Hey!
This week has been the longest week of my life. Last wednesday I woke up with the flu, and I think today is the best ive felt since then.
I only had the flu for a couple a days, but the sore throat remains.
Im just sending this one early to let you see that im on
[I was on a work call at the moment this first email came in -- so he did default to sending the email below.]
Okay this is the week 4 email,
I feel really good today healthwise, I struggled a lot with that over the past week.
After my flu passed after a couple of days, I thought i was getting better.
On saturday, we went proselytizing.
We went with an Elder named Elder Anderson. He has been out for 13 months and is in the Lima East mission. It was a really cool experience. We didnt really have a set plan on what to do, so we just went contacting the entire time.
When we spoke to people, I pretty much mumbled what I knew how to say, and Elder Anderson did the rest.
After we were set up with Elder Anderson, we walked through the streets with TONS of cats and dogs until we got to a bus stop where we were picked up by this stick-shift bus who honestly makes it feel like he is TRYING to make you all fall over. We went like straight up hill up to these houses that are actually like carved into the mountain, because that is Elder Andersons area.
We rode in a mototaxi that day too, a little motorcylce with like a tent thrown on the back. Its crazy because it feels like its about to tip and they drive like maniacs.
I wish i could have taken pictures but they didn't allow us to for this day.
[Am a little bummed that he can't take pictures except for each P-day -- but that will change once he is out in Cusco.]
[We then asked him how the "adventure" went with a real missionary in Lima and if it was just him and Elder Anderson or if he went in a large group]
No, since there were tons of missionaries from the CCM and only like 20 from the field, it was me, elder frehner and elder anderson.
I understood some of the stuff that people said to elder anderson, but its a little bit too fast.
I can speak and they can understand me pretty well, but I am having a harder time understanding THEM.
We actually gave a 30 minute lesson or so to a guy right outside of his house, it was pretty cool.
My companion is still really struggling in spanish. I think they just teach you a lot of gospel words and how to teach, and you are just supposed to pick it up in the field, (at least thats what elder anderson told me)
What was comforting to me was how elder anderson told me that he didnt really put in a ton of work on language in the CCM (and he now felt bad about that), but he still picked up the language. "it just comes" he said
The next day after proselytizing (so on Sunday), of course, I wake up with Pink Eye.
My eye is totally crusted over and its just awful. It didnt really itch or sting or anything, it just felt like I had something in my eye for 3 days.
Today is the best it has ever looked though, its pretty much completely white with maybe a tad of pink. I am just happy that i was safe and no one else in the CCM got it from me
[We had asked him if he wanted another suit? We had only bought him one (since that is what the mission packet had said for the Cusco mission) but could tell by looking at pictures that other Elders had more than one suit.]
I dont really need another suit, in fact, everyone at the CCM HATES suits. Every P-day, even when we are not going to the temple, we have to wear suits and everyone just dreads it.
[We asked what he had done for P-day today.]
The temple was closed today, so we couldn't go to it or the distribution center.
We still got to go to the temple store and the grocery store though.
Today I spent like 120 Soles in which is like $40.
I bought:
Scripture case for my Spanish Scriptures
Another Journal type thing
One tie
Food
Big thing of Shampoo
Im attaching some pics from trip to store today, temple and my new ties and soccer jersey.
[I told him i loved the soccer jersey / tie pic! Asked whether he liked soccer and if he was getting any better at it!]
I think im actually pretty good at soccer, I dont have a peru soccer jersey, right now this one is from a player named Gotze. I like the look of it. I have 2 soccer jerseys, but i plan on buying a peru one later
[He did say he needed a light weight jacket -- that the one we sent him with was too warm and just a white shirt was too cold at times. So we are going to try and send him a package to be @ Cusco when he arrives.]
[We asked if he knew when he would be leaving for Cusco.]
I think August 10 is the date we leave, im pretty sure.
Im just more ready to get out and go because I feel like out in the field, my spanish will pick up at like 5x the rate.
I really hope I get placed with a north american trainer, so he can help me out, or i get placed with a latino who is patient, because im going to be like Elder Frehner [his current companion] for my first couple months.
I will say 2 words then pass it back over to my trainer
Oh, Elder Noel and Elder Williams were called to be the Zone Leaders at the CCM. Pretty cool to have them in our district.
[I asked re: Zone Leaders in the CCM and if they were picked because of something special?]
Elder Williams and Elder Noel both speak spanish well, but no better then me. Elder Noel is really just going to be a great missionary. He already has given out like 6 books of mormons just on p-days in the MTC. I think they just called him because he really is friendly and will talk with anyone and wants to help anyone out. Elder Williams is his companion, and also really good at spanish.
Elder Hafter is the third one in their tri-companionship, but he is already the district leader.
Okay my time is up, love and miss all you guys , i think a lot about stuff at home and friends, but everyone here does. Its a super unique experience being out here for sure.
[I asked him if he had tried to give out any Books of Mormon on his p-day -- or was the language barrier still freaking him out. I also asked for any old picture on his camera or to even just take one final selfie in the computer room!]
I havent given out any books of mormon on p'day , its just harder for me to be confident, i know that will come though. On the proselytizing day it was really easy.
Anyways, we have till 6 to do whatever we want, but my internet time is up, time to go play soccer and ping pong. love you guys! its so cool to see how many people are reading my blog, and i get emails from friends as well (Mitch and Roger have sent one each week!) look forward to talking to you guys next week!
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