Santo Domingo, week 7

Hey! This week was pretty up and down. We focused a lot on the couple that are getting married, their names are Jose and Maria. It looks like its going to take a couple of weeks for the papers to get here. We also managed to add two more fechas, both referrals from members. One is with a little boy who is just barely 8. The problem is that the parents aren't sure anymore if they want their son baptized. The other is with a 17 year old named Augusto, but he didn't show up to church...so there were good and bad parts. I did exchanges with my Zone Leader this week so that was a lot of fun. His name is Elder Kortsen, and he is awesome.

There were some cute little kids in the area we went on divisions to...

We had a few lessons this week, but mostly just visiting our fechas every day to try and keep them on track. They are really spread out - one is half way down our mountain, the other is close to the church, and the other is just a little ways past that.

My Kekchi is coming along very slowly but I do have a testimony and prayer completely memorized that I am trying to add to. There aren't any feminine or masculine forms of words like Spanish, but there are about fifteen different conjugation charts, so that is what makes it really hard, haha. Reading the Kekchi Book of Mormon has helped. I can understand a lot, I just can't speak at all - that is my problem!

As far as the sickness goes, my companion and I are hanging in there, just neither of us are at 100% yet.

Mom asked if the package looked ok - it looked good! I don't think anything was missing. Also, I am supposed to tell you guys to make sure you send the Christmas package in November because in December the mail is terrible.

Mom also asked about the prettiest area of my mission so far. There aren't really any flowers or waterfalls in my area. I think my favorite view is the picture I sent last week. That is the highest up we've been. It is the one where I am standing by Lucas. He is a seventeen year old member, he goes out on visits with us for like five hours a day almost daily so he is awesome.

Oh, you need to remind me when I get home to do this dance that this little kid Felix did when he got his "shut" because it was the best thing ever! "Shut" is a type of food. To me it tastes like rubber with some beans inside of it (it comes wrapped in a leaf thing) but the Kekchi people get hyped when they see it because they are super poor. You remember I said I wanted to go somewhere where I'd learn to appreciate what I have? Yeah, it has been a month and a half in the field, and I'm already there. A lot of the food we eat is bland, except for one popular dish here is "caldo" which is this super spicy soup with a part of a chicken in it. Every p-day we eat in comodors (their word for restaurant.) It is usually some kind of meat with beans and tortillas, usually pretty good and not too spicy. I've eaten chicken lungs there. It was pretty good. It probably helped that I didn't know it was lungs until I was like half way through, haha.

My spiritual thought comes from Alma 26 this week, it is when Ammon is talking to his brothers about all the great works they are doing and his brothers worry he is being prideful. He responds by saying "I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Alma 26:12-13) That is pretty much exactly how I feel right now, I know that through the Lord we can accomplish all things.

Well, I probably should get going. We've got work to do! Thanks for writing! I love all of you!

Love, Elder Toolson