October 31, 2011

Family! How is everybody doing? I was super pumped to hear that I am officially a uncle to 15 kids! Welcome to the world Baby Bella, from me and all of your friends in Mexico. Mike has more than accomplised than what I told him to do when I was 9 years old..."get married, get a job, get an apartment." Totally in my face, because Mike is living the dream. Make sure to send me photos of my new half-Mehicano niece. I'll print the pictures out and show it the people here, they'll go nuts over her. I'm pretty pumped to see all my new neieces when I get home, and they all be like one years by then! I do my best to try to not hold a baby who is less than one year old, just too much stress going on. But I'll have no problem to hold baby Bella, Lamar, and Chewy by November of next year. Success!

So it's been a pretty quality first week in my new area in Independencia. Like I said me and my companion both just got here, so we really knew nothing going into it but we have learned a ton this first week. First of all, the area is super, super cool. It's a total, straight up city, so much different from where I started in Mapimi. The only thing is that it way Catholic here, in fact as we speak the body of the Pope who died a couple of years ago just got here to the city, and there is like a 6 hour line to go and see him. It's like waiting for Splash Mountain, but much less fun. But I guess thats a fun way to spend Halloween, checking out the Pope's body. People are pretty strange here, but I like them alright. This area is also the smallest I have ever seen, you can walk the length of the area in less than 30 minutes, so in that aspect it is pretty cool. It was always a bummer to have to walk like 45 minutes in-betwen appointments. The members here are really cool as well and we're eating well which is always a good thing. The only thing is that there hasn't been a baptism in this area in more than a year and a half, but I do believe we found someone who we're going to baptize in two weeks! I'm confident we'll baptize here, and we will be heroes in the Mission for baptizing in Independencia! Well, we'll see.

So my companion is a pretty chill dude. He is a super tiny, but very well dressed Peruvian man. He is one of those dudes that spends an hour in the bathroom every morning to get his hair right, but it's all good. We're working well together. You know how every 5th Sunday is when the Men and Woman get together for class? Well me and my companion gave the class this month about how we can work better as a Ward. I have given way more talks and classes in Mexico than I ever did in Yorba Linda 3rd. But thats cool, I would rather listen to a nice Anaheim East highcouncilmen anyways.

Oh, and Happy Halloween! Halloween isn't a super big thing here in Mexico, but the central part of town is all Dia de Muertos'd out and looks pretty cool. So what is everyones plans back at home? Going to hit up the whole trick-or.treating route? Consisting of Via Madera, Via Ceresa, Timberlane, The News Street, and then getting too tired of walking around and going back home? Man I have some magical memories of Halloween back in the day, easily in the top three best Holidays of the year. So make sure to take pictures of everyones costumes and send them, I want to check them out.

Alright Family, better get going, but are you guys aware that I will officially have a year in the Mission this Thursday? I can hardly believe it, but I guess I'll be on the downhill of the Mish. I have learned a crazy amount of things this year, and my testimony has been tested and grown a lot. The church is true, and living the Gospel with your family is the greatest happiness that someone can find in this life. I can't imagine how cool it will be when we can all be together after this life in the greatest circumstances ever, it'll be sweet. Lets keep working as a family to get there. Alright family, take it easy and remember to goof and gaff it every once in a while.

Love,

Elder Abbott