Week Eighty Four - Transferred Up the River!!

Tom and his companion looking 'fartos'!

The boys eating at Subway!

Eating at Subway!

Tom thinking about catching a lizard....but he didn't.

Hi family!

My week was good. I learned yesterday morning that I´m being transferred to the most distant area of the mission (I think) Oriximiná, in which there are only 2 missionaries (me and my new companion). So I´ll probably get a 10 hour boat ride there tomorrow, should be cool. I hear that they baptize muito there. It seems like I´m going to die in the area that Elder Fox was born in (end the mission in the area that he started his). The week was good, I liked my companion, time passed fast, all things like normal. Beginning on Friday  we had a companion exchange due to.... that story again, which lasted until yesterday. I worked with my zone leader, Elder Robertson in his area, which neighbors ours and is part of the same ward. Elder Robertson is funny demais! He was my first american companion since Elder Fox in the MTC. Unfortunately no baptism this week. We were going to baptize a rapaz (boy) but he doesn´t think he´s ready and his mom doesn´t want him to be baptized. Nossa! when we found this family, I thought everyone was going to get baptized, but the mother arrived from her vacation and now everyone is disinterested(?) in the church. Good luck to my companion and his new companion! I´ll be baptizing out the wazoo in Oriximilagres! (I hope) But that´s about all for this week. All the other stories aren´t really that interesting and have little to do with anything.... Q&A!!!

1.  Any packages or letters this past week?  If so, who from? Nope! Our neighbor, president Marciclei, of the stake, went to Belém and said he´d stop in the mish office and bring any packages that happen to be there to us. Unfortunately, he only returns on the 26th and I´ll probably be in Oriximina before this day.

2.  Do you have any idea how many baptisms you have done or do you even keep track of that? 35 more or less, me personally I´ve baptized about 15 I think. (in the first year everyone liked my companion more than me so they baptized more... and I´ve also baptized a few peeps that were taught by sisters (sisters can´t baptize haha!.... sorry) and.... they weren´t taught by me but... hey... I baptized them so I´ll count them.... haha (colador eu sou!))....

3.  Are your shoes still holding up ok? yep.... more or less.

4.  Is that other American missionary in your group that lives in the same apartment?  Where is he from? Elder Robertson is from Stockton California, he´s awesome.

5.  Are you still writing in your journal every day?  Tell me the truth....:) Not every day, unfortunately. I take too long to write and my zone leaders are always turning off the lights while I´m writing, because I need to be sleeping and sometimes I just sit in my bed thinking about stuff and forget to write. But I still remember the important stuff and am able to include them in my journal entries.

Pics!

Me, Elder Robertson, Elder Gondim, and Elder L. Oliveira at subway. Nossa! My companion and I look fartos (extremely satisfied/almost dead) In one picture, my zone leader didn´t think that it would come out well, so we´re both giving each other dirty looks. Mine says "shut up, let me try it" and it worked out so we all gave sorrisos (smiles) for the second one and it didn´t work out unfortunately (very dark). And the last one is me and a lizard that I almost had enough courage to catch but I didnt....

But that was my week. I gots to go, I love you all have a great week. Wish me luck in Oriximiná! Tchau!

Elder R. Williams

Week Nine - Rain and Getting Used to the Routine!

David in front of the Dallas Temple!

Hola! 

Life in SLC seems like it's the same old same old, which is good because life in the SLC is grrrrrreat!  The mission is really making that obvious for me haha.  I love to hear that you are going to farewells and homecomings.  It's crazy to think that so many peeps are already starting to come home! 

I'm glad Andrew got to you, and you got a hold of Zach.  I did have an email from him and it was awesome to hear from him!  I miss that kid!   I also got grandmas package the other day and I put a thank you card in the mail today for her!  But sadly, I have not yet received your package.  Elder Sheffer said sometimes they will come knock on your door to deliver it, or they will put a slip in your mailbox that tells you to go pick it up at the post office.  So idk, but I'm sure it will turn up!  I'll check with the office today.

Yeah I feel for Elder Powell.  When I saw him at the meeting he was having a hard time and made it seem like his companion problems are pretty serious but he couldn't talk about them all there.  But we have follow up training manana and I'll see him there along with all the others from the mtc, so hopefully I can find out more!  even though it really isn't any of my business.   

This week has been good.  Weeks are definitely getting better and better all the time.  I am getting more accustomed to the work better and starting to settle into the routine, which makes things easier.  At first I was just having a hard time thinking that this is my life for 2 years!  But now I have come to the attitude that the day my mission ends will come, it will come!   and it is up to me whether it comes fast or slow. 

Nothing too exciting this week.  We always find an outrageous number of new investigators every week, without even really trying in the "finding" department.  God just puts them in our path.  We usually meet the average, or the standard, for lessons taught every day.  So we stay busy for the most part, with a few slow points here and there.  The frustrating thing is that none of our planned lessons fall through!  People aren't very reliable here haha but it doesn't take us long to find someone else to teach.  No baptisms yet, but we do have some baptismal dates and some serious progressing investigators!

RAIN RAIN RAIN!  yesterday and today it has been pretty much raining constantly.  Most the times it is just a light sprinkle, or maybe a little more.  but it is so refreshing to get a break from the heat!  The rain does make things a little difficult; when riding bikes we get mud spots all over our shirts, and we try to do as little biking in the rain as possible.  But whether it's hot or raining, I'm going to have to wash anything anyway!  So as of right now I think I would prefer the rain.  and it's supposed to rain all week!  hehehe

I am in a Spanish ward.   At our building there are two English wards and a Spanish ward that is pretty good sized.  But the 3 hour church block seems forever long here!   Probably bc I can't understand a thing that is being said.  I always struggle to stay awake in church meetings.  Also, I fell asleep at a party on Saturday haha!  I didn't think I actually fell asleep, I thought I was just resting my eyes, but afterwards my companion told me I was asleep for more than a few minutes and the people at the party were talking about me!  oops. 

This last week my companion and I started talking more, which we hadn't really done much of until now.  The first two weeks I just followed him around.  But now we talk about life before the mission, college, family, life after the mission, hobbies.  He wants to be a personal trainer when he gets back and likes fitness stuff!  So we have something in common and it's more fun to talk rather than just go house to house without a word!   

I think I sent one picture already, but it takes forever just to send one picture!  So I think I will send this memory card home, just so you can see all the pics from the mtc.  But from here on out I will probably only have one, maybe two pictures every week, if that, and I could probably find time to send one a week.  Sorry, that's the best I can do. 

I think it would be best if I had another pair of shoes.  Especially for the rain.   But I am hesitant cuz I don't like to ruin nice, expensive stuff, and mission shoes are expensive!  So I'm thinking maybe you could just send me my old, slip on, black Steve Madden's for now.  But if you think it would be better to buy another pair of durable sturdy mission shoes, you can do that too.  I trust ya mom!  You do what you think would be best for me.  No rush! 

I would love a box of goodies!  Our mission debit card has $140 a month on it, that's about 35 a week.  My first couple trips to the story I had a hard time staying under that haha, but I am practicing and learning and getting better at it!  But I might go a little over thins month.  But my point is, with what little money I have to spend at the store, I am very limited on what I can by, so I just get the essentials mostly.  So if you send me food, NO CANDY!  That is the last thing I need and wouldn't do me any good.  I need stuffs that's gonna fill me up and give me energy.  So stuff like nuts, trailmix, granola bars, energy bars, power bars, protein bars, any kind of bar!  And if you can think of other stuff that you know I like, feel free.  Just no straight candy.  It doesn't all have to be healthy energy stuff, but that would be the most beneficial. 

Spanish hasn't seemed to progress much.  But Elder Sheffer shared a good analogy with me:  growth in the mission is like trying to watch your thumb grow when you're a baby.  It's hard to see!  So who knows, maybe I've come a lot further than I realize.  But things are getting easier. 

I love and miss you all and wish I had more time to write!  I love writing y'all and I hope you are all seeing the blessings from the Lord.  The Lord's hand is in all of our lives, I know it, so recognize it!  Peace be unto you all and God bless!

con much amor, Elder Williams

Week Eighty Three - Grateful!

Tom with his Lord of the Rings spider!!

Hello again, one more time, minha familia linda!

       My week was good. We weren´t able to get a baptism this week, unfortunately, but this next week I think we´ll have at least one. Hrmm.... yeah, that´s about it this week.... Sacrament meeting was very roudy this week, lots of kids running in and out, but there´s one guy here, he´s our neighbor, Marciclei, he´s albino but nossa! he speaks well. He´s the first couselor of the stake presidency here. I don´t remember much of what he said but what I felt while he spoke was bacana demais. Our recent convert, Carla is doing well. She feels like many changes are happening in her life rifght now, that many temptations have come but she feels happier for being a member of the church now. The last week of the transfer begins tonight, 6 o´clock. We´ll see how it goes. Oh! we taught a woman about the restoration of the gospel of Christ. Nossa! she understood everything! Egua do muleque! Why can´t every investigator be like her (many make really wrong interpretations of what we say, to put it politely). Her two daugthers have already been to church several times in another ward because their grandmother is a member, so we´re going to see what we can do to baptize them this week. But anyways, I´m enjoying my time here. I´m grateful for everything that has happened during this transfer. I feel like I´ve grown more here than in all my other areas combined. It´s going good.

Q&A

1. Do you ever use that ipod Shuffle I sent you?  Or do you just still listen to music on your phone? Yes I use my ipod shuffle. I love listening to josh groban! Egua! bom demais ele é! And sometimes I listen to music on the phone.

2. Were you able to get your stuff mailed home last p-day? My zone leader took the box to the mail.... place.... what? I forgot what it´s called, but he should send it home for me today. I think you´ll love it. But i recieved word right now that it can´t be sent today, there is a problem at the post office, that´s what it´s called!.... right?

3. Any ideas about what classes you want to take when you get home?  If you want to go back out to SLCC when you get home, I need you to be thinking about classes you might want to take because I will need to sign you up for them before you get home. Math, again, art again, maybe history, sociology, again.... spanish....

4. Any packages or letters this past week?  If so, from who? nope nada!

5. Is there anything you need me to try to send you? nope nada!

Pic! Just one rapidinho! It´s me and my creation, the spider from lord of the rings.... AGOOOOOOOORRRRAAA!

I gots to go, but I love you all and miss you have a great week sorry for the grammar errors. English can sai fora! Tchau!!!

Love Elder R. Willilams

Week Eight - I'm Homesick!

David and one of his first 'investigators'!

Hola Familia!

it's soo good to hear from you!  I feel so bad for Toby!  The 4th was surprisingly dead here, we did not come across a single party.  Most people I think go to Dallas or Arlington or something to watch big shows.  So we didn't do anything that night, just ride around, get a few contacts, it was really slow.  But I did here a few fireworks and every time I did I cringed for Toby!  But he'll survive.  Sounds like all is well and I miss you like crazy!  I'm glad to hear that you are all doing stuff and staying busy, cuz i'm sure it is quite boring at home now without me!  just kidding, un chiste!   Rain sounds nice right about now.  Sounds like some crazy weather!  it's just solid sun and heat here. 

This week was slightly easier, estoy mas acostumbrado a la obra ahora, pero solo un poco mas.  It's still hard, but my butt is now used to the bike seat, which was probably the hardest part about the first week haha.  My legs are still sore but I am more used to that as well as the heat and sweating.  I'd say we bike 20-30 miles a day.  My companion has an odometer thingy on his bike and the average he says is a little over 20 a day.  But the last two days I know have been more than that.   

The language barrier is killing me!  I can't be myself in Spanish.  I feel like I am just a robot elder that can only ask how are you, where are you from, and bear a short simple testimony.  Alright I can do a little more than that, but it is still hard to understand.  I do a lot of fake laughing, nodding my head, and saying "si" when people are talking to me.  I guess it's kinda one of those fake it 'til you make it kind of deals.  But I feel like I am not speaking enough Spanish.  it is too easy to speak English here!  Too many non Hispanics, and even the Hispanics speak English, and sometimes even prefer English!  But I need need need more Spanish if I am going to fulfill my purpose here.  So I want some general conference talks in Spanish, or the book of Mormon on tape in Spanish, just something that I could listen to to tune my hearing.  You should talk to Nancy and see what she did for Drew.  Drew said he did something like that that helped him a lot.  Or just talk to Drew directly.    Once I can be myself in Spanish and English, I think this work will really take off for me. 

So this week we just did a lot of biking.  A lot.  GP is pretty flat, but there are hills.  And every hill is a big hill when your on a bike.  We stayed busy.  There is couple that has been meeting with the missionaries for years, and the only thing holding them back from being baptized is marriage.  So this week we went to the Dallas Temple with them to go on a tour and inspire them to get married.  The temple is about a half hour drive.   It worked better than expected.  We had a short lesson in the waiting room in the temple.  Man that is like a golden ticket right there! The spirit is so strong in the temple, especially for someone that is not a member.  I wish we could do that with all our investigators.  It would seal the deal every time!  So we did get a commitment from them to get married and baptized.  It wasn't very solid, but I could tell they were in deep thought about it all and a temple marriage is something they want.  So we will see! 

We had a zone meeting on Tuesday where I got to see Elder Powell and Adams and a few others from the mtc.  I felt like I hadn't seen them in months!  It was awesome to see them and hear about their areas.  I'm the only one on a bike, but Elder Powell sounds like he's got it pretty rough right now.  He is in a really dead area with a not very motivated companion.  Makes me grateful to be where I am! 

So my first Sunday here we were told we were going to be speaking in sacrament meeting, in Spanish.  But the other speakers ended up taking all the time, so we got out of that one.  Phew.  But this week we got asked to teach eq, in Spanish.  Didn't get out of that one.  That was rough, but Elder Sheffer helped me out a lot. 

We spend a ton of our time in a certain apartment complex.  Densely Hispanic with lots of kids.  The kids always ask to see my muscles and want to arm wrestle me.  It is difficult to explain to them humility.  But they like me and I like them.  Sorry if I said that last week, I can't remember.  We eat with a member 4-5 times a week.  The other times we either eat at home or go to subway, bc Elder Sheffer loves subway.  No rio here, and I haven't had any good bbq yet.  Just Mexican.  We could use gift cards I guess, I just don't know what restaurants.  There are tons of fast food places here, but idk what restaurants there are at the moment.  So ask me about restaurants next time!

We do laundry at our apartment complex laundry room.  It's like 2 bucks per load to wash and dry.  It's not bad.  The Hermanas in our area have to put all their stuff in a shopping kart and walk down the street a ways to a laundromat. haha!   

Oh, a giant shower cap is a fitted sheet, you guessed it! 

Congrats Ryan!  I'm happy for you!

That's the only pic I can send today.  Sorry, I've been trying but it is just really slow.   I don't have a lot of pics from here in Texas.  My companion isn't much of a picture guy.  The only time he takes pictures is at baptisms, which is loco right?!  But I feel bad asking him to take pictures and slowing us down for pictures, so I don't take much.  But, i'm in Grand Prairie, Texas.  There isn't much to take pictures of any way. 

Andy Feller emailed me, I told him to text you his email address so he could be added to the forward list.  fyi.

Also, if possible, I would like you to try to get Zach Harwood's email for me.  My roommate.  Just ask him if he would like to be added to the forward list and let him know I would love to hear from him!   You could get his number through my phone or just do it through facebook.  I would really appreciate that!  

Sorry, I am asking for a lot.  I'll try to cut back on my requests.

But hey!  I love and miss you all more than you will ever know and more than I ever thought I would.  I love you with all my heart, but I've never been one to get homesick.  I'm homesick.  But the only relief to that is hard work under the blazing sun, and that's what I do every day!  Stay safe and follow Christ's example in all you do.  Adios!

Elder Williams

Week Eighty Two - Speaking About Independence Day!

Tom and Elder Robertson with Guarana Jesus pop cans.

Tom and Elder Robertson at the English school.

Tom and sister Viera dos Santos in front of a cool restaurant.

Tom in front of Alter do chão - under water.

Tom using the papagaio (parrot) phone to call us.

The zone at irmão Romberto´s place in Alter do Chão.

Carla´s baptism.

Hello My Family!

       Well my week was good. I liked this week a lot... but it was also a little difficult.... but the difficult part has to do with the story that I will share when I return home. But the good things. Baptism! WOOHOO! Carla was baptized Saturday, confirmed (almost wasn´t) Sunday. Friday night, Elder Robertson and I went to a school where they just learn other languages (a member which speaks English very well took us there) to talk to a bunch of Brazilians about the 4th of July in English. Nossa! The 4th of July has very little to it, doesn´t it? Hot dogs, fireworks.... sittin in a park... maybe some popcorn.... maybe everyone watches independence day... I don´t know. It was difficult to say much more than that.... but it was cool. We learned this past week that the Santarém zone is still baptizing more than any other zone of the mission. We ended June with 29 baptisms and the next closest was 26 (just some G Agá). That´s about 4 months in a row. ZONA SANTARÉM WOOT WOOT....Mas pois é... my week was good. We looked a lot for new people to teach again. We didn´t do that so much in the week before so we suffered for that a little this week.... but stories are few and short this week.

Q&A

What did you do on your little excursion last Monday?.... I didn´t tell you last week? We went to Alter do Chão, look it up on the net. We had barbecue at a member´s, who lives there.

Any packages or e-mails, yet? nope

Do you know if those two missionaries got the books I sent, yet? nope

Have you seen any protests against the government where you are at? I saw a bus protest, I think. A bunch of people put barriers in the street, but it doesn´t seem like that lasted long.

Did you ever buy any birthday things to send home? I´ve got a pile of things to send home, I just need to prepare it in a box, which I´m too lazy to do on p-day and I don´t have time to do it on any other day, but I`ll be sure to do it today.

Do you get to play sports much, like volleyball or soccer? I played soccer for about 5 minutes on Monday last week. I think we´ll play ping pong today.... but that´s about it.

Pics

A pic of Carla´s baptism, a pic of the zone at irmão Romberto´s place in Alter do Chão, me in front of the alter do chão, me using the papagaio (parrot) phone to call you, didn´t work... some other pic, I forget which is it, and me and Elder Robertson at the English school. The sign says "independence day, with the presence of 2 north Americans ..."..... EGUA! THAT´S ME! And the e-mail is too big so not all pics will be sent home....

Opa! Errei. I guess the pic of me in front of Alter do chão didn´t get sent home... unfortunately alter do chão is under water right now so you can only see the huts. But hey, when you guys come here, you should try to buy tickets to santarém so that you can see my favorite city of Pará too! A pic of me and sister Viera dos Santos in front of a cool restaurant and.... a pic of me and Elder Robertson with Guarana Jesus pop cans.

Egua, nem disse tchau! I love you all have a great week, stay safe. HOLY SMOKES JOSH IS ALREADY COMING HOME!? Egua do muleque! UNtil next week. Tchau!

Love Elder R. Williams

Week Eighty One - Trip to Alter do Chao!

Hi Family,

I have very little time right now, we have to leave because we´re going to Alter do Chão. look it up on the internet it´s cool demais. My week was good. We had a baptism and I think we´ll have one this next week. I got some cool pics, here´s one. Q&A 1. I heard but don´t know much about it. 2. Just a little bit when someone is watching TV when we enter their house.3. No packages, maybe this next week. 4. Jambo! Jambo is too good. Açai not so much it´s very expensive and few people are buying right now. 4. Yes, I´m fine. The pic is me on a mountain close to our house. Sorry that I can´t say more but we´re all in a rush here, I gots to go! But I love you and miss you all. Have a great week. 

Love Elder R. Williams

Hi family, again!

      The other missionary dupla that I live with decided to use computers again to send e-mail. I guess they weren´t able to write to their families, only to the mish pres so I guess they´re allowing me to write again too. So my week was good, great to tell the truth but a little complicated, especially after today. The thing that happened today is a story for after the mission I think. But this week we did really well. We were able to teach a lot, getting 23 lessons taught in the week, when usually it´s hard to get 20. We were preparing Gabí for baptism. She´s gone to church about 10 times already but she lives with her step mother and her father spends 25 days working in the middle of the forest and so stays home for 5 days. We almost didn´t get authorization to baptize Gabí, only getting it 5 hours before the baptism starts. Gabí is only 9 years old but she understood all the lessons very well, which is unusual because most kids, and even adults here where I´m working, have difficulty explaining what we just ended explaining. But she was baptized, chose me to baptize her. There were a few lessons that we gave during the week that were stressful. People just don´t understand that if Joseph Smith really was a prophet, there is no other place or church or cult or sect on earth that can carry out ordenances of salvation, like baptism. We ended debating 2 times about it this week, and one person already received an answer from God, that Joseph Smith really was a prophet. Nossa! complicado demais! But anyways. At church this week we had 11! i´ll say it again! 11 people visit the church. We had a family of 6, it would be 7 if the mother wasn´t traveling, come and they all liked the church a lot. So we´re going to work hard to get them involved with the church, to feel welcome, and to prepare for baptism. Carla came to church again and brought her younger sister with her. Carla might be baptized this week. Pray so that all goes well, por favor! I would send another pic but I´ve gots to go! Tchau! I love you all have a great week, until next time! 

Love Elder R. Williams

Week Seven - In Grand Prairie, Bike Fiasco and a Giant Shower Cap!

Well, it's only week seven and David has yet to disappoint in the e-mail department!  This is his first e-mail(s) from Dallas and I literally laughed all day about some of the things he told us.  His first e-mail came around 10:30am on Monday morning, which surprised me.  It ended very abruptly, though and so I hurried and e-mailed him back asking for his address.  Then, around 12:30pm, we got another e-mail - the rest of the first one he started.  He sounds overwhelmed, but at the same time, like he is mostly taking it in stride.  He is happy with his companion, the area and the people, so far.  His bike experiences are hilarious and I am just thankful he had his first mis-hap not too far from the bike store....and that they were able to finish putting his bike together correctly for him!  He's a funny kid and it really comes out in his e-mails!

David and Landon Watkins at the Provo Temple.  

This is where David is now - Grand Prairie, Texas, just a little south west of Dallas.

Hey Fam! 

Holy tolito where do I even begin?   My flight was fine, I wrote you a letter the day I got here that should come soon with the picture of me and President Durrant.  My first day was very exciting!  We spent most of the day in that church that you see all the pics of on the Dallas Mission fb page.  We had a little bit of training, got to know President and his wife, and they got to know us a little bit.  President Durrant is awesome.  He is ginormo, but a real softy.  He is funny, he makes up songs, makes us laugh, and knows how to have a good time.  He is also very spiritual and has a funny way with words.  He only has a year left of being a president, and I don't know how often I'll see him or how much of a relationship I will form with him, but I really hope we can form a good one.  Very few missionaries got their companions Monday night and left to their apartments.  So we had about 30 missionaries stay in one apartment that night.  It was a small, low class apartment haha.  I slept on the hardwood floor with a giant shower cap for a blanket.  It made me think:  "wow, THIS IS THE LIFE OF A MISSIONARY!"  So I didn't get much sleep that night.  The next day we had a little bit more training at the church and we got our companions.  He called up all the male Spanish speaking newbies, and all the male Spanish speaking trainers.  And he said "stand next to your companion".  So we had to guess or "feel inspired".  Very few guessed right, but my companion guessed me on the first try! 

My companion is Elder Sheffer.  He is 18 and from Phoenix Arizona.  what a coinkadink!  He graduated from high school when he was 16.  He only has two more transfers than me.  He is the youngest trainer in the mission which I think says a lot about him.  He is a very good missionary.  Almost two good, but if I could be where he is at within the next three months I would be golden!  He knows Spanish quite well.  He understands it all, can speak well enough to carry a conversation, he makes people laugh, he makes jokes, and that just seems impossible for me to ever do!  But he works hard, never have we taken a break, even when we have nothing to do.  He kicks my butt on the bikes.  I can't keep up!  He knows his stuff, that's for sure. 

So it turns out that my companions companion before me was a total boss.  He is the best American Spanish speaker in the mission.  Everybody loved him.. Every time my Elder Sheffer introduces me, they get really sad and ask where Elder Talbot is.  He was super charismatic  gave toys to the kids, made everybody laugh, and he was handsome.  People literally were in love with him.  One lady got baptized just so she could have a chance with him.  Multiple others told him that they want him to marry there daughter.  He turned this place around from being the least productive area in the mission to the most productive area in the mission.  The average number of baptisms in the Dallas mission is 8 for the entire 2 years.  In the last two transfers, Elder Sheffer and Talbot had 8.    I have some big shoes to fill.

This week I have mostly just been a shadow in lessons.  Most of our lessons are in Spanish, but we have had a few in English, even though they are with Spanish speakers but just prefer English.  ??  I can kill it in English!  I'm pretty good!  but in Spanish I am totally lost.  I can say a few parts of lessons, but I can't understand their questions or comments.  I can start a contact in Spanish, but as soon as they say something I just look at my companion, which his cue to take over, bc I don't understand!  I was okay with being a shadow for the first couple days, now its starting to get frustrating.

We live in an apartment, just the two of us.  My first day of actually being out proselyting was rough.  We assemble the Liahona, and then walked to the bike shop to pick up his bike.  It was a long hot walk.  We picked his bike up, and no more than 30 seconds of being on my bike, I hit a curb and the wheel breaks.  Green slime everywhere!  I had no idea they put slime in tires!  I should have taken a picture, but my mind was elsewhere.  So we had to go back to the bike shop, which was embarrassing, and they fixed the tire.  They don't believe in slime tires in Texas bc it's too hot and they break often.  Turns out that we didn't put the Liahonna together correctly at all.  We did it without instructions haha I lost them pretty much immediately.  I didn't even have breaks!  So they obviously pointed that out, fixed everything I did wrong, which was everything, and then we got on our way.  Can you say ROUGH START?!

Hey, sorry.  We are at the library and we only have 45 min at a time.  So now I am on my second session! 

I forgot to tell lyou, I am in Grand Prairie, Texas!  No clue where that is, look it up! 

We are on bikes.  My legs are terribly sore.  My bum is killing me.  It feels like we are always riding into the wind.  I can't keep up with my companion, and by the end of the day I am absolutely drenched.  I'll get used to it though!  I have already had a crash haha I clipped a mailbox, knocked it over.  But we got a good contact out of it.  The owner of the house was in the front yard when it happened, a big black man.  He tried to get us to play pool with him but that is not allowed.  We talked for a bit, he gave us a hard time and kind of just wanted to argue with us in a light manner, but he told me that he wants me specifically to come back.  Normally, if they don't speak Spanish, we have to give them to the English missionaries.  But he doesn't want to talk to any other missionary but me.  And I believe that I clipped that mailbox for a reason. 

Elder Talbot left tons of food.  For lunches and breakfast I have been living off of trail mix and granola bars all week.  He left a bag of ghirradelli choc chips that are muy delicioso!  We eat dinner with members.  The food is good!  but I just have a hard time trusting it, if you know what I mean.  But it is almost always good.  No bomb bbq yet. 

There are kids everywhere here.  I really like them.  they like us and always come talk to us.  I get my Spanish corrected by 6 year olds.  which is humbling.  The people here for the most part are really nice.  I find it difficult to love them simply because I can't connect with them when I can't speak Spanish.  But I do see how these people could be loveable.  It is not difficult to find Spanish speakers, but a lot of them will speak English to us even when we talk to them in Spanish, which probably slows down my learning rate.  I feel like I don't speak enough Spanish here and it is going to take a while to learn! 

wow.  I'm a missionary.  We have had people swear at us, make fun of us, throw a cup at us.  We have been viciously rejected by that old southern Baptist lady.  I'm tired all the time.  THIS IS THE LIFE OF A MISSIONARY! 

I feel like I had so much more to tell you, but that is all I can think of for now.  I have lots of pictures to send, mostly from the mtc, but I don't have the stuff necessary to send them right now.  I left it at the apartment.  So you are going to have to wait another week. 

idk what I want to do about shoes.  The only place I have seen around here for shoes is payless, and I might get just a cheap pair to wear in the rain.  But for now I am probably good with the ones I have.   However there are a couple things I would like.  I could use some old hand towels, maybe cut in half.  It would be nice if I had some towels to wipe the sweat off my face.  Just some old ratty ones if you have any, or if you have a better idea, I'll trust you with it.  I also need a Spanish scripture case.  hopefully you could find one of those at deseret.  Spanish scriptures are longer so they need a bigger case. 

My testimony has already been strengthened in many ways.   The Lord is preparing his people to hear our message.  Sometimes it is so much easier than I ever would have thought!  Prayer works.  When we aren't having success, we pray.  When we pray, things turn around.  When I get overwhelmed or anxious, I pray.  When I pray I can overcome those feelings.   Hard work pays off.  Often times we will take a risk by making a long bike ride to someones house when we don't even know if they will be there.  and usually they aren't there.  But the Lord always makes those trips worth it through someone else.   Satan is real and doing all he can to keep people from hearing our message.  Whenever we share the first vision, say a prayer, or finally get someone else to pray; whenever we reach the peak of spirituality in our lesson, nearly ever time, a phone goes off.  someone comes in the door with groceries.  The kids come running in and scream and cry.  We are constantly getting interrupted at the worst times.  We are, however, having success and getting lessons in. 

Mom, remember what Dr. Pulver told me about missions the last time we went in to see him?  He wasn't kidding.  It is very early on but this is far more than i ever expected.  But there is a scripture in D&C that I really like.  It keeps me going and makes me want to hang in there.   D&C 58: 4.  

I miss you all and I am wondering what I have got myself into.   I saw a dog bow just like Toby does the other day!  I also saw some pups the other day for sale.  Gosh I miss that dude!  But you people more.  Sounds like all is well and todo bien con migo! 

3001 S Carrier Parkway apartment #2403 Grand Prairie, Tx 75052