Week Nine :) To My loved Ones

I don’t have a lot of time…so excuse my thoughts that are all over the place and random…

This week was good. Some days are harder than others but all is well! The language is coming along very well!! The older people are still hard to understand so I like talking to the younger kids still! I feel more comfortable with the younger generation...they are more my speed! This week someone tried to pick pocket me as I was walking off the bus but I slapped his hand away kept walking and smiled. He just smiled back at me, Ha Ha.  That was good! The bus was nuts again with like 100 people on it. No need to worry at all cause he would have only gotten a few bucks because we are poor missionaries anyway! I still have yet to see a blond haired person!

My companion and I went into the city this past week cause my companion needed to renew his temple card, That was great! I love the city. So many people and all, reminds me of Chicago. One member is buying me a national soccer jersey here. I am so pumped to get it! This week we get to go to the temple. I am so excited for that.

The teaching is going well. We are so blessed and so busy. So, let me tell you a great challenge. When a mom starts to breastfeed in the middle of when you are teaching them, it is hard not to be distracted. Still hard to get used to. Like wow now, HAHA. Little different in America. We are teaching a guy right now that is such a great guy. He has some issues we are trying to help him work through. He is doing great and is coming closer to God.  I am very proud of him. Our other investigator also is working hard on some issues. We are really proud of him. His family and us are so proud of him. He is doing good. I pray that both of them can continue to be strong...to overcome any obstacle they are facing. Please pray for them too family and friends.

We have 2 baptisms this upcoming week, Hermana M. and Brother C. The following week we have 2 more baptisms scheduled, a mother and daughter. The work is moving along. Right now we are teaching about 20 plus people. We are very busy to say the least. We meet a lot of drunk people…they love talking to two white kids. So yea, we meet a lot of drunk people and then later go to their house when hopefully they are sober. I really don’t know where people get their money for drugs…but everyone despite their habits are so loving. I love helping the people become closer to God and love helping them straighten out their problems. It is great seeing people change and find purpose. It’s great!

This past week it rained a ton here! Like a ton! All is good though! I continue to sweat a lot…sweating my…off every day. I am drenched by the end of the day to say the least. It is all okay though. I continue to get a great leg workout every day still so that’s good. So this week we found a curl bar if that’s what you want to call it – it gets the job done ha ha. It’s a pipe that goes into two paint cans that are filled with concrete so I use that to try and get huge. ha ha It gets the job done with doing that and my rubber bands. I workout every morning with my rubber bands so I am glad I brought them. So, with the little resources and time I have here I am trying to maintain what I can here. I got a haircut this week and it didn’t end up like the haircut I got in Mexico. I went to a barber and this guy gave me a sweet looking haircut. I didn’t take a pic – next time I will. They use the straight blade here too. The food situation is getting a bit better because I just go buy food at night while we are out. I have to. I was loosing too much weight.

There are dogs EVERYWHERE here. If I could go just 2 minutes without hearing a dog bark I would be surprised. They are everywhere. To keep the dogs away you just act like your bending down to get a rock and they scatter like no other, so I am constantly bending down.

How is Gi doing? I miss him tons, think about you guys every day and my friends! This week I saw a baseball game on a members television, it was Boston vs Detroit. I got a glimpse of it, it was amazing and brought back some great memories of me and ball. It was so good to just see some ball for a quick 5 minutes. Speaking of sports, this past week Honduras played Mexico in soccer. Honduras beat Mexico 2-1. I kid you not when they won the city went crazy! Fireworks and gun shots every 10 seconds, it was great! So its been nuts this week, everyone is wearing their jerseys and so proud they won, its great! We finally walked over to the soccer fields that are in the middle of the town. EVERY day there is TONS of people there playing. It’s crazy how many people play on a daily basis! We are not allowed to play because of safety reasons – some of the games get really heated.

Thank you so much for the emails, my family and friends are great. I am truly thankful for such a great family and friends. We have so much to be thankful for. The families here have nothing but are so giving. At times we visit people and they give us the last things they have…and it’s very hard to see…like so hard. I am so thankful for what I have. We all have so many blessings on a daily basis it is not even funny. The people here are very loving and receptive to listen to someone when they talk about God. I see how God works in our lives every day. We are truly blessed to live in the greatest country. The people here are always smiling yet they have so little. Very admirable.

Tell all my friends I say hello, miss them and think about them and pray for their success every day. I am so thankful for a great family and friends. You guys are my foundation in my life to say the least. I have learned so mucho from each of you! Tell my friends to make good choices, work hard and put their best foot forward every day!

I have some letters that I am giving to a member who is going to New York in two weeks so he will send the letters from there because it will be quicker. Thanks for your patience in my responses. I am trying my best. Other than that, I am just doing my missionary thing, learning the language, loving the people, experiencing some crazy things that I will tell you guys later down the roadJ Don’t worry though I am alive and safe! All is good.

Always thinking about each of you! Your in my thoughts and prayers always. Say hello to everyone. I miss you all tons. Aim High. Put your best foot forward every day. Love you all so much. Make it a great week everyone!!

Elder Long