It's Been 5 Months!

Well hey fams,

Good to hear from ya! And good to hear you had a fantastic Easter! It sounded amazing! Easter here was...well, I’ll tell you more about it in the questions but this week went relatively well. It was a hard first few days with the new switch. It was really difficult but through prayer and patience and deciding that I'm just going to love and get along with my new comp it’s gotten easier. It was a hard week cause I had to show him around the area and I didn’t know the area really well so he was kinda mad about that.

 I guess we’ll just get it straight who my comp is.  He is from Alpine and as been here about the same time as Rasmussen, except he has not had a gringo comp in a year. He is, in looks, a combo of Michael Cera and uncle Mark. He is, at times, funny and nice but most of the time he is 1000% business and no fun and no smiles. He is a super hard worker and is very punctual and obedient but he is very bland.  Hopefully, I can slowly try to loosen him up. I’m all down for working hard but this guy just gets stressed, overworked, and too serious about things. I’m trying with all my might to just try to offer him service and be nice. It usually works all the time but sometimes, with having a comp like him, it makes me kinda sad. I think its possible to work hard and yet be happy and have fun. But I guess if that’s his version of happy then so be it....ugggh.

We had a good week once we got the ball rolling. We are finding and teaching a lot of people and something I noticed, when I work then I’m happy and not homesick and don’t feel bad (which has been on and off this week). This has been a hard week for me emotionally but it is slowly getting better through working and such. On some cool notes, I had fake wine! Which tastes pretty much horrible. The only thing I can describe it as tasting is like if someone poured a lot of perfume into a small glass of water so, nice! We taught a lesson this week and in the background I heard the theme song to Special Agent Oso. I had to giggle cause I knew that Molly wouldn’t stand of for any of that special-ed bear nonsense.

We are teaching this kid named Esteban who is a 16 year old punk hoodrat/ghetto kid (or as they call them here "changos" or "wachiturros") and his friends know about us cause he knows all the changos and every time we see them from a distance they will yell "Allphin!" (pronounced El Fin) and wave and say “what up”. I feel like Morgan Freeman in Lean on Me when he becomes friends with the ghetto kids. Maybe I can become the principal and turn their high school around then develop a soothing narrator’s voice. Well, I’ll just concentrate on one dream for now.

I went to Centro today and bought a musical shaker but not just any musical shaker, a musical shaker made out of llama toenails!....yeah, let that sink in. I read how Muse once used them to record a song so I just had to buy them—only 10 pesos! What a steal, ehh? ....ehh?.... guys?....But yeah, other than an awkward "getting to know your new socially awkward comp week" its been pretty good. I just pray that this kid will loosen up and realize that the President Hinckley quote (about taking the work seriously but not taking yourself too seriously thing) is true. Well, through patience and prayer and trying to love him then, hopefully, things will start to change. Well, that’s about it for the week. On to questions.

• Do they celebrate Easter there and, if so, how?

Nope, we only go one "happy Easter" and that was it. I presumed it would have been a big thing but nope, nothing. Bummer, but oh well. I read about Jesu´s resurrection in the Bible and that was a good enough Easter for me to know that yes, "He lives". I know that my Redeemer lives and I am so thankful for Him.

The Catholics are suuuuuper into Good Friday here. We saw about 2 or 3 different replications of masses of people singing with a guy dressed up as Jesus carrying a cross throughout the streets. Then, without hurting the person dressed up as Jesus, the crowd crucified him by tying ropes around his wrists and....yeah that’s pretty much all I have to say about that.

• Are you getting enough to eat?

Yes, between bananas, alfahores, frosted flakes, Tang, and eating at member’s houses, I’m eating fine and dandy!

• What do you like best about your new comp?

Ummm, well, he is hard working and is very punctual and stuff like that. And he has some good stories. I’ll talk to him about unicycling in a while and see if he’ll lighten up more with that as well.

• Any baptisms this week?

Nope, dang, nope. But we are hoping for a tidal wave of baptisms in the next little while here, so keep praying for them if you would, please?

• Anything you’d like us to send your way?

Prayers, Letters, and maybe some chicken ramen and gushers in future packages (:

Well family, I have to skip out this week on writing to Anna and Lauren cause we had a crazy morning because we had to print out the letters and then come back later and write (long story) but thank you for your letters you two. You are my most loved punky sisters, I love you! Well, I best end this letter so I can do some shopping and then go on divisions where I’ll be teaching a FHE lesson *gulp* Naaah, I’m not too nervous about it, we’ll watch a video ha-ha but do know that I am so very thankful for you guys, your letters, your prayers, your sacrifices, and your love. I can feel them everyday. Whenever I feel down I’ll pray and I can feel Heavenly Father strengthening me through, not only my prayers but always, your prayers as well. For that I am eternally grateful.

Well, have fun in St. George, go to In ‘N Out in my stead (and eat at least 2 double doubles, dad). Give grandma Ann and grandpa Mick a  big hug and kiss and “hello” from me (and an even bigger kiss for the cat).  Be glad that I’m not home while the dogs are around cause I have about a zero tolerance level for dogs these days.  Keep that spunky goofball Molly McGoo in line and, finally, keep on keeping on being the super, awesome, happy family you are. Please pray for me to keep learning this dang flibber-flabber language and that I’ll keep progressing on how to teach well. I can feel your guy’s prayers everyday and I’m so thankful for that. Thank you, thank you so much. Well, "Warning Sign" by Coldplay is playing right now on a computer next to me and it’s about to make me start crying in front of all these teens at the cyber so I’ll head out now. Thank you for everything. I love you all so much. Have a great week, I love you.  Remember, be Hinckley, its all good!

 Con Amor,

 Russ