January 16, 2012

Yeah it’s P-Day finally!!!!

Well the week wasn’t too bad. We don’t have very good numbers. But Elder Segovia and I felt good about what we were doing all week long. One Day it was raining a ton and of course we didn’t have our umbrellas and we didn’t care either, we were just happy to get cooled off for the day, but we knocked this house and the lady yelled at us that we couldn’t come in because it was raining......yeah it’s raining so let us in for a minute to get away from it!

We had one investigator at church that has a baptism date. He has a problem with drinking and smoking but he has a friend at the church that can help him with all of that. He has a baptism date for the 28 of January. Then we had a bunch more people with a baptism date but they didn’t come to church so they can’t get baptized on that date.

I have like a problem in my mouth. I thought it was just a canker sore or something, but then it got worse and got swollen. So I called Sister Callan to ask her if there is some kind of antibiotic I could take. She said she would call later that night, so when she called she gave the phone to Pres Callan to talk to me cuz he knows a little about the mouth. So I was trying to figure out where it was in my mouth and I said president, its right above tooth number 4 the bicuspid. He said wait what...elder do you have like a dental background. And then we talked for a min and he told me it was nice to have someone who knows how to number teeth. He said it’s a disaster to ask missionaries which tooth hurts and where it is. But it looks like a big blister and he said to check to see if yellow puss comes out of it and it was. The swelling has gone down. I almost had to go get an x-ray to send to him to see what we need to do. I’ll call him today to tell him how it is.

I do have some things that I want...if you would like to send me a few things on my birthday...I would like a bag of jalapeño cheetos, a rubix cube, and a jump rope. See if you can get me a jump rope like the one I would always use at wrestling, and I might still have the yellow one in my room somewhere. And the rubix cube, go onto like rubix cube .com and see if they have one of the mini keychain size ones....that’s 3 blocks on each side, and if not maybe just a normal size rubix cube!!!!! :)

Also, did my tax return of like1600 bucks ever come last year.....and did my tax sheet come this year yet. Tell dad to do that thing quick so I can get some more money in my account for when I get home!!!!

Last night, we went to a member’s house, they gave us a reference of a family of like 15, so we are going to try to contact them today. Hope we can get something out of that. We could really use something like that!!!!

This week, we went over to the old bishop’s house, he got released a week ago after being bishop for 11 years. He is way rich cuz he like a pharmacist or something, and they always give us lunch on Thursday, and since he is gone all day we can never go over to eat cuz he only has 4 girls and his wife.....but he was on vacation this week and we ate at their house. While we were waiting, we went into his theater room and watched the Christmas event that happened at the conference center in 2010 or 2011 when Nat King Cole’s daughter sang. That was cool, cuz it was in English and he speaks English too.

I’m gonna look to see if I can find a small box or package thing today....but if you send me a package for my birthday, you should put a big padded envelope in there so I can have one for the future to send stuff home to you!!!

Oh and Spencer's eye is sweet...I'll bet coach loves that.  And whats up with all my stuff getting used while I am gone.  I have a pic of you guys at the cemetary and Grant has my old school nikes on that Josh gave me and this pic, Spencer is using my blanket.  My nike shox better be under my bet still.  and nobody can touch my external hard drive with all my movies, pictures, music, my life is on there....no touching!!!!  But I guess Grandma Mann can make me a new blanket when I get home, one that's bigger so it fits me!!!!


***FYI - -  His blanket has never been used until last night because Spencer's was filthy from being on the bus to Elko for wrestling.  And yes, everything is untouched, under his bed, just like he left it!***  Paranoid a little?  :)

That's about all for this week

Love you mom

Taylor

PS  And what did sister Acuña say to you, or did you not understand her letter.  She said she sent you one.

(***I didn't know what he was talking about so I logged on to his Facebook account and sure enough there was a little note to us from a sister in Paraguay!  Here is the google translation:***)

HNa Hello! Am the Sister. Acuna, of Paraguay. I want to tell her son is serving in my neighborhood, the neighborhood pto.Pabla ... the very good and works hard ... I tell you who passes by my house to share with us and we appreciate much! Adib our son is serving in the Argentina Resistencia mission and they are friends! from here sent him my regards and affection for you and your beautiful family !!!:)

Their friend Jorge (the one who always makes the weird food) does BBQ´s for people for like parties of about 150 to 200 people and he always cooks.  They are American so he gets paid in dollars.  He is waiting until the dollar goes up some more so he can change it over for more guaraní´s!

Taylor's little "gangsta" buddies Moises & Joel

This is a "light" rain!  Look at that street!

January 9, 2012

This is the bat that I killed in our house last week. I knocked it out and then put hand sanitizer on it and burned it!!!!

Yes we had another bat in the house. SO annoying.....

But I bet you are glad Rollie Lane is over. Get to rest today and yesterday a little. Sad that you aren’t going up to Post Falls this weekend though. But maybe Spencer can redeem himself from that loss at Rollie Lane and get his 100 wins!!!

Today is the start of a new change of a new 6 weeks. Missionaries are going home and new ones are coming. Next change I will reach a year in the mission mom.....and 9 months on wed too! Elder Segovia and I are doing well together. Didn’t have any baptisms this change but we have found some really promising people to teach.

The pics of Spencer look good, like last year, he is taller than all of the people even when he isn’t on the highest spot.

We ate something else this week mom....can you guess what we ate or where we ate it? Yes with Jorge and it was Manta Ray! It was good, better than that beaver we ate. And tomorrow, we are eating crocodile and armadillo. I’ll send you the pics of the two in just a min!

I have a birthday presant for you mom, but I dont have a way of sending it yet so pray that I'll be able to get it sent to you.

Love you mom

Crocodile for lunch?

How about Armadillo?

Maybe a little seafood!

Love that he is sporting his Wildcat  Wrestling Shorts on P-Day!

Elder Salinas & Elder Segovia

January 2, 2012

Hey mom!  Happy New Year.....I was woken up rudely by the bombs going off outside the house!!!  They don’t have fireworks here, only like giant explosions.  And it doesn’t even feel like a new year. 

This week we finally found some new people but I’m pretty sure we are going to drop a few of them. They came up to us asking for help to stop smoking and drinking and so we took their cigarettes and their beer but then the next day when we went to visit them, they were like totally wasted.  One guy said I can’t stop and I was drinking last night, and  I asked him how much he drank, he drank 12 beers....that’s hard to drink, even if that was water, that’s hard to drink that at a party.   So idk how that guy drank 12 beers in one night! We aren’t giving up on the people they are giving up on themselves.  They need to do their part.

On Wednesday, there was a bat in the house, not just in the ceiling....I grabbed a box out of the room, and there was a bat behind it.  So I put it in the box, and chucked it out the window.  But then yesterday there was one in our room where we sleep.  I have a sweet video of when I was getting it out of the house with my machete.  And a picture to send you.  Then once it was out the door, I took my machete and cut its wing so now it can’t fly, and it’s going to die soon and that’s just less bat poop to worry about!

This is the last week of the change already.  And it’s just going by fast for me, it’s only 8 and a half months of 24 which looks like little but I remember the day that you dropped me off like it was yesterday.  And it’s almost my birthday hooray....gonna be 20. Hope that doesn’t make you feel old!!! 

That’s about it for this week mom, Adios.

Taylor

Bat that was actually IN their house! YUCK!

A Man and his Machete!

This is a tiny lizard that he caught in his house

December 26, 2011

Hey mom hope you had a merry Christmas.... when I woke up yesterday, it didn’t even feel like Christmas.  No waiting at the top of the stairs, yummy breakfast, opening presents, going to Farnsworth’s house or grandmas or having everyone over at our house.  It wasn’t cold, no snow, no smelly candles, nothing.  I gave a talk in church yesterday too.  I told everyone how Christmas isn’t about getting it’s about giving.  I told them all how last year I had money and I bought you and dad presents because you usually don’t buy a whole bunch for each other, and not that is we don’t have money but you know what I mean, and I told them how they were nice gifts and all but you and dad were just shocked at what I bought for you.  And then I shared the scripture in John 3:16-17 how god gave us his son.  There were about 10 different members who just thanked me for my talk....even tuff guy bishop who gave a talk after me (he passed by to go up to the microphone and said nice job homeboy) all of them said they just felt the spirit of Christmas!

But is sounds like all of you enjoyed the Christmas you had.  All of the gifts looked like they were loved by everyone!  I was so glad to see all of you too.  Even though it was really short it was still worth it.  And thank you for my Christmas present....I’ll just want that in my account so I can buy cloths and stuff when I get home.

Next thing for us to check off mom, my birthday- -  well your birthday and then my birthday....20? Wow! That’s old.  Today we got new numbers from President Callan, our numbers of excellence!!!!  This year by week they are:

Baptism: 1
Confirmed: 1
With baptism date: 9
At church: 9
Lesson with member: 20
Other lessons: 10
Progressing investigators: 8
References: 15
New investigators: 20, of the 20 5 families
Recent converts: 8
Baptism invitations: 20

I have one year to work hard to complete these numbers, well I don’t have to complete them but it would be nice to do it.  I’m feeling like I’m in the hang of things now, I can talk to the people and teach pretty good so I think this year will be better!

Love you mom, I have to go do shopping so I’ll see you next Monday


Taylor

PS  yeah I forgot to tell all of you, 2 weeks ago i finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish

This is what our screen looked like when the call came in!  We were all clapping and cheering!

Elder Salinas in Paraguay!

McCall singing to her brother

Salinas Family Traditions sent to Paraguay

Nativity in Paraguay

Christmas Dinner for Taylor

Top Left:  Pacu (Fish)

Top Right:  Cow Tongue

Bottom Left:  Pork

Bottom Right:  Beaver

December 19, 2011

1)   Are you for sure able to Skype? Yes we are going to Skype.

2)  Where from?  Internet Café, Member’s home, church building?  (Some missionaries from your mission are using the computer in their church) we are going to do it from an internet place
3)  What is the phone number that we are calling if Skype doesn’t work?  If Skype isn’t working which i doubt it won’t work, ill just call you from the same internet place where they have phones.
4)  Skype Login:  eldersalinas  (password) **********
5)  We have heard 40 minutes is the time limit - - is that correct?  yes the white handbook of missionary rules says that its preferable if its only 30 to 40 min so we can talk longer but President Callan says its 40 min only so yes its only 40 min

6)  What time will we be talking?  Here it will be 4 in the afternoon so there it will be 12:00.  So just be there at the barn or wherever before then so that we can talk at that time, and if there is someone else there at the internet place, then I’ll call you and tell you that we have to wait and then I’ll call again right before i get on Skype so all of you can be there. 

So i guess this week was alright, we have a baptism this week hopefully it counts for us, it only is my baptism if the girl isn’t registered in the system of the church.  They are all members and the girl turned 8 like in March and they just haven’t gotten around doing the baptism.  So I’m hoping it’s our baptism.

There isn’t really anything to write to you again.  We have a meeting tomorrow at the office with pres and the trainers and the new missionaries so ill see elder Heiner!!!!!!

But oh well we´ll talk on Saturday!

December 12, 2011

Sounds like it was a great weekend of wrasslin.  And like usual, Columbia wins!!!  Hope they can pull something out this weekend.  Awesome that Spencer got 1st team all state.  Tomorrow, I have 8 months on the mission.  1/3 of the mission already!!!  My birthday is in 2 months too, I’m gonna be 20....I don’t know how I feel about that?!?!?!  So this last week we didn’t have very many lessons, every person has left to go to a city to pay their respect to a virgin from Paraguay.  I did buy a few things with the money I took out.  It’s the stuff I bought for Christmas for me.  I ordered a hand stitched shirt that’s got little designs all thru out it.  Also I bought a radio thing so I can put my pin drive in there and listen to my music, I have more church music, and Christmas music now, this thing is pretty cool, they don’t have them in America, only in black market country Paraguay.  I did get the packages last week, one from you and one from Saige!!!!!!  So I have all of my presents from you around my tree in my room.  I got a sweet present from Saige....did she tell you what it was???  So I read that book that President Monson wrote it was good....I think Ihave an idea of what the other stuff could be.

Training is going good, I don’t have to teach him Spanish so that’s nice.  But he is doing really well.  Remember how we were (my group) tried out that new training program, well that’s what we use now so we just follow the little book so it’s really easy.  We get along really good. I like him a lot.  He is really smart too, and he tries really hard to do his best.

We found some new people the other day this guy and his wife, the wife seemed really interested but we'll see.  Hope we can find some new people....that’s what’s the hardest.  Find people.  That’s the job of the members!

We had stake conference yesterday, a lady passed out in the meeting and the stake president had to leave the stand to help her.

Man I feel bad that I don’t really have that much to write to you this week, it’s just like my journal!

I hope you have a sweet time in Reno.....and, next week is when we are going to talk, the end of next week so it’s like 2 weeks, but whatever it makes me excited.

Love you mom

Taylor

December 5, 2011

Ok, so this week has been all over the place....and I only have a little time in the mission and I’m training!!!  My new elder is Elder Segovia from L.A. He already speaks Spanish too so training is going to be cake!  So I found out that I was going to train last Tuesday.  I knew it was coming too, the DL said Elder Hauser you’re leaving, and I said and I am training right, and I sure am!  So on the bus on the way home from District meeting, the assistants called me and said Elder Salinas, your getting a local comp for a week because your comp didn’t come because he doesn’t have his visa yet.  So I went to the office to get my local comp and he didn’t show up.  So I took a taxi back out close to my area by myself and spent the day with Elder Patterson who came in my group and his new comp who came the change after me.  Then that night we took another taxi to the office and I got my new local comp.  Elder Morinigo....he leaves in January to go to Dominican Republic on the mish.  Yesterday, I took elder Morinigo back to the office and got my real comp.  I was really bummed out that I couldn’t be a part of the first day for the missionaries and when they get to meet their trainers and stuff, and the trainers learn how to train the missionaries but it was ok, I just sat in President Callan’s office for like an hour yesterday and talked with him about it.  He said “Elder,  if I get any kind of revelation, it’s about the trainers.  SO don’t feel like you can’t do the job.  So I guess I am able to do the job!

Also another highlight of the week, I saw Elder Heiner at the bus station or the terminal.  He is also training, out of the 23 of my group, Me, Elder Heiner, Elder Stevenson (from Nampa) and Elder Clark we are all training.  So I get to see them in like 3 weeks when we go back to the office for a meeting with the new missionaries and the trainers.

We do get to take money out today, and last week I really screwed up.  I went to take out 100,000 guaranies or 20 bucks well I hit the 1,000,000 guaranis so I took out 230 bucks, the dollar is worth more right now so I took out less money but I’m still pretty mad I took out 230 bucks, it’s locked away in my suitcase so I won’t use it unless I buy something nice.  So the money that anyone gives me for Christmas put it in my savings and I won’t take any of that out!  And today we are going back to the office because the office elders messed up and didn’t do my comps papers so back to the office today, hour long bus ride.....what a joy and so fun to do on MY p-day!!!

So today the weather is nice because it is cloudy but usually it’s a good 100 lowest and it’s about to start getting up to 115 every day!!!!

I will load a picture of me and my new companion, ooooh and also I found a paintball arena in my area and this gigantic canal that’s way deep, when you are down in the bottom, looks like you are in the jungle, when I have time to explore it I'll take some sweet pics.

And today we are going to Pan Cholos, hamburger place....for 25,000 guarani or like 6 bucks I’m going to buy a meal that is the same size as the big Jud's hamburger!!!!!!

Good luck at wrasslin this week, And when he is at Reno, he better not lose the match to place!!!

I will get a package tomorrow at district meeting, I paid for it last week, I think it is from Saige, she sent me a something a long time ago, so maybe I’ll pay for your package tomorrow mom!!!! haha can’t wait!  Can’t believe that is December already.

That’s about all for this week, I’m gonna write a little to dad and to grandma....

Love you mom

Not many days till we get to talk!!!

Taylor

 Elder Salinas, Elder Segovia, President Callan, Sister Callan