Setteling in

Hola family. Before I forget the password is 6020 I think mom. Things are crazy here. Way crazy. We just had basketball at the church with our zone that was nice to see everybody there and talk with my old district and also to speak some English. Everybody is doing great. Elder Lewis is in the scariest area of the mission where all the drug dealers live. He said he has seen some dead bodies already. Our town is pretty nice though. I find out that yesterday Guatemala beat America in soccer for a world cup qualifying game or something. I didn’t know that yesterday but it makes since now. There was like 2 or 3 kids who were playing soccer in the street and yelled to me Guatemala could whoop America in soccer any day. And some just Guatemala is better than America. AT the time I didn’t really know what they were talking about but it makes since now. I found out that we have no investigators so we have just been tracting a lot. We have like 2 or 3 now. Lots of people we are talking too are inactives. But I thought that the work here was going great and that this area would be blooming in the gospel, I was way wrong. There was a baptism 2 weeks ago, but before that not for a year. The poor people won’t let you in their houses because people just don’t let you in because of the crime. And the higher class of people, still poor, has gates on all their doors and windows and a doorbell walkie talkie thing. So we just ring that and they say who is it and then say, I have no time right now, so we say, when is a good time and they say I always work, I never get off, so we invite them to church, and they always work on Sundays. People are really poor here and it actually is true and not an excuse that people work from 6 to 10 like everyday.  We have talked to like 3 inactive families that won’t go back because there were lots of problems in the ward and they didn’t like the people. I didn’t know what to tell them really. It’s true there are lots of problems in the ward and there are lots of new converts that don’t know things. So that was hard. We just get lunch at the comedor. It’s always rice, meat and potatoes or a vegetable. It’s good. Then other that I just eat bread and breakfast bars. I did make myself spaghetti last night that was good. If you go from our house straight for a couple blocks you hit the drop off to the mountain. And there are tons of houses just stacked up in every which way all over. Mostly you just walk down there and there are not than many roads. Then that goes on left and right for a while. We found another little stack yesterday. It’s confusing. We were just walking in the city and turned down a street than it just drops off and you walk down a little path and then there are tons more houses. Its crazy how their houses are built, it looks like they gave some 12 year olds some concrete and let them go at it. Then put up some blankest and some shed looking things. The place we were at yesterday just had a roof and two walls then a view of the valley below. I was surprised yesterday, we got on more investigator. I did the door approach and said were missionaries, we have a message about Jesus Christ can we share it with you some time. And the woman was like okay sounds good. I was like wait what yes its okay. So we set up an appointment to come back and teach the first lesson. Most of the time people don’t even answer their door than they have some excuse but she was like yep okay. We went to Wendy’s today with everybody that was really good. That frosty I had was like heaven. I have eaten some weird stuff. This lady gave us some bread things with tomato sauce in them. They were sick, it tastes like play dough with some sauce. Also the worst thing for me is the drinks here. They make these weird drinks. Their like lemonade type of things, but no sugar just pure like squeezed fruit. and lots of water. Most are really watered down and just gross. These ladies the other day gave us this drink it was like cold oatmeal. My Spanish has not gotten that much better. I have understanding a lot more though. I just learned today that you don’t conjugate twice in a row, I didn’t know that. It is hard having a Latin comp though because they don’t know any of the rules and they don’t really follow them either, they speak in slang. So today when I saw Americans I had lots of questions. For some reason they totally white washed everybody’s zone this transfer which means instead of one person who has been in the area stay there they just changed everyone and everyone is new to the area, besides the zone leaders. I don’t know what to expect for next transfer. Some people get trained more in the same area some get moved outside of the city and some stay in. Our zone leader has been 1 time outside the city and is leaving next transfer. But some have been out for most of their mission. Tons of people play soccer. There is a field by our house where they have tons of leagues and big old stands and vendors and it’s almost every day that somebody plays. There is like 3 fields around town. Plus kids are always playing in the street.  One thing that I have found funny here is that when people answer the phone they say hello. But they can’t really say it instead they say like heeyo. Then they start speaking in English. For some reason if people are drunk here they will speak lots of English to us, but when sober speak Spanish. They say "whets up man, how you doing."  Everyday I do get some weird looks from people like what are you doing here. They don’t say anything most of the time though and don’t really care. Just weird. It is pretty humid and hot here and it is only April. The nights our really nice though. No dad we don’t have air conditioning. I don’t think that anybody does. We just open the windows and doors. During the day I just get drenched. My shirt is really wet right now. But it dries out by like 645. It is really hard not being able to speak English at all the whole week. Today I could speak that well in English. Sometimes I want to quote a movie or say a joke or something but can’t in Spanish. In lessons I don’t really speak much. By the time I get what they said, they will have moved on to a new subject and my companion has already answered their question or something. The annoying and funny thing is though that after I say like what you said once to someone they assume that I don’t understand anything. So they start talking about me to my companion, like how long has he been here? How much can he speak, How much can he understand and sometimes at meals like is he eat a lot and does he like this food and things like that. I understand all of it. Or when drunken people make fun of my Spanish I understand them. I usually don’t tell them though because they have just said like does he does and everything and then they would realize I got it all. I just laugh though. Sometimes I don’t understand because my companion speaks all slang. So people go with the flow sometimes and speak it back, and then I don’t understand. The weirdest slang to me is when people say saber which means to know. Like its hot outside, then I would say saber. Like I know. But I know is yo se. so why say saber. idk. One thing I thought was crazy was that little kids were playing with little fake pistols. Then I realized that I did when I was a kid. It seems different here. Like they see their parents and brothers and others with real ones killing people then they have the fake ones. One little kid pulled one on me and was like green go, bang bang, it was cute but disturbing. He learned it from the streets. I think the best thing you could send it drinks, or lemonade packets to make drinks. And some I don’t know what else, I’m thirst right now and can only think of drinks. It has been an hour love you bye.

                          Elder Gardner

New Companion and Area

Hola, wow where do I start, this has been the craziest week of my life. Really crazy. I can’t remember what you know and don’t know. Dad I got your package today, thanks a lot. I also got you and moms dear elders. The mail is just crazy and ended up at the mission home. And I am pretty sure you are supposed to send things to the mission home and not my address. So the last week at the ccm was the fastest ever. It was really good. Conference was amazing. It kind of made me home sick a little bit. I knew that all of you where there in the crowd somewhere and I was watching. And I saw Michael young a million times and then thought of Joseph and the young’s then everybody and missed my friends. But after conference I was fine. The last week was crazy. We just did lots of things preparing for the field and meeting and had not that many Spanish lessons so we al felt like nothing was getting done and wanted to leave But so Monday all of the people that were leaving to other countries left, that was really sad. Two sisters from our district left. Then we got up and left at 8. We had to say bye to the 3 elders that were going to the central mission, they got on a different bus. That was really hard. Our district leader who is from Arizona was in the group going to central. He was a really nice guy. He kind of reminded me of Jon Anderson a little. So that was sad. But some really sweet elders are going to our mission. So we went to the president’s house on Tuesday and we had training and things and his wife fed us and we kind of got to relax with everybody for a little at night. There apartment is awesome. It’s in a skyscraper on the 12th floor. They have a deck that over looks a soccer field, so I watched some people play soccer. Oh by the way I get an hour to write now instead of only 30 min. But it was nice to be with my friends for one last day. We stayed at the AP´s house. There part of the house was nice but then we went out back to a shed type of thing. It was alright, felt like scout camp in a cabin. Then today we woke up and went to the meeting were most of the mission is there and finds out where your going and who your comp is. I was really nervous along with everybody else. They told us that most new missionaries get American comps, so that made me feel better. But then it began, I am with elder Rodriguez. And yes he is a Latino. He is from panama. People from panama talk way fast my old roommate was from there. He is cool so far though. He speaks a little English, enough to be able to describe the meaning of a word even if he doesn’t know it. He hates English though so he tries not to learn or speak it. My Spanish is okay. We just went over to this members house who feeds us for two meals a day. I could kind of understand their conversations. Oh but before that we went to our apartment. AHHHHHH. Crazy. It would be nice but the people before us were filthy. Disgusting. We have some serious cleaning to do. They left trash everywhere and a full sink of dirty dishes and I looked at the planner book and it was just crumpled with papers and things. Not organized. Like way crazy. Gross. SO that is going to be fun cleaning up after them. I don’t really know what this area is like. My comp said that it is a really nice area of town but while we walked to dinner I am pretty sure I heard 3 gunshots so idk. I’ve heard that this is one of the most dangerous places in the whole world like top 5 but people have never ever hurt the missionaries. We're way protected. Elder Lewis who is a huge guy is my old district who pitched in baseball in high school and is really strong, was freaking out. He is starting a new area in the city, and was told it is the straight up ghetto. An elder said there is an area they can’t go because it is the drug capital of Guatemala, which distributes up to Mexico y America. Crazy, most of the killings here though are just because of drugs and dumb things like that so we don’t have anything to do with it. It is kind of scary still walking around here with my comp, he has never been here and we both don’t really know where to go. They say its good area but good compared to what. It is a pretty poor area I think. I am in the mall right now emailing and is pretty run down. Its okay kind of like an idk, a market, with stores or something, there is a nice grocery store in here that has all the normal things. But my comp said there is no McDonalds, or and fast food or restraints or anything. There were tons of that by the ccm. Saying goodbye today to my district was weird; W all left the church and got in taxis to go to our areas. I missed elder hymas and didn’t get to say bye. Oh so an elder said that my elder hymas and elder Lewis are in my distinct. Elder hymas is my old comp and elder Lewis is elder hymas comp here. They were the AP’s. And all of our district expect for one hermana is in the same zone. I think somebody said this zone was struggling and so the president sent fresh blood to clean it up. Everyone seems to say something different about if you are here in the city a lot or not. One elder has been out almost a year and has only been in the city. Everyone calls it the cap, for capital. But they said that basically everywhere we will go is a city. There are really villages. Well there is but you live in the city and travel out there because their area covers villages and the cities. People love leaving the city though. I guess it just gets boring after a while in here. But its really hot most others places so there is good and bad things to both. I saw today my old roommates and old Latinos from the ccm here. They are here until there visas come for Argentina. One already left but the others haven’t. So idk what we’re going to do the rest of the day, track I guess. Nobody has really told me anything, it’s kind of weird. Idk if we have any investigators right now or if there are none and we just have to start tracking or what. Imp not really sure my comp knows either. He has never been here before. I guess well find out somehow. Oh pday is on Mondays now. But today they let me write since I missed it Monday. Wow it’s the 6th already time is flying. I can’t wait till cael is born. I’m not exactly sure how I can send pics home, I could hook my camera up to the computer but it would take forever to upload. Idk if I can send my card home because of people stealing mail and stuff. I can already feel my stomach turning from the dinner that we had. I tried to check and she had clean water to wash things and everything and a really nice house. The house on the outside was weird but you walked in and it was a legit nice American looking home. But I think I am just not used to the food. We get fed by the member for lunch and dinner, so idk what ill do for breakfast, I would just have cereal but I don’t think they have anything I can drink here. Oh and can you send me some more cream for my face, I ran out. And I stopped taking my pills a weeks or so ago thinking we would be getting malaria pills. But no one has said anything about it and we haven’t gotten any yet and I’m in the field so idk. That’s stinks that the cardinals aren’t doing good. Today we went to this fast food place for breakfast, and the TV had espn on it right in front of us. My and elder hymas and elder Lewis were going crazy. It was weird, we tried not to watch but it was right there. And the top ten plays came on. This area we are in seems weird, we were walking down the street and there was nobody there. Then one street over there is a really big busy road, then were crossed it and now were in the mall and there are people but not like a lot. Like normal for like O’Fallon or less than that. I don’t think that anybody in this place owns carpet, everybody just has tiles. Besides the president house but he is the presidents and lives in probably one of the nicest apartments around. I don’t think I have anything else to say. Umm, don’t worry mom the missionaries have never been shot or mugged that much here. Oh so one rule here is that we can not drink caffeine here. The doctor of the mission proved through a study that it does nothing for our stomach. And water is fine. So all of Central America is not allowed to drink it. They said it is because members and investigators will follow after the missionaries and drink it all the time and even though it is only kind of part of the word of wisdom they want us to set the example of not drinking it. I don’t really care. Some elders in my district today were pretty mad though. Yesterday I was way surprised. Idk what was going on but at the aps house there was like 3 elders on their cells talking to people at like 1020. And it didn’t sound like it would be a member or something. I think elders here just call other elders just because and talk. Through the church our phones call every missionary here for free. I think we got to go now love you. I'm sure next week I’ll have some crazy stories to tell. Oh and so the elders that have been out for only 3 weeks all have a baptism and one 2. The goal is here two whole families a month. Our president stresses families because they can get sealed in the temple together. So that’s cold.

Goodbye, love you Elder Gardner