Aug. 9, 2010

yeah i'm in Juarez again. I'll be writing you in Juarez every week cuz thats just what we do. ok so sounds like the family reunion was fun!! no i never saw minute to win it. yay for letters!! i got a letter from Inda Earl... barely from the 17th of June. so letters by mail are offically labeled as an innoficient(?) way of communication. no clues of sending packages, just this one: don't worry about sending anything. i'll be fine without packages. i made that part stand out so that you didn't miss it. my stomach.... honestly, i doubt that it'll ever be the same. i can't get used to the food and once i think that i am, my colon lets me know otherwise. water is good, and i keep myself hydrated as much as i can. i realized to never ask for water at investigators houses cuz they use tap water. so at night and in the mornings i drink 2 liters of FILTERED water. sounds like you had a fun/busy/crowded/wet weekend but all went well! all our meals except for breakfast (which is then only lunch cuz i don't eat dinner cuz we don't get home until 9 at nite. i don't have to take my antiacid pills now tho!!) are with members. yes we have a refridgerator and i love it. its my friend cuz it makes my water cold. we shop here in Juarez cuz it has a walmart and big stores. Villa Ahumada only has little "Tiendas" which are like shack/huts of produce and the such. and if you want to put more money on the card, go ahead. i've had to take like the equivelent of 40 bucks out the other day to travel to Juarez, but the mission will reimburse me for it. so yeah thats an update of me, while trying to answer all your questions. i'm a multi-tasker what can i say?? so yeah, cool story: there are some americans here from kansas in Villa ahumada that we (and that means i) have been teaching in english cuz they don't know any spanish. its weird teaching in English cuz all i know is how to teach in Spanish. i sometimes throw some spanish words in my teachings on accident. and we now have a new way to teach. the Prophet and the 12 just came out with a new way to teach. our first lesson is straight out of the Book of Mormon, we invite them to baptism the first time we meet them, and if we don't leave the house with a baptism date, we don't leave a Book of Mormon. we don't teach any set lessons until after baptism, so when they have questions we answer them but thats about it. we'll see how it works and i'd guess it'll be better, since its from the Prophet and all.... i don't know if its all missionaries around the world (i'd guess so) or if its just mexico or what but yeah its crazy.but other than that, its all work down here!! love you all and miss ya!!

Elder Arko

Hi my son!
I feel so bad that I didn't get to email you last week because of the change in your p-day. Are you in Juarez again today? How is everything else going? I loved getting your video. Send more!! Jana's going to try to download it onto facebook, so we'll let you know how it turns out. I'm going to try to send you a video of our family reunion. I think I told you we did the "Amazing Family Race". Preston took everyone's pictures and made it into a video...complete with the Amazing Race music. The reunion turned out real good and I think everyone had fun. Did you ever see "Minute to Win it" before you left? I can't remember if it was on TV then or not, but we had a bunch of games that one person on a team had to do in one minute. It was fun, too! Almost everyone was there except you and Megan's family. We missed you and some even wrote you letters. Now I just have to mail them to you and hope they get there. Have you gotten any clues on how to send packages? You'll have to check sometime when you get to Chihuahua and see if you ever got your packages. I was thinking that I might send a small package to you at the address you sent a few emails ago and see if you get it so I know how to send Christmas presents. I'm just thinking ahead!! So...anything new in your part of the world? How has your stomach (and other parts) been feeling? I hope you have been drinking lots of water...course that could be the root of the problem! Are you adjusting better to the life style there? Keep up the good attitude!! You are doing awesome!! Guess what?? I got released as Relief Society Pres. I feel relieved, but sad at the same time! Oh well, that's how it goes! Last Sunday, Larry and Andy had Cali blessed. It was a nice day and we had good food. This weekend was UBIC and Larry and Andy came out, along with Aunt Holly and her family. Molly danced in the program on Friday night and everyone got to see her. She was sooo cute! We were going to go to the concert on Saturday, which was Nathan Osmond (Donny's nephew) and Patty Loveless (country singer), but it rained a lot that afternoon and got quite cool, so we decided to stay home and play games. Then Uncle Allen, Charlene, Amy and Zen called and came that evening. So we had a barbeque and it was great fun! We had quite the crowd, but it was great having them all. Now it is very quiet and I am tired. I do have a few questions this week...Do you eat very often at member's homes or do you cook your own meals? Where do you go shopping? Do you have a refrigerator to keep things cool? Do you need more money on your card, or is it holding out pretty good? Let me know if you think you need more for food....no more masks!! :) Well I'll close for now and an anxious to read your email tomorrow. Keep working hard..I know the Lord is blessing you! Be good to Elder Robles...he seem really nice...(on the video) and tell him we say "Hi"! You are always in our thoughts and prayers and it doesn't seem like a day goes by without us talking about you. Miss you and Love you Lots!! Mom