April 21, 2011

Dear Dad,

You would be proud!  Today I was awesome!  We have been learning the first lesson in English and a little of it in Spanish.  But today, Hermano Rosales asked me to teach him the first lesson in Spanish.  I nailed it!  He asked me to give a 3-5 minute lesson on the first lesson.  I threw it down!  10 minutes . . . I was testifying about all 8 points.  We were just talking back and forth to each other.  I just kept going.  Everyone else in my district (9 others plus me)  --  they all said that they had no clue what I was saying . . . all of them were amazed and so was Hermano Rosales.  I know I took 4 years of Spanish, but that was the most I have ever just talked almost perfectly in Spanish - - let alone teach a lesson.  I guess when Elder Scott blessed us with his Apostleship that we would have the gift of tongues, he meant it!  I did it como un capataz  (Like a Boss)

Adios ~

Elder Salinas

April 20th

Well, we lucked out I guess . . . Every Tuesday night we have a devotional.  It's a pretty big deal.  Also on Sundays.  No joke, it's like going to conference.  Two projectors come out of the ceilings, one on each side. . . with two huge screens.  It's all in the gym. . . they pull out the bleachers, set up a few hundred chairs.  They bring in a stage and it looks like you are looking up at the speaker during sacrament meeting.  They have cameras set up all over to catch the speaker, choir and us.  The hymns (words) are on the screen too.  But for our first one guess who we got.  Elder Richard G. Scott.  It was pretty cool.

Yeah, my companion is cool.  He is from Salem, Utah.

But to the subject of your letter about food . . I told day to look up Jeremiah 4:19.  There are some good meals, but Sunday stink.  Cereal in the morning which is ok.  But lunch and dinner  :(  leftovers from all week.  Lunch is at 11:30 . . . dinner is at 4:30.  Way too early.  It's not bad getting up at 6:30.  It's always nice to go to bed at 10:30 after such a long day.  But I don't mind it.

Mom, don't think you are hovering.  Send as many as you can . . . get everyone else to send them too.  Right after I got done emailing you all, we checked the mail and I got the package.  I loved all the goodies.  I already put up my pictures too.  In the next letter you should be getting some pictures if I get them developed.  But thanks again for the box.  P-Day has been so nice to just be in normal clothes and hang out with the kids in my zone.

It's been a week since I had a Dr. Pepper.  Think I'll get one tomorrow.  But I got to get to bed now.  Night!

Love,

Elder Salinas

April 18th

Hola!  Sunday was good.  We have interviews with President Worthington.  He is cool.  He owns a ton of Subways down here.  My companion and I get along really well.  We are the best at spanish.  When we read it some people are so "white" about it.  Elder Lamb, Elder Heiner and Elder Bartome dont get shy about reading or speaking Espanol.  On Sundays, we don't have any classes but we do have to go to the class and just read and be with our district and companions.  We have a fireside Sunday nights and a movie after it.  Rumor is that we will have another apostle for this Easter Sunday.

I'm getting pretty good at basketball and our zone always works out every night.  Push-ups, pull-ups and other stuff.  We have a ball made from a sock and tape and it feels like a baseball when you get hit with it.  We stand on ends of the hallway and huck it at each other as fast as we can.

Today we had to get blood taken to get tested for Aids.  What the heck?  That why we had physicals before we came here.


Now I can say the baptismal prayer and the missionary purpose in Spanish.  My companero are getting really good at talking to people, praying and bearing our testimonies en Espanol.  We always "contact" people (other missionaries) in Spanish.  We say . . . Hola.  Buenos Dias.  Mi nombre es Elder Salinas.  Y el es mi companero, Elder Lamb.  Somos misioneros de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de las ultimo Dias.  Tenemos un mensaje muy importante para usted.  Yo Se Que Dios nos ama y se que Jose Smith es un Profeta verdadero, y se que la expiacion es muy importante para el plan de salvacion.  Podemos pasar a su hogar el proximo Lunes a las dos en punto.  Pero la persona a quien nos contactemos dice, "No", yo le digo, "Conoce alguien mas que le gustaria eschuchar nuestro mensaje?"

Anyways, I met this guy from Weiser while I was in line for dinner, he said Jacob Scarborough is getting baptized.  Small world!  Bad News.... most of my ties are silk.... in South America with all the humidity they will bleed all over my white shirts, so take some pics maybe of some ties I could have you send me, and I'll send mine back home.

Can you send me some thumb tacks, my flag, and that's all for now.  How is everyone doing?  Have them send mail.... that's always the best when you get tons of mail.  Adios!  I'll try to send a picture soon.

"Hasta el fin."

Elder Salinas

I learned to teach the first lesson today, in Spanish.  (4-19-11)

April 20th

Taylor emailed me at 10:30 and luckily I checked my email about two minutes later so we were able to chat back and forth for a few minutes.

Hi mom thanks for sending all the letters and the e mail... I really enjoy it.  dont think you are hovering when you send a ton of letters.  in the letter i sent yesterday i said that you need to send all the letters you can.  we have p day on wed. we go to the temple at 7:40 and then have time to email.  If you are ever around from 10:15 to 2:00 i will be e mailing you.  are you on right now?

My companion is from Salem Utah.  I have seen josh hodges, tyler miller and gunnar

did you get my letter about my scriptures and slippers... haha

oh i had a letter i wrote to you yesterday but ill send it anyways, it was about the fireside we had last night,,,, Elder Scott comes walking through the dooor and the whole place shuts up. it was pretty cool and lucky to have him for our first fireside

 

I will, i have to write some more of those still.  and i can get pictures developed here so ill try to do that today and send one home

 

 send tons of emails from all the kids and other family members and use dear elder

 

Love all of you too... HASTA EL FIN  Elder SALINAS

 

April 16, 2011

Hola.  Como Estas!  Thanks for the letter dad.  It meant a lot.  It's been really busy these last few days.  Since being here I can pray en espanol, y habla muchos.  Me and my companion have contacted many other elders.  Elders who have been here 3 weeks just started doing that.  It is so much easier than in high school.  We do so much more than just an hour and a half  like in school.  Also, we can bear our testimonies in Spanish.  The food is pretty good but it's doing a number on my and my companion.  Read Jeremiah 4:19 . . . you will see what we are going through.:)  Thanks for your letters M'Kay and McCall.  Next time Grant sends a letter, let mom or McCall read who the letter is being sent to.  He sent it to himself at the MTC!  I got it because I am the only Elder Salinas here.  If you didn't get my other letter yet, I would really enjoy my slippers and some snacks.  We get pretty hungry here since dinner is at 4:30.  Kind of early.  And maybe some tums after you read that scripture!  Oh and sorry mom, if you didn't know, I don't get to call you on Mother's Day  :(

Love

Elder Salinas

PS  sorry, but will you send me my scriptures that are all marked.  I can't find anything in my new ones.

I ran into Josh Hodges, Gunnar Christensen and Tyler left today for Mexico.

April 14, 2011

Hola Familia.  Como Estas?  It was a really long first day.  I was glad to go to bed at 10:30.  When I got here they gave me a bag of stuff . . . it had almost everything we went and bought (spanish scriptures, little red book) I'll send some of that home.  But it also had a big red book, dictionary, water bottle filter, Predicad Mi Evangelio (Preach my Gospel) and other Spanish tools.  We have two great teachers also.  My district is full . . . 10 of us going to Paraguay.  Mi companero is Elder Lamb.  Spencer would like him, he likes to ride dirt bikes.

It is now the end of the day.  It is so hard.  I have no clue what I am doing or what I got myself into.  The food makes me feel cruddy . . . it's ok food but not good for the insides.

Today we learned to pray in Spanish.  Most stuff we have been tuaght today and yesterday wasn't new to me, but I still have a ton to learn.  All the elders say to just make it to Sunday, then it gets a little more easy.  Thanks for all the letters, they were great.  I had four of them today.  Keep them coming.  I LOVE YOU GUYS.

Taylor  "Elder Salinas"

PS  They have Dr. Pepper here. . . caffeine free, but you have to buy it.  :(  And I know I should have brought them too, but I miss my slippers!