May 22, 2017

Things are good. Today we climbed cerra de la Cruz and almost died, we seriously walked probly 12 miles. That's way too much. I am doing good, having fun, we baptized a little girl this week. We don't teach a ton. My boots are like 14 billion degrees so I don't wear them, I could by new shoes if I need to. I have not gotten your package yet, if you send it fedex I can get it in a week, and there is an Germans here in Manzanillo and the missionaries send the packages to her house so we get them sooner. President is coming in a couple weeks, so we'll hope it's here by then. We don't have a ton of people to teach, but the members like us, they always give us bunches of food. Our ward mission leader is crazy. He is trying to put more rules on us. He definitely doesn't have that authority, I don't want to offend him, but like...that's not your job. You are here to help the branch and help us. I ate a habanero this week, it was pretty hot, I have been practicing eating chiles, there is a technique to it (I'm not joking). Yesterday at church this lady came and we were talking about the plan of salvation and she was all hellfire and brimstone, it was hilarious. "What other names does the plan of salvation have?" Plan of happiness, plan of redemption, PLAN OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. "No hermana". "The sun is the celestial kingdom", "because that is where you burn for eternity". I don't think she really got the whole "God is our loving Heavenly Father" memo. Taking time to teach less actives isn't a problem, but what makes it a problem is when the less active is the branch president. We moved houses this week which was a pain in the butt and a lot of work. Our taxi we payed to help us was a jerk, so elder Ramirez paid him and told him he could leave, before we finished, and he said he wouldn't leave and started putting our stuff in his truck and we were telling him to stop and he didn't care and got all heated and was mad at elder Ramirez. So then we called a member, and he helped us, and he sells refrigerators so we gave him our old refrigerator and then after we got all moved he made is pay him. Like what the heck? Also, there is a member that people keep trying to rob, cuz...Mexico, so we helped him make a barb wire fence on his balcony, and I knew how to do it ish because I helped Tavin build fence, so that was a fun service to work with my hands for a bit, and it was nice to show them I know how to do stuff, because I always get the vibe his wife thinks I'm an idiot because I'm a gringo. We had a baptism so that was neat. We also had divisions with the zone leaders which was really cool, I learned a lot and it was way fun. Yesterday we ate octopus and the lady sells bread and stuff so we helped her make empenadas. The dough was shortening, flour, and sugar. And she makes sugar cookies with just flour, butter and sugar. They bake simple here, and it tastes different, still good, but different. That's about all I've got this week. Take care. I love you

May 15, 2017

Thanks Momma, I dont have much to say either because i told you mostly everything yesterday, but thanks for the support and the advice. I love you,

May 8.2017

Manzanillo is pretty fun, its super hot here, and our house is always a billion degrees and when we try to turn on a fan the breaker trips and we lose our lights. I learned sleeping on the floor is less hot than sleeping on a mattress. not cool, just less hot. We are looking for a new house, the secretaries said we have to move because our house is pretty awful. We looked for a few different houses but the zone leaders havent approved anything so far. There is a whole zone in manzanillo, i think there are 7 companionships here. The branches both had about 30 in attendance. The church is about half an hour away in bus. Elder ramirez speaks a little english, not enough to really communicate though, its easier in spanish. I have learned so much stinking spanish this week, being in vallarta was like shooting myself in both feet as far as the language goes. so far we havent really had any problems. the obedience is mas o menos, we are fairly obedient, just not exactly obedient. i just picked it up. We still get up on time and study and go out and stuff, we just dont work as hard as i would like. We have a couple people we teach, and a bunch of less actives. People here are nice, they are wayyy nicer and way more open with a latino companion, and they always give us food, so thats neat. Having a mexican companion is super cool on that plain, but they all just kinda assume i dont know spanish and ignore me, so thats not my favorite, but not a big deal either, if i wanted i could interject but it doesnt really bother me. I was pretty upset actually about leaving Vallarta, i didnt say goodbye to anyone really. It made me sad when Hermana Vicky was crying. We have an anchor point thing in our house in the ceiling so i hung a rope and have been doing TRX, so i should get pretty swole here in manzanillo. I learned how to make german pancakes in the toaster in vallarta so that was cool, but here we dont have a toaster, so that kinda kills my vibe. We have this one member whose name is chavo and he is a diver and sells fish that he kills with a spear. he's super cool, he decompressed too fast so he has like hydrogen in his joints or something now, so he cant walk very well, but he still dives. Also, there are these kids, like 10 or 15 that hang out in the ocean, theres this little drop off on the side of the road where the water is deep, and if you throw in coins they all dive down and fight for them, its like feeding the ducks but more exciting. also, one day we carried a fridge up a super ginormous hill, and then we carried their old fridge down the same super ginormous hill, that was really hard. People are a lot more open to ask elder Ramirez for service, maybe because hes latino, but i love it because service is my favorite, and elder stubbs wasnt very service oriented. I will pray for Grandpa, I have been praying i get to see him again, but its not looking super likely, huh? for my birthday i want everyone of you guys to write me why/how you know the church is true, and how you came to know that. and also probly money for/ a tablet. Much love. Respond to my chat so we can plan the video call. I love you momma

May 2, 2017

Gerardo doesnt have a family, he lives in a little cabana by the river. There is a member that goes and reads with him and he think he is teaching him apostasy, but at least he reads i guess. Jose did not come to church, and maria is not a member. Rocio had a baptism date but she had to work for 2 weeks without rest so we couldnt go meet with her for 2 weeks and when we went back she had got a new boyfriend that she didnt have 2 weeks ago and they are living together now, and she decided she knows what we teach is true but she doesnt want to do what God wants her to do right now, and she acknowledges it, she told us she isnt going to do what God wants and that she is going to make bad choices. it was rough. Ya, he is from Puebla. Elder Ramirez has been here fpr 3 transfers already. I took a bus 5 hours to guadalajara and another 4 hours to manzanillo. The new house is small, you can only use 1 thing at a time or the breaker trips, we cant use the fan and have the lights on, or use the fan and iron, or iron and have the lights on, weve already tripped the breaker like 9 times, so we are moving this week which will be lame. There is a tiny kitchen and a tiny bedroom, and we study in our bedroom. Also, this weekend was dia de nino, the biggest party so far. why dont we have that in the states? im pretty sure the people here just make up reasons to party. We also met this guy Jose Luis and he is pretty cool, but speaks apostasy by the boatload. He said the reason he found us was so he could teach us the word of God...We also started teaching this kid named Chilili, he lives in Mismaloya, this little colony in Vallarta thats out in the jungle. He is 10 but he has a motor boat that he knows how to drive and tourists pay him to take them out the the arches in the ocean, he has grown up in the water here so he knows all the little secret beaches and stuff hidden in the cliffs, he makes bank, and hes 10. He showed us how he has to put his legs on the side of the boat and use his whole body to move the motor and steer the boat. Manzanillo is fun so far, we havent done much yet, we are over two branches, it should be fun.

May 1,2017

Hey Momma, transfers are this week, I am in manzanillo now, I was pretty not thrilled when i found out i was leaving because I really loved everyone there. There is this old guy named abelino, Maria's father in law, and we teach him and his wife with Maria, they arent members. But abelino has bad legs and walks up this giant hill every day to get home, the hill is so steep kids sit in plastic crates and slide down the hill, and he walks up it every day with two canes, but he is slow getting around so we went and said goodbye to them, and maria wasnt home which sucked, but i said goodbye to martha and just assumed he wasnt home and we left, and when we got to the bottom of the hill he got outside and yelled, "guerro, Dios le bendiga" from the top of the hill which is "white boy, God bless", everyone calls me guerro. But it was really awesome, seemed like a solid end. I am in Manzanillo now, its a super industrial town, its a big port of just docks and giant tankers and cargo ships, its pretty cool. my companion is Elder Ramirez, I feel like im already learning bunches more spanish. Ill let you know more whats going on tomorrow, just letting you know im alive. Also, my shaving cream was in a pressurized can and it exploded in my bag and everything is covered in shaving cream, so thats neat.