Letter home dated 8/20/2012 Hey mom. Ahhhh it is sooo different here!!!! yes I am here safely. We got here off the plane and met up with our mission president at the airport then he took us to his home and his wife made us dinner. then we took pictures then after that he took us to where we would stay for just one night, when we got there it was another missionaries apartment and we all crashed because we were tired. i slept in the kitchen , , , haha because their were no matresses left. and it was fine!!!!! no worries. It is very hot and humid here. I am used to it now kinda. hah. and everything is going well. The next morning woke up and i woke up sick i had brushed my teeth the previous night with the water. . . . and i think thats what did it. But im good now. That whole afternoon i was just going to the bathroom a lot. and the bathrooms are very gross ha,, but im used to that by now also. : ) the next day we went to the mission offices and met up with most of the missionaries and we had meeting with the president and he assignes us to the city we would be in. I am in the lowest city in the mission. It is called Esquinapa. Its below mazitlan. Later that day we went to the bus station and got on a bus. It was a five hour drive from Culiacan. The buses are nicer-. - hah so that was a benefit. When we arrived in esquinapa it was raining and i loved it. I like the rain. : ) and we walked three blocks from the bus station to the apartment. The apartment is nice and i like it. Il take a picture of it. You walk in and there is like a small living room with a long couch, and then the frisge is next to it, on top of that is a rafter type thing with a red railing and thats where we study in the mornings. as soon as you walk in and take a left there is the kitchen and the bathroom and then our room where we sleep. it is a nice little place and its good. The members live in a house behind us. yesterday was my first day at church and their are about fifty members-. it not very big. its nice though the church is nice. Its very hot and humid here and i sweat all day. . i bought rags today to be able to wipe mysef off. . . . hah. Everything here makes me very grateful for what i have at home. We started going out and teaching the next day and by now i know pretty much all the investigators. here in mexico its funny. . . hah each door we go up we yell buenos tardes through their windows and they usually come out, and they always say they are busy. . . even when we can see through their window that they are just watching tv or something. . . it is just the culture here. Everyone is busy. or occupado. most of the time we have to make an appointmnt later in the week when they have time or just start our message right there and then and then they come out and talk to us. its very different. and we usually teach more towards the north and thats where all the poorer people live. They live in. . . hmm its kind of close to the kibera slums but a little bit better. . . ha if that gives you a picture. and it is out of the city a little bit over a river and its really green over there. We have a few people in the city we teach but now a lot. Most of the people are catholic here. Their is a cathedral right in the center of the city. . all of the roads lead to it. After the first week i know where most of the members live and where all the investigators live. I can get myself around pretty well. We ride bikes everywhere and we are lucky to have them. There are only four white missionaries here in esquinapa. me my companion and two other elders. its a small city. we have one half of the city and the other two have the other half . There are two branches in the church here. I am here in the rainy season and it rains every couple days- once it gets hotter though it never rains. . it will be cloudy one day and the next it will be sunny. My new companions name is Elder Anderson. He is cool. still tfying to kind of figure each other out. : ) he is cool though. im sorry about katie i hope she gets better!!! and hazels birthday sounds awesome. . pfff i wouldnt expect anything less danny is going to spoil her like crazy : ) tell them i miss them and there family. I dont know exactly how the mail here works. . . or how to send letters. Once i do il send one to you and we will see if it gets to you or not. for right now i thinks its better to just email. I know that if you send me things though you have to go through the address the rio choix one the Culiacan one. You send things to that first and then the mission offices will send it to me in esquinapa. so the address is Rio Choix# 888 COl.Rosales, Culiacan SIN C.P.80230 A.P.645 2012111@ldschurch.org so send things to this address with my name and they will send it to me. I will be here for about 4 months then il get transfered i think. . . i dont know. My companion says its about 4 months though. I am usually verry busy during the week!!!! like way busy especially since i am new. . . its hard for me but i am doing well and doing what im supposed to be doing. I am learning the language fast i think,. . . ha i hope. but i know lots of new words. just after my first week. we have been teaching a lot of people. The church is starting to change things a beleive. . we are staring to only work through members lately we dont do door appraches that much. only sometimes. but the members usually know who we should contact and who would actually stay in the church. I think thats more smart anyway. i have been working hard and i know this church is true. I love you guys. I miss everyone. Tell Laura R to write me a letter. I hope kristy and Pete can help you with the WIN I am happy to hear that it is going a long well mom. I love you and dad sooo much. and i miss you both. I hope dad and uncle david had fun in colorado. i hope everyone is doing well. I am doing well and i am trying my best to focus on the work. Its is hard for me sometimes to not think about whats happening at home, or just missing everyone. but i know that you guys are all okay. and I love all of you so much!!! I will write to you next monday i love you tell the family i love them and miss them.