November 30, 2009

Well first things first, my P day is Mondays. Pretty much forever. Except for small times like this week, where it is switched to Wednesday because we are going to the temple. This will be my first Spanish session, we did english last week. We are stopping by here though because my comps mom freaks if she doesn't hear from him on Monday!

My new area is called El Cristal and it is small and quiet. My comps name is Elder Mortensen and he is from Colorado and he has about 8 months left. We get along real well. I'm so blessed that I'm being trained by him. He is so chill. Yes it was hard to say goodbye to all my friends but its okay because the majority of them are serving in East mission as well so I will see them here and there.

Today is Monday, and on Saturday 3 days ago, we had 2 baptisms, and I baptized both of them! Kimberly is 12 and Antony is 15. That was so cool! I have pictures I will send on Wednesday of many things. It was so fun to teach them the last little bit before the baptism and be there for the beginning of the rest of their lives. They are both so cool. Kimberly is amazing and she is going to be a strong member for life. She has such a strong testimony and is such a great little girl, I want to hug her so badly! Our area is pretty small and our house is something else. I'm quickly getting used to the living conditions here...not the states. I will have to tell you more details on Wednesday with the pictures. Refer to dads email mom about how my Spanish is coming along...but its coming believe it or not. An elder from CCM that I was real tight with, Elder Whiting is in my district and we've seen each other a ton so far. We are both trippin' out on how crazy and fun it is here! He was excited to hear that I had my first lesson by candle light as well! There is a light schedule here so we don't have electricity most of the day. We live in a way sweet house compared to so many here. We teach a lot in tin shanties with dirt floors. Its way crazy and way fun. The culture here is incredibly different then anything I could have planned for. Its more or less and acid trip seeing how the mission REALLY is from how the MTC tells you what its gonna be like: it's....Nothing like we were told. The culture is so relaxed and chill here, its just so different. I'm sure one day I will be able to explain it to you. Ive already had my first motorcycle taxi experience. A few crazy dogs, naked kids, drunk people in the streets, you know the works! I haven't seen a lot I know I will though. Last transfer my comp had 10 baptisms here and that is huge, the AP's love us lately so we are sure if we break at least 6 this transfer we will probably stay together next transfer too, and we already have 2. We have a few golden investigators so we will see how this week goes. We have 4 or 5 solid new contacts so I hope that goes well. But I have also had my first taste with heartbreak. There is a girl, Rosi, who is like 20 or something, who was baptized when she was 9 but the paperwork got lost and she doesn't want to do it again. We've talked to her a ton and TONS before I got here and she just wont do it. She came to church yesterday and I talked to her a bit after about why she needs to and she knows she should but.....she just wont. That's how Dominicans are they are just lazy. You have to be very direct and blunt here. Its not like how you could get away with stuff in the states. Sad. I'm sad for her.

Also I told dad that how a missionary would work in the states, just doesn't work here. The church and the teaching here is so much different then I ever expected.

Thank you for your thanksgiving wishes, our day was pretty unspecial till we were walking in the street and I said oh ya, happy thanksgiving comp. ha! Glad you had a good one.

We gotta run now but I will send more pics Wednesday! Love you!

McLean