The Nebraska of Mexico: Are we ready to help everyone?

Nick answered a few questions before he started his letter today. He told us a little about his companion. He said, he's like a quiet version of his friend, Matt. Sorry Matt, I can't imagine a quiet version of you. He still can't roll his r's. He's working on it. He also has written a talk in Spanish every week but hasn't had to speak on Sunday yet. He can pray and bear his testimony in Spanish but it still sounds very foreign to him. Um....that's because it is, Nick. Silly.

First off, Thank you Grandma and Grandpa so much for the hymn book. I got it last Tuesday, so I had to wait a whole week to say thank you for it. It means a lot to me and I use it everyday.

So this week I went to go get my visa, I think? All the days blend together. But, that was an interesting experience. I talked to everyone I could, and if not at least said hello. Of course, mostly, people just blow you off and walk right by but that's alright. I went with a bunch of missionaries I didn't really know, while everyone in my district went to Vegas on various days. So we talked to this one guy who asked if I had 50 cents. I felt bad I didn't even have that. But, we just talked to him for a little bit, asked him how his day was, and what he was doing. He said he needed money to buy toilet paper and when we said goodbye I shook his hand. So, that's kinda gross but, hands are washable I guess. Yeah, it took 5 hours to go all the way down to Salt Lake(up Nick, Salt Lake is up), say 2 sentences to some Mexican lady, and then go all the way back. So it just felt like kind of a waste of time. I just thought about the Korean consulate where they probably eat rice, and its like a 40 foot skyscraper. Instead, this was old cars with chrome rims outside, and smelled like tacos a little bit. But those are my people, and I love them.

I thought a lot this week about that. People are always like moving and busy and don't have time to just stop everything and just relax for a little bit. Most people aren't going to give missionaries any time in their busy schedules and lives and I feel like if I wasn't one I'd be exactly the same kind of person. Its just always nice when people take the time to just say hello. And even if they don't and just are repulsed by everything, you still love them. You still care about them and you still want them to be happy.

That's another thing we talked about this week, who are the most prejudice kind of people. A lot of the time it's white Christians. Granted, they do a lot of good in the world, and its not everyone, no doubt. But are we ready to really help everyone?, just something to ask yourself. Of course they'll go out of their way to help people in their same religion, or congregation. But, when they see people who really need help, like really need help, someone who has thrown their life away for drugs, or is living off the street, would we feel the same about helping them? I know I wouldn't... but I'm working on it.

I guess the final thing I had to talk about was that the district above us left last night.(He means the district who has been there a little longer than his district) It was really hard to see them go, they practically raised us. I have pictures that I can actually send now, so I'll do that right after. But, I'm really going to miss them, they were all like the type of people I'd hang out with back home. And it just felt like I had known them my entire life. Our president said something last week that I guess stuck with me. He said "Heaven wouldn't be heaven without all of you" in Spanish it"d be like "Cielo no esta mismo sin todos los Ustedes" ,something to that extent. But I feel that towards all of you as well. And well that's just it.

All of these pictures are of the district that just left, except for the one of Nick's companion. Some of them are large and buff elders.