Monday, March 30, 2015

Another day in Celaya

Okay. What do you want to know about my life? Don't just say How's Celaya... ?

Celaya's been the same since the 80's... and will continue to be the same for another century or so. 

There's still a ton of vochos (VW bugs) and cobble stone streets that are veterans in shoe destroying. 

Long dirt roads that lead to no where. Nopalis (cacti) in every corner. Cholos (gangs) in every back alley. 

Where all there is for music is the Beatles or electronic. 

With the big water tower that's full of Cajeta.(Celaya is known for this, it's a caramel sauce similar to dolce de leche)

Where the ony thing to eat is sausage and pollo (chicken). And Root beer and Mountain Dew don't exist. That's Celaya for ya. 

Fun fact. In Mexico kanker sores last 3x as long.. you know why? allow me to explain.. 

We like to keep it simple here and eat 4 types of food. You got your rice, tortillas, some pollo and those frijoles. 

Now since it's so simple here, the food tends to get a little bland after 2 weeks of eating it everyday. (Imagine 20 months) So you have to eat it with other stuff. It requires 3 things in specific. 

Number 1. Pop. You get yourself a nice 3L bottle of coke and it goes good with everything. 

Number 2 Limes. There are lime trees all over the place. They cost like... 50 cents a kilo. You put it in your tacos, In carnitas, with your pasta, in your soup and when you really like it you just cut it in half and dip it in salt or sugar and eat it. 

And number 3. Chile. Because its mero mero Mexico, it's all there is here. You eat them with everything. Yes, even with pasta alfredo. 

And it's because of these things (see above) that my kanker won't go away.. even after a week, no matter how much medicine I put on it. 

On the side note. When you use mouth numbing medicine when you speak English, nothing happens, cause it's all sounds with your throat. But when you have to speak Spanish it comes out like "buenas diaghzzzzz" as you drool all over yourself. 

That's my life. 

As far as people were teaching... They're gettin there. 

But hey gotta go cut my hair for 2$ (the peso's falling in value. My dollar's worth more :)) And the lady is gonna wash it for me and everything.-

Love you guys. bye

Monday, March 23, 2015

Getting along in Celaya

Well. `nother week here in Celaya. 

... I should probably think about these letters a little more before I send them... (I think so too)

My companion. He's from Ecuador, from Quito. 

He made me rice with a tomato sauce and some meat. I didn't get parasites 

I like him. 

.. 

Umm... 

We went to Queretaro?

Elder Florez was still there, (he was supposed to go home on Wednesday, but his itinerary was changed). He shared his testimony for the last time in the mission. I don't think I'll ever see him again. 

I ate elote. (I found a picture of this online.  Nick didn't send one.  It's corn on the cob.)


We had 9 investigadores come to church. 

Taught a guy while sitting on a bucket full of dirty water. (the only thing on my mind "if I shift a little to the right, I'm a dead man.")

What did we do today? 

Ate tortas "los angeles" (couldn't find a picture of this exact thing.)

Passed by Centro. 

Did a little bit of cleaning. I didn't want to overdue it or anything. 'Ill have you know I've become a master at mopping and washing clothes by hand though. 

Things that I can do that I couldn't do before my mission... 

-Clean a shower with a broom
-Wash clothes with a bucket of water, bar of soap, concrete slab. 
-Light a boiler
-eat chiles.
-make salsa.
-heat tortillas without burning my fingers (Actually I still burn them, it's just less)
-Peel a mango
-make water with fresh fruit
-walk a 10k in church shoes (speaking of shoes, they're full of holes and tiny rocks, but that's okay, they just have to last like 3 months. (more like 4 months.)

I just wanted to share my testimony though. There will come moments when we face trials that we will start to doubt. I've learned that the opposition is necessary. That God permits that Satan has power. 

Because it's how we grow. 

Love you guys, 

Nick 

Monday, March 16, 2015

Still in Celaya!

Nick wrote his whole letter in Spanish.  It was a punishment to me for sending a picture of our freshly grilled steaks with the caption "wish you were joining us for our parasite free steaks"  Guess he thought that wasn't very funny.  I sent it to a friend to translate it and Sydney did the same.  Both translations are below.  Choose which one you like.  




Me da un buen de flojera para escribirles esta semana.. 

Okay, lo que pasó con los cambios...  6 semanas más aqui en Celayork, pero Elder Aposhian se va a Irapuato. Recibo E. Villacis. Es de Ecuador creo, tiene 5 meses en la mision. No lo conozco. 

No puedo creer que tan rápido esta pasando el tiempo! Me falta que.. 4 meses. Y el ultima mes ni cuenta! 

Esta semana... Me lo pasé bien. Allí en la ciudad de Güeros. Tuvimos experiencias bien padres. En 3 días encontramos 7 nuevos! Es lo más que he encontrado en tan pocito tiempo en todo mi misión. 

Ahora entiendo porque todo el mundo odia las turistas. Son bien ridículos la verdad. Todos son groseros, y se creen mucho porque tienen dinero. A la goma. 

Pero la verdad.... no llevamos a cabo mucho. toda la semana estaba lloviendo. Pero fuertisimo.... Y no tenia mi chamarra en San Miguel. 

Creo que no hay nada peor que caminar todo día con calcetines mojados.

Que más... 

Tenemos consejo de lideres en Querétaro esta semana.. ummm

Algo que he estado estudiando. 

Me di cuenta que si las personas no tienen el deseo de aprender cosas espirituales, o si los deseos no son correctas, jamas lo sentirán. 

Que Dios no se manifiesta a las personas que se sienten en la oscuridad. Sino que espera hasta que las personas empiezan a buscarle y tomar pasos de fe. 

También el nivel del espíritu depende mucho de los deseos de las personas. (por eso no aprendí nada en semanario, nadie tiene ganas de aprender a las 6 en la mañana)

A donde voy con esto. Que muchos veces me siento que intento a convencer las personas a escucharnos. Pero no debe ser así. No puedo quitar el albedrío de las personas. Si ellos no quieren, no voy a perder mi tiempo. Lo que yo tengo es especial. 

... es tan difícil a tener una conversación normal... 

No sé como lo hice antes. 

Mis zapatos están rompiendo. Pero ya ni modo, que se aguantan 4 meses. 

Oh! Cuando estuvimos en San Miguel, un hombre vino a nosotros vendiendo estos mascaras. Preguntamos cuanto quería por ellas. La primera cosa que nos pregunta "Speak spanish or inglish" 

"Español"

"ciento cuarenta entonces por hablar español, ¿ingles? two hundred" 

y justamente llegó un americano que no hablaba español... y lo compró por 200 pesos. 

Ya es todo. 

Los amo. 

Cuidanse mucho. 

E. Arvanitas. 


Translation 1


I'm just going to wing it writing you this week. 

Okay, here is what happened with transfers...I''ll be here 6 more weeks in Celayork, but Elder Aposhian's going to Irapuato. I get Elder Villacis as my companion. He is from Ecuador, I think, and he's only been on his mission for 5 months. I've never met him.

I can't believe how fast time flies.  I only have 4 more months, and the last month doesn't count!

This week went well out there in the city of Gueros. We had some good experiences. In just 3 days, we found 7 new investigators. That is the most I have found in such a short time, in my whole time as a missionary.

I understand now why everyone hates tourists. They are so ridiculous. All of them are rude and they think they have got it made, because of money. Ridiculous.

Actually, we didn't do very much because it rained all week, really hard, and I didn't have my rain coat in the city of San Miguel. I don't think there's anything worse than walking around all day with wet socks. 

What else? We had leadership meetings in Queretaro this week.

Here is something I've been thinking about lately. I realized that if people don't have a desire to learn about spiritual things, or if their desires are not pure, they will never feel it. God doesn't appear to those who live in darkness. Instead, He waits until people begin to search for Him and begin to exercise their faith. Also, our spirituality depends so much on our own desires, which is why I didn't learn anything in Seminary. No one has any desire to learn at 6 o'clock in the morning.
Where am I going with this? Many times, I feel like I'm trying to convince people to listen to us, but it shouldn't be like that. I cannot erase the pride of others. If they do not want to listen, I'm not going to waste my time. What I have is special. 

It's so hard to have a normal conversation. I don't know how I did it before.

My shoes are falling apart, but it doesn't really matter, because they only have to last for 4 more months. 

Oh, when we were in San Miguel, a man came over to us selling some masks. We asked him how much he wanted for them. The first thing he asked us is if we spoke Spanish or English.

"Spanish."

"Okay, then it's 140 pesos for those who speak Spanish. If you speak English, then it's 200 pesos."

Then, it just so happened that an American tourist shows up that doesn't speak Spanish, and he bought it for 200 pesos.

That's all I got. I love you guys. Take care.

E. Arvanitas. 



Translation 2

okay here it is.

I feel really lazy writing to you guys this week.

Okay, what happened with transfers. 6 more weeks here in Celayork, but Elder Aposhian went to Irapuato. My new companion is E. Villacis. He is from Ecuador I think and only has been in the mission for 5 months. I don't know him.

I can't BELIEVE how fast the time is going!!!!!!!!! I have... 4 MONTHS LEFT!!!!!!! And the last one doesn't count!!!!

This week went well here in the city of white people (gueros). We had really cool experiences. In three days we found 7 new investigators. This is more than I have found in this little time in my whole mission. 

I now understand why the world hates tourists. The truth is they are ridiculous. They are rude and they believe they know everything because they have money.

But truth is we didn't get a lot done and all this week it was raining...but very strongly!!! And i didn't have my jacket in San Miguel.

I believe there is nothing worse than walking the whole day with wet socks. 

What more,,,

We have leadership meeting in Queretaro this week...ummmmm

This is what I've been studying.

I learned that if people don't have the desire to learn spiritual things or their desires aren't right than they aren't going to feel anything.

God won't manifest himself to people that sit in the darkness. But only will wait until the people begin to look for him  and take steps of faith. 

Also the level of the spirit depends on the desires of the people. (for this I didn't learn anything in seminary. Nobody has the desire to learn at 6 in the morning) (emily comment: that part made me laugh a lot) 

Where Im going with this is that many times I feel that I am trying to make people listen to us. But I shouldn't be like that. I can't take away their agency. If they don't want to listen, Im not going to waste my time. My time is what is very special to me. 

...it's really diffilcult to have a normal conversation.....
 I don't know how I did it before

My shoes are falling apart but I'll endure it for another 4 months.

Oh!!! When I was in San Miguel a man came up to us selling masks. He wanted to know how much we wanted for them. The first thing he asked us if we speak spanish or english.

"Spanish!!"

"140 for speaking Spanish. English 200 pesos"

Then arrived an american that didn't speak Spanish...and bought it for 200 pesos. 

And that's all.

I love you!

Take care everybody!


Monday, March 9, 2015

Short letter but lots of pictures

Hey! 

Back in the city of Gueros. (San Miguel) 

I have more presents, you'll just have to wait till I get home though to get them

Everything's fine. 

Ate a grasshopper today. They're... Disgusting. Never again, not even once. 

This week though, 

Saw cocaine for the first time! That's a story for another day.

Had interviews with President. They went well. 

We just talked. He talked about how the power that he receives as a mission president scares him. How he can shake peoples hands, and somehow get an idea of everything that's gone on in their lives. 

How the Spirit is a tangible feeling that everyone can feel at the same moment. And how you can feel the level of it raise and drop. 

He's like "Charles Darwin can't explain this to me. How is it that all this can happen? God has to exist" 

Then we talked about zone stuff, etc. 

He's really made a huge impact on my life though. I can't tell you how much he's taught me and done for me. 

Anyway, 

It's funny being in a cyber cafe in San Miguel because all the old white people are technology handicapped, and every time the owner tries to explain why it's not working, he has to do it in  half Spanish, half broken English, and they don't understand... 

It's the small things. 

And after 20 months in Mexico... I found out how to make the @ sign without using copy and paste... You have to press the ALT button and then the 2. 

There's a British woman speaking on the phone... If only I can get her to say the phrase "tea and crumpets" 

Well that's all I got. I'll send pictures. 

love you, bye

Eating with some Elders


Elder ?, Elder A.....(Nick's companion), Elder Arvanitas



They visited an art gallery






Nick says he's a good looking guy


Monday, March 2, 2015

A few people we're teaching

Okay,

Life's good. 

They're feeding me well. (Someone in my ward told me to say that)

No scary ghetto stuff happened. Only normal everyday missionary stuff. 

Lots of changing though. (He means exchanges with other missionaries)

I read a talk about pride this morning, all the different ways we can fall into pride. If we ask ourselves more "what do i want to do" then "what does God want me to do". 

Long story short, I suck at this stuff, but I'm getting better. That's the important part. 

About college, I'm indifferent. I feel like I shouldn't go there anyway.(He means BYU) I'll figure out where though. 

Investigadors

Jesus y Rosario They're a couple in their 60's. They were going to get baptized in a couple weeks but surprise, they're going to move. Jesus is going to the U.S. to work while Rosario goes back to Moroleon because she got caught in the U.S. without a VIsa. 

Victor is the husband of Hermana I..... He's in his 20's. He's gone to church for like 6 months and just accepted a date for the 25th of April. He's changing everything, dropping cigarettes and alcohol. He's an awesome guy really. Except he lives way far from us, and we can only see him at 730 at night. 

So he drives us home and races everyone else. 

Mario ehh... he's new. 

Family Cerritos We're going to go teach them more.   They were Jehovah Witnesses but they left it. So we're teaching them, lots of good questions that take long explanations. 

There are no Frisbees in all of Mexico. 

They don't exist. 

umm... nothing else. The house is cozy, and cleanish. Mango season continues. This week I only ate like 10 though. 

Thanks, 

bye. 
Nick