Mason's Letter -- December 7 2009

What up fam!!

How's the cold weather up there? I hope it's bad, haha just kidding. it has been really hot this week, so I've pretty much forgotten what the sensation of being cold feels like. Guess I'll be in shock when I get back to Utah.

Mom I only have one hour for the computer, but most people take like 1 and a half or 2. Don't worry I always only take 1. Last Tuesday I recieved your Thanksgiving card. And when I got here I got your other letter. So they are getting here. I probably will get your package on the 18th. I hope so anyways. Here's a tip, if you put stickers of Jesus on the package then people won't mess with it or steal anything from it on the way. That's what all the other American moms do. Haha so I guess it really works. They have never had any problems when Jesus is alll over it.

On P-days we usually do our wash in Miramar. I wash my whites by hand cause I guess it works better. So that takes a while. Then I write letters and we come downtown to this internet cafe to send emails. Then usually we buy a few things and eat out somewhere. Sometimes we go play soccer with the missionaries or with kids around here. I haven't done that yet but I guess we will do it like next week or something. We go to cool places like a couple times a month I think with the whole zone. We only do like cool trips and stuff with the zone. So I haven't done that yet either but I think next week we are going somewhere cool. Today we might go to a museum or something. I'm not sure.

This week was really good. On Tuesday we have our zone meetings. and this week President Cruz came and we all had interviews and played games with Sister Cruz and watched some church videos. It was really fun. I really like President. One of the zone leaders had to go to Utila, one of the islands, this week. So he had to go there for the whole week. So I went on divisions with the other zone leader all week. I've been in a new area this week called Acasias with the zone leader. He is like a 5 foot tall guy from Peru who only has 2 months left. He's really smart and a great missionary. He speaks 4 languages as well. So he has really helped me this week.

My real comp is the District Leader and sometimes he doesn't do things that we are supposed to do, like comp study or planning. So I'm glad I got to see how things really should be this week. I was basically tranined this week by 3 of the best missionaries here. Elder Flores, the zone leader, and the 2 APs. They had to be here in La Cieba for a few days so they came with us to a lot of things. So I got to do a lot of teaching with them and I really grew this week in my teaching skills and contacting. So it was a really good week. I'm actually still with Elder Flores now. I won't be back in my area until tomorrow. When we get back I'm gonna get my comp into shape haha.

This area of Acasias is really nice. All the houses are pretty big so it's a pretty rich area. I really like it. But I'm excited to get back to my area with my investigators. I really want some baptisms! When I got here we really didn't have any progressing investigators. So we basically started anew when I arrived. I hope that our new ones will progress towards baptism. I think there are some really good ones. So I'm excited.

We found a really great family that seems like they will eventually get baptized this week. But when we first contacted them they said a missionary was already teaching them. So we were like what? We are the only missionaries in this area. But she's like no he is like you guys his name is Jimmy and he's given us 3 Mormon Bibles. So we were way suspicious and thought this dude was teaching anti mormon stuff and posing as a missionary. But they pulled out their Mormon Bibles and they were legit Books of Mormon. And he had written some good stuff in them. I guess he's in one of our wards but we still dont know who he is. I think he might be inactive, but he has been teaching this lady some good stuff. But still weird.

Yesterday we got to watch the Christmas devotional by the First Presidency. It was really good. So I wondered if you all were watching it too. I saw Risa so I felt like I was at home in a way.

We aren't allowed to go into any of the malls here. But the ZL had to repair a phone and the only place we could do that is in the mall. So I got to go into the mall baby. Haha yeah it was cool.

But this week was just full of a lot of learning. My teaching is getting a lot better and so is my Spanish. When I feel the spirit in a lesson my Spanish is perfect with no mistakes, but when I don't, my tongue gets in knots and I'm not so good. So I can really see the gift of tongues here. My understanding is getting a lot better too. I can understand some people perfectly and others none at all.

But I love this work and this place. It is hard at times, but I love it. I love to sweat baby!

I love you all fam. you guys sound great.

Elder Mason Cardon