E-mail 12-14-09

Hey family
What's up? How are you guys doing?
My week it has been OK, kinda frustrating. Our baptism fell threw again. The lady just said she is to busy so call her next week please, which sucked! We will just have to see what happens with her. Then we tried to get a family we are teaching to get baptized and they were "like we don't know." The thing is, the mom wants to get baptized but the husband doesn't because his dad is a leader in the Catholic church and is hard core Catholic. I think he is scared of his dad so he is scared to get baptized. Yesterday he didn't come to church and we went to visit there family after and it was super awkward. We felt like the dad was way bugged with us cuz his wife and kids came to church but he sat at home alone. We don't know what to do about that family now. so its just been a frustrating week.

I just got yelled at by a bus driver cuz the buses here have a bell and you push it to get them to stop. So I pushed it and he didn't stop so I pushed it again and he still didn't stop. So I said, "bahan por favor." which means stop please. So he did, then he said "that's what the bell is for" i said "I rang it twice." He said "no you didn't" in a jerk way. I just got off cuz I'm a good missionary and don't want people to think bad about the church. But I really just wanted to punch him in the head cuz of his attitude. So this week has just been really crappy, I feel a little on edge haha! Going to the temple tomorrow will help.

The day of the virgin of Guadalupe was this week too. It is nuts, everyone throws party's and gets drunk and shoots fire works. They all build shrines in front of there houses to the virgin of Guadalupe. It's just huge day of getting drunk and partying in honer of her hahahaha. It's really bad. I feel bad for people, it's kinda sad, they have TV shows about her where people act like she gave them a miracle and all kinds of stuff. Freaking apostasy!!!

I'm so excited for Bridger, that will be so good. Tell him to put his head down and work his hardest and he will be great! 3 months in Salt Lake City and he doesn't have to go to the MTC, that is so cool. Tell him to get Preach My Gospel and read chapter 3. It's all the lessons we teach and then tell him once he reads them to practice with Ross. One thing I did is as you read the lesson write down what you want the people to learn from it then make an outline of what to teach. Teach those points with questions to help him know they understood like after teaching about prophets ask a question like, "So do you think it would benefit you to have a prophet on the earth today?" or "How do you think a prophet would be able to help us in our day?" Make an outline like that with questions and answers of the things he wants the people to learn and he won't need the MTC cuz that's what they teach you there. Tell him how proud I am of him and that I know he will do great!

That's about it this week. I love you all so much and hope everything is going good. Have a good week!
I love you all!
Love Elder Fackler

E-Mail 11-30-09

Hey how is everyone?

This week has been good. We had alot of people in church, well 7. 4 came for the second time and we have a baptism this week. The work it is starting to go again, I feel really happy about that. We have people progressing to so that is good. If the same people keep progressing we should baptize 5 people this transfer which will be really good!

So Thanksgiving here sucked because it doesn't exist haha! They don't have it here but it's OK. I like when holidays pass cuz it means I only have to miss one more and then I'll be home and we can party and have crazy Thanksgivings again not boring ones with out me hahaha!!!

Today was transfers but I didn't get transferred and neither did my companion so we will be together for 6 more weeks. That is fine, we get along good and don't have any problems. Our district leader got transferred so now we have Elder Huchim. He was my second companion, the one I loved so much and that helped me so much. It was cool to see him again, we went to get him at the bus station which was cool.

I am still losing weight, I'm going to send you some pics in regular cloths today so you guys can tell me if I look skinnier.

I don't have alot to say, this week was kinda slow and nothing cool happened. Oh, I'm such a freak here I swear!!! We walked by some kids and they were talking about how big I am and one of them said "I think he is bigger then big foot!" I felt like such a freak. I have not gotten taller I have just lost weight and look a little stronger now. But those freaking kids said I'm bigger then big foot! My comp thought it was so funny and keeps saying he is going to start a circus and have me in it. He said he will charge 5 pesos for a picture and 15 pesos to touch me. He acts like an announcer and says all this stuff about how big I am. It's funny, I just kinda feel like a freak. It's because the people here are way shorter, Ross is average or tall here so think what I am.

I'm excited to have 9 months behind me this week. It's kinda cool to think I have the same time on my mission as it takes to have a baby hahaha! I don't know why that's cool, I guess it's just something to compare time to.

This week really nothing cool has happened its been boring so no cool story's. I guess that is it. Love you all, hope your all doing good.

Love Elder Fackler