July 15, 2013 (Week 48)

July 15, 2013

I shared your shut up and do your job quote [... silly office games people play.  Still amazes me how people "kiss-up" and try to act important.  I want to yell, "just do your job!"] with Elder Bair. He agrees. It's so frustrating. The stake president here wants everyone's misery and loves ruling over people. Not the best qualities for a leader if I say so... and our encargado [Ward mission leader??] just mimics him. So much brown nosing. But anyways, English class is going good. We get a few investigators. Pretty funny, I can't remember English. I can't speak it, read it, or spell it. It's pretty sad. I haven't used my English scriptures in weeks. I'm thinking about leaving them here in a box with a cool family until I go home. Dead weight at the moment! 

 

And sheesh, I know. We see people hacking at weed with machetes and we jump and scramble to help. Anything to work hard again is worth it. And plus, we gringos in white shirts in ties going ape in a field of weeds attracts some positive attention. It's nice to work hard. But boy, people ask if you fell in a lake after. Sopping wet from head to toe hahaha.

But like I was telling mom, it's a good thing someone sees a change. I'm still Conner. Just with a weird first name now hahahah.

But yeah, tacos are good. You white people have NO idea what salsa is. I'll just say that much. NO idea. You guys eat ketchup basically. Wait 12 months. FREAK. I'M ALMOST AT A YEAR. freaking 11 months today. Woo! Another month older! haha.

The Tonsil problem is back, and the Hna Treviño is still not helpful on the surgery. I went to a real doctor. I guess you could say he's real. He is from Cuba. Talks funny. haha. But I sat in a chair, he put on his headlamp, opened my mouth with a popsicle stick and went to town. I almost threw up and cried at the same time. He shoved my swollen tonsils sooo far into my throat. Freak. Hurt so bad. I couldn't talk right for a week. But he says it will probably come back in a few months. great.... woo.... I'll keep you updated on that.

 

Well, a man died this week. Recent convert. It's interesting, I've visited 2 sick people in 2 areas and 2 days after they die. I keep wondering if people are just waiting for that blessing or confirmation from God its time to go. I guess people on their death bed might really see messengers of Christ telling them its alright to let go now. Just a thought.

 

But we assisted at his funeral, because the ward is a DISGRACE. The Catholics are at least worried about visiting the widow and Hno. Jorges salvation. We had 3 people see the widow, 5 assist the at the service, and 8 at the burial. Over 50 Catholics. Disgusted with our ward... But the funeral was good. I want to get buried like a Mexican. The graves are simple and unkept, but the people are good. They build a cinderblock box in the ground and put the casket in it. Then the men throw in a handful of dirt and the women a flower or two. We helped get huge concrete slabs about a quarter mile away. they were about 130 lbs. and you carry them on your back up a hill. We grabbed 5 in total. Carried them up the hill, and then set them down. The father of the dead then cements the concrete box and then the men help him place the slabs over the casket. they then sealed the edges of the slabs, and then smeared concrete over the whole box so it was covered. Then the men threw the dirt over the slabs like usual, Then the women place flower arrangements over and around the grave. The men wear normal clothes, as do the women. There aren't any tuxes, any words said, just work to get it done and then over with. I thought it interesting that Mexicans don't get all dressed up for the occasion. They work to get that casket in there just like they work hard every day to scratch out a living. Everyone in silence then walked away. Real simple, but real beautiful la verdad [the truth]. Pretty interesting.

 

Well. My time is gone. I'll see you all for the next saga in the life of the Anciano (Elder). By the way, pastors and priests and ancianos de any religion don't stand a chance against our doctrine. It's interesting to know that God has enough trust in 20 year old boys to defend his truths against people way more studied than we are. Church is true, it's the only way to happiness. Eso si sè y testifico [I testify of that]. Amen.

 

Elder Mortensen.

July 8, 2013 (Week 47)

July 8, 2013

Free English Classes at the Church

Well this week has been interesting. I drank a Mountain Dew last night, (I have my sources :) ) and I ended up remembering home. Super crazyyyy. I dreamt I got home, and saw the pantry with Pop Tarts and cereal and good stuff and I fainted. Shay and Holly started screaming at me in Spanish and it was weird. hahaha. Mountain dew is fun :) Send me some more would ya?

 

This week was fun. It rained a lot. We got soakkeeeed. Had some fun in the rain. Running around at 9 at night jumping in puddles. People are like "those gringos are nuts. Freaking Mormons hahahaha." I'll try and get a picture sent home that I took of the storm. Boy, did it just come right in! pretty crazy. The streets become rivers.

 

 

As for the 4th of July, I'll send home a foto of Tierra York, and also of my tie and a street sign. What up.

 

We also baptized a woman named Elizabeth. She was freaking gold. We found her after a crappy door contact and she still let us in, dropped coffee, read everything, and got baptized, and now she's already praying for the well-being of the other people in the ward and for the assistance to increase. SWEEET. She's humble and powerful in ways.

 

Yeah. Interviews are cool, but boy I'll tell ya. Sometimes they get awkward. Especially when you have to call the president's wife on the persons phone because yours doesn't work and then Hna Treviño has to look for the president. Awkward silence...

 

Sacrament meetings are fun. I'll tell ya, playing the piano, and looking to the crowd to see if they are following just to see an Hna pull out her breast and feed her 1 year old kid will throw off the groove a little. Sheesh. They have no shame down here. Little kids run around naked like its nothing, hahaha.

 

Oh yeah. We ate tacos. It's interesting to see how much I've changed. You walk into McDonalds there and expect a clean table. We ate at a little shop with dirty tables, stools, and 3 peso tacos. My stomach hurt a little after but boy, it sure was nice to eat tacos in the ghettoist part of Mexico and not get sick hahaha. WOO! SOY MEXICANO! [I'm Mexican!]

 

haha. Well I'm out for the week. A ver si puedo mandar algunos fotos luego. Cuidense. [I'll see if I can send some photos later. take care of yourselves]

 

Elder Mortensen

July 1, 2013 (Week 46)

July 1, 2013

Well.. I'm here. In Tierra Blanca, my comp is from Iowa and speaks with a heavy farmers accent, haha. He's good. Real obedient. But he's good. We live in a small house, but it has clima :) consuelo se llama [climate control] haha. We have a guard dog too. She's a German Shepherd. There are 8 elders in my district, we have a pretty big zone. Extends for miles, but we hardly ever go out there. Too far. We are all stationed in Tierra Blanca centro, but then we go out from there. I'll see if I can find a foto. It's pretty dang hot here. If I haven't mentioned that haha. I sleep in a glorified drawer. I have about a foot of space until Elder Bairs bed. I hit my head 3 times a night. Supposedly there is money coming for a new one... haven't seen it! haha.

 

Tierra Blanca grew big from the railroad, but the government privatized it, and that company got rid of everyone, so now, it's just left here. Not too much work. People travel to Veracruz and other states to work, and see their familias every other weekend or so. Pretty crazy what people have to do to feed their familia.

 

So I started doing entrevistas [interviews]. They are pretty cool. But sometimes a litttttle different. A woman I did an enterview with is a re baptism, lost her membership record, so they had to do it again, but she had a life off the straight and narrow, had to call president, took an hour and a half. But it's super cool The spirit is right there with you. Pretty interesting. Done a few enterviews now. Starting to get a little better.

 

As for the mission, it's cool. The stake president is pretty stupid and is one of those if-it's-not-my-idea,-it's-nobody's-idea type of guys. Pretty insane how things are down here. The only thing that's been going through my mind:

 

If common sense is so common, why is there so little of it?

 

Hasta allí. [as far as that]?? 

 

I feel like you, dad. Sometimes I just wanna get up in a meeting, throw over the table and walk out. They don't think much. Oh well. Like I said, there's always people that make it super dificil [difficult] to do anything and it sucks cause your main job is your investigators. The main purpose of the church is missionary work. People don't realize that too much.

 

Me and Elder Dean, other elder, went out to a pueblito [village] about 1.5 hours away for an enterview. This kid was 9 years old, and his family just moved here. They live in a tiny wood shack, dirt floors, and a bathroom of 4 sticks and a sheet. It's kind of crazy how much your eyes get opened... They are some of the most humble and nicest people I ever met. Really is true.

 

Well. I can't think of anything else. The Book of Mormon is true, Mexican people are freaking sick, and I love the mission. It's the best job you can have. Maybe that's what you need dad, just quit work and do a service mission with mom. Westhoff's parents are out on an Indian ranch in Arizona or something helping people. Maybe... hahaha. 

 

By the way, The first half of the Brazil vs.Spain soccer match was good :) You gotta love miembros [members] that are willing to listen to a scripture and give you water while they watch the game on their big screen TV in their shack. Look for the good parts and you'll forget the rest.

 

The mission is the best two years. You just gotta look for the best parts of the two years.

 

<3 Elder Mortensen.

June 24, 2013 (Week 45)

June 24, 2013

I love Gold Bond body powder. It's like a shower in a bottle. - Me.

Elder Bair laughed pretty hard about that and said it's the quote of the week. So allí esta. [that's it]

Whenever you just don't feel like showering, just cover yourself in Gold Bond. Its cooling, smooth, and makes you smell better! Wow. I sound like I should be in an ad, haha.

 

But yeah. Abisag, I've talked to Mendez, is still really sick. He told me he's gotta drop her. Freak. I'm pretty upset about that.

 

Here, it's gorgeous. I've sent home a few fotos. It's super green and beautiful. I can't wait to explore a little. But, the cool part about it all, is that I got to see Elder Westhoff. We had a conferencia de lideres [leaders conference] in Veracruz, so I got to take a 2 hour bus there, and back, and he stayed at my house that night. Pretty freaking fun to see him again. I think that's why the Lord thought it was convenient to send me to Tierra Blanca on cambios especiales [special transfer]. Pretty cool memories. Good conference. Good times.

 

Freak. Read D&C 133:26-34 and tell me what you can get out of those verses. Just think real hard. Its a prophecy... a real scary and REAL prophecy.

 

I'm in Tierra blanca, Veracruz. I'm here with Elder Bair, ANOTHER WHITE GUY. FREAK. My Spanish is suffering. I need a Latino. My area is Independencia. It's pretty freaking sick.

 

And as for that broadcast [worldwide LDS missionary work broadcast], I don't want to hear any complaints! We all watched and drooled remembering America. Freak. Your houses are so bloody nice!!! Ridiculous! Westhoff's bishop wasn't there, we have an encargado obispo, which means he is just a fill in. Like that tool on Lord of the Rings 3. Not a king, just a wannabe. ANDDDD.... our Ward Mission Leader was a slob and wasn't there. Neither was the only counselor we have. So we got more depressed than ever thinking about it... 

 

Haha im outta time. love you all. Cuidense [take care]. Adios!

 

Elder MURTONTIN.  That's how they say my name down here.

June 17, 2013 (Week 44)

June 17, 2013

Well. I forgot mi agenda en la casa [my schedule at home], so I'll write this from what I can remember.. So. Well.... where to start...

 

Oh yeah. I'm in Tierra Blanca now. Independencia. The hottest part of the mission. I still feel like Carlos A. Carrillo is hotter. (more humid, because of the swamp I was in) But I'm here. And will probably be here for a long time. It's pretty cool. I'm here a little outside of Centro, but it's not even the Centro I was stuck in. I still miss my pueblito that was Carrillo, but it's alright.

 

President called me Friday, More special changes. The Elders here were fighting, so I got ripped from my brother and did a swap with them. It's cool. I'm now Lider de Distrito [District Leader], and I get to go to Veracruz Wednesday for a lideres [leaders] meeting. I'll see him and everyone else basically again. Mendez, Westhoff, and Smith.

 

So I saw Westhoff today. He's doing good. I missed him. Too many good times. He was here for a Zone Activity. Volleyball. again. WOOOOOOOO!!!! I wonder when we will be able to do something "fun"... probably never. 

 

As for Abisag, Guillerminas daughter... I'll tell you that story when I get home. All you need to know right now is that things took a turn for the worst and she's in a mental hospital right now. She went nuts, as in, her nerves went crazy, or something else got inside... That's all that I'm gonna say. It's a very unpleasing memory when we gave her a blessing. As for what happened, who knows, but when she looked at me, it was not her. Just know that Satan is real, and don't watch any of those possession movies. Ever. President did give me permiso [permission] to go back to Carrillo and see her baptism. Hopefully she makes it... poor woman. She has a ton of problems on her hands...

 

I can't really remember anything else that happened. My mind doesn't work and I forget stuff real fast. Too many names and experiences. It all happens too fast. I forgot I even hit 10 months. Freak..... idk. It's pretty cool down here. I left a suitcase with Elder Mendez. His parents are coming down to Puebla and are gonna swing by for our suitcases. I got rid of a ton of random crap. So nice! Don't worry mom. You'll get the 70's luggage back. I still think its worthless hahahaha. The wheels (basically lego wheels) don't even drive straight! haha. Oh well. I think I'm gonna log off now. Forgot my camera. Dang.. hasta la proxima semana entonces [until next week].

If there is anything else I'll let ya know. Adios!

 

Elder Mortensen. 

June 10, 2013 (Week 43)

June 10, 2013

Well this week has been pretty fun. I've enjoyed it quite a bit.

 

We finally baptized Guillermina. She snuck out with her daughter Abisag to the baptism. Abi was verrrrrry against us. "NO Mom. WE are Pentecostal." But she came Sunday, and left crying during the plan of salvation because she felt it was true. She ran out of the class and went and prayed. Came back and asked how to get to the Celestial Kingdom. We told her only through the Gospel. She said ok. We went to her house after and talked to her. Ended up being there 3 hours and taught her basically everything. Shes going in the water Saturday! She's following her nephew and her mom to Heaven. Pretty cool actually. Putting up with all the mission crap sometimes makes you wonder why you're putting up with it. But when you see someone actually convert, it's quite the experience. It makes sludging through the "mission" part worth it. But then you just forget about the dumb things that other people are doing and you just keep working with your companion and then you get little nuggets here and there that are just great. Es algo muy genial. [It's just great]

 

We got in a fight with some police this week. They are doing a dumb stop and search on the freeway (one lane) and are always there. Its the only through way in the crossing so we walk it 20 times a day. Some tool with a M16 thought it would be cool to stare down the gringo and his buddy, so we stared back. He almost ran into a pole, and must have gotten embarrased, so the next time, he stopped us and demanded Identification. "Uhhh.. on what terms?" "You freaking this you "#"#$% that". It's like "whooooaaaa. No need for the language." We started to preach, and he got pissed, but he had nothing to hold us on. I said, "I'm American. You won't have me in your system. I don't know why you want to know who I am. You're being an idiot." Elder Mendez said, "Is that all?" "No, that ain't "#$ "#$%&%$/ all! blah blah blah!"  "Is that all now?" "Yeah. Leave. Now." So everytime we pass bye he glares, but I think he got in trouble, so he doesn't do anything. Idiot with a gun.

 

The mission also banned Coca Cola. They hate it more than Satan I think... the ZL and Assistants call us to see if we are drinking coke. Umm... why don't you call to see if I'm really breaking the Word of Wisdom? Or why don't you save your breath and call the kids doing dumb things? haha. It's interesting the rules they come up with. But, like I said, you just gotta keep pushing on, and the PEOPLE make it worth it. That's what I've learned. It's not the MISSION that changes you, it's the PEOPLE that you learn to live change and Love. Even if they do give me weird looks cause I'm 6´2 white guy. It's like what the..... OJOS AZULES!!!! [Blue Eyes]

 

I love it here. Don't any of you ever doubt it. Maybe I'm gaining 25 pounds, and not losing them like Jake, but I love it. I love Mexico, the food, the culture, and the people. 

 

And all you white people scare me.

 

Elder Monster 

(see attached photo)

June 3, 2013 (Week 42)

June 3, 2013

So this week was pretty insane. This weekend we had two pending people, Guermina y Carlitos escape from the clutches of her Pentecost husband. Her grandson got baptized in about 2 minutes during the young women's class we had to interrupt. But Guiermina didn't bring a change of clothes, so for tomorrow we hope! Johnny ran off. Which was a shame. He really didn't have a testimony I think. He won't even talk to us now. But we had Bety too, a 10 year old girl who loves the church, but her mom beats her. She's in the foto... but yeah. Good baptismal service, and we confirmed them both in a small room with the first counselor. Very random day. We also had a few unexpected people come to church so we were busy running around talking to them and doing lessons and other stuff. Really stressful, but hey it was worth it. Man. I realized how yellow my 'white' shirts are... freak. I don't think its dinner plates anymore. It's more of a full body deal.... hahaha.

 

Wow. I'm scatter brained. I guess that's what happens though. 

 

We had interviews an hour away for the other elders in our district. It was pouring rain. We had to full on sprint for 200 meters to catch the bus.  Everyone's like, "freak! White guy outside is bangin' on the side of the bus! He's crazy! Don't let him in!!" Finally got in, got to a taxi, and shoved 7 of us in there again and drove off. The picture I sent home is me on the little cable run ferry they have and the river is the Popomuloapan. It's pretty chill. I like doing enterviews allí.[over there].  We finished with that and took off to the area to change again haha. By the time we got home we were dry.

 

This Monday we played baseball as a zone. It was fun, but they have chiggers in the grass down here. I've got blood sucking pieces of chaffa sucking my blood all day long. Freaking annoying those things. Well.. 

 

Yeah, It's hot, and oh yeah, I'm getting surgery! Surprise mom! I called the Hermana Treviño. They are gonna cut out my tonsils... I hate the idea of doctors, but it's a cool story. Operation in Mexico, and idk. Mendez is like dude your tonsils are rotting. They are gonna get infected. I'm like... well hey that ain't good. A'ight. I'll call her. So... yeah. I'll keep ya updated on that! haha They haven't told me anything about dates or times so don't worry. Be happy. Every little thing is gonna be alright. Singing don't worry.... about a thing... every little thing ... is gonna be alright....

Elder Muertensen.

 

Muerte (death) hahahaha kids always say Mortensen... sounds like Muerteson hahah. nos vemos mi familia. Adios! [see you later family. Bye!] Voy pa aca... [??]