Letter January 29 2012

Cameron’s letter January 30, 2012

Our thoughts and questions are in red—his replies in black

I have been asked how your Spanish is and I say that it seems to be coming along well, but I don’t really know. How are you doing with it?

My SPANISH is coming very quickly. I have completely stopped translating in ways, speaking and understanding. It’s coming faster and I’m getting really good at conjugating verbs without too much thought. When people ask me questions it’s a 50-50 shot whether I will understand them or not and out of religion if someone is talking about religion I understand almost 100% but other stuff that is harder. Luckily Mexicans love to talk with their hands and are really animated so this really helps out.

Can you teach now or does your companion still teach most of the time?

Teaching-lots of missionaries have somewhat of a pride in their teaching skills and don’t want their JR. comps messing their lessons up, that’s kind of the position I am in right now.  I did divisions with another new elder and I think he was a little afraid to talk but he is from Columbia and speaks Spanish and understands English. I don’t really know how he under stands it but he does I asked him a bunch of stuff in English and he answered me perfectly in Spanish. His English is understandable but sounds a little funky. Probably like my Spanish. We went out and taught a bunch of lessons and did really well bouncing off each other with different thoughts totally in sync.  It was pretty neat with Lujan it’s kind of like he does his thing and then I do mine and that’s about it.

 I didn’t get the part about a tortilla being a hoagie bun

I wrote Torta... this is different than a tortillas, a torta is the Spanish word for what mom would call a hoagie bun or sandwich bread from subway.

Strawberry tamales are amazing! I eat like 8 a week there selling them all over the place and they cost 8 pesos on a torta-what a steal! Plus they walk down the street and sell them so all you have to do is walk out of you front door and pay the vendor and you have a delicious breakfast. It’s like the ice-cream man but without the rip-off! The strawberry tamales don’t have meat-- I don’t know what it is but they are delicious. Helotes and Esquietes more or less I like them but they are not like the tacos or the tamales! When I get home I am going to miss the food here so much. The other day we ate gorditas in some ladies house. They were so delicious. Words can’t really describe the taste. It was amazing! It’s kind of funny because gordita means little fat woman in English.  

Have you had a Chile Rellenos yet? 

I don’t know what Chile Rellenos is and I might have eaten it nobody really tells me what something is before I shove it in my mouth. And sometimes I would rather not know that I’m eating pig brain or something. If it tastes good I’ll eat it.

They use some white kind of cheese don’t they?

The cheese is amazing I don’t know what it is but it’s really stringing and they but it on everything. This week I ate a torta with pastor-meat cheese avocado mayo and tomato. OH my it was so delish! We were going to go to that same place this morning but Lujan didn’t have any money, that’s kind of the culture here --spend all the money you have when you have it and when you don’t.....well you don’t have money. So usually Lujan has empty pockets by the 2nd week of the month. I just have to watch my money so we aren’t messed over the rest of the time. Landon understands that mentality I’m sure. 

 I am curious of how long it takes for you to get a letter.

One letter is like 13 days or something I’m not totally sure the problem is. When will it get from the president’s house to my hands well That just depends. We just hand interviews with pres so I got my mail mostly Granddad and Grandma. Their letters are the bomb! There’s not very many things more exciting than getting a hand written letter with crystal light packs. They don’t have those here so it’s really cool to get them.

Well today was pretty special as Spencer spoke in church. His talk was really touching and filled with the spirit. He has always had a dream to serve a mission. He talked about sanctifying yourselves quoting the scripture from Joshua 3:5 “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” What a great scripture. Spencer told about how he would soon be departing for his mission and needed to have a more firm testimony of the Book of Mormon, so he retired to a certain spot where he goes to pray. He didn’t receive an answer but the spirit told him to talk with his Dad. His Dad told him that he already knows the truth. He said he thought he would have a Joseph Smith experience but it didn’t happen instead he got his answer by the small and simple things he has done all along the way in his life.

Spencer talk-I kind of hand that same experience in the MTC but I prayed and the next day I was reading in Alma 30 where he tells Korihor that he has all the words of the prophets and the planets that move in there order and what more does he need. So that is somewhat of an equal experience.

 Spencer said he feels excited but nervous, he just doesn’t know what to think.

Ha-ha tell Spence not to be nervous he will get the language and so will Craig. They’re smarter than me and right now I can speak it without too many errors. Oh and the MTC is a piece of cake the first two weeks are crazy stress full they make you teach and what not and its pretty rough after that it’s no biggie. The last 2 weeks I just wanted to get out tell him to take fiber pills. The food in the MTC is the worst part-- it tastes fine but it messes you up. I had more problems with the food there than in Mexico. I would never eat MTC food again if somebody paid me. It ruins your bowels. I was clogged up for 2 straight weeks. Oh if you eat the healthy stuff they have its not too bad but that stuff doesn’t always taste the best. Just be excited for the food when you get to Mexico it’s amazing. 

“Oh the silly trivial things that we give time to in life.  Be grateful you are free from the world of such things.”

Dad -- being out of the world is pretty cool. I really don’t have that many worries it’s kind of nice to know there will be money in the bank at the first of every month and food from members every day. I’m not going to die. So what’s to worry? Tell grandma M that line she will love it. I was always telling her not to worry. Hey grandma ¡no se preocupe! 

So did the baptisms come through?  How was your trip into the city?  Why did you have to go—did you accompany the investigator to see the president?  When are transfers?  Are you reading your scriptures in Spanish?  Do you live with other missionaries or just Elder Lujan?  Have you learned to block out the music or do you find you get sucked in by it?

I study the scriptures in Spanish first like study not read usually just trying to find scriptures that apply to my investigators it’s basically studying for another person ha-ha but if I don’t understand everything in Spanish then I switch to English. Honestly you should stop studying in English after 1 change/transfer in the field. Changes or transfers (I guess that the word in English) are in one week. I will probably stay here and Lujan will leave he has a lot of time here and my training period is up so either I leave or he leaves.

Just Lujan and I live together nobody more.

So I never made it to Mexico this week basically what happened was I was robbed by my district leader. We have divisions the day before so when the DL found out that we were taking a lady to Mexico the next day he decided to extend divisions so he could go instead of me. Was I mad.....it’s not very Christ-like but I was fuming angry. He said it was because of this that and the other something about how my Spanish isn’t very good or something or Lujan didn’t know how to get to Mexico. That’s all kind of junk at least that’s what the whole rest of the district said. They all told me I got shafted by Reidreynoso the district leader. He got dear johned last week on Monday and ever since then he has been kind of well you know how missionaries act after they get dear johned. But anyway the best part/worst part is that that the investigator junked out on them. She left her house in the morning with a sign on the door that said "I’m not ready for baptism I’m sorry" basically. Of course it was in Spanish but that was the brunt of it. So they decided to go to Mexico anyways to pick up some stuff that Lujan ordered-- like pass-along cards, DVDs, copies of The Book of Mormon and what not. But this day president was doing interviews and all the elders waiting for their interview saw all the stuff and stole it. I guess a box with the name LUJAN on it means free! Ha-ha so all we got was a bunch of Christmas DVDs and stuff that the other elders didn’t want. I guess president was pretty upset about the whole thing. So basically they spent a bunch of money to go to Mexico for no reason I felt redeemed when I found out this plus Garcia and I that day taught 5 lessons and worked stinking hard. Garcia was kind of crazy he hitched hiked I thought that was kind of sketchy but whatever the people are nice, that’s pretty neat!

Well that’s about it. Transfers are next Tuesday. I guess Spencer enters the MTC on Wednesday. The MTC is fun especially because everybody has the desire to be obedient and if they want to break the rules it’s usually something stupid like riding the elevator. That is against the rules if you didn’t already know.

Well that about it for this week. Its hailing right now kind of weird for Mexico 

Elder Hendricks

Oh yea-- my shoes the backs of the shoe inside the leather wore away and now there was only plastic so I took them to a Zapatera and the charged me 30 pesos and glued some leather material with super glue or something anyway I guess it was a good deal because they fixed them for about 3 bucks. And there are as good as new! My other ones I only where on Sundays and my boots I will wear during the rainy season.

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