Hello Estados Unidos! (United States) How are you?
The title of the email is Carpet. I miss it so much! No one has it, whether you're rich or not. You have tile if you're rich. And rugs are never found either. I know that's weird. But I miss carpet. Be grateful for the carpet in your homes!
My English spelling is getting worse. At least I think so. I know this sounds weird, but that's fine with me. It means my Spanish is taking over. Some phrases I say in English to English speaking Elders sound weird too. "Hey Elder, how many years do you have?" (if you speak Spanish, you'll get that one). It's all weird. But I love it. So I pray throughout the next almost two years you can understand me.
So, I've had some more interesting foods. Like crickets..... they're a hot item down here. And mole. Not the animal.... but it's worse, I'm sure. This weird chocolate sauce with a bunch of gross stuff. It is not nice to your stomach for days after eating it. But they say I'll learn Spanish faster if I eat hot food and crickets, and mole.
Another GROSS treat I've found is a perfectly fine watermelon or fruit sucker.... then they dip it in chili powder. Apparently that's good! Or they take delicious, fresh cut mango or apples or whatever they have and put chili powder on it. You've got to be kidding me? What are they doing? "Quiere dulce Elder?" (Do you want candy, Elder?) "Si hermana, gracias!" (Yes sister, thanks!) A sucker with hot powder on it. Gross!
Another weird thing I've noticed...and Elder Doug you touched on it in the email you sent to me. Agua has a different meaning down here. "Do you want agua, Elder?" Means "Do you want soda, coke, juice, milk, (anything not water)?" I just want water! But to get that, you have to ask for Regular Water. Then they think you are crazy. "Why don't you want coke, Elder?"......Because all I do is walk, so I don't wanna quench my thirst with sugary coke. haha!
My testimony grows every day. I know this church is true. I felt the Spirit in our home and in church at a young age, and from then till now and forever, I will never deny that. I love you all and pray for you soooo much. My patience is growing too, with my self and others. I'm humbled more every day by how people live.
You have NO idea how well we have it in the States. I've eaten food that should not have been consumed by dogs, and sat on buckets in card board houses for dinner. But they have a little picture of Jesus or the Temple on their wall. And that's all they need. That's it. They don't have cars, rarely cellphones, and if they do, it's a Nokia brick phone. No TV, no video games, one pair of shoes. One man has some Dockers that he paints in at work, then he spray paints them black every Saturday for church on Sunday. I'm humbled.
I've seen couples and families begging for money, or juggling. I've seen a teenage kid pour gas in his mouth and blow on a burning stick to create a fire ball to impress cars at stop lights, then beg for money from them. He has no teeth. And no shoes. I'm humbled.
I've witnessed people going through garbage and selling bottles. My life has changed. I love you, and I'm bringing the Gospel to them, don't worry.
Elder Burgess
A Baptism in Mexico
Mexican Twinkies
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My first "door knock" in Mexico. I guess the house was there
before the hill and road. I don't know where they live or even
enter their house haha!
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| Today I bought this guy. $15 US dollars haha! Well, in pesos, but equivalent to that. It's fake, but I'm styling. |
