"Old People Shoes"

Dear Family and Friends,

Good afternoon from here in Corozal! Yes, today I'm in Corozal just coming up here to help the elders out for a few hours then I'm going back to my area! But yeah, Corozal is quite beautiful too; it’s right near the coast so it gets the beautiful breeze that I had back in Belize City. But just so you know it’s a 3 hour bus ride from the city to here.. I think I'm sick enough of buses for at least a while.

It sounds like the family also has had the successful week with Mom and Megan going to party in California and Dad with all the lacrosse things! And I'm sorry to hear that you got sick, mom. I'm glad you didn't pass that gene on to me. Haha

The shoes are going to be the best! I don't think you all realize how much I needed new shoes... That is a huge breath of relief. But I did manage to buy me some shoes for the meantime, and I got me some slip on ones with “tassels” in the front. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of them or I’d show you. Remind me next week and I'll send you some because I call them my "old people shoes". My companion and I got a good laugh out of them when we saw them. But they were only $6 American dollars so it’s all good to throw them out when I get my new ones.

1 – Is the weather just as hot in-land as it was on the coast?

Well, let me tell you a common day here in Orange Walk. So usually we get in at night around 9’ish and my comp usually goes into the room where we sleep and turns on the fan to "cool the room down" and at that time he looks at the thermometer that he has on his watch and for the last few nights it’s been 90-92 degrees at like 9:30 at night so you can really imagine how it is during the day there. I think sweating has just become part of my life now. And don't even mention A.C. because that practically doesn't exist here only in the giant super store and in the rich mansions (which are few). But I can assure you mom, that you would live quite happy here and wouldn't ever have to worry about being cold ever in your life again!

2 – Is it more like a jungle or a big city in your new area?

Well it’s not a big city at all. Actually it’s like a town. But it’s not jungle either... How do I explain it..... Well it’s really dusty at this time of the year also because there are few paved roads and things tend to dry up when there is no water. But it is big enough for there to be like a Big store like K-mart (mini) and things that make it all good. Defiantly my most favorite part is what my companion and I call "Chucho Burgers". I think I told you what those were already but it’s all cool and cheap. All in all things are good. We have 2 baptisms this weekend so pray for us!

3 – Do you now eat and enjoy avocados (Amanda’s question)?

Right now you don't see many of them but there are avocados here. The few that I have had were huge and you just rub salt on them and eat them like a fruit which was different because before I didn't used to mind them but now I eat them as much as I can. I think my tastes have changed a little here because now I really like coleslaw and potato salad.

4 – Do you ride bikes in Orange Walk – or just W A L K (hahaha) ????

Well luckily everywhere in the country of Belize has bikes so I’m riding good on my nice green bike. Man but this bike is wayyyyyy too small for me because my knees hit the handle bars. I can just imagine how it would be for someone taller than me like dad. Now that would be a funny sight.

5 – What size is the average family (how many children do they usually have)?

Well the average family here is quite big - like 6 I’d say. But the thing is like this, the families are not normally together. It’s pretty common to find a mother and children and single men here. That's the challenge actually, to find people that are together and that love one another and want to change their lives.

Well things really are going good. I honestly can't complain that much because at the end of the day as I sit down and plan with my companion - we really are blessed. There is so much that I do have that so many others don't have (just even shoes that are nice and decent). When you talk about even air conditioners in all the houses like it was back home, the people drop with their mouth open and they just plain don't believe it. My eyes are definitely opened and like a lot of missionaries have said, I do have a love for those people that I'm serving even if they don't want to hear from us. I still have this love for them and I want them to have what I have which is happiness that no amount of money can buy.

I really am enjoying my life and I'm cringing about when I have to come home and worry about college and money etc.... (Let’s just hope the mission can prepare me well for that stuff too - one day though.) Until then, I'm going to work my tail off. But even though the sun is hot and we're tired - I'm not going to give up just yet. I still have a long time to go and I'm going to work until the very last day so that we can have success. If there is one thing that you taught me, it’s that if I work hard I can be successful.

I love you all and I hope that everything still is as good as ever!

Love Elder Sutton