Well here it is. In less than one week I will be out in the mission field putting to use the things that I've been practicing for the past nine weeks. Yes I'm crazy nervous haha but I'm so excited and looking forward to getting out and actually doing the work that I've been sent to do. I know that I still have a long ways to go before I'm even close to being able to talk fluently in Spanish and to teach the best I can but I feel like I have been prepared well.
I guess I should also say Happy Thanksgiving!!! It's so weird to think that everyone back home will be eating nice, big, juicy turkeys or whatever you eat along with pie, potatoes, rolls, and everything. I gotta say I'm a little jealous haha. But we get to have our own little Thanksgiving meal today too which is pretty nice. We're apparently having turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, etc. So it won't be too bad. I just wanna sorta fly back home for a day and have Thanksgiving there haha. And it's kinda nice that it's on P-Day too.
This past week was pretty crazy. So much happened and I hope I remember it all. I had to write down some of the more important stuff so I don't forget. I guess I'll start with last Sunday. Last Sunday we were having study time and our District Leader, Elder Thompson, came in and told me I was giving a talk on Modern Day Prophets. So I stopped reading in the scriptures and started preparing my talk. I originally was just gonna go off the top of my head and bear testimony but for some reason I felt like I should write it out. It was the easiest I have ever had to write or think in Spanish. The words and the sentence construction just flowed and I felt like I was totally immersed in the language which was so cool. And then when I gave it, I didn't speak like an American. I'm sure I had a slight accent and that some of my Spanish was wrong once in a while, but overall I was able to speak fluently and easily. I can only contribute this ease to our Father in Heaven. It was an amazing experience and I'm sure there are many more to come.
This past week I also got both my suits dry cleaned finally! I've been waiting to get them done until right before I left because they'll be clean for when I leave on Tuesday and I saved money these past nine weeks haha. So that was pretty fun. It cost €11 for two pants and the jacket which is a lot cheaper than I thought. But still, it's money and I probably won't get them cleaned again until after New Year's haha.
E. Thompson, Keeler, and I also had to go somewhere to do some more visa stuff. Apparently missionaries that need this done don't get it until they're already in the field but ours came early somehow. We had to take the metro for 45 minutes which was a pain and then we went to this big, yellow building which apparently is for visa junk, and then we had to wait in line for another 30 minutes. And the guy that was taking us there and helping us was 30 minutes late picking us up. So overall, it was a pretty boring experience and I felt like I wasted lots of time. And all we had to do was get our fingerprints taken. We left at 1:45 and didn't get back until 5:30. I could”ve been studying or something! haha. But whatever. It was a necessary waste of time.
After we got back we decided to go to the gym to see if the other missionaries were there because we returned during our exercise time. We got there just in time to see Elder Raiano spike the volleyball in Hna. Nalbandyan´s face. We just stood there and had no idea what to do. It's kinda funny for all of us now that we look back on it. But at the time we were just thinking, "She's gonna kill you Elder." haha. Luckily she didn't though. But yeah I can't really join in the sports anymore which stinks because of my hernia. Hopefully you all know about that by now haha. If not...I have a hernia. So whenever we play soccer or basketball, I just play goalie or just shoot around on the outside during basketball. But still, I hate not being able to play for real. But whatever. My health is more important right now.
This past week, Elder Keeler and I set a few goals, like usual. And one of them was about the language. We decided to only speak Spanish from after breakfast, 8:00, until our gym time, 5:00. It was pretty hard at first but it's been getting a lot easier. I still don't know some words but I can communicate with all the Spaniards here. The problem is when I get out on the streets haha. They speak way faster and they mumble their words a lot more. Most of the other missionaries here are from South America and they speak a lot clearer so it's easier to understand them. But I'll get used to it eventually.
I'm still loving the food here. We have a lot of sea food which is pretty cool. The crawfish and clams and stuff I still haven't gotten up the courage to try haha but the fish and shrimp is fine. Tastes really good too. But...I miss good 'ol home cookin once in a while haha. Once in a while I crave the taste of "American" food, whatever that is. But I haven't gone without a meal yet so I guess I'm doing pretty good. I think my favorite sweet right now is churros and chocolate. That stuff is soooo good. Apparently it's really big here, especially in the winter. They give you a cup of hot chocolate. Not the hot chocolate that we're used to though. It's thicker, creamier, and richer and sooo much better haha. And then you dip the churros in the chocolate and eat it. It's so good. I took a picture of it so if you wanna see it, just ask my Mom. I'm pretty sure I'll be having lots more of that before I go home.
The mission is going great. I've never been happier in my life. Yes the days are long sometimes and I feel like dropping dead from being tired, but it's all worth it. I know that this is where I'm supposed to be right now and that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Thanks for all the support, love, prayers, and letters! I miss you all but I know that I'll see you before you know it.
Elder Mathews
