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

November 28, 2011

Ok, well this week was kind of yucky.  We had 3 lessons with members. And 3 other lessons.  So not many good numbers.  And it’s getting hotter and hotter every day.  It doesn’t even feel like it’s close to Christmas or that Thanksgiving passed.  Probably because it’s so stinkin' HOT.  It’s like 100 everyday with humidity and its going to get hotter at the end of December and in January and February.  The pic of the family at the barn was a little blurry but everyone looks so different! 

So this week for thanksgiving we had bread, some empanadas which are not very good here, some yogurt and an alfajor mini cake.  Not a very tasty Thanksgiving.  And now it’s like what are we going to do for Christmas???  They have Christmas lights here but it’s weird to see them in the baking hot sun. 

We have changes on Wed.  Don’t know if I am staying or leaving yet.  The zone leaders in this area are different.  They don’t give us the changes till Tuesday, so if we do leave, we have no time to pack our stuff or say good bye to the members.  Every other place, you get the changes Monday morning!  SO maybe ill bug them about it. 

So for Skype, you need to make me an account and send it to me so that I can Skype you.  And we are going to do it Christmas Eve.  Christmas is on a Sunday and we can’t ´´spend money´´ to pay for Skype on a Sunday.  We can do it Saturday, or Monday.  I’m going to do it Saturday so that I can come email on Monday too!  So we will go to another area to Skype you, and if that doesn’t work, Elder Moore gave me a sheet of how to call the USA.  SO I have that too.  But I will tell you what time we are doing Skype when that gets a little closer.

I didn’t get both of my packages last week. I only got one.  The sister missionaries who get the mail and the packages messed up the money so I only got one of them.  I hope I get the other one tomorrow at district meeting.  But the package I got was yours.  Full of white tootsie rolls.  They are about gone.  I have like 10 left.  I have eaten so many of them because I don’t have any money. 

So when Javier and Veronica got married, you have to pay for the wedding.  The judge said it would be 250.000,00 so not that much.  Javier said he would bring 200.000 and i told him great we will pay the rest.  SO after the wedding, we got the 200.000 from Javier to pay the judge, and then we got out the extra 50.000 to pay her.  She ripped us off over the wedding and told us it was 450.000,00, so I paid 150.000 and Elder Hauser paid 100.000.  Then she asked if we wanted a receipt so the mission could pay us back and we said yeah.  She just left, and then I called her and asked for the receipt and she said that the couple paid for it so she can’t give us one, then I told her about how we paid for it and she just up and left. SO her response was, well when you have another wedding call me and I’ll bring you a receipt.  What a joke.  SO for all of last week and for the week that we are in I have 5.000 or $1.25.  So I’m going to take some money out today to pay for my laundry cuz I don’t have any cloths to wear.  I didn’t wash them last Monday because I didn’t have any money! 

So that how it’s going down here in the dead heat,

Love you mom

TAYLOR

I killed this lizard with a sling shot, it a sling shot that you put on your fingers.  I got it with a marble!

These toads are huge.  Ive seen bigger but didnt have the camera.  Also you can kick these like a soccor ball and they go flying a good 30 feet and about 10 feet in the air!!!  HAHA.

November 21, 2011

Good thing you didn’t have a list of questions for me because I have a ton to write to you. First off the e mail is late because of the rain, we have no power in our area, and all of the roads are not roads they are rivers. We were going to go golfing today at this American resort in our area that only takes dollars but it’s raining. Anyways we are finally here to do e mail.

Ok so to start off, you just won’t believe what happened this week..... We are teaching this family that is really cool. Elder Hauser found him 3 months ago with his old comp. Turns out the guy had a Book of Mormon from his friend and was in Alma when they found him. well it had been hard to find them....about 3 weeks ago we found them again, he came to church but his wife never wanted to listen to us. We went back one night to teach them and she said she would listen. I don’t know if I have told you, but we sing a hymn at every lesson, just me and my comp. Yeah I bet you can’t believe that either. But we sang families can be together forever. Then we asked the lady to say the prayer, and she did, and she cried during the prayer! Then we gave them the plan of salvation. She cried some more. So the lesson was way good. Then we set a baptism date with them for the 19 of November and they said yes but that we would see more when the day gets here. So they said they would talk about it. Then I asked her why she cried, and to be short, she could feel something, and she knew it was true. Then on a Friday, not the Friday we just had but the Friday before, they said that they had talked about their baptism and marriage because they have to be married to get baptized. So they said that they were going to wait until February to do it so he can shut down his office, do a nice wedding, and take a vacation with his family. So we went home and made a lesson with all of the scriptures about keeping commandments and being favored by the lord and looking for treasures in the heavens and not on the earth. We found them on last wed, and we had this lesson and I asked them if they had said a prayer before they talked about their wedding and baptism, and they said no. Ok well their names are Javier and Veronica, end of the lesson; Vero was ready to do it. She said I don’t care what people will say to me, I am making a covenant with my heavenly Father and that all that matters to me. And Javier still wanted to wait. So I told him or them, I know you need to get baptized this Saturday (19). We are going to kneel down and say a prayer, Javier, you are going to say the prayer and ask Heavenly Father if you need to get married and baptized on the 19, and then I told him that I already know that you need to so you can’t tell us no, Haevenly Father is going to tell you to do it! So we knelt down and he started to say the prayer. Mid prayer, he could really feel the spirit....his voice changed then he just got quiet for like 2 minutes then he finished the prayer saying thank you a bunch. So we waited like 3 min and Javier said well I have a friend who is getting married the 26th of November, turns out that I am getting married before him. BOOM! Friday night we did the interview, Saturday we did the wedding and double baptism......

So that was the miracle for the week, also we needed to call the judge to have her come to do the wedding, she needs like a weeks notice, I called her on wed night, to ask if we could do the wedding Saturday night. She said yes!

So I baptized Veronica, Elder Hauser baptized Javier. Yesterday I confirmed Veronica and Elder Hauser gave confirmed Javier

It was a good week.

So I got you package Thursday thanks for all the stuff in it. And I have 2 more packages that are here, idk if you sent them or not. I knew I had them last Tuesday so can’t wait to see what those are tomorrow at district meeting.

I’ll send you some pics of the baptism and the wedding to in a minute.

Love you mom

Taylor

November 14, 2011

Well another week in paradise, well it’s not really paradise, but another week gone. Yesterday was a month mark too . . . 7 months in the mish already. We didn’t have a baptism on Saturday. We have a family who wants to do it but they have to get married first. Lucky they don’t have to get a divorce before. They are thinking that they are going to get married in February but we made a lesson today for them and we are gonna encourage them to do it sooner. SO they should be getting baptized Saturday. But man, my wife got like 100 times hotter yesterday. IT rained all day, we walked in the rain all day, the umbrellas don’t do much here. You just have to say “whatever” and just walk in the rain all day, and it’s still raining....the roads were just solid rivers yesterday!
I’ll bet Josh is super stoked to be in the bishopric, he is THE Bishop right??? :) I’ll have to write him a little note, I have a letter for the Walker family ready, it should go in the mail tomorrow so I’ll see if I have some time to write Josh a little spirit picker upper! I wonder if their kids will be hellions like we were when dad was in the bishopric. Haha!!!

We had like 35 lessons this last week, so it was ok. We don’t really have that many new people but its going good anyways.

About the shoes, they look fine, but I want the insides to be good, that why my shoes stink right now, they have no padding on the inside! But if you think they will be good on the inside then send them sometime.

So last night, we had FHE with Jorge and Betty, we ate Deere again and Crocodile. It was delish!!! And he goes to the Black market for us, I got a knife that is automatic but it swings out, it’s as long as my forearm. Also a knife that is a little smaller, and 5 switchblades. They are small, but cool, they were less than a dollar each! I’m gonna have him get me a jersey or 2 when he goes back.

So i don’t really have that much more to tell you about this week, but I have never been so tired in my whole life. As soon I go to bed, it seems like the alarm is going off. But when we get home from shopping, I’m taking a long nap. And I should get my padded envelope package tomorrow at district meeting. I paid for it last Monday so I better get it!

We only have 2 weeks left of this change too....goes by fast!

Love you

Taylor

From the left, Pablo, Moises, and Jorge...we ate these fish.  The picture of the fish by itself, yeah I ate that one.  Dont know what kind of fish it is, it came from the river and I ate it, thats all I know...ask Josh or Chris if they know what kind of fish it is!

Taylor ate this fish for dinner . . . anyone know what kind it is?

Donkey Cart

Taylor & Adib . . . He just left on the mission, he went to Argentina, his mission actually is just across the river so he can visit his family by boat !!!

The picture that every mom loves to receive from her missionary!