Week #87 - Dog Bite

District Activity Pictures!

Word of the week is "morididas" ... I will save you the trouble of putting "mordidas" in Google Translate. It means "bites"... now it is story time.

Tuesday, my companion was not feeling very well. He has had a lot of problems with the food and how it affects his health. But he still was hungry, so he got ready and we went to lunch. The member we went to eat with that day, we had never gone with before, so it was a new street we had never walked. We were walking, approaching the house of the hermana. My companion was walking on my right side, and a little bit behind me. On the right side of the street, there was a little gate open, I passed, and my companion was passing.. And that is when a big dog came running and barking.. Fast. It jumped at my companion, but from what I saw, I thought he just pushed it away and it went running. But when my companion turned towards me, I saw that his shirt was ripped, and blood.

We called the mission president, and he told us to go to a nearby hospital. We were there for a bit. It wasn't that serious. Basically, the hospital just cleaned it up, it did not need any stitching. But now, I can report that my companion is doing fine! But his hate for dogs... a bit more extreme. I told him that is why the dog bit him. That makes him even madder. Hehehe.

On Wednesday, we returned to the hospital, not for the bite, but for my companion's stomach. I also got a bit sick. But this week, we are super ready to get to work this week!

***Between Brothers***

10162016 #87

Dear Landon, I don't have my license yet, but I think I should get it by the end of this month. I still have two more roads to do. On my last roads, he made me drive through really heavy construction in rush hour! It took like 20 minutes to travel 100 meters! My Driver's Ed teacher said for early morning kids that we only have till miercoles and then we're done! The quarter gets out next week lqtm. Today, Dad smoked prime rib and brisket. It was so good, but Cal was at work hehe. We only have three days of school this week! On Tuesday, I have to write three essays in Language Arts on To Kill A Mockingbird :/ I'm not sure if I'll get a 4.0 this quarter because Physics is trash! It's way hard. Maga is over right now and she said that Princess had kittens today again! Five kittens... AGAIN! That's kinda funny. So yeah... Wuv, Keat

Dear Landon, next week is the end of the quarter, and this week is fall break, so we all are going to get some resting days in the next two weeks (which I really need). But the only bad thing is that my favorite teacher is a CACR Teacher, which means that I only have him for only one quarter only. I have been saying this a lot since the school year started, "Why is Mr. Mineer my favorite teacher!?!?" And my next CACR teacher is Ms. Wilson, and I have heard that she does a lot of artsy things, but I hate my art class enough! So that makes me really mad that I have to leave Mr. Mineer's class. In Gym, we are now starting up Soccer. Ohhhh, I hate this sport soooooo much! I don't care about winning (we're 0-3, TEE-HEE), it is just something about it that is really competitive, and I get hurt a lot while playing. Since we are playing at like 7:50 A.M., the grass has frosty tips, making it very easy to slide. And within the first 3 games, I have slipped and hurt myself around 5 to 6 times, yet in Football, I ran so much more, I never slipped! It will be a long two weeks... Anyway, outside of school, I have had an interest of playing Tennis. Finally, mom took us to West Jordan Park so we can play a quick game (and to get a lot of PokeStops). I did pretty good in my first times playing, and I am definitely interested in playing again. And that is basically it for this week...     Love, Cooper

Oh yeah, and Princess and 5 kittens.

Dear Landon, I had some crazy basketball games this week. First of all, I had three and a half! In the first, we didn't do so good. But in the second, I hit a buzzer from deep three and it was crazy! We did end up losing that game though. So we headed up to Lehi and I found out that the team we were supposed to be playing forfeit so we got to scrimmage against 7th graders! I did really good assisting in that game. So for our last one, we played the eighth best sixth grade AAU team in the country and their two coaches were NBA players! So our coach wasn't expecting us to win that game, but do our hardest. And we did. We only lost by about 20 points. I don't have mostly anything else to write about except that Princess has has 5 more little kitties!! So anyway, love you dude!         CollBolt

• Dear Keaton: Hahah I remember I barely did anything for Driver's Ed.. And when I took the final test, you have to park along the street, by the curb. When I did it, I remember that the back end of the car was way out towards the street.. I thought that killed me. But the teacher was a softy.. And I passed. Just seeing that word me da nausea.. (I wrote that it spanish, because I cannot remember how to spell it..) ESSAY. Three of them? That is unfair. But if you are doing your best, what more can you ask for? Wow.. Maga is getting Princess in the game.. 
• Dear Cooper: Ahhhh, Mr. Mineer.. I wonder if he remembers me.. I did some interesting things while in his class.. Like starting a water war... (He was not happy about that..) I would not be that excited for arts class either.. but it is necessary. Hahah soccer, I am actually getting into it. I will not say that I am GOOD, because that would be a lie. But at least it is enjoyable. Tennis? I can't see me into that. Table tennis, yes! I played for the first time in quite a while last Monday. I have lost a lot of my skills.. But I will have to practice when I get home, to beat CooperMan
• Dear Colton: Wow.. Sounds pretty intense for your basketball. Don't those other teams not want to draft you? Hahah.. Keep playing hard, and enjoy it. Because Mom pays a lot! Just remember.. Haha

Week #85 and #86

As Autumn hits Utah back home, the climate change is notable here too. In the mornings during the studies I will usually put on my sweater. But when it is time to leave, and during lunch, I am easily sweating in 2 minutes. I am a bit nervous to see (or touch) snow.. It will be the middle of winter when I get home! My poor body will freeze..

I was asked if the election is making news in Mexico. Honestly, I have not heard much.. Just once in a while people will ask me "What do you think of Trump? He hates Mexicans, do you hate Mexicans?" . . . Obviously not.. I love you ... and your food! Hahahaha. I just tell them if Trump wins the election. . . I am coming back to Puebla.

I will probably gain a few pounds coming back home.. Having all my little snacks that I can eat 24/7 that I have missed so much.. Just think of it. But honestly, I am so excited to present "la comida mexicana" to my brother and dad when they come! They have talked of coming to Mexico to pick me up. Keaton says that he eats "super spicy food" . . . Hot Cheetos here are bascially candy! It has been hitting me. I will miss the food a loooot. Eating with tortilla has become so natural. When I tell people that we don't eat tortilla in every meal, they are soo surprised! Asking, "But. . . how can you even get full?" Hahah it is funny.

It was hard hearing the news that a friend (from church/neighborhood/school) passed away. I heard it from both my mom and another missionary from the neighborhood.  I thought that he was doing well. I remember when I saw Kody in our home after my farewell. I never had the thought that that would've been the last time seeing him. Why would I have thought that? Here I am so close to the end of my mission, and Kody was one of the people I was hoping to see afterwards. I know very little of all the challenges and difficulties he has been going through. I surely will miss Kody, we had numberless fun times together. 

***Between Brothers***

10022016 #85

Dear Landon,so almost every week is going to be mostly about basketball. I'm just going to tell you the last game was the craziest. In the first game, we won by 2 points. It was against the first team we played and the first time we lost to them. We got revenge. In the second game, we played what it looked like were 9th graders! We lost by a lot because they has tall guys and small really fast guys. I think they were the best team in the league. Now moving on to the 3rd game. It started out really bad in the first half. We are losing by 5 when the second half starts. The third quarter wasn't so good either. But in the fourth quarter, I get about 10 points in 1 minute, we are losing by 3 with about 3 minutes left to go in the game then they give the ball to me for a three and I make it. Then they take a shot but miss, we grab the rebound, bring it upcourt, I'm open for three and I drain it! So they have the ball and they take a shot and airball! So they give the ball to me and I'm open for three but when they jump out at me, I pump fake it, then I go in for two and make the jumper. So they are coming up with the ball then I swoop in and steal it! I finish it off with a left handed layup. We end up winning 23-16! That was the best run I've ever done in my life! So pretty much basketball every week now. Any way love you man!          ColtBolt

Dear Landon, I did a lot of walking with the Pokemon GO ever since the buddy system update came out. I only had 7 Jigglypuff candies, and I needed 50 to evolve. And with the buddy system, I need to walk 1km for 1 candy, and I didn't catch 1 of them in the process, so I walked 43km for this evolution. And I am going to do that all over again, but with Clefairy. So far, Middle School is definitely a lot harder than elementary. I have only been late to one class, but the teacher didn't mark due to a misunderstanding. So if she did have everybody tardy, around 10 people would have been. And I have already turned in two assignments late, because I have had so much more homework that I just forgot about it. But I was lucky enough that they still had not have graded them, so they don't have to mark the assignment late. And earlier today, we went to Maga's house, and it was pretty fun. A lot of the younger kids spent most of the time in the backyard playing a game sorta like "Jackpot."    Love, Cooper

• PS. Did the Brothers not write me? I don't see their email. (Colton and Cooper wrote, but I kept waiting for Keaton, who never got around to it. Then I forgot to send it. But see boys? Landon looks forward to your letters!)

10072016 #86

Dear Landon, sorry I didn't write you last week. I think I just forgot to and went to bed. Anyway... I've got pretty good grades right now. On Wednesday, we did grade runs in 4th period for basketball class. Basically a C was a lap around the track, a D was 3-4 laps, and an F, or a no grade, was 6 laps. My worst grade was an A- in Spanish lqtm. I blame the teacher because he never tells us when we have homework, and we have to print it out on our own. Haha but Mason ended up having to run 6 and a half miles because he's been gone a lot for golf. That day, I just did a lot of push-ups, bear crawls, and duck walks for other people. Just a few more days till the end of the quarter, and I'll have my license! Sure there's that to look forward to from Driver's Ed,  but the better thing from that is NO MORE EARLY MORNING!! So yeeeaaaahh... Wuv, Keat

Dear Landon, so the term is almost ending, and overall, my grades are really good. The only "bad" grade I have is in Science where I have an A-, but tomorrow it should go back to an A because he made a mistake on Skyward and said that I have an F for not turning in a starter which he has actually graded (and I got an A). This week was the last for Football in Gym Class, and we ended up winning the championship. We were really overpowered compared to the other teams, and we had a record of 7-0. I haven't been playing a lot of Pokemon GO this week, but that is just because I am more focused on other things like basketball or other sports, homework, and keeping up on how the NBA is going on. And if you didn't know, when it was my birthday, I didn't get a lot of stuff. So with the Pre-Season in NBA starting up, she got me League Pass and NBATV. But yeah, I do think it is stupid that we can't watch any Pre-Season games without buying channels, but it will be good for regular season as well.        Love, Cooper

Dear Landon, this Saturday I had to miss one of my games because it conflicted with one of my other games. We went against the team that beat us 4 points in the championship and we were down by a lot in the fourth quarter then we went on a run. We brought it up to only a 5 point difference but the game still ended up us losing. In our next game, I think we went against the second hardest in the league and we lost by a bit. But I did get assists and 2 three pointers. They had one really small kid who can do everything. He was so good at drawing the foul, I got 4 fouls because of him! I dont really have anything else to write about this week. So love you man!!           ColtBolt

• Dear Keaton: Eso es un buen chico.. Bien que te va bien en la escuela. Tuvieron que correr por tener grados malos? Que feo! Jajaja Mason.. que chafa! Ya vas a tener tu licencia? No manches.. Loco! Y ya tienes tu propio coche para manejar! Tienes mucha suerte.. Sigue así, hermanito mío..
• Dear Colton: Dang.. Chance for revenge and they still won.. Darn.. That can be rough.. But it doesn't sound like you are complaining too much. Just enjoying the game, and that is the most important. Haha now he wasn't flopping right? That is when it is just dumb.. Just one more and you would've been pulled out! That really sucks. Haha you need to be doing something else apart from basketball everyday.. How is it going in school!?
• Dear Cooper: Haha Skyward. I remember well that experience. It is really awesome in fact! I imagine that it has changed quite a bit in the two years I haven't used it. Sounds like you are doing a lot better than I did.. I only got a 4.0 maybe 2 times.. Yikes. But keep doing good! I saw a bit of Pokemon GO when a member was playing it.. I still don't know how it works.. But I will learn in about 4 months..! 4 months! Crazy right?!

Week #84 - Quick Change

Here we are entering into the third to last change of my mission. I think it will be a few week until I get a call from one of the secretaries to plan my flight.. I remember hearing of the possibility of Dad and Keaton coming down to get me? Maybe we need to be sure of those plans now.. So talk about it, and let me know!

This change blew by. Although it feels normal for us because we had the emergency changes only 3 weeks ago. Oh well. So for that, we don't have changes.

In the district there were little changes. 3 of us didn't have changes, 1 closed area, and the last one was a simple change of companion. My "mission dad" Elder Gutierrez closed area with his companion, and they sent him to Manantiales (my last area)! What luck! So my dad will "die" in Manantiales.

With them closing area, I thought an elder would come to train a new missionary, but no... ANOTHER companionship of sister missionaries! That means that the district is my companion, myself, and 8 sister missionaries! My district has now become the Relief Society. I will tell you how it goes.

The best thing that happened this week was the wedding! One of our investigators that has had quite a bit of time going to church finally got married! That was the only thing that was impedding her from getting baptized, so.. that means 2 baptisms next week! Not this Saturday, because of general conference, but the other week! 

I think we are just coming out of the rainy season (thank goodness! I don't like wet books..). I can already tell the difference in the days, they are getting shorter. A little bit cooler. That will be nice. I like winter here. But I don't think I will be ready for winter in Utah..

Just wanted to give that quick update! I am super well, super happy, and super busy in the work of the Lord! Love you all!

*** Between Brothers ***

09252016 #84

Dear Landon, a lot of basketball again. I found out that I have three games every Saturday! This Saturday I won one of them and lost the other two. I did really good. In the first, we won by 4. The last minute of the game was about 4-5 minutes long because all the fouls. But I got the last like 7 or 8 points. I also really jammed my thumb in the game. In the next game, we got destroyed and my coach got ejected! He said that the ref that ejected him hated him for 10 years! In the last game, we lost by only 5! I played really good that game. I got around 6 assists I bet and about 10 points I think. We went bowling with, Livi, Will, Aidan, and Amare. (And by "we" I mean me Cooper and Keaton.) I didn't do so good but Amare, Aidan and Will all got some strikes! I got about nothing more to write about this week, so Love ya man!            ColtBolt

Dear Landon, apparently they changed my classes because the other class didn't have a whole lot of students. And it wasn't just me, it was like 6 other kids as well. The counselors thought our schedules were easiest to change, but it is ending up alright. I found out that my friend from math is there, and we talk all the time, and I have made a few more friends in there. I haven't made any friends in the new art class, but I did judge the teacher to quickly. When I said I didn't like him in the last letter I wrote to you, it was probably because when I change schedules, I was just really pissed off. But he is actually a really good teacher. Since Softball is now over, we are moving on to Football, which I am destroying at right now. We are playing with 9th graders (which is weird) but It's alright because they aren't guarding me. In the first game, I ended up with 4 TD's 2 interceptions, and 3 extra points. Dad told me he was driving to Salt Lake, so I tagged along for Pokemon GO purposes. He drove me around a lot for PokeStops when I was at a good amount. When we started, I had around 60 PokeBalls, no GreatBalls, and 2 UltraBalls. But I ended with 228 PokeBalls, 34 GreatBalls, and 10 UltraBalls. I know I already told you that I am back to playing Ping Pong again, but when you come back, I would want to challenge you. I have really improved and I even beat dad in a game to 21, score being 16-21. So I think it would be cool if I would play you, since you (maybe) haven't played in nearly two years.         Love, Cooper

Dear Landon, I don't understand why you're so excited about me dating lqtm! Jk, I guess I get it. School is killing me right now! I like my physics class because I have a lot of friends and we do some pretty wack stuff in there, but the teacher sucks so bad! He never tells us when homework is or even what is! We have to like go on two different sites for weird quizzes and assignments. I have a C+ in that class because of him. It's his first year teaching and he even told us at the beginning of the year that he's a nerd (and he is TOTALLY a nerd)! My Spanish teacher is kinda the same because he never really tells us when we have homework and when we do, we have to print it out ourselves. I still like that class and that teacher though. On Thursday, the high school basketball teams had Fall games at Sky Ridge. Sky Ridge is a new high school built almost the exact same as Corner Canyon. Those schools are friggin' litt! Anyway, the sophs had two games, both against Sky Ridge. The first game, we sucked, but we played an awful team and still won by 10. The second game, I went off! And everybody else said I went off lqtm. I scored about 20 points and got back-to-back, eyeball 3's! It was awesome, and the second team was a lot better (but they still sucked lqtm). So yeah... It's crazy seeing how fast these last 6 months are going. Wuv, Keat