Mom -
1. Sick yet? No.
2. Are you in wards or branches? Do you have stakes? I am in the Independencia Ward. There is about 40 active members in Casagrande.
3. What are the church buildings like? Our church building looks like the church bought 3 neighboring houses, and knocked out a few walls. It is really makeshift.
4. What is your favorite food so far? Platanos is fried banana. It is SO good.
5. Is there anything you didn't take you wish you had? I only wish I had brought more American candy. Like swedish fish. The candy here is kind of gross. Ha ha ha. Except Casino cookies. Those are sweet.
6. How is the sunset there? SUPER lame. There are no mountains by Casagrande. So I just watch it set as if it were in Texas (Ha ha ha).
7. Are you emailing all your friends? No.... I feel so bad that I don´t have much tme to write anybody. Emailing time is really rushed, and letters just aren´t an option anymore. Entonces, I am very limited. But tell Grandma Boekweg that I really appreciate her constant messages and love. She has been awesome in all this.
8. Do you communicate with your mission pres often? No. Once a week I write him a letter and that´s it. He doesn´t reply to them either.
9. Have you played soccer yet? Yes! On a cement field in the middle of a sketchy area in Casagrande with native local players. It was like Fifa in real life. Ha ha ha ha. Street ball in so fun. These guys can stinkin´PLAY soccer. But they DID say that they were impressed with my skills.... for a gringo. Ha ha ha.
10. Have you been able to play the piano yet or any other instrument? Yes. one of our investigating families discovered that I could play guitar, so they make me play it every time we visit. I play them a SomeFish original probably every oter day. It´s so nice....
11. When will we get pictures? Don´t know. I´m going to try it again here in a second, but no promises.
12. How is your Spanish now, fast? NO. I am basically mute here. They all talk so quietly, that I can´t understand them, let alone reply to them. It is so hard being alone in your language. I can´t communicate with anyone. I get so lonely that sometimes, when we are walking through the dusty streets, I look up at heaven and talk to God out loud in English... because He´s the only that understands me right now... Ha ha ha ha. Needless to say, my prayers have lengthened greatly since I´ve been here. I testify that God is listening to us through every second of every day. He wants to hear from us. I have yet to ask Him for something I didn´t recieve. I know beyond any shadow of any doubt that our Father in Heaven understands us, and is willing to help us when we ask. I swear He almost audibly talks to me now. Every once in a while He tells me something. I know it sounds weird, but in some way I know it´s Him. Giving me advice and telling me things I need to hear. I love Him. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered every pain of every man who ever lived, so that He could know how to comfort us. He truly is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is deeply interested in our success. And every person on this earth without exception can feel of His love. I have already seen His countenance appear in people´s lives and change them.
Phew... I´m so weird now.... definitely not who I was only 2 months ago. I cry a lot more now. Ha ha ha. It´s like suddenly, somebody flipped a switch in my head and now I see things in a different light. God´s children mean way more to me than they ever did before all this. I see their spirits now. I hear them. I may not speak Spanish well yet, but I think I have been able to communicate with people in a different language. I am beginning to understand just how in-touch our spirits are with each other. It´s like people talk to me with their eyes now. Mouths have become almost useless.... It´s the oddest thing.
Also... My brain is starting to get really confused with ¨who said what¨? Everybody tells me things in Spanish, but my brain stores it like they said it in English. So I can remember what they said, but I remember them saying it in English. It´s dang weird.
Can´t get the photo to upload again... Sorry... But when I finally do, nobody is going to able to believe where I am.
People are SO racist here. Ha ha ha. I get called gringo about a billion times a day. People stare at me and laugh at me when I walk by. Sometimes I forget that I´m different from everyone else, and then I shake someone´s hand and see the difference in skin tone... ha ha ha. I really am the white sheep here... ha ha ha. Yesterday we went to Sausal for a refferal visit, and to my understanding, I was the first white man to ever set foot in Sausal. Crazy, right?
Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! And happy father´s day. I love you.
I love you all and hope home is still.... boring. Ha ha ha. Enjoy the fiery mountain.
- Elder Boekweg
*Just a disclaimer- It really isn't Andys birthday! I don't know where that came from HAHA!!
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