Teaching More in Spanish

July 21, 2008

Howdy,

Life is good And I am enjoying it alot more every week! My companion leaves next week "and transfers are next week" which is a bummer but it will be good to not have someone who is talking about home so much as my next companion! He is alot of fun, its just kinda a downer to be reminded constantly he gets to see his family in a week! But anyways things are going really well.

I had the opportunity to teach more in Spanish this week. I am trying to just open my mouth and talk and let them figure out what I am saying and it has helped my Spanish alot. So that is kinda fun. We have two people that are really progressing quickly. One is a Hispanic man named Humberto, way nice humble man, works in a factory, has a 21 year old son here who is a way good guy and this week he has started to read also. Humberto went to church and loved it and which is good because he has wanted to go to the last two weeks but our ward is not that good at actually showing up... So he sat outside his house in his church clothes two weeks in a row... so we found a guy in the Spanish branch that will help who is way cool and kinda solved that problem!!!

I am definitely starting to get more comfortable in dirty, dirty homes and eating whatever they offer in their less then sanitary homes. We don’t get meals basically ever but they often offer us whatever they have! I Don’t really know What I am eating these days. Like pasta-roni and quesadillas... Basically whatever is in the kitchen?

Our other investigator that is doing the best is Jeanie she is the 18 year old. Awkward as can be, but very nice. We were talking to her sister the other day when she left and her sister came in and told us that she has been saving the Quarters from California and Utah "the states of me and my companion" she also said.... OK Before you read this you must know that this is an exact quote... This has not been modified in any way for comedic value "Elder Stiles is so cute with his retainer"... CAN YOU SAY AWKWARD? I thought it was hilarious when the unwanted attention was on my companion but not now!!! I then thought about it... what she was saying were cute were 2 peices of plastic, with metal in them, then with placed in my mouth and encrusted with saliva.... HAHA Funniest Thing.

Love you all,

Elder Scott Stiles

PS I would not mind those peanutbutter things? and Denture cleaner for my Braces.
PSS a couple things I want from Brent's wedding are:
A video recording of Kevin's Toast,
Pictures of the whole family,

Missionary "Beat Box"

This is the typical house in our area.

Hi Everyone,
I got my package and I loved it. Thanks for everything I really do appreciate it! I am sorry if I am a crummy letter writer to most people. it is mostly cause our p-day only really goes from 11:00-6:00 and we have to do laundry, shop, clean up, wash the car and try to do something fun!

Life is going awesome!!!!! We did exchanges twice and I really realized how much harder my companion works than others so that was good!

Yesterday we were on exchanges and we went and saw this Kieth kid. His grandpa was a Seventy and his mom has not been to church in ten years. Kieth has not been super interested but he reallly likes us, so he has let us come by. Last night we came over and talked to him then his mom came in the rooom and I offered for her to come listen to the lesson. She said no but came into the room. We talked for a little about the church and how she had been offended. We talked about that for a while, then I changed the conversation topic and we just talked... then she went back to church topics. She turned to her son and said "Kieth I have tried to find every other church thinking there was something out there that is true. And this church has all the answers. "Then she looked at me and said "what time is church this week?" I just about jumped out of my seat. Apparently missionaries have been trying for years and she wouldn't talk to them. It was the first time I felt Like I talked to someone who I was really supposed to talk to... Pretty darn cool!!

We took one of our investigators (Jeanie) to the ward talent show. She brought her younger brother (Michael) and he wanted to get up and do the robot. so we arranged it on the spot and we had another missionary beat box... SWEET. He was way excited about it. He is a funny little guy.

Thanks for everything, I love you ALL

Elder Scott Stiles

PS My companion and I are the only people in our apt but we have 8 missionaries in our ward.

PSS We have transfers on the 28th and I have no idea if I am staying or going so could you put the mission home address on the blog cause it will take a long time to catch up to me if I get moved... oh yeah, I have the same companion. We are getting along very well.

Boys will be Boys

Hello Family,

How is your life. Life here is good. I am getting used to it and liking it more and more. I have mostly found that I need to be more patient, because I am not very patient and my companion is more laid back than anyone I have ever met!! So that has helped me out alot because I needed it right off the bat. It is very tiring to be out here but at the same time, I am really enjoying it.

Our baptism was pretty darn sweet yesterday.

Funny Story: We went to this lady's house. Right as we walked in, she gave us Chicharones, deep fried pig skin that takes on the texture of Funyons after it is fried. They are pretty gross, but I was trying to be polite. My companion proceeded to put his on my plate when she turned around! No Good! I ate them all and was pretty proud of myself but could feel the grease in my stomach.

Then she took another bag of chicharon and dumped the whole bag into boiling water, with a bunch of spicy stuff on top of it. Miraculously, the chicharon took back it's flesh like element and became chewy, slimy and hard to cut. It was once again pig skin! I tried to cover it up by putting it into little tacos with beans and cornmeal, but every bite I could not bite into the pigskin. I didn't want to have to chew it!

Finally, about half way through, I started thinking that I was eating spicy, slimy, chewy, pigskin. The texture and spicyness were the worst parts!

My companion said it was the grossest thing he ate while he was here and that included eating liver, brain and heart soup where he saw the arteries in the heart! So, I started gagging about 2/3 way through. It came up in my mouth, but I didn't want to be rude and throw up this poor ladies food, so I re-swallowed it!!!

Apparently it was funny looking because the kids started laughing and she said "oh it must be too spicy for you" "I am sorry", she spoke in spanish, but that is how I understood it. I said yes, it was a little spicy, and i thought I would never have to come in contact with that wretched stuff again!

But, three days later, when we went back to her house, she made it for us again. But she only scooped a little onto my plate, and I cut it up better than before, and smothered it in beans. Still bad, just not quite as bad! I know it is not super exotic or anything, just more gross than anything.

Well, got to go now, thanks for everything.

Love Elder Scott Stiles