Freakishly Cute

November 7th Letter

Hola Familia!

I found something the other day => yesterday in fact => in the scriptures, that really struck a tone with me, dice "Porque no me envio' Cristo a bautizar, sino a predicar el evangelio". Dang it! that's in 1 Corinthians 1:17 => totally like, "Elder, you can't worry about the baptisms - I'll do it and do all I can so He can make baptisms happen.

But I'll tell you what - it is frustrating to not know if you're working effectively, helping the people effectively because in my life I learned effectiveness got results - and to this point I don't even have investigaters with una fecha - haven't for almost three weeks -

BUT on the bright side we have an awesome lady Jenys - (Jenys is pronounced He-nis) and she wants to get baptized but her husband is overly stressed and a little immature - in that he's not her husband - solo son uma pareja que viven juntos - so we went to talk to him on Tuesday and he just went off complaining. I didn't understand everything I don't think it was anything new to her and she still wants to marry him! and they have three little girls who are freakishly cute - they are so cute! (like totally adorable).

So today - Thursday, the 3rd of November we talked with her husband and her for a good hour - way different. She told me that they never talk. I was like whoa! This makes so much sense! The younger generation, never learned to talk out problems, talk through things and invite divine guidance. Part of the reason why today a lot of marriages struggle so much, I suppose, is that they never learned to talk to people well and just sort it out and I made a rule for myself that I'm sure my future spouse will approve of - that even if I am so mad that I can't talk to her or she can't talk to me, we always will be able to talk to God together.

It's Monday now, this week was sweet even though my numbers don't show it at all. I actually doubt I've ever had worse numbers, but I've realized something. I'm not looking for lessons just to pass time. I'm looking for baptisms - before anything else... which is IRONIC because still I have ningun investigador con fecha! Not one -

So there you go => Gosh, super frustrating but we made a lot of progress with Jenys and her husband. Two lessons more with the youth of the ward and she and her husband read 3 Nephi 14 juntos! It was cool and they saw the ways they can both improve. He was a lot more receptive.

This has been really cool because as they expressed their different points of view of how things were going in their family, I realized that they had the same goal - take care of their ninas but were going about it differently, so we read Alma 56:27, 46-48 and we talked some and the Spirit was working and he got all like shaken and weirded out by the feeling and made an excuse to leave to pick up one of his daughters - totally sweet and she's told us multiple times that she wants to get baptized but that she has to get married.

Cool - so let me tell you about Halloween - yes they celebrate it here but the candy is not as big or as much and no one goes around with pillowcases full of candy - all very small - but is was almost cold Halloween night. It had been drizzling pretty much all day and the night was completely tranquila. In a neighborhood that we work in a lot where normally there is tons of noise and people - nothing - no one in the street - no noise just totally nice. I loved it. As we went back in "jeep" I was standing, riding colgado, everything was just totally calm, no music - few people - weird for Cartegena.

Wednesday was Dia de los Muertos. I organized, basically, a plan to go to the cemetery to contact people about their dead loved ones. 11 missionaries, the assistants showed up (surprise!) and we talked to a lot of people and this cemetery is nuts! Like uber creepy and awesome and way too cramped and broken. They struggle to keep anything truly nice looking here but still awesome.

So I planned that or at least made it possible then the bishop asked us to remove dirt because a ton(!) of mud fell into a lot that he owns and we did that and it worked out super well because hen a member let us shower in his house and we didn't have to waste a ton of time going back home to shower.

I also spent a couple of hours looking for a service project to do in Inanga which we have 0 investigators in. It's all apartments and "rich people" which makes me laugh cuz they are not rich at all! Just have a car y ya - mas nada - their hearts should not be that hard.

So I'm searching for this service we'll see how it goes. Guess what, this week I work today and tomorrow and then they shut us in for the parties. Apparently it gets ridiculous - everyone throws foam and water and there are dirty and clean dances nastily in the streets so we are FORBIDDEN to leave even the house. It is an inferno! But you should have a freakishly long letter next week from my mini MTC time here in the house. Five days without leaving - so great.

Well, there you go! Love you all tons!

Elder Taylor

Patrick's Bishop

Cartagena

Know How Blessed You Are

10/31/11

!Hola Flia! (abbreviation for Familia)

I Esta ba para escribirles, pero me acorde que tengo que hacer el informe de Progreso, que vaina.

Nah, I’ll do it in the morning. I’m fasting right now so this could be weird. And I’m tired – a lot – Did I tell you about my bed?– Not comfortable. Finally I made the other elder switch me beds… Still I had to sleep with the mattress a little raised so my feet weren’t trapped in the bed. But finally I got smart and put the blanket I never use to use under my feet... AHH – so much better. I padded the bar. Though I still have nutty dreams… because my comp left to Monteria and a Training in Barranquilla so for a day I was in a trio with the other elders of my district and I slept alone in my own room for the first time in 9 months! And as luck would have it I had a super freaky dream about a trapped fantom. I woke up totally scared like I would when I was littler – like a year ago – and I started praying and fell right back to sleep.

Elder Jorge left. It was a weird experience. After all our strife and things right before he left I found myself exceedingly pleased – excited even. Like Finally! I realized this was sad on my part and I began to change the way I was viewing this entire situation. I thought about this while we were preparing to go. Whoa, the change was grand – to the point where I became determined to never lose his influence on me. All that I learned from him and what we put each other through – it was intense but despite all our ups and downs and everything I could truly say, “Be a good example man (I mean Elder). I love you too…Franco.” He told me I could call him by his first name, I never did – though he preferred it – just when it was like adios! Did I call him Franco.

So, he left.

And Elder Pacaya came.

He is from Equitos, Peru – his house floats.

Yes, you read right, his house Floats – AWESOME – in the Holiday months from like November til January-February his house floats! Cuz the river raises and not just that but to like 12-15 deep! They go by canoe to church and he says it is super annoying when they forget something and have to go back. They are looking for a house that isn’t affected as much by the water – cool. Can you imagine? You could skinny dip every night!

He is a small Peruvian missionary and he’s funny – He’s probably still in the awkward faze of being intimidated by me – I haven’t asked him – I’ve been trying to take a real interest in him but it is a little difficult when they don’t return it well. But, I share about myself anyway.

I am the only gringo en the zone. The entire Zone. Only citizen of the USA – so strange – but I think more and more gringos are coming to the mission – a bunch have arrived. My comp and I are from the same group – meaning he started in January too – but he’s been in the field longer. BUT as I’m district leader, gringo, and significantly taller (most important) than he will ever be—I’m Not Serious! But it is nice to be a lot more in charge and we get along great. My comps hate me cuz every P-day I’m doing some huge cleaning project, like the walls or the patio or washing every article of clothing I have. But whatever right?

I’ve been making a ton more French toast and it is awesome and my comp broke his shoes so he can’t run in the morning – bummer – I have some strange things running en la manana.

The mission still is really hard – but you gotta love it – my goal this transfer is to get Rich investigators that live in Manga – a place where we have none – they really aren’t rich – rich here pretty much means you have a car – so I don’t know why they think they don’t need anything more. That’s something I’ve realized – how incredibly rare Utah is – it is so incredibly blessed – in every way – sometimes (this is bad) I just think those people put themselves and live in Hell – Honestly – they get drunk, put their music on, some of which is quality but mostly, just this annoying whistle thing and sit on their porch –all night long! And So loud its incredible. In fact, yesterday – day of elections – outside my sweet old sick lady’s investigator house they were doing it! So mad I was! – Let your sick mother-in-law who hasn’t been baptized just cuz she’s sick Rest! Bah! What an undeveloped cultural skidmark they put there.

Just know how blessed you are and how much I love you all –

Love you all tons!

Elder Taylor

Desire To Do Good

10/24/11

Hola Familia - Dear Family -

Hey. How are ya? This week was indeed stranger - I got sick of contacting poor people so on the splits that we did I contacted a rich neighborhood - and we found a couple good people and an old catholic man that spoke English - “I can’t, I alone!” He said frustratedly -

We had a TON of rain! So much rain! So much in fact that the house 50 yards down the street flooded like you wouldn’t believe - it almost reached our house but it wouldn’t have mattered for us because we live in the 2nd story - but like 3 feet or more of water in some of these houses - I have no idea how it happened.


But, now everything is back to normal and I could go running again on my birthday! And we did run very far it was awesome - to a building that is big and white on the south side of the lake-bay-body of water. And this body of water is freaking beautiful! but nobody takes care of it! Drives me nuts - It’s like they do not care at all - at least for this sweet lake - now bordered with trash - like what the heck? Anyway - don’t litter - it ruins beautiful things - I made the cake and it was delicious - every body loved the heck of out of it - the hermana debajo has an horno so she baked it for us and it salio perfecta! Course I decorated and coordinated everything because in all honesty, latinos sometimes don’t know what’s up - and I escaped the idiotic tradition of cracking an egg on someones head - to me that doesn’t even seem creative - but they did smash my face in the cake and spray me with foam - so clever - but it was a cool birthday and I had a sweet chance to clean the church for some of the relief society sisters - so they could leave early. Then we went on splits with future missionaries in missionary prep - el Sabado - my split partner was sweet - he sent his papers last week and is a 2 year convert - his parents don’t know yet. So that's fun.

We have a bunch of investigators that are not doing anything - like the majority - so we are starting to focus a lot more on finding people to teach. That’s the problem here is that a lot - just let you in cuz they’ve nothing better to do - My personal goal is to train the wards that I’m in - Missionaries - we learn by practicing - practicing everything - so I want to do that with the members. Prepare them so when they have opportunities to share the Gospel they can feel confident - then no matter if the missionaries are good or fuleros - their ward can progress - that is my idea - We’ll see if it works. Cuz I figure they are the ones that have to live with the work I do here - like it’ll be on my conscience if I messed something up - but If I can help them to realize - help them to fulfill their calling as witnesses of Christ and mobilize them a little - things will start to happen in this ward - I hope the practices I do will be effective. Yesterday I taught the gospel principles class and I talked for 40 minutes en espanol, and then after a member - (who wasn’t in the class) in priesthood asked my companion to translate for me - thinking I couldn’t understand - way funny.

Well, with all this rain the mountain - or hill - that I live by erodes - rapidly - in fact I spent this morning digging out the back porch of a member. She has like 2 meters high of mud for like 30 feet in her “back yard.” So bad - I’m not sure what they were thinking when they built these houses in the hill. All of them are going to fall some day. I believe the pope itself - that church on top of the hill - will fall - and great will be the fall thereof. :)

So my district has its difficultades - I try to help them set goals to be better in obedience or language or whatever but I realized they have to make their own goals - one that is personal to them - I was talking about cleanliness - how if our desires are clean and how they can become clean through the atonement. It was powerful - I said - “I really do not care if a word is considered a bad word or not - what I do care about is desires to do Good!” In word, thought, and Deed and WORD! Nothing really changed in the district but I felt good - the thing I hate is that they make me feel like an alarm clock - like - guys - It’s time to study - guys come on - so dumb. And I always talk about it like, “I expect you to do it for yourself!” But hey, whatever. Cambios are on Wednesday - I know my comp is leaving - I do not know my Cambio yet, we’ll see - It’s been an interesting transfer - It is almost unnerving how much my eyes have been opened. I feel I don’t look at, or judge anyone the same.

Pedro got the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday and showed up in his white shirt and tie and it was the most interesting knot I have every seen - totally reversed - and the big part was out front and still - I’m not sure how he did it.


But I can tie my tie decently well and I am learning a ton - the things come in waves. sometimes they swallow you and other times you ride them.

We’ll see how the cambio goes -

I love you all tons.

Elder Taylor

French Toast-makes a whole day go better

10/17/11


!Hola Familia!

What a nutty week! It was totally weird and awesome and milayroso y tragic and powerful and things - Whoa, So here we go - I’ll start with a revelation I had on the bus that I need to put into practice. I always considered myself different. For example, other people struggled in life, other people couldn’t change or help these people - but I can - cuz I’m different, But that attitude is totally false - unless - I align it with God and humble myself and focus on them - not as things I’ve got to accomplish - but as people - It’s not that I’m different but that they need me - as I am - the best I can be for them - So there ya go.

This week started with finding out one of our 19 year old girls was pregnant. And she was sad and scared and it was bad - obviously not married and the boy was not going to marry her but said - I support you - and they were about to break up.

We arrived at the house one day, (more of a shack) but big - and she was leaving for the hospital in a taxi - she had taken a pill for parasites that the missionaries used to have to take and her blood went nuts - the next morning we called her and she told my comp she was pregnant, and didn’t want to be - (I’ll have you know we taught the Law of Chastity over a month and a half ago and she said she’d live it - Dang it )- but it turns out this pill messed with her, and she lost the child the next day - it was intense - I thought of the difference the Gospel makes in all this - like when Jess told us she was pregnant we were all like !YAY! but with this investigator it was a nightmare - ?Que differncia? But these people just haven’t been taught. This story is so common here. We have another investigator who had a kid at 12 years old. Nuts. I couldn’t believe it - but they are just not taught and have to learn the hard way - and the hard way STINKS. After all that we were talking with her - she told us she lost it and all that tragicness and we gave her a blessing - I really hope she learned her lesson - she is an awesome person but just stupid and surrounded by bad examples - like this is SO normal here it’s disgusting - almost like the dogs in the street. And “I support you?” What the heck kind of commitment is that? What an idiot! It is his Kid! So bugged - Worse - she told us she did not want to do anything with him but he talked her into it - So BAD! Anyway - I will definitely keep the law of Chastity all my life long - My comp said he felt the Spirit way strong when I gave her the blessing - my comp thought it was cool. I hope so.

I also got my teeth cleaned on Saturday - it was awesome - not really an awesome cleaning but they did flouride and stuff from an investigadora y una miembro - it was totally exciting - I went to the Dentist! And right now I’m watching this same member put braces on my comp, Elder Jorge, and I watched him get a minor surgery on his tooth - kind of an orally fun week.

I had a cool experience in my reunion de districto - It was going pretty bad - pretty boring - but I started talking about we are one with God in our purpose and how everything happens for the immortality and Eternal Life of man. It got all quiet and intense and was awesome but then I lost it - but for a moment it was cool.

The next day was Saturday - we went to the dentist - then to lunch and then we got ready for the baptism that fell. I didn’t believe in it at all. I was almost positive it wasn’t going to happen - we get all ready and set and my comp is telling a member how I refuse to translate the rap songs he has - I don’t know why he has them - to “Learn English” - so dumb - so I won’t translate them cuz I hate rap and he’s trying to drag me into an argument that’ll try to get me to do it and I just refused to talk and all of the sudden he’s storming off from the church. I just stared in disbelief and he just kept going - I had no idea what to do so I just stayed with the member. After like 2 minutes I went around the corner to find him and I couldn’t and I was LIVID - the member and I waited on the corner and I debated calling the president right away - he came back saying “Now you can talk to me?” - O I was Furious - I just started walking towards the Church. And I could hear the member - Richard - “You are immature and useless Elder Jorge.” I was on the verge and opened my mouth and words started flying out ... - You are a Missionary! GROW UP! All in English - I was SO MAD -“Taylor - everyone’s looking “ -- “I DO NOt Care! Finally I stopped talking and we went back to the church and he was way surprised - I basically told him I can deal with crappy missionaries - but you are not! You just don’t care - You know everything and how to do it all. You just gotta wake up! And it was so awesome cuz he told me I was right - that he didn’t blame me for exploding and he’s starting to wake up - He committed to working harder and yesterday he told me he’s feeling better with this harder work. It’s funny that an hour after yelling at my companion, I had my first baptism in 6 months. IRONIC. I know I shouldn’t have unleashed - but he’s definitely more awake now - he’s only got 3 months left and Richard was like “Good Job! Do that Every morning!” So it was sweet, but wrong, but I really really really enjoyed it and the results have been awesome.

So the baptism - miracle - he didn’t show up - we found him at TIS walking along a highway and we said - Pedro - do you want to do this? You don’t have to just tell us the truth. “O ya,” he had forgotten - he told us to meet him on the corner and I didn’t think he’d show. He did - Sweet! And We baptized him - He’s just so slow! Then I brought him a white shirt and tie to be confirmed in the next day and he really changed - he laughed more and said the prayer in church and after he seemed really pleased with himself - so there ya go.

So this week was super eventful. we started running in the mornings and that has helped a lot - there’s an awesome lake by Our house and I love it but they do not take care of it at all - so much wasted potential - like my companion was being - but I woke him up - even if it wasn’t a good way - (Thought I can’t make myself feel bad about it) and I’m way excited for this week - especially with the new attitude de Elder Jorge and running - the world is better.

Facts of Mission Life:

• No investigators with Pecha
• Hormigas y mosquitos - I hate them
• The tables that support my bed are too small -
• I will not be getting any mail for a while
• My companion now has braces
• I don’t fit in my bed and I let everyone know
• The water leaves and we bathe out of our reserve tank.
• A garbage can full of water
• I still talk bad, but understand decently well
• I walk everywhere, or take a bus or Jeep or Colectivo -
• Don’t fit in any of them
• I eat ride everyday and listen to ballenato every night - real loud.
• They call me !Tabluo! osea - !Board Like! Tall Guy-
• Most of all I am just seeing the processes of learning of everyone here - some take a lot more time and experience to learn what I already know - Tons of really good people that are just learning the hard way - what a shortcut the gospel is - we are so rare and lucky.

-- love you tons.

Love,

Elder Taylor

P.S. I made French Toast for my district this week and it was AWESOME - makes a whole day go better.

Open Up Hearts

10/10/11


!Hola Famila!

?How the heck are ya? Todo bien aqui en la Costa. It has been nuts lately with a ton of intercambios con law missioneros and a capacitacion last Friday for liveres en Barranquilla.

This week I have learned a ton. First off, I did my first baptismal interview, it was sweet. The lady of 50 years was totally awesome and willing to fight for the remission of sins that she wanted so desperately. It was cool to see someone just open up and let their testimony shine. She was baptized last Saturday and confirmed and was just totally awesome. I did another para una jovencita - but she got scared and didn’t baptize. Dang it.

I had a similar experience. We were working with Pedro and he had his interview and it was sweet. He still struggles to understand but we are going to use videos and stuff. Anyway. Wednesday we had his interview. His little daughter Ana Iris told me he has 10 children from 4 different ladies. (Not uncommon here) - and that he smokes every morning, afternoon and night. But we asked him and he said he didn’t so I hope he’s not lying. Anyway, he was all set to be baptized el Sabado, we got everything ready, absolutely everything, and called pretty much the entire ward and the font was full and good. NO SHOW -- ?What the heck? “Qui en el infiernito? We were all sitting there waiting and nada - We went to his house after and he was sitting there - not a care in the world - I had no idea what to say I was in shock, and a fat woman that had taken it upon herself to “protect him” was there, discouraging him and it was just horrific. But then yesterday, we did splits with some members and I called a bunch of members of the priesthood and found Pedro and took him to a more peaceful members house and the bishop -- who is awesome -- shared his conversion story and we all got Pedro excited for his baptism this Saturday. And this time he’ll have all the support in the world to do it! And the O bispo was talking about helping him find a job. Cool -

The training in Barranquilla was sweet. I got to travel with Elder Spencer from close to Holladay, Salt Lake - We have a lot of plans to turn up the heat in the mission - we’ve been struggling these last few months. It is kind of sad - cuz normally we have over 100 baptisms - like easily could have more, but recently - like 60-80 - and Elder Hash wants us to have 250 baptisms - each month - and it is totally possible here. These people are begging for a change of life -- Not that I’ve gotten purposefully wet in the last 6 months, but the rest should be having baptisms! Gosh DANGIT! Ha - but it should change - or I hope it does. I believe in all these miracles and that they can change their lives and that they are ready -


Jessica - I have been using your babies. I’ve been using them in contacts and in lessons and everywhere. They sure can open up hearts--One member even included them and how miraculous they are in her testimony - They are becoming pretty popular here.

So one thing I’m learning is the importance of making sure all your words are uplifting. Cuz no one wants to be around someone who puts people down. Even in joking.

So remember the preacher dude of last week that just talked and talked and talked and said I was a Pharisee? I SAW HIM AGAIN! I was on exchanges with another elder and we were contacting and he approached me and him - he did it and was like “Ya we’re just preaching Jesus,”
I said, “Cool, us too.”

“Oh but it’s a different Jesus”

“No” (Me)

“Our Jesus is God”

“Ours too”

“No, but ours was God forever, before, here on Earth and now”

“Us too”

“Well Bye!”

“!Adios! !Cuidesa!” And it was so weird to see him again cuz I was honestly so happy. I was like hey my friend! But he was rather snippy - I was like, I’d give you a libro de Mormon, but you can’t speak spanish. He returned to his appointment and we kept contacting on that street. When he was in his car to leave I approached him and said -- “Have you read the Book of Mormon?”

“No, when you know the original, the Bible, you can detect a fraud”

“Have you read it?”

“No -- blah blah in Galations - and revelations”

“No, have you read it?”

“I’ve read a little bit”

“Okay, I invite you to read it and ask God if it is true.”

“It’s not true!”

“Ask God - I invite you to ask God”

“Blah Blah”

“Alright - ask God.”

Adios!

I just had to invite him - I hope he softens his heart but he looked sort of defeated while I walked away. Thank you for that extra opportunity. It was cool and totally dramatic.

A funny thing happened when we went to fill the font -- we opened the door and there was a cat in the room. It was scared out of its mind and we started dancing around it and it ran and ran and leaped straight into a glass door -- so funny.

I walked arms around shoulders with a drunk man - I told him the Gospel could help get over his addiction and to call us - what a nice guy.

My investigators - we have a bunch - just need to get married -- I am starting to work with the bishop more - He is awesome and yes he can Talk. We have a lot members that are super ready to help all we have to do is call. I’m doing a lot better every week with teaching and leading the district and stuff and I really loved seeing the countryside of Colombia - it is way cool - good with little hats on the mountainside - the other missionaries slept on the way and I was like, NO WAY! How many times am I going to have this opportunity - not a lot - I saw Elder Mccargar and Elder Zurita and they are awesome. Elder Mccargar gave me a huge hug - we had so much fun together and Zurita said, “You are/were my last companion.” It was funny those two are both Zone Leaders. I have interviews this week with the President and those’ll be cool.


We have 3 types of hormigas in the house -- small, intermediate slimy ones, and huge ones. And the slimy ones bite and it hurts and itches forever after.


Hey, I love you all - sorry this letter was a little scrambled - I did not outline it at all - just wrote. Thanks for all your love and writing me every week. It helps a lot.

Love you tons,

Elder Taylor

Habra un Temple en la Costa!

10/3/11



!Hola Familia!

What a conference that was! (Which of course I understood this time.) Let me jump right in describing my innermost and tender feelings I experienced. As I sit in Pic de la Popa - my church building is the stake center - thinking of the 18 people in here to watch the Saturday morning session - 10 are missionaries - I sat there and watched Elder Scott and others and an hour into it President Monson stands up to announce temples - “You’ll remember that the Provo Tabernacle burned down last year.” !No WAY! ?Another temple in P-Town? ?Como? ?Como asi? I was freaking out - my jaw dropped y totally in awe -- and then almost immediately afterward it was like someone added dross to my engine - Barranquilla Colombia.


?WHAT?! ?My Mission?!


These people that I’m learning to love are going to have a temple. This plan that means and will continue to grow to mean the entire world to me - A TEMPLE - a better hope for la costa there count not be. If something will bless and lift the coast it will be this temple. God sees the value in their land - He sees the potential of each one of us - no matter how hopeless we may seem.


Because believe me - I am trying to love the coast but for a while there it looked HOPELESS to me. These people have challenges - like you wouldn’t believe - but a temple will have an effect here. These members deserve it and now they’ll have a fortress to keep going and fighting on the coast. Thusly, I totally wept for joy - cuz my hope for the people in the coast was dim - and now I see I had no right at all to doubt or to work without this hope - the Coast of Colombia can change and it will. With that said, I definitely feel a new sense of purpose. What an intense experience! 2 temples that’ll always be a part of my life. Whoa -- I’m stoked for this temple -- yes I know I will leave before its completed, but look at the dream - exaltation just got that much closer to these people. That’s probably the most exciting news of the week.


I still feel underdeveloped as a missionary - I met a guy from Florida yesterday in between sessions, old guy, who basically told me that we are already saved, we just don’t know it and when we know it that's what’ll change our behavior. We don’t need a church or anything - just faith in Christ and he told me Mormons are like the Pharisees -- I just listened, it was me and 3 other Elders, but only I spoke English well, and he just kept talking - quoting the bible and stuff and I thanked him and he left... before I thought to invite him to do anything - Dang it - but I was translating it out of Spanish and into to English in my head so he had an unfair advantage - Missed Opportunity - But I’m glad I’m preaching in Spanish - way easier.

My district is cool - I’m one of two gringos en the Zona - but we Only have 10 missionaries so it is not that surprising - the other one knew Ben (Sonntag) cuz he was from Holladay - cool- Anyway, my district is tranquilo - me and three latinos and I’m trying to help them the best I can - best I know how and they are really patient with the whole language thing - Elder Ellis hardly opens his mouth when he talks so it is hard to understand him sometimes. A member - named Richard who goes with us very often, told me that when I work in his ward he was breaking his butt helping me -- he said this in English and didn’t say butt -- it was so funny.

The Zone Leaders held a training last Friday and it was cool - I feel capacitado and realized how I can be a lot better - as a leader of District. Right now lightning struck a house next to ours which was loud and cool but knocked out the power - so I’m leaving in a wrinkly shirt --


Habra un Temple en la Costa!
Love you all!
Elder Taylor