’s like 85 in the morning and I’m not sure about the night but we all are sleeping with fans on, and the electricity bill is super high!!!!

5 – What fruit is in season? What is a typical meal for an El Salvadorian missionary?

Well I’m not too sure about the fruit but like a fruit called “lichas”. They are weird fruits and then coconuts and bananas. I´ll look into that this week. But every single night we eat the same thing with the members................ Tortillas....................... Beans..................... and eggs...................... I´m getting bored of them, but it’s food so I don´t say no..

But I love you all. I need to leave you with a short letter, but next week I promise to be better. =) Plus we played soccer in Santa Ana too!!!!!

Love you family!!

Elder Sutton - the attractive one of the family

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

I Love Smoothies!

August 12, 2011

Man let’s just say that this week has been the craziest week in a long time that I have had. Man I’ve just been plain running around in circles it feels like. BUT I GOT MY PACKAGE!!!!! I have successfully eaten all the food in it.. Okay funny story.

I saw all the stuff in it when I opened it up; I loved the book from Dr. Seuss and the T-shirt (i don’t know if it means something.....) and then the box of popcorn. In the end I was a little disappointed not to get a camera but after it all I was just super happy that you all loved me enough to send me a package. Then like 3 days after, I decided to make popcorn for some of my investigators so I opened it up and guess what?????? There wasn’t popcorn. (hahahahahahah – I’m dumb) hahahah But the elder that I was with just laughed, Elder Guirola, who is super awesome.

Man it sounds like Megan is always running around as crazy as I am. (Haha) With all the stuff she is doing, at least she is in madrigals. I loved that class so much. It’s funny; I don’t know if I’m changing my way of thinking or what’s happening but all the things I didn’t really like before the mission are changing. I think I’m just getting old and fat. Dangit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That makes me sad....

Laney Peacock? Wow, I actually knew her pretty well. She and Jared M. used to be like a thing. That is super sad to hear........ I bet the whole family feels so terrible including the fiancé. We should pray for them this week.

1 – What is your new area like? (touristy, only one city or small towns too, branch or ward)

Well my new area is kind of touristy, not too much. It’s not too close to the beach but it’s really well developed. It’s a huge city, smaller than Santa Ana, but still there are big stores and a center and all of that.

2 – Are the mosquitoes biting and are you using repellent?

Actually i don’t have any problems with mosquitoes. I don’t know if it’s the season as of yet. It’s raining pretty hard but I’m relatively safe. =)

3 – Your new house/apartment with just the two of you or another companionship?

Well my house is pretty nice; it’s super dirty because the elders are nasty that live there. There are 4 of us all in total. But the thing that the president wants is for every companionship to have a house so there is more responsibility too. But HEY the area presidency or something approved us to send text messages here now! So I can start practicing again. (hahah - not really)

4 – What does Sonsonate mean in Spanish?

Well I don’t think that Sonsonate has anything to do with anything. Well I don’t think so. But it should mean “super-hot city”. I sweat out my weight every day. (hahah)

Well this week we baptized a girl, and she is super awesome. She loves the church and her dad is inactive so we’re hoping to activate him and then baptize the mom and all that. This Saturday and Sunday are the dedication for the temple here and the cultural activity so I’m planning on going to that. We have a baptism this Thursday (if all works out) of a single mom and her daughter who were so hard to teach just because of her knowledge of the bible. She was like a missionary of another church and all that jazz, but she received an answer and is going to be baptized.!!!!!!!!!!! Well we had our last practice today for the choir and it should all go well. I need your prayers always but it should be good for President Eyring.

I love you family and friends.

I hope that there are some friends out there too. (hahahah)

But thanks so much for the package because it saved my life. =P

Elder Sutton

P.s. I love smoothies. (hahahahahaha)

Derek with Elder Alonzo


Monday, August 8, 2011

Choir of Angels?

Man I think that I’m just missing out on all the cool stuff now. I think one thing that I’m missing besides my amazing family is Cafe Rio. We definitely need to go there in a year! But man, I missed all the Spanish party at grandma’s house too..... =( But the thing is - they are never going to complete 50 years ever again…. in my head I was there with you guys. So Happy Anniversary Grandparents!!!!!!

Well some cool stuff that happened this week.... we found out the best place to buy smoothies here because they are super delicious. Also we are going to baptize this Saturday if all goes along with the plans. Well also my comp saved my life this week; he knocked a bug off my back that if it peed on me I’d have to go to the hospital etc. so Is owe him my life!!!! (hahah)

OKAY………….

The big news is like this, the president came up to me and asked me this week if I was willing to do something special for the mission. Like the 19th we´re going to go to San Salvador to have a meeting with President Eyring for the dedication... Well he came up and asked me if I had experience in choirs in all that stuff and I said yes.... THANK YOU MRS BIGLER AND MOM!!!! So then he assigned me to make up a special musical number to sing to him and the catch was that I have 1 more practice to practice it. This morning I went and choose anyone from our mission to sing for me. I was kind of strict and stuff but I needed their attention and all that.... BUT man that’s insane!! I´m making a choir to sing for President Eyring!!!!! So I have one more practice and I did the whole American Idol thing and had everyone try out and I listened to them and I used some techniques that Mrs. Bigler taught us and it’s going well. Just need your prayers so it all goes well and all that...

Well I have to go buy some food because it’s late and p-day is done at 5..

But I love you all and I hope that you all are taking pictures too!!!!!! Not just me.

But I got a package so tomorrow hopefully I’ll get a surprise!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you all!!!

Elder Sutton

Monday, August 1, 2011

El Salvador Temple July 2011

El Salvador Temple open house with RaShel Ferrin and other missionaries.

My Friends Are Returning

Man!!! Everyone is coming home right now. Maybe you should have told them just to hang out a little longer in their missions until I got home! I can just imagine the huge party that they all are having right now. I can´t believe that EJ and Bryant and now Grayden are all home. But they didn't sound weird or anything when they were talking???? I feel like they just went out! I would have thought they had an accent, but I guess they haven´t learned their languages as well as I have!!!! JUST KIDDING!!!!! (Don´t go around saying that I said that.) Deal? But yeah I know Elder Hammond really well. He is an awesome missionary!

Grayden; man that kid. But NOOOO, I haven´t gotten anything from him in like 10 months. (Haha) For all I know he fell off the face of the earth!! But that’s really stinky about his surgery. You got to keep me informed how it all goes.

I actually knew that it’s grandma´s birthday tomorrow!?!?! Isn´t that awesome?! I´m getting better at birthdays now that I have my handy dandy guide that you gave me. (hahahah) But someone needs to go and tell her happy birthday for me and then for their anniversary!!! That really is something special that not a lot of people have accomplished - especially here. But

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Well next year I might be able to be there. I sure hope so!!

Well I actually have my card now, and your letter! Haha - you guys are always looking after me. I really haven´t tried it yet. I´m going to try to use it when I go back down to buy some food. =) You guys help me out tons. I still haven´t received my package yet but maybe next week or something. =)

Well this week was super-fast but stressful and long. (hahh) Like we had references from people that went to the temple and our job was to call them and get direccions and if they wanted us to go and visit them. Some of them did want to visit and some didn´t. BUT on the 19 of August, President Eyring and maybe Christofferson are going to come here and talk to all of us as missionaries - like both of the missions! There are going to be TONS of missionaries. I hope there is enough space.

Well right now it’s raining cats and dogs; I think the winter is starting to actually pick up. It’s way better than sweating my brains out. Ask Bryant how hot it is here; I´m sure he´ll tell you how bad it is. Also, yesterday I went to a wedding and baptism of a few investigators and man was that something special. I always love to see how people are changing their lives for the good and how big of a change it is.

Don´t worry I’m not sick or anything. I´m really happy, apart from all the problems that happen. I just try and focus on the good. I challenge all the people that are having problems to go and just think about all of the good and forget the bad. No one likes a pessimist!

But for my hump day - I didn´t do anything.... hahaha… sadly it wasn´t a fun day.. =( It’s one of those stories that I’m going to tell you guys when I get home. (haha) But I’ll just shrug it off and keep on walking; I’m getting really good at walking by now. (hahah)

Well I love you all, and I’m going to go and buy food in the rain.

Read your scriptures.

Elder Sutton