Week #83 - Party Pictures

 Interchanges

Crazy week.. As usual.. Being district leader again is great and all.. But a lot of work with 5 companionships under your wing. Three being sister missionaries. They are awesome, but can sometimes talk a lot.

The first thing to mention this week would be celebration of independence day! Here in Mexico it was the 15th of September. And it gets crazy! If I had to describe it in a few words... fireworks, music, and loud drunk people We had a little party with the members of the ward, and ate a lot food! Maybe it was the rootBEER that got to us in these silly photos.

(Landon also sent a video of him trying a drink recommended by one of the Brothers in the ward ... raw egg and a coke. Ummm, yuck! These elders are a little crazy loco!) 

On Friday we had a special conference with the mission president. We talked a lot about "covenants", but I am going to say it in Spanish (convenio) because it is a lot easier for me! We have focused as a mission on personal convenios, meaning we make a deal with God to do a certain task, and ask that He would bless us, if we had completed such task. Frequently we do a deal as such "Okay, we are going to talk with 30 people in the street today. But God, we would like you to bless us with a family, that you have prepared to receive us."  Normally the experiences shared during the conference, the missionaries were very specific in what they were asking... and the testimonies are impressive! It sure requires diligence, but I am sure it is worth it to have a miracle! 

The last thing I'll mention would be yesterday (Sunday). There was a little stake priesthood conference, gathered here in La Libertad.  I have had three area placements here.  It was great to see a BUNCH of familiar faces. From Manantiales, from Forjadores.. Ahh... good times. Man I am so old. Doesn't matter. There is work to do. Thanks! Love you all!

*** Step Stats ***

I haven't done a step update in a while. Landon wasn't great about sending me his steps and I didn't bug him about it ... but without checking in on him, I wasn't really checking in on any of the boys. Callahan is completely missing from this list, which he shouldn't be. I just found out his Fibit isn't syncing, I'll have to look into that. 

Monday, September 12 ... 27840

Tuesday, September 13 ... 10939

Wednesday, September 14 ... 14317

Thursday, September  15 ... 15093

Friday, September 16 ... 14050

Saturday, September 17, 18440

Sunday, September 18, 13993

Landon said they played a bunch of ball on Monday, thus the high step count there. 

*** Between Brothers ***

Dear Landon, yeah Homecoming is on October 1st, but even if I was planning on going, the girls in my grade probably wouldn't be 16 because I'm like one of the oldest in the grade. Cal asked a girl tho lqtm. I'm challenging the meaning of the title: ***Between Brothers***. I think it should be changed to: ***Conversations with Brothers with Mom in the middle, secretively listening/reading***. It just makes much more sense ya know? I got a black eye on Thursday, so Cal and I kinda understood why people said we looked alike because he got one about a week and a half ago. But take away the black eyes and you get two very dissimilar people lqtm. Dad smoked for us pulled pork yesterday and steak today. The steak was way good! Not much more I can think of for the week except that Language Arts is just getting worse and worse as we have to read To Kill A Mockingbird, and that Matthew Hansen came home on Thursday. I heard him speak today and it was funny because he definitely had an accent, and there were some times where he had to stop and think of a word in English because he couldn't remember it lqtm. So yeah... Wuv, Keat

Dear Landon, I got a schedule change that really pissed me off. I had to switch my 1st period (Art) and my 4th period (Gym). What I hate about it is that Art was one of my 2 classes where I had Elementary friends from, and I had a really good teacher. They switched me to a class where there were fewer students, and of course, a different teacher. And now I have a teacher that I don't like. And now I have Gym 1st period, which just seems so early to start going outside and and doing whatever we have to do. I probably just woke up! Also, at the beginning of the year, I knew no one in in the class, NO ONE. Then when they switched my schedule, I already had made friends with over half of the class. I was considering arguing with the counselor or was changing my schedule, but I knew what she was going to say. "You're gonna make new friends in your new classes." Speaking of Gym, the Softball tournament had ended, and it ended in a tie. We had a regular season record of 7-1, and then in the Championship, it was a hard-fought game ending with a score of 12-12. But I think this will basically be the remainder of what my letters will be to you from now on. Just talking school, 'cause that is all I am doing right now.    Love, Cooper

Dear Landon, I don't really have anything to write about other than my three basketball games in one day on Saturday. I technically won all three games because the only one I "lost" was bullcrap. They called a double-dribble on one of my teammates when he stole the ball and hit the ball with one hand then started dribbling and hit a layup at six seconds left to put us in the lead, but since it was a "double-dribble" they took away our points! In the other two games we destroyed. I also hit a layup buzzer! It was a fastbreak with five sec left and the ball got stolen from my teammate but then the person who stole it started to lose the ball then I just swooped in there and grabbed it then hit the layup. We won by about 25 that game and the other game was just crazy. We won by about 50 points! I don't know how many points I got but I know I got so many assists! Nothing else to write about, like I told you just basketball, love ya man!  ColtBolt

• Dear Keaton: So what? Callahan has got lots of lady friends that you can ask.. Haha imagine a double date with your older brother. *awkward turtle sign* or who knows. Maybe it could be a blast! But hey, I am waiting very anxiously to hear about the first date experience? Don't worry, I will ask Callahan about his lady friend he has asked. Haha okay, that is pretty funny! But you know when you look at two people of another race, and you say "hmm they look the same." That first happened with me here, thinking "all Mexicans look the same!" but I now have learned to see the differences. I also show them a family photo, and they will look at it, look at me, then at the photo again... Then ask me, "this is you right?" Well obviously! "You all look the same!" . . . really.? Haha I don't feel that I have an accent.. But maybe I do.. But it is true about forgetting words in English! Oh my gosh! We have a new sister missionary in the district that is "americana" and is struggling to learn. I usually help out translating things, because I am the only other missionary in the district that speaks English. And I can say on various occasions that I would forget a word.. Haha it makes you feel a bit dumb.. But oh well. te amo.
• Dear Cooper: But why did you have the change in the first place? Doesn't sound like there was much reasoning for why they had made the changes? Weird.. That is pretty sad.. Oh well, what can you do? Gym really sucks to have for your first period. Because then you get all sweaty at the beginning of school! Right now in fact, I smell like wet dog.. I am so sweaty after playing and walking in the sun for a long time. And now the sky is falling.. It is raining super hard! But oh well. Make school fun, becuase it surely can be fun! te amo.
• Dear Colton: Wow.. 3 games in one day? That is quite crazy! Hahah que chafa.. That is a little saying you can say "that sucks" Hahahah. Dang.. How is that even possible to win by so many points? Why do you tell me about school? NOTHING is happening in school.. I don't think so! You are in school 7ish hours a day! Haha anyway . . . ENJOY SCHOOL. te amo.