E-Mail 6-29-09

Hey everyone how are you?

I am doing pretty good. Mom don't stress, my stomach has been fine. I have not been sick for awhile and I'm starting to get use to the food. Some of it is so good, like Tortas. They are Mexican hamburgers OH I LOVE THEM!!! I am still losing weight cuz I only eat once a day and work out every night. I think I'm about where I was during football. I'm going to be skinny and tan when I get home.

I like Mexico more and more all the time. It feels normal now living here. My one bedroom house just feels normal. The donkey pulled trailer that comes to get our trash is normal now too. I'm going to have to let Angela pick our house cuz after living here I could probably live in anything in the U.S. and be happy. It's crazy how humble the people live here. It makes me feel like such a spoiled brat. I always felt like our house was so small and always wanted to have more. I was not happy with what I had. Now that I live here I see how blessed and lucky we really are. We have so much it's not even funny. I wish you guys could see some of the houses here. All I know is when I get home I'm going to be so grateful for what we have. We are so lucky!!!

The work is going good. We worked are butts off this week but I still have not baptized yet. I think we'll have one soon. We are teaching some super cool people. I learned this song in Spanish but changed the tune to the tune of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and my comp and I sang it to some investigators. At the end the dad was crying super hard which was crazy cuz he has never been very emotional before, he was crying like crazy, I couldn't believe it. The song is super cool, I'll try to record it and send it home.

OK the turtles well um ........................ we have 6 now Pedro, Juan and Santiago (Peter, James and John in Spanish) Moto Moto, Tietsy and Tony the Tiger. Ya I'm terrible I know. They have got a pretty pimpin house by the way. They live better then us and they eat live fish. It's cool cuz there are these things here called Tanges which are huge sales where they block off the street and tons of vendors come. You can find anything there super cheap. That's where we get the turtles, but we are done with are turtle adventure now. We are only going to keep them till transfers in 4 weeks.

My comp is great and has taught me a ton, I love him tons. I think my feet grew, my shoes that are 13 hurt my feet so bad. I'm wearing the same pair everyday but I don't want them to wear out and get ruined. I think I'm growing again too cuz my knees have been hurting really bad and my shoes are to small.

My comp said I can't be the Jr. Companion any more cuz I'm to big. He gets mad at me and asks if he can be the Sr. Companion just once cuz he is my District Leader, Sr. Companion and Trainer so I should let him be the boss but then he tells me I am just to big and that I don't let him hahahah.

I can't believe how much a missions help you. I always thought I was such a good person but a mission shows you all of the areas you suck at. It helps you be willing to swallow your pride and just do what you have to do to make things better. I know I'll be a better husband and dad from this. It teaches you so much and helps you so much!!!

You asked about the bugs here, they are not to bad. I get bit a ton but I'm use to it now.

That's about it here I have got to go. I love you all so much, thanks for all you do! I miss you all.

Tons of Love,
Elder Fackler

E-mail 6-22-09

Wow!!! No wonder they call him the GIANT!!!

Hey Fam,

Lets see, this week was kinda boring. I have not had to shower with a bucket at all!!! I just use cold water and hot only if I can but that doesn't happen to much it's mostly cold.

So we had a talent show this week in our ward and my comp wrote this "Dear John" song. He sang it and I acted it out. It was super funny! I took pics of Angela and letters she has sent me and stuff and acted it all out. Everyone in the ward thought it was super funny, then we sang a hymn in Spanish and it was super spiritual so that was good. Everyone says the "Dear John" song was karma and I'm going to get dear Johned. I told them "Ya right hahahah I'm way to good lookin to get dear Johned."

My clothes are getting so big I don't know what to do. My shirts look like sheets around me. Spanish is stating to come, I'll hit you up with some... hole como esta nosotros somos missioneros y nosotros tenga buen mensajhe por usted y su familia es muy espesual es sobre cuando usted veva su familia para siempre. That is a door contact in Espaniol. It gets better and better everyday it just is taking longer then I want it to.

The super cool family ditched us for church and now said don't come by till Thursday so that sucks. The other lady went out of town this week so she didn't come either. We had one new investigator in church this week. This week we have to buckle down and bust are butts and find new people cuz I freaking want to baptize already!!! My comp and I had a way good talk and figured out what we need to do so we are going to get on it this week.

So other then that it has been kinda boring. Oh Happy Birthday Mom and happy Fathers Day Dad, I love you both. I miss all of you but it's OK, this will all be so worth it in the end. I am growing so much as a person and learning new stuff all the time. By the end I'll be a better dad and husband and just all around better. I can't believe Madi is going to be 16 ahhhhh stay off the road. We have 2 more turtles, Moto Moto and Tetsy so now we have three. I think we are going to give them away cuz we kinda are not supposed to have pets and I want to be super obedient, I need the blessings.

I better go, love you all so so so so so much!

Love Elder Fackler

E-Mail 6-15-09

Hey family,

This week has been so amazing! First off this week I was in this taxi and he was flying down the road cuz they rush everywhere here, all of a sudden there was a huge dip and we freaking ramped it. It was so crazy and cool lol.

Next thing, transfers were this week and I didn't get transferred I still have the same comp which is good I really like him (most the time) hahah. He is really cool. I had to go with our district leader and get evaluated to see if I was a good missionary. I rocked it!!! I did super good, he said I was amazing. My Spanish is getting better, I can talk now with a mixture of Spanish and sign language.

I got a turtle, hahaha it's name is Juan... since it's a Mexican turtle.

So on Friday my companion and I went to check on an inactive family. They were not there so I said we should knock the doors on the way down cuz it was at the top of an apartment complex. We did and on the third floor we found this church member who went inactive and started worshiping Santa Muerte which means St. Death. They think death is a spirit and it is the only sure thing in life. Because death was the only thing strong enough to kill Jesus they think it is the best power and worship it like a god, it's nuts!!! Anyway she had been worshiping that way for a while. But she said she was in the middle of a prayer asking our God what she needed to do with her life, she asked for a sign...and we knocked on her door!!! She had us take all of the death worshiping stuff out of her house. It was so cool to think God used me to answer someones prayers. She came to church and everything, it was super cool!

So next, on Sunday we fasted for a family we are teaching, their name is Familia Alejandro, to come to church. Church started and they were not there so I was super upset. Half way through sacrament meeting I was saying a prayer cuz I was so upset and then I looked up and Alejandro and his whole family were walking in and they stayed the whole time. It was so amazing, I saw our fast work. It really was so cool mom!!!

We have 5 people with a baptism dates, cool huh!!! I'm super excited and we should have 2 more tomorrow, so 7 all together. I feel like I am finally stating to see all my hard work pay off, I love it. I just wanna keep working hard.

Our house flooded, hahahah. One of the missionaries used our sink but no water came out so he just left it on thinking it didn't work. When we got home we had a flood, it sucked haha we had Noah's ark in are house.

OK about my comp cuz I always forget to tell you. He has been out for 15 months. He lives in Chihuahua. He is super fun and I love him. He knows so much about the church he reminds me of dad.

A few nights ago my comp got up to go to the bath room at like 12 and all of the sudden he just started screaming like a big fat girl. I got way scared, I thought someone had come out of the shower to kill him so I jumped up and went to see what was happening. All it was, was a cockroach. It was so funny I about died laughing!!!

So that's about it here, gotta go.

Love you all so much!
Elder Austin Fackler

Austin and his Pres. and wife

E-Mail 6-8-09

Hey family,
So here are the answers to your questions. My interview with Pres. was really good. I really like him he is super cool. I have not been sick at all this week which is super good and I think my weight is OK. The women in our ward are upset with me cuz I don't eat all of the vegetables they give me but its so hard. Some of them are just so sick and I just can't do it. I try so, so, so hard and I just can't cuz some I don't even know what they are. They just turn into slime.

The lady we live with is mad cuz I have been using the water pump to shower. That is the only way we have water presser. This morning she got mad and told me to stop using it. I am going to have to start showering with a bucket which I am not looking forward to at all. I guess I just need to humble my self, suck it up and just do it. I just really really don't want to.

So we have a pretty good group of people to teach right now. We have two families and then two single women with kids and some others. It's just hard cuz they all act so good but then getting them to go to church is like moving a mountain which sucks. All we can do is our best.

This week we had kids throw rocks at us again but they missed so its OK. I saw all of my friends from the MTC on Tue. We all went to get are visas finished which was super cool. I really miss them so much it was good to see them all again. They all have been having a ruff time too. It's just so different. It's super hard to adjust and now I get to shower with a bucket, hahaha!!! Oh well I just need to keep working threw it, I'm sure I'll deal with worse stuff.

So Ross is getting married, crazy! That was super fast. I'm glad he and Sandi go together. I can't wait to get home and get married and start school. I kinda miss being normal. I'm kinda homesick this week, cuz of my ward being mad at me and the lady we live with. You know me, I don't do good when people are upset with me.

This week the assistants brought me a new mattress which was super good cuz mine sucked, and a fridge so that's nice. I didn't have one my apartment. It is so small it's hard to fit it all in. It's probably as big as our living room at home and has a bathroom. Ya it's very little but its OK. I know I needed to come to Mexico to be more grateful for what I have cuz we are very lucky! I promise.

So people here have been screaming at me a ton, greengo and stuff. It's kinda funny I learned to just ignore it.

Other then that not much has happened. We are teaching some way cool families and trying hard. I think president really likes me, at least I hope so. I am trying so hard to be good and do my best. It's hard cuz we still have not baptized and the ward is mad at me, and I have to shower with a bucket!!! I'll be OK, it will get better I hope, I know it could be worse hahaha. Mom don't stress about me, I'm OK I promise. I love you so much, thanks for all of your prayers.

I love you all with all my heart.
Write next week. Hope life is good and I'm OK,
I promise.
Love,
Elder Fackler

Dear Family,

Here is what's going on here. I have been sick all week but I just go work anyway. My cloths are falling off, I can't stop losing weight. I'm kinda home sick, our baptism fell threw. But we have a lot of really good new investigators. and all of them have a lot of potential. Nothing really exciting has happened except a drunk women came up screaming grandote at me which is giant in Spanish she was crazy. We went bowling today it was super cool, the mall is like the US I love it.

This week I have not really eaten anything gross except cow intestine tacos, but they actually tasted good. I have not really taken very many pics, I don't like to carry my camera around cuz I don't wanna get robbed I have not had anything like that happen too me yet I think I scare people cuz I'm huge here. I'm getting skinnier and doing push ups sit ups and curls everyday to stay in shape so I can play football when I get back.

I don't really see my president very much we have are first interviews since the first day on Fri. His letters are always super nice, just like he is proud of what I am doing for my comp and stuff and to just keep working. So i got some cool dollar ties I was pretty excited. I did street contacts alone in Spanish on Sat. which was super cool. I will be an 8th of the way done on Thur. that's so crazy. I hope it all goes this fast. Some days I just want it to be over, but I know it's right and I am where I need to be. It's just hard when we have weeks like this one. We couldn't get in a door to save are lives and our baptism fell threw. I have been really sick all week, I am so worn out physically cuz I can't really keep food down but I'll be OK. I got a blessing this morning and didn't throw up breakfast so that's a good start lol. Ya this week has been hard but all I can do is just keep working and try to be better and work harder. Mom I know how you are don't stress cuz I promise I am OK and will be fine.

So I have been teaching my comp wrestling hahahaha. It's so funny, he always tells everyone I try to kill him but I really don't we just have fun which is good. Oh are bishops son is nuts he stabbed his mom's pet bird with a stick and almost killed it. He is crazy, I was freaking out, I wanted to stab him with a stick... freaking psycho. I ate cucumbers mom you would be so proud of me!!! I'm getting so grown up I can eat cucumbers. I have seen a lot of like half run over dogs, It grosses me out I hate it. They drag their broken half around it is sick.

So girls here this week are just crazy! They just try to hit on me cuz I am the only white person they have ever seen which is dumb. On Tues my comp went to a meeting and I was with this other white elder, it was really bad but good. We knocked doors in his area and out of 7 doors we got into 5 and they were all girls and 4 tried to hit on us so we got up and left. But it's OK.

I have almost finished the Book of Mormon again, I love it. My comp told pres to make me a Sr. companion next transfer! I hope not I'm not ready for that yet!

That's about it I have to get going. I'll write again next week.
Love you guys I'll pray for you, you pray for me K!!!

Love
Elder Fackler