So since we have been here for so long now, we have gotten to know the
CCM leadership more. Hermana Whetten has eaten with us a couple times!
She is the wife of the CCM President. Hermana Slingerland, wife of
area doctor, teaches a class on how to lead music every three weeks.
We went to both just cuz they are so cool! She is really the most
excited person about leading music I have ever seen. We were loving it
so much, and have adopted her favorite hymn as our own, number 9 in
the spanish hymn book... i dunno about the english one...
In class we were taking turns leading with a little blue plastic
pointer. It has a little hand on the end with index finger pointing
straight, which makes it just about the coolest things around. Our
excitement caught on to all the rest of the class of 50 or so, as the
new and unsure people gradually started singing during practicing, and
having almost as good a time as us. At the end when we went to thank
her she said we set the mood! Hermana Whetten was there, and took note
of the blue pointer.
Two days later we had a Large Group Meeting. Elder Bardzinski, who is
the best and the only Australian here (who was in my first district)
got to to lead the music at the LGM. He used the blue pointer to the
delight of EVERYONE. Hermana Whetten was struggling at not laughing so
bad, Hermano Whetten even smiled, and I could hardly control myself.
Elder Bardzinski is such a character. We are lucky to be his favorite,
he comes into our room every night and shares the most mind blowing
sections of his daily reading in Jesus the Christ in such a thick
accent that we often don't understand his English in the most excited
parts of the summary.
Soccer has been a blast! The new Latinos are very different from the
group of Latinos that we had in our first three weeks. They pass the
ball! I have no idea why it is so different. I would think that with
this many people, it would be more similar than different. They are
all stunned when Elder Stewart dribbles past them all. Oh by the way
Elder Stewart is from Saint George Utah, and is going to Arequipa like
me.
We didn't get to go proselyting last Saturday, and won´t be able to
next. Next Saturday we can´t because of elections and general
conference. Every year on I think the day before elections no one is
allowed to go out on the streets. I believe it is to prevent riots,
chaos, civil unrest... something. We are all super excited to hear it
in English. I´ve never been this excited for conference before!
Oh guess what. All the water fountains here have sheets of instruction
that tell how to use them. I thought that was pretty cool. Also they
have a button for cold water, and another for un-chilled water. It is
pretty odd. Another shocker, I fully averted my first sneeze at 3:30
pm on 9/27/10. I have done so again once since, but never before in my
life. I am learning so much! haha
ummm... the juices the other day were phenomenal. Passionfruit juice
and Watermelon Juice. The latter tastes just like the juice left in
your bowl after eating diced watermelon. It is my favorite here I
think.
I got some Dear Elders!
One from Aunt Carmen, all the news sounds awesome! I think it is one
of my life time goals to cut something with those giant scissors. We
don't seem to have any scissors down here.. it's odd. Were they heavy?
Jared, best of luck haha. I have never heard of such an event. Ryan is
a freshman? That's so cool. It was fun to be in with Paul for two
years. Also I love soccer too. The shoes I brought are ripped up so
bad from playing soccer every day. Hahahaha Andrew's hair!
Did y'all know I volunteered at that Pow Wow the last fall? It was a
lot of fun and I got a sweet shirt out of it for free. Also I learned
about crime prevention! Always good.
Mom sounds like mornings are super chill now. I have changed my
sleeping failitude! We have lights off as per rules at 10:30 every
night, but I am usually in bed at around 9:45. I try to write in my
journal, for fifteen minutes, read the libro de mormon for fifteen of
30, and if I have time, read Jesus the Christ for 15 minutes. Then I
wake up at 6:00 every morning, to be ready before 6:30, to allow for
about 30 minutes of extra study in the morning. We are asked to rise
between 6 and 630...but I am about the only one who gets up at 6. So
there! Elder Stewart and I work in about another hour of extra study
by doing things quickly than we would have if we relaxed and went by
the schedule. It is great.
Mark
