Flavored Water

On Thursday for lunch we made sandwiches with a Hermana.  She offered us Coke to drink but I told her that we couldn’t as it is a rule that we can’t (although every third Elder breaks that one).  It was all she had as that is what they drink here every meal. I told her water was great, and I pointed to her purified water.  She filled a pitcher with tap water and then put flavoring in it. I saw her do it, but I heard that the water was pure here because we were in the mountains.  Nope.  About an hour later my stomach started talking in a very creaky dialect.   The rest of the day I could feel it moving through me.  I didn’t hurt - it was just a very weird feeling.  Well, that night I went to bed knowing that the night wouldn't be a perfectly peaceful one. It is still working its magic today.  

They are harvesting walnuts this week; thousands and thousands of them.  They put them in all types of food; especially candies and bread. They give me zits.  The men climb the tall trees and then use bamboo to smack the nut out of the tree. Then the children collect the nuts.  We have to be careful because the trees hang over the streets and it is like a hail storm when they start whacking away above our heads

I am staying in touch with a Hermana that we baptized in our other area. She left to go to school in the capital two weeks after she was baptized.  It was kind of a miracle that we found her in the small time she was here. She knows English so she writes me in English to practice and I write her back in Spanish. She is cranking through the Book of Mormon.  

Another cool story is we were walking to see a less active in the Pri. That pic I sent of me standing on a hill, leads to the area that sits above the rest of Parras.  It is a climb to get up there.  As we were walking a man started to shouting to us to come over to this small building. I thought “I’m either about to be murdered or get in a bible bash with some pastor. Nope. This man told us to talk to a Hermana that was sitting at the desk inside. She said I have seen you walk past my door for years now. What do you believe? We taught her a bit and gave her a pamphlet. The next day while walking on the same street we were summoned again. She said I love to read and I loved your pamphlet but it was really short. Do you have anything longer? Why yes we do.  We gave her a Book of Mormon. We are going to see her again tonight.

My comp talks in his sleep. I am not complaining. It is incredibly amusing.  He has very long conversations, and I just lay there and listen.  The funniest part is that it is often a monologue of him teaching a lesson. He will say, "Hermano mena will you promise to go to church this Sunday.  That is great. I know this will be a blessing for you and your family."

Sam Leatham was robbed this week. He was in his study room with his companion and just getting ready to leave to go do some service for a member. The other Elders that live in the house had left about five minutes earlier and didn’t lock the door or gate because they knew Sam was leaving soon. Two intoxicated guys went running into their room and they had a gun. Sam is ok and nothing happened. They stole his iPod and backpack that had $40 dollars but luckily the only other things in the backpack was pamphlets and Books of Mormon. They also stole some oatmeal and a few hamburger patties from the kitchen haha.

Truman Did Some Art Work for Me