Monday, April 27, 2015

Unexpected Changes

No pictures today.  Nick is having camera issues.  Hopefully, he can send them next week.  

So turns out I'll be finishing my mission in Querètaro! They called me last night at like 9 saying I had changes to go to Arcos Querètaro. However, that i had to be there Monday at 8 am. to travel with Elder Lefavor because he was called to be an Assistant, in the same ward as me, and also as President. (transfers are usually on Tuesday)

Long story short... I packed all my stuff in 3.5 hours and woke up 5 hours later, and I've been here since 8 am.. I'm tired. 

For my companion...... Elder Galdamez! I was with him in San Juan del Rio and Celaya. We actually got to the mission on the same day. I mentioned him a while back in one of my letters saying he's from Chiapas and that his house is just pure waterfalls and toucans. 

For my house.. It's so nice, ridiculously hot, but nice. We have couches, an oven, CARPET. (I mean it's not the soft fluffy kind, but still it's CARPET), a dining table made of glass etc. 

Area..... all it is, is downtown Queretaro. As far as working goes, it kinda blows, but still it's downtown Queretaro. It's so pretty. 

It's funny how just everything can change in a matter of seconds. 

The best part is this though, 12 hours ago I was taking my last taxi ride in Celaya, heading out to the Central with my luggage. 

I felt sad. (no I didn't cry). But I felt a profound sadness having to leave everything that was my life for about a year. The desert, the cholos, tortas, etc. But most of all, the people. I learned to love Celaya and everyone in it. I'm going to miss it really. It's home. 

Queretaro is home too. Nothing can describe the feeling you get when you leave a "home" to go home. It's going to feel like that leaving Mexico. 

I really feel a deep love for this place. Sure it has it's defects, but love never is about finding something perfect, that meets every expectation. If that what your idea of love is, it's better to just stay home and never do anything with your life. It's about finding something that through all the problems and errors, is worth the sacrifice. 

And through the process of sacrifice, we grow, we change, and we become better.

I've seen it in my life. 

Love you guys, 

-Nick
Here is an online picture of the Arcos in Queretaro.  It's a pretty town.  

Monday, April 20, 2015

Happiness is finding Root Beer

Divisions divisions divisions. .. 

Everything went well with Elder A..... He's a cool kid, one of the Elders that I really want to see when I get back. 

He got into the business of buying and selling cars from Auctions and bank impounds.. etc. 

It's been hot... Last year I was used to Pittsburgh weather so it was like eh, but now I'm just dying. (It's summer in Mexico and he was in a cooler place last year.  It's been in the 90's for awhile in Celaya)

Starting the diet of only eating fruit and drinking water (when I have the choice). Except for the fact that I found ROOT BEER today! A&W. It was a Christmas miracle... it's only been 21 months. 

I'm almost 20. That's like.. old. I don't want to be old.. I still have lots to do while I'm young. (Nick's birthday is in June.  If he thinks 20 is old, I must be ancient)

Ate Chinese food again.. Everything tastes the same. Also, you thought Chinese people speaking English was hard to understand, try Spanish! I didn't even know it was possible. 

I took a bunch of pictures this week.. just on other peoples cameras. 

.. I'm tired, like all the time. My shoes have holes, 21 months of sunburn and sleep deprivation. 

I had to eat cow intestine this week. That was a highlight. Then Elder A..... looks to his right and sees like a giant bowl with lettuce and bread inside, covered with beetles. 

the family asks "what are you doing?"

"oh just lookin' at your pets"

"We use them for medicine"  

Then they explained how they swallow them alive in water... How you have to start with taking 1 a day, up to 70, and then back down to 1.. 

... Witchcraft. 

I don't know what has happened to the world these days... maybe it's just the Mexican water... 

I washed my clothes with dish soap last night... 

It's all I had. 

.. That's all I could think of. Last week of transfers! I'm in San Miguel right now. I'll be in divisions until Thursday.... hopefully it doesn't rain... 

Love you!

Pretending to hitchhike.  What a dork!

Happy boy with his Cream Soda and Root Beer

Monday, April 13, 2015

Ramblings of a Missionary

Family, 

Funny thing is that I'm writing this Friday morning. They give us time to write our converts now.. The only problem is... I don't have contact with hardly any of them. 

So while I'm waiting for my companion to finish I decided to start my letter.. 

Don't worry... Even Friday morning there's nothing that comes to mind... 

We got to see Meet the Mormons.  Something new.. 

This week we have divisiones coming up with Alamos.. Alamos is so ghetto. It's filled with drunk people and cholos. And their house is full of mold, with leaks all over. 

I'll let you know how it goes... 

We ate at a 3 dollar taco buffet today. The whole time was like "I wonder what sound this made a few days ago..." 

"quack quack.... or oink oink..... or meow..." (Oh Nick, the things he thinks about)

Fun fact, they found a bunch of Chinese restaurants in north Mexico using dog meat. 

You know when I'm going to eat Chinese food again here? nunca...(never) 

What else is good... 

There was no one home this week. You know I could probably walk a marathon when I get back... In the desert too. With cacti and everything. 

As far as the zone is going. No one has had a baptism for 7 weeks. But things are getting better. 

There's only 2 weeks left in the change.(transfer) Time goes by way fast. I'm where my trainer was when he went with me. It feels like yesterday. 

It was funny watching Meet the Mormons, seeing everything that happens before someone goes on their mission. For me it all passed by so fast.. I guess it was a lot harder for you guys than it seemed. 

What Sydney said today is true though. You get done with it all and it seems like a dream... That's about what I'm feeling right now. But then I think about the last time I've seen you guys and it's like, that was so long ago... 

That's all I got. Also Happy Birthday Syd! 

Here's a haiku. 

oh birthdays
no to Korea
U.S.A

´merica! 

Love you guys, talk to you later.

Nick. 



Monday, April 6, 2015

Interrupted an Easter Procession

First thing. 

I forgot it was Easter. I was too busy talking about Semana Santa and Pascua that I forgot to make the translation in my head that Pascua is Easter. And that Easter means that there are Easter egg hunts and a giant rabbit and dying eggs. 

Like I said before.... There are no real "traditions" here in Mexico. The most partying anyone ever does is to buy Corona beer and listen to Banda music. 

And if you go real hard you just go straight for the 98% rubbing alcohol and pass out on the side of the street. 

We usually end up talking to these people weekly. 

2nd. Canker is gone. Life's better. 

3rd. You remember that scene in the Emperors New Groove where there tied to half a tree about to go down a waterfall......

Imagine this. Me and my companion, Friday night, looking at all these people sitting on the ground waiting for something. Massive, massive groups. And we didn't know why. 

Then we start hearing drums and see light up ahead. 

"No no, don't tell me. We're about to run into a huge group of Catholics" 

"yep"

"Most likely carrying crosses."

"yep"

"Bring it on." 

...Everything got silent and everyone stared at us. We couldn't escape their candles, their Virgin Mary's, their crosses and their penitent outfits for like 10 mins...(Steve has pictures of such a procession when he was in Italy.  I'm sure Nick and his companion were not what people expected to see.  ha ha)

At least the whole town knows my face though. 


As far as visiting people goes. No one is home... lots of walking around deserted streets. Seeing lots of Nopalis and dirt. We're still working though. 

Actually were going to have a baptism this week. Of a little kid named Joseph. I'll send pictures next week. 

General Conference this weekend....

I ate 1 kilo of peanuts. (they only cost 2$)(Nick wrote something else here we're not going to share but you can imagine what eating that many peanuts can do to your insides)

I really liked the talk about the Prodigal Son. I'm happy to be able to go back and change a bunch of stuff. 

Don't think I've changed too much though. I'm just a little more Spanish. 

Love you guys.