April 14 and 21 emails

Joshua wearing an Argentina soccer jersey.

I didn't update this blog last week. I guess I'm happier because we got a few pictures this week. It always makes a blog post a little more interesting.

Caleb wrote to Joshua that he is planning on having TV and Movie marathons after Joshua gets home. There will be all three Hobit movies, Studio C shows, The Lego Movie, and Granite Flats. Joshua responded that he looks forward to watching a "buttload of movies" with Caleb. I'm glad that Joshua wants to spend time with his brother. I think it made Caleb's day.

Joshua stated in this email: My spanish. Well, I think I´m getting better, but I´m learning super ghetto spanish. Like most of the words they use around here do not exist in the spanish language. They add ¨po¨ to the end of all their words and they seem to forget that the letter ¨s¨ exists. At all. It´s super weird, and they TALK SO FLIPPING FAST. I can´t think that fast! However, I think it is coming... Maybe. Also, if any of you who is reading this email has any language learning tips, LET ME KNOW PLEASE!! I think my brain´s melting...

Now the question is: will I survive through Fifa this year?

Speaking of! I got a counterfitted argentina jersey! Why didn´t I get Chile, well... I thought it looked cool and it has Messi´s name on the back of it. AND IT´S TARDIS BLUE!!!

Things are getting hectic... Soccer season just started, and the flete´s favorite team is Colo Colo, which is a professional Chile team. It´s like us and BYU, except fights and murders occur at the games. Everyone who can´t go stays at their house and gets very, very drunk. It´s rather scarry really. I´m learning how to combat drunks!! Haha, just kidding. They are so wasted that you could basically touch them and they´d fall over. And they basically listen to everything you say if you yell at them. It´s pretty funny really.

Here is a picture from last week's email. I wasn't as impressed, but Joshua wanted to let us know how his tan is coming along. It's just what I wanted to see: an arm and a leg! At least I know that they are still attached to his body. That is always a good thing. :)

Here is the update from April 14th's email - He wrote about his investigators, basically he's working with 5 couples right now. The main problem they are facing is what you find in many cultures, the couples are not married. They have lived together for many years and have children. I know Steve (Joshua's dad) saw a lot of that on his mission, usually it's an economic problem. I'm not going to add the info about them, I've read many things about Privacy laws and that it can cause a problem if they are published. Just know he's working... Here's what I feel comfortable in copying and pasting from his email.

We´ve been working with a TON of menos activos (less actives) and searching for more less actives. A lot of the people on our list haven´t been to church for 15 plus years. The Elders of that generation just went around baptising people basically, and didn´t focus on retention at all. Kind of sucks, but it´s interesting to hear what people have to say.

Other than that, it´s soccer season and the drunks on the streets have increased by a tenfold! I don´t carry more than 200 pesos on my anymore just because I don´t want to get robbed. Saddening yes, but unfortunately that´s how it´s going to work for a while. We found a lot less sketchy internet cafe, so I´m going to upload photos this week!

Anyways, I love you all, and thanks for praying for me. It´s hard, but I´m learning a lot and these life experiences will help me in the long run.

Also, everyone here is complaining it´s cold... It´s like 70 outside. It´s pretty nice actually!

A few more pictures of interest