How long has Elder Harper been out? Is he a good trainer and do you both get along?
- Elder Harper has 14 months. He is a great trainer and we get along very well!! He's a great guy.
Tell us more about your pencionista, Flor? How far do you live from her? Does she make all of your meals for you?
- Flor is a mom and has a family so she just lives with her family. It's about a 15 minute walk. We have all 3 meals with her but she usually brings our breakfast to us. We have a pencion that lives behind us.. hard to explain but it's connected and she should be back from vacation soon. We will only eat breakfast with her though.
Do you have any cooking facilities in your apartment or is it just a room and bathroom?
- We don't have any cooking or anything else, haha, our room is basically what I showed you. Haha not much, but enough!
Our room
Our study area
Our bathroom. The mirror is a new addition.The first day I shaved without a mirror. That was tough. I've only shocked myself twice on the shower head haha, and it wasn't too bad. If you want hotter water, the pressure has to be lower. (Before Cory left, we were told something about the way the water is heated, if you touch the shower head during your shower, you could get shocked.)
- Yeah the internet... you come to an Internet Cafe, with computers. You pay them a sol 50, which is like.. I don't know.. 50 cents for an hour and a half, and at that hour and a half your computer shuts off, regardless of what you're doing. Haha it's not cool, but oh well, nothing I can do.
So this week started off on p-day with Elder Harper moaning and groaning.. haha it was kind of weird but he was sick, so it was acceptable. All he got was pulp to eat and drink. Pulp and Sporade. When you say "pulp" in Spanish it sounds like "poop."
Elder Harper with his "pulp" and me last p-day.
We got to teach Juan the next day (my nickname for him is "Bacan Juan") he's way cool. He wants to change his life so much. Like I said last week, he came up to us and was drunk. He told us later this week that that night after he talked to us, he was drinking with his friends, then decided he was done drinking! He walked out and wants to change his life. He can't read, he never had the chance because he had to work as a kid since his dad left and mom died and he never had school. We asked if he had a USB. He said, "Yeah but it's just filled with worldly music. I want you guys to put spiritual music on it and uplifting things!" Haha he's the best. So we're going to get him the scriptures and Mormon Tabernacle music on it.
The next morning started off with us studying. We needed a little breeze, so we opened our side door. Later we looked to our right and got the crap scared out of us because there was a chicken walking around in our room haha. It took us like 10 minutes to try and get it out of our room! It was so funny.
The rest of the day was good until we taught Juan. I couldn't speak any Spanish for some reason and botched the First Vision. Then I couldn't speak anything during our lesson with Carlos. I had a really hard night and wondered if I would ever learn the language.. it was a really hard night. I poured my heart out to Heavenly Father.. The next morning I woke up and decided I needed to quit being a selfish bago and just go to work and just be happy. We had interviews with Hermana and Presidente Rios and that really helped! They both told me how good my Spanish was, how fast I was and how well my pronounciation was. Then President Rios asked if I had had a language blessing before. I told him I hadn't and he gave me an amazing blessing! He told me to be patient and that it would come through my hard work and dedication. He told me to keep up the good work. That also really boosted my confidence and I haven't had a bad day since! Also I know I'm a disciple of Christ and that my work here is His work. I love it here and couldn't ask for anything else in my life.
Conference. Was. Amazing! It's weird what happens when you listen to every talk haha, and as a missionary it's 100 times better! It applies to everything you do. My favorite was President Uchtdorf's talk during the Priesthood session about finding and bringing back our "Amuleks." It is refering to our less actives and obviously just missionary work as a whole. It reminded me of Chad and how badly I want someone to find him and bring him back. So I have to do the same and never give up on people out here. Maybe a mother is hoping I will find their Amulek and bring them back! Elder Hale's talk was also amazing! Conference was the best! That's really cool what you told me about Chad going into the church on Sunday to ask if he could park his trailer there for a while! I pray for him every single day! I'm glad he found a bishop who was very kind to him. I love him so much! Also I really liked Carol F. McConkie's talk. It gave me motivation! My favorite line from her talk was, "God needs brave sons." I wrote that on my wall! Anytime I'm having a hard day and thinking, "Why is Heavenly Father putting me through this? Does He actually think I can do this?" I just think of that now - God needs brave sons! Also the talk about the man who ran over his son.. I heard that is where Jason and Jaimee are from. The Whitney's told me that. Apparently they have a daughter that lives there.. I forgot her name.. it also might be their son, so "Whitney" could be their last name.
On our way to lunch during one of the conferences, we got into a moto taxi.. it was someone's idea to put me, Elder Portillo and Elder Ortiz in the back.. probably weighing about 6 or 700 pounds haha .. Yeah, we flattened the man's tire after about 10 seconds of sitting there.. haha oops won't do that again!
I got to hear all the conference talks in English, thanks to one of our Zone Leaders, Elder Ramos. He's in a trio and two of them are the Zone Leaders. He said he would go on a change with me since the Chao boys had to go back to Chao for priestood and for the night (we were in Viru, which is about 30 minutes away and wouldn't get back in time.) I wouldn't have any of my stuff but it was worth it to hear it in English. I later found out Elder Ramos didn't get any of his stuff because there needed to be equality. He's a great guy!
After conference and being with 2 Latinos for a straight 24 hours, my Spanish really boosted. Being with them I realized I can speak a lot better than I give myself credit for! Entonces (so) my Spanish yesterday and today has been on fuego (fire)!! And I've been participating and communicating a lot more. Elder Harper even noticed it and said I've been on fire.
Oh! Also.. I feel bad for poor President Monson.. I don't know how much longer he'll make it. He's such a great man! I really enjoyed both of his talks so much. They were really good!
I alsmot forgot!!! On Sunday for lunch the Whitney's invited our district over for lunch! Hermana Whitney made roast, homemade rolls, actual mashed potatoes (the mashed potatoes here are nasty haha, they call it "purey" and it's like practically soup), also veggies and COLD lemonada!!!! Then brownies!! Awww it was the best!
Lunch at the Whitney's. They are like a mom and dad to us out here.
Also, I had my first actual mango. Mom, I don't know why you've deprived me my whole life.. haha it was the best thing in the world!
Well, that's about it for my week! I love you all. I hope all is well. I want everyone to know that missionary work is so amazing. It's easily the hardest thing I have ever gone through, but it's also been the best. Seeing the joy in people's lives just makes me so happy. It's so amazing and I know that missionary work is the Lord's work. It may be really hard, but it'll all be worth it in the end. I love the scripture, I don't know it off the top of my head, but it says something like, "how great will be your glory in the kingdom of God if you bring save one soul unto me." I know that is so true!
Anyway I need to go. I love you all!!!
My bacanaso companion, Elder Harper!!
Home sweet home. BYU blue.
The streets of Chao
With my companion and other elders.
We got to eat pizza during lunch at one of the sessions of conference. That's part of our Zone!
Here are some pictures that we missed last week due to not knowing how to log into the site:
Me and my boy, Elder Simonsen. He passed out during personal study haha.
Me with Hermana Mujica
What some generous person wrote about me and my note to Hermano Castillo - "Elder Roko is the maximum." (Yes, I did that on purpose, I know you're reading this Castillo.)
Me and my wrestling buddy
With more friends from the CCM
With an elder from Aunt Cheryl's area.
With some of my buddies at the temple.
