September 7, 2009

Hey everyone it is me agian!

HOw is all? It realy is way hard to think of new things each week. But I heard that BYU beat Oklahoma! YES that is awesome, hopefully that will get us Moutain west in there! And that is all I am going to alk about with football because, if not I will miss it! ha

So lets see for this week, well I am the one who goes to all the little small cities around us to do baptismal interviews. I had the opurtunity last tuesday to do one that I will never forget! Her name was Flur and she had alot of questions concerning her baptism. The interview was about an hour, and during the time, she asked me why I was on a mission. I have never felt quite like I did then when I have born my testimony, and she asked me if I could baptise her Saturday. So we took the hour bus back out there and Flor was baptised. It was a very amazing experience!

Ok so now in Salmanca it is our rainy season, and wow does it poor, I have never ever seen it poor so hard before. In fact the other night at about 11:30 at night a member across the road from us called us and told us her gate had blown down, and that her cover came down as well, and she could not even open the door. Well we got up and headed over in the POURING rain. THe water was about up to our knees, and Very Verry Cold! Well we tied her fence up, and moved the cover so she could open her door, and headed back! WE WERE drenched after about 30 seconds in the rain, so the next day we both woke up sniffling quite a bit! But we put on work clothes and started fixing up her house. I even welded her gate! You see the bishop came over with a welder and started trying to weld, when, they cord caught on fire. I looked over and realized he was using like a 20 Amp 120V extencsion cord, and he took out the house power. So I "Jiffy Rigged" The welder strait into the houses metter, (the bishop had left) and wellded the gate up, I was pretty proud, lol and the gate is still holding strong! We also bought and put up a new shelter over her porch/living room, and We got her power back up and going!

Our appartment is also struggling a bit. Well first off I had to take down all the lamps we had inside and put in just light outlets, because my head was starting to hurt from hitting them so much, But because of all the rain, the bugs have come out. So In United States we do not have the Opurtunity to see Cocroaches too much, Well here I DO! You see with the rain our cocroach farm has like doubled, So here are some things I have found usuful here. First off, when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, it is good to have my eyes closed when I turn the light on, so they can all scatter first. Also when I go to put my sandles on, to pic them up and wiggle them to get any bugs off them. Also when we sleep to make sure the covers do not touch the ground because the bugs will crall up them. And to always have my covers up over my face, to keep mesquitos off! And lastly to keep EVERY type of food in the fridge! Haha, just fun things I have gotten to learn, as well as the power of RAID spray

Ok my last storry is also another lauging one, that I just think is hilarous. You see here they eat all part of animals. We were over at a members house the other day when a little girl came running in with a chickens foot sticking out of her mouth. I thought maybe she accidently ate a whole chicken or something :S But I guess they just eat chicken feet for fun ( I have been told it is like chewing on fingernails) Welll we were over at a new investegators house, he has grown up in United States, so we spoke the whole time in English (It was realy hard) and he said the same thing. He said that he could not believe that people eat chicken feet. HE told us that his girlfriend was eating one and then tried to kiss him and he said "NO YOU HAVE CHICKEN FOOT BREATH!" I thought it was hillarious, and is my new favorite quote!

Well things are going great here, and it sounds like things are going good there at home, I only have one request. You see I am getting a package together to send home in about October with all your Presents! They are all pretty cool, but I would like to send home just one box. I have presents for Josh, Robert, Dallon, and Jen. Just small things, but my problem is that It will probably run me more money then I have to send it. So I am wondering if you can help me get the money together to send it home. But do not worry I do not need the money too soon, just wanted to ask, and give you a heads up!

Well I love you ALl very much,

Elder Paul!e

August 31, 2009 Pictures

Burned my arm on a boiler.

My bandage.

My burn after a few days.


My owie toe - it looked a lot worse the next day.

Daniel ready for me to baptize him.

August 31, 2009 - Pictures

My last ward getting ready for a baptism.

In the lake baptizing.

After a very col baptism.


Found some service to do.

My last district.


Me and Elder Gray headed to Leon.

August 31, 2009

Hey everyone how is it going,

Well Ihave now finished my second week in Salamanca, and I think my lungs hate this place! ha I know that I have told you that this place is realy dirty, but I am going to explain a little more how dirty it is. So the other day it rained and the next day it was way humid. Well at the end of the day, every single person had black faces and arms. ME and my companion took pictures to show you. It is pretty gross.

We have been working with alot of people for getting ready for baptism, but are having alot of troubles with familes. It is funny because most families are not active catholcs, but they are so afraid of someone leaving their liitle circle for something better, that they do everything they can to drag them back in!

Ok well I do not have too much new to write, so I am just going to tell you a little storry I read the other day. Here as a missionary sometimes it is hard because we can see so many bad things going on in the world, and sometimes if feels very overwhelming. This storry helps alot.

"The Starfish"

An old man was walking along the beach. In the distance he saw someone who seemed to be dancing along the waves. As he got closer he saw a young man picking up starfish and tossing them back into the ocean.

"What are you doing?" The old man asked.

"The sun is coming up, and the tide is going out. If I do not throw them in they will die!"

"But young man, there are miles and miles of beachwth starfish all along it. You can´t possibly make adifference."

The young man bent down, picked up a starfish and threw it back past the breaking waves.

"It made a difference to that one!"

The young man´s action represent something ineach of us. We are all gifted with the ability to make a difference. Each of us can shape out own future, and each of us can help others reach their potential. I realy love this storry and it is definatly one of my new favorites, no matter how much of an uphill battle it seems we can ALWAYS make a difference!

It still blows my mind that my little bro Ben is heading out for college! Does he have a laptop or anythng. How is Volley going for Emily, and did her boyfriend already leave? Heidi is running cross country? That is sweet! How is she doing in that! Mom you said that Zoee is talking up a storm now. When I left she was still working on putting sentences together. Is there anyway you guys could record it on your cell phone, and send it to my email?

I love each and everyone of you!

Please keep writing,

Elder Paul

August 24, 2009

Hey everyone,

Ok so another week down, well this week has been very good. The hardest part is still the stinking air, and water. Ok my new sity is call Salamanca, Mexico, I would sayit is like the size of mesquite. And wow it has a gas refinary, lke the size of Logandale. And man is it dirty. THere is a constant rise of thick BLACK smoke! And the funniest, is that everyday we find new birds that are just dead on the street. Ha the air is that bad, that birds actually just fall out of the sky! jaja

Oh by the with any mail or packages, you will ALWAYS send them to that one address I gave you. That is the address for the mission home, and then about once a month or twice, pres comes around to all the areas and gives them to us, it is much easier that way!

Can you all believe that next month is my b-day, it seems like just yesterday, I was back at home for my bday and getting ready to leave a week from that! Kinda nuts.

So lets see the area here is alot tougher than my old one. We have been knocking alot, and it is realy hard to find anyone, because everyone knows who we are already, so we are working on trying to get mor referances now. As well as I have been going through all the registros of all the old investagators. And that actually is working very well. We found one person who had been going to church in Texas, until he moved here last week. We found out from the elders up there that he had been going for a few months, and was living all the laws. He asked us to be baptised, and so Daniel Sanchez was baptised by me on Saturday. It was very cool, and he was crying he was so excited!

Other than that there is not much new. I love you all and hope all is going very well. Tell Emily To keep her head up, and if she is planning on waiting for the guy, to make sure she makes the best of life rite now, and just have fun her last year of freedom. Tell Ben I love him and hope to hear from him lots (Does he have a laptop?) Tell Heidi I am proud of her and her p blessing, and that I miss getting all of her emails! and could you see if jaycie got my b day card. I didnt know they were moving so I sent it to the last address that I recieved from them! And Dad, could you start writing my once in awhile in spanish?

I love you all,

Elder Paul

August 19, 2009

Hey everyone!!

How is everything going? Well I am sorry I did not write on Monday or yesterday but I have been pretty busy. Lets see on Sunday night as I guessed I got a phone call from the new assistant who told me that I was going to be changed. So all Sunday night I was washing clothes and packing in order to be ready to head to Lèon for a conference we had with Elder Christoferson. The conference was aweseom. TO be truthful he did not say anything that I was hopeing and praying he would, but he did say everything exactly that I needed to hear. So after that I headed off to my new area. It is a whole city and we are the only Elders. And wow wee it is in the middle of nowere. It is also if you want to look it up voted as the most polluted city in Mexico. Im hoping my lungs can get used to the air hear so close to the gas refinery.

As well as having this city we have a lot of small little villages that are close to us as well. So yesterday we drove out to one of these villages and baptized two little kids, who have been awesome in getting there dad active again!! I will try to send pictures next week as well. The font is great, because, well you will see!

My new companion is Elder Call and he will be heading home soon. I am the Señor companion wich I do not think that he liked to much because he will be heading home soon, and although I am not going to bring it up with him, he was one of the 6 Elders who went out on the little rondevue!

But the area is great! The compaonion is cool, and I feel good. I am still working on getting over the stomache problems and they are looking to be a lot better! I am not a leader rite now, but I liked it a lot today. We had to take a hour bus ride to go into the nearest city to have our district conference, and It was nice to just be asked what we can do to be better, and to give what I have learned. Who knows if the position will come again, but I think more than anything I have learned that the Position Of The Misionary, DOES NOT MAKE THE MISSIONARY!!

Ok one last thing, so after putting that money in I had 30 dollars left, but I could only pull out 20 because I did not want to go over in anyway again. Dad if you want go ahead and check it out on the bank online. Well my problem is this….. I had to pay 150 pasos to come here to my area on the bus, as well as 25 pasos to go to the district meeating. So I am sitting on about 25 pasos (2.50$) Rite now. I know it is a pain, but is there anyting you can send. I do not have any money for food or water rite now, and I do not get my money back from the busses for like 2 weeks. Sao if you could please let me know if there is anything you can do soon that would be great! Sorry again for all the money problems I realy wish I did not have to worry about it!

But I love you all very much! Please ask ben to email me, so that I have his email address again. I do not have it anymore, and I would like to through him a wave!

I love you all,

Elder Paul

August 10, 2009

(Adam's dad Ken looked over the translation and was pretty impressed. If you haven't read the book, you might want to check it out. In any language, it is a wonderful story we all would do well to internalize.)

Here is "You are special" That I translated into spanish. Dad you will have to tell me how I did. And yes I used a spell check. (Just to remind you "you are special" is the book about the little wooden pupets who judge everyone by putting stickers on them)

Tú eres especial

Los Wemmicks eran gente pequeña hechas de madera. Todos estaban tallados por un artesano llamado Elí. Su taller formaba parte de una colina con vista a la villa. Cada wemmick era diferente. Unos tenían grandes narices, otros grandes ojos. Algunos eran altos y otros bajitos. Algunos usaban sombreros, otros abrigos. Pero todos eran construidos por el mismo artesano y vivían en una preciosa villa.

Todos los días, cada día, los wemmicks realizaban la misma tarea: se regalaban etiquetas unos a otros. Cada wemmick tenía una caja de etiquetas de estrellas doradas y una caja de etiquetas de puntos grises.

Al subir y bajar por las calles de la preciosa villa, la gente empleaba su tiempo en pegarse etiquetas de doradas estrellas o de puntos grises, unos a otros.

Los más hermosos, aquellos construidos con madera pulida y hermosos colores, siempre obtenían estrellas. Pero si la madera estaba áspera o la pintura desconchada, los wemmick pegaban etiquetas grises sobre ellas.

También los talentosos obtenían estrellas. Algunos podías levantar grandes garrotes sobre sus cabezas o saltar sobre cajas altísimas. Otros sabían decir bellas palabras o podían cantar canciones hermosas. Todo el mundo les otorgaba estrellas. Algunos estaban totalmente cubiertos de estrellas. Cada vez que ellos obtenían una estrella, ¡ los hacía sentirse tan bien! Esto los estimulaba a querer hacer algo más para alcanzar otra estrella.

Sin embargo, otros, hacían algunas cosas que a los demás no les agradaba, y obtenían puntos grises.

Ponchinelo era uno de esos. Él trataba de saltar como los demás, pero siempre caía. Cuando caía, los demás hacían una rueda alrededor de él y le daban puntos grises.

Algunas veces al caerse, su madera se raspaba, así que sus vecinos le daban más puntos grises. Entonces, cuando trataba de explicar la causa de su caída, de sus labios salía alguna tontería y los wemmicks le daban más puntos grises.

Después de un tiempo. Ponchinelo tuvo tantos puntos grises feos que no quería salir a la calle. Tenía mucho miedo de hacer algo estúpido como olvidar su sombrero o caminar en el agua, y que la gente le volviera a dar otro punto. La verdad es que tenía tal cantidad de puntos grises sobre él, que cualquiera se le acercaba y le añadía uno más sólo por gusto.

“Él merece montones de puntos”, comentaban la gente de madera, de acuerdo unos con otros. “Él no es buena persona de madera”, decían.

Después de un tiempo, Ponchinelo creyó lo que decían sus vecinos. “Yo no soy un buen wemmick”, decía. En poco tiempo, él salió a la calle y empezó a relacionarse con otros wemmicks que tenían un montón de puntos grises. Él se sintió mejor entre ellos.

Un día, él se encontró una wemmick que era diferente a cualquiera de las que siempre había conocido. No tenía puntos ni estrellas. Era puramente madera. Se llamaba Lucía. Esto no se debía a que sus vecinos no trataban de pegarle sus correspondientes etiquetas; sino a que las etiquetas no se pegaban a su madera.

Algunos wemmicks admiraban a Lucía por no tener puntos, de modo que corrían hacia ella y le daban una estrella. Pero la etiqueta no se pegaba. Otros no la tenían en cuenta al ver que ella no tenía estrellas, y le daban un punto. Pero tanto la estrella como el punto se despegaban.

“Yo quiero ser de esa madera”, pensó Ponchinelo. “No quiero marcas de nadie”. Así que le preguntó a la wemmick que no tenía etiquetas cómo ella había podido lograr tal cosa. -“Es muy fácil”, le contestó Lucía. “Todos los días voy a ver a Elí”.

-¿Elí?, preguntó Ponchinelo.

-“Sí, Elí. El artesano. Y me siento en el taller con él”.

-¿Por qué?, preguntó Ponchinelo.

–“Por qué no lo averiguas por ti mismo? Sube a la colina. Él está ahí” Y dicho esto la wemmick que no tenía etiquetas ni puntos dio la vuelta y se alejó dando salticos.

-“Pero, ¿querrá el artesano verme a mí?, le gritó Ponchinelo. Lucía no lo oyó.

Así que, Ponchinelo, regresó a casa. Se sentó cerca de la ventana y se puso a observar a la gente de madera cómo corrían de aquí para allá dándose estrellas o puntos unos a otros. - “Eso no es justo”, refunfuñó. Y decidió ir a ver a Elí.

Él se acercó al estrecho camino que iba a la cima de la colina y fue en dirección del taller grande. Al entrar allí, sus ojos se abrieron desmesuradamente ante las cosas que veía. El taburete era tan alto como él mismo. Tuvo que estirarse sobre la punta de sus pies para mirar la altura de la mesa de trabajo. Un martillo era tan largo como su brazo. Ponchinelo tragó saliva. “¡No voy a quedarme aquí!”, y se dio vuelta para salir.

Entonces oyó su nombre. -“¿Ponchinelo?”. La voz era fuerte y profunda.

Ponchinelo se detuvo. –“¡Ponchinelo! ¡Qué bueno que has venido! Ven y déjame mirarte”. Ponchinelo se volvió lentamente y vio la gran barba del artesano.

-¿Tú sabes mi nombre?”, preguntó el wemmick.

– “Por supuesto que lo sé. Yo te hice a ti”.

Elí se inclinó, recogió del suelo a Ponchinelo y lo colocó sobre la mesa de trabajo. “Hum”, dijo el artesano pensativamente mientras miraba los puntos grises.

-“Parece que has recibido marcas malas”.

– “No significa eso, de verdad, yo me esforcé mucho por no recibirlas, Elí”.

– “Oh, no tienes que defender tus acciones ante mí, muchacho. Yo no me preocupo por lo que los demás wemmick piensan”.

-“¿No te importa?”

– “No, y tú no deberías hacerlo tampoco. ¿Quiénes son ellos para dar estrellas o puntos? Son wemmick exactamente como tú. Lo que ellos piensan no importa, Ponchinelo. Lo único importante es lo que yo pienso. Y yo pienso que tú eres muy especial”.

Ponchinelo sonrió. - “¿Especial, yo? ¿Por qué? No puedo caminar aprisa. No puedo saltar. Mi pintura está desconchada. ¿Por qué soy importante para ti?”

Elí contempló a Ponchinelo, puso sus manos sobre sus hombros y le dijo: -“Porque eres mío”. Esa es la razón de que seas importante para mí”.

Ponchinelo nunca había tenido a alguien que lo viera de esa forma _mucho menos su creador. No sabía qué responder.

- “Cada día he estado esperando que tu vinieras”, explicó Elí.

- “Vine porque me encontré con alguien que no tenía marcas”, dijo Ponchinelo.

- “Lo sé. Ella me habló de ti”

-“Por qué las etiquetas no se pegan sobre ella?”

-“Porque ella decidió que lo que Yo pienso es más importante que lo que ellos piensan. Las etiquetas únicamente se pegan si tú permites que lo hagan”.

-“¿Qué?”

-“Las etiquetas sólo se pegan si son importantes para ti. Lo más importante es que confíes en mi amor, y dejes de preocuparte por sus etiquetas”.

-“No estoy seguro de haber comprendido”.

Elí sonrió. -“Lo vas a intentar: pero esto tomará tiempo. Tienes demasiadas marcas. Por ahora, sólo ven a verme todos los días y déjame recordarte cuanto te amo”.

Elí levantó a Ponchinelo de la mesa y lo puso en el suelo. Y cuando el wemmick salía por la puerta, le dijo:

-“Recuerda, tú eres especial porque yo te hice, y yo no cometo errores”.

Ponchinelo no se detuvo, pero en su corazón pensaba: “Eso explica por qué soy especial ante sus ojos”. Y al comprenderlo al fin, un feo punto gris cayó sobre la tierra.