Wow, it feels like I just wrote you. It is weird when the schedule gets thrown off.The last day translating was great. I was a bit more productive. I translated a lot in pediatrics, which I liked a lot. The nurse that I translated for was very straight forward and said whatever she was thinking. It was a good thing the patients didn´t understand her. She was really funny though. She wanted a picture with me afterwards and I told her that I can´t touch girls so what did she do? Put one arm around the front of me and the other on the back of my thigh. Awkward. She was in her 40´s so it wasn´t as bad as it could have been. I just laughed it off with Elder Hall. On top of that, the van that picked us up and drove us played awesome 80´s music the whole way, which was like torture for me. I felt bad, because we can´t listen to that and it isn´t a problem around here because I never like the music, but they played all kinds of catchy songs that got stuck in my head forever.
At the medical place I also translated for an older nurse named Joan in the education department. She was also way straightforward and intense, but so funny. She is in her 80´s but moves circles around everyone else. During lunch she was especially funny, telling us stories of her getting pulled over and her responses to the officer... "Why were you going so fast?" "If I go any slower, I may forget where I am going" or "How do you like your new Toyota" "It goes too fast". It was so funny picturing this old lady getting pulled over for speeding and I could really picture her giving these responses. I guess I´ll have to send a picture of her with this batch of pics.
It is amazing to be back in the field. I missed it a lot. worst part was that we didn´t really have time for much study while in Cuilapa. It was a big relief to wake up when we got back and have time to study the gospel. On Saturday morning we were supposed to go help with an Elder´s quorum service project at 7:00, but we stayed to study and it was worth it. We went later in the afternoon to the service project and they did a great job building steps in front of a poorer, less active family´s house. Before the steps, it was quite the climb to thier house. It was also good because one of our investigators, Hermano Alfredo (This is the guy that fed the snails to Elder Hall) came and was fellowshipped really well by the Elders quorum and also had an opportunity to feel good by serving. Sometimes it is hard getting investigators to church. Hermano Alfredo came, which was great, but we have been working with some others for a while, but they never make it to church. Even if they read a pray about it, if they never come to church, they won´t grow and progress and submit themselves to Christ like they need to. I know for some it is a small sacrifice, but I also know that if we can get them to sacrifice a little that they will be able to grow their testimonies as they see the blessings that come as they leave the world behind and come unto Christ.
We met another investigator on Friday night. On our way home from the church building he approached us on the street. It was funny because Elder Hall and I both thought it was a drunk guy asking for money because we were in between two bars and that happens all of the time. It turns out he was a reference that we had just recieved from the zone leaders. He seemed very excited to find us, so we taught him on Saturday and found out that he is a Catholic preacher and was worried more about learning why Brigham Young had so many wives instead of the doctrine. It seems as if he has other motives for talking with us, but it is still unclear. He could just be curious. He said he would come to church, but didn´t show up.
At the medical place I also translated for an older nurse named Joan in the education department. She was also way straightforward and intense, but so funny. She is in her 80´s but moves circles around everyone else. During lunch she was especially funny, telling us stories of her getting pulled over and her responses to the officer... "Why were you going so fast?" "If I go any slower, I may forget where I am going" or "How do you like your new Toyota" "It goes too fast". It was so funny picturing this old lady getting pulled over for speeding and I could really picture her giving these responses. I guess I´ll have to send a picture of her with this batch of pics.
It is amazing to be back in the field. I missed it a lot. worst part was that we didn´t really have time for much study while in Cuilapa. It was a big relief to wake up when we got back and have time to study the gospel. On Saturday morning we were supposed to go help with an Elder´s quorum service project at 7:00, but we stayed to study and it was worth it. We went later in the afternoon to the service project and they did a great job building steps in front of a poorer, less active family´s house. Before the steps, it was quite the climb to thier house. It was also good because one of our investigators, Hermano Alfredo (This is the guy that fed the snails to Elder Hall) came and was fellowshipped really well by the Elders quorum and also had an opportunity to feel good by serving. Sometimes it is hard getting investigators to church. Hermano Alfredo came, which was great, but we have been working with some others for a while, but they never make it to church. Even if they read a pray about it, if they never come to church, they won´t grow and progress and submit themselves to Christ like they need to. I know for some it is a small sacrifice, but I also know that if we can get them to sacrifice a little that they will be able to grow their testimonies as they see the blessings that come as they leave the world behind and come unto Christ.We met another investigator on Friday night. On our way home from the church building he approached us on the street. It was funny because Elder Hall and I both thought it was a drunk guy asking for money because we were in between two bars and that happens all of the time. It turns out he was a reference that we had just recieved from the zone leaders. He seemed very excited to find us, so we taught him on Saturday and found out that he is a Catholic preacher and was worried more about learning why Brigham Young had so many wives instead of the doctrine. It seems as if he has other motives for talking with us, but it is still unclear. He could just be curious. He said he would come to church, but didn´t show up.I have noticed that my Spanish has improved a bit since it is a bit easier to respond. It depends on who I am talking to and how much noise there is, but I am getting more comfortable speaking. I just need to step out of my shell more instead of sitting back and listening to Elder Hall talk to people. Sometimes learning Spanish is frusterating because it is so gradual that you don´t really notice whether you are progressing or not. Going on splits with members last night was good for me to see that I can communicate and I am betting better. I just need more patience.
Sometimes I can´t remember what I talked about in the last e-mail, but I´m pretty sure that I talked about switching comedors (the people that cook lunch and dinner for us). Well, next month we are switching comedors for a few resons, one of them being money issues. Being in Cuilapa made me excited for the change. Not many people here make flour tortillas, but the comedor in Cuilapa did and they were so delicious. Our new comedor told us that we can have flour tortillas whenever we want. A funny thing that happened is that the family of our current comedor is not being very nice to us now that they know we aren´t staying there next month. They keep trying to get us to buy stuff and when we tell them we don´t have money they tell us to go get some from our parents. Kind of rude... They just think we are rich, spoiled gringos. It doesn´t matter... we are going to save a lot of money by switching and also get better food, so I can handle some light ridicule for another 5 days.
Ok, so the people at the medical place showed us something really great. Marshmallow fluff and peanut butter sandwiches. It sounds weird and too sweet, but it is amazing. We just throw it into the toaster oven and it is so warm and delicious. Anyways, Christmas is coming up... I would love some Jif peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Also, my ties are all dirty and silk, so I can´t wash them. Polyester ties are more washable, but I don´t have any. So if you find some cool cheap polyester ties in a thrift store, you know where to send them ;)
I love you all so much. Don´t forget to e-mail me about your lives... it would be a great Sunday activity. I also loved getting those pictures. I have a lot more time for e-mail out here and I wrote this in my apartment and then typed it up, so it took a lot less time. So don´t worry about me not having enough time to check email because I do now.Well I am going to upload some pics from the medical team. Enjoy!Love you. Love,Elder GoodmanP.S. I still have 20 minutes to be online if you wanna shoot me a quick email.
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