Week #26 - Holy/Holey

Hello from Mexico. So last week my mother was a bit confused about my new companion. Apparently she found a picture of he and I on the mission Facebook page, and he was "tagged" with a different name than what I had said for my companion. But in the picture,  that is Elder Muñiz! Mexico is a bit different than the US, concerning names. In the States, we usually have a first, middle, and last name. Here, they have "nombres" (names) and "apellidos" (last names). How it usually is, they have two nombres, and two apellidos. Like when a couple gets married in the US, the women changes her last name to match the man's. But here, they don't change names when they marry. They give their apellidos paternos (apellido from the father) to their children. Like my first compañero, his name is Raul Gibran Gutierrez Dominguez. "Raul" and "Gibran" are his nombres, "Gutierrez" is the apellido from his father, and "Dominguez" is the apellido from his mother. They use the apellido paterno as we use our last names. Haha yeah.. It is cool.  

Well, I am coming up on the six month mark of my mission already... it is starting to show. Meaning in the clothes I have. All my white shirts and pants appear to be in good shape, but socks, shoes, and garments...they are dying. Almost every sock has a hole. Some of my garments are starting to get holes too. And even my Rockport shoes, the right shoe now has a hole. But at least with the shoes, I think there is hope to save them. Mexico has a ton of these little shoe repair shops, maybe I can take them there, and it would be easily (and cheaply) fixed. Maybe. Well, I guess we all knew that a mission is a "holey" experience. (Mommy the shoes can be fixed, as on the Mexico Mission Mom's page someone said you now needed a PERMIT to get shoes across the border!)

On the subject of clothes, in Forjadores, next to our house, we had a member who ran a laundrymat. So they washed all my clothes (garments included) for 25 pesos, which is pretty cheap. Now, today we gave our clothes to some laundrymat (excluding the garments this time) and we have to wash our garments by hand, because we don't have a washing machine. Hand washing ... that was a new and exhausting experience.

I had misplaced my name tag and had to pay for a new one. Then the very next day, during personal study, I wanted to look up a word in the dictionary. When I picked it up, something was inside it. My name tag! I was so happy yet so mad all at once. Of course I would find it after I already paid for a new one. Oh well, all is good. 

We found a little grey puppy, which was obviously homeless, because it was eating garbage and super skinny. We went quickly to a tienda to buy some dog food to give it. So that was a little service for the day. 

On Saturday, there was a baptism for Almecatla 2. Normally you go to other baptisms with your investigators, but we had no one. The other missionaries were glad that we were there though, as they had to sing in the program, and they had us sing with them. 

That is it for this week ...

 There was no explanation with this picture ;)

*** Step Stats ***

Monday, August 10 - 17482

Tuesday, August 11 - 17569

Wednesday, August 12 - 15698

Thursday, August 13 - 15261

Friday, August 14 - 17779

Saturday, August 15 - 16770

Sunday, August 16 - 6313

... pretty good steps for no official "exercise" from an Elder. Landon did mention playing a little basketball and soccer with the youth, as well as taking "the long way" on a way to an investigator's house (going for 30 minutes only to end up a short distance from where they had started). More steps on the pedometer!  The little boys were back to Gene Fullmer this week (the week before the gym floor was being refinished) but now the trampoline needs a new mat (bouncing at home is another big step earner for the Blackham boys).  Uncle Shane managed to edge over Mr. Missionary, with Uncle Chris and Aunt Wendy close behind ...

*** Between Brothers ***

Dear Landon, today we went wave running, but on the way there we gave Andy away. The guy that we gave Andy to, would clip their wings so they don't fly away because he makes money off them. Suzie+Roxy= SO MUCH FUN. I went about 60 mph. Keaton and I hit a gigantic wave. And Callahan and I did the thing you and I did, we jumped off. One time I pushed him off and then he tried pull me off but he didn't. Also one time I was in the water and I was trying to get on but Callahan kept shaking it then he fell off so I got on. We are finally going to go Park city!! But not in the Summer! We all went to Maga's house to sleep in tents in the backyard. But right before we went sleep, we watched a movie called "Paddington" But I wasn't able to sleep, I fell asleep at 12:15 A.M. Well that is it for this week. Love, ya. Love, Colt

Dear Landon, one more week until school is back. There is two bad reasons to go back to school, and two good reasons (for me). The bad reasons are that I'm going to have to do math, science, writing, etc, and I'm in a different classes than ALL of my best friends, seriously. The two good reasons is that I will get to see a lot of my friends again, and my birthday is in the first week of school. We finally went to go wave running, but it will be the only time that we go all summer. And the saddest thing about going to the lake, is that on the way, we gave Andy away to the person we bought Alex and Pedro from. We had a little sleepover at Maga's house from Friday to Saturday. But I could not really sleep because of the tents, they were uncomfortable. And before going asleep, we watched a movie called Paddington, and made a little fire to toast mallows, and cook hot dogs. While we were roasting the marshmallows, Sam got his on fire and kept bringing it toward me. Then I blew it out, and he got mad and whacked it at me. I did not hurt or anything, but it took me by surprise. Now Joy is sleeping downstairs again with me and Colton. The first night wasn't bad at all, because I didn't even know where she was. We went to KFC today with everyone except Keaton. But now, I do not feel very well.  Love, Cooper

Dear Landon, we gave Andy to the guy we got Pedro and Alex from. We just wanted her to get the chance to be more social. It was sad. No ducky time tonight. We moved the wee kitty back down into the lil ones' room. She made this big old brown sckfing in my room and I was just done. I'm very sure that the peoples in China were able to smell it. We finally went wave running for the first time this summer! It was a lot funner than I remembered. However, we did not go tubing. Tubing is lyfe. On Friday we went to Maga's house to have a sleepover/campout in her backyard. Everyone slept outside except for Maga, Ana, Amare, Sam, Courtney, and Clay. We watched a movie at night and I fell asleep after the first 10 minutes of it. I think it was the movie that actually bored me to sleep. It was a movie called Paddington about a bear who is lost or something. I don't know I was asleep. Dad woke me up after the movie to move me into my tent with Will. Wasn't very hard falling asleep in a breezy tent outside after already been asleep. Dad said that I was making myself pretty obvious that I had fallen asleep during the movie. Idk lol. Everyone is at KFC right now except for me at 7:17 pm. I wasn't hungry and they're just really there to annoy Cal. Idk if Cal told you, but Ben burned himself at KFC and had to go to the hospital. There's now a big bandage on his neck where he got burned. Dad said that we're gonna go to Park City!!!!... after the first week of school. We're going to be staying in a condo which'll be cool. It'll be mine and Cooper's vacation birthday funtime!!!!... with homework. Probably not too much, though. Just disclosures and more disclosures. I haven't even got my schedule yet. Oh! And Dad got a selfie-stick. So yeah... a sort-of vacation-less summer I like to call it. Wuv, Keaton

Dear Landon, school is almost here and I'm not ready. Amanda finally met Clay and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We went on a hike to Cecret Lake with the family. It was really fun, which is weird because I don't like hikes very much. We also went waverunning which was really fun. It was weird without you though. It's not quite the same. I can tell Colton missed you because he kept mentioning what you guys would do when you went on the waverunners together. I tried to do everything he wanted to do. I didn't get to go to the campout because I had work and by the time I was off they were heading off to bed, so I didn't bother going. Sammy is talking pretty well now though. He has pretty much everybody's names down. That's pretty much all that happened this week.  And to answer your question me and Amanda have been dating for almost 11 months now. I miss you a lot. Love you. Callahan

• Dear Colton: That it kinda sad to give away Andy.. 60 mph?! By yourself?! Shoot.. That is pretty fast! Haha, yeah, pretty fun times with Susie and Roxy.. I miss them. Haha why so excited for Park City..? Not like it is Puebla... :p haha! "Paddington"? Sounds exciting.... Not really. Ha! Sounds like a good week!
• Dear Cooper: Why are you going to be in all different classes than all your friends? Haha don't worry too much about school it is a good experience, and you learn a lot! Yeah.. So sad that you guys gave away Andy.. But it is probably better for her to be with other duckies. Haha sounds like a fun little activity with Maga and all the cousins! Yikes! Sam is a little young to be roasting marshmellows all by himself! Haha I am guessing that you are hoping that she doesn't poop in your room too.. Haha good luck!
• Dear Keaton: That is sad to bid farewell to Andy.. At least she will have the opportunity to know other duckies. I honestly laughed so hard when I saw the word "sckfing".. Ha! Yup.. un poopsie, and it is over.. Wow. That is pretty sad, the first and only time to go waverunning during the summer! I am going to guess that the movie has chosen by Maga. Or Addie I guess. Hard to find a show to please everyone, right? Park City is pretty nice, hope you have a good time!
• Dear Callahan: You can never be fully ready for school, right? Clay and Amanda finally met?! Haha I don't think that Clay ever met one of my girlfriends.. But that is good it wasn't that bad. Haha hikes are actually fun sometimes.. Yeah.. I really miss waverunning.. It was a really fun activity to always do together. Doesn't sound like you missed out on anything with the movie at the cousin campout at least. Well I miss you a lot too bro.