El Puerto de Santa Maria

Well hey there family and friends! I am in my new area now, El Puerto de Santa Maria. A pueblo of Cadiz. Everything is going good! It was a much needed change for me...in all aspects so I'm pretty content! Also pretty sweaty... all my friends know that I don't sweat, or at least Chase knows that and here I sweat. More than Chase at homecoming and that's a lot! Hahaha I probably should take a shower morning, afternoon and night but I don't have enough G's for that! I would have to do wash like twice a week or put sweaty G's back on and I can't bring myself to do that...I tried. 

But all is well, my comp is a good guy! Elder Pomazon de Peru! He is 27 years old!! He's a funny dude. I think I will grow a lot these next two transfers with him. That's another thing, I will be doing the honor of killing him, that means that he will be finishing his mission with me, I will "kill" him off He has one transfer after this one. He tells weird jokes sometimes which I just laugh at so he's not laughing by himself..today he told me "what did the boy dog say to the girl dog?" ..... "wow" and he busted out laughing... so I just kinda chuckled and hope he didn't tell another. He's a nice guy... But they are all so nice in the beginning... hahaha we'll see

Well I don't know much about Puerto as of now. Our area is bigger than my previous  one in Lorca and it's like a maze here. I'll get the hang of it, I pride myself on my sense of direction. I'm not sure if that sentence makes sense... can you say "I pride myself" I think so... anyways it's on the coast and it's pretty toasty but there is a nice ocean breeze a lot so that helps. I don't really know very many members yet but there is one kid named Marcello and I feel like I know the kid.. I don't know why but he reminds me of someone or something. It's been bugging me all day!! We have the one investigator who is super buff.... like super. I'll send a pic sometime, his name is Wilson. There are four missionaries here in puerto, me and my comp and two hermanas. Also my zone leader is the same zone leader I had in Lorca so I will have the same zone leader for almost ten months! But that's good because he is a good guy! 

So I went to Cadiz Friday, I took a boat there since it's just down the coast a little so that's new for me...I'm used to the buses! It was fun walking around there because I'm pretty sure Uncle Jay served there and it was fun to look at the old buildings and think that he saw the same ones. BUT why did we go to Cadiz, well because I am now writing this email on my iPad..so yeah that's weird. I have an iPad now! Well kinda like half an iPad.... The church locked downs these things hard. If we do anything we are supposed to with them our president gets a notification of what we are doing. We have a list of websites and apps we are allowed to use. And if you try to bypass the software the iPad pretty much self destructs, or so they say... I'll let you guys know if it's true ;) 

Church was good, everyone loves my gray suit. Haha but I don't really know what to say when people compliment me...do I compliment them back?! Or will they just thing I throwing out compliments because they complimented me?! Talk about stress... So usually I just say gracias... I just get stressed when people compliment me. I've had multiple people compliment me on my Spanish and say I speak very well for how little I've been out...I speak like a drunk man half the time! But maybe everyone is just used to drunken speech here in Spain since everyone drinks like there life depends on it, here not so much but in Lorca! Im just a pretty big deal out here in Spain okay? You Americans just don't understand ;) haha just kidding I'm pretty much nothing, the lord is nice enough to bless me with some stuff to work with so I don't die over here hahaha. 

I guess I'm close to an American military base and there is a senior missionary couple who lives on it and they can obtain American products if I ask so that's pretty sweet! Pretty much I want refried beans and peanut butter, go America!!!!  There also is an English speaking ward after my ward so I want to try to attend that one time and speak the good ole English with some people. The ward mission leader here is pretty cool, I think he got back from his mission not to long ago and I'm pretty sure he works at the CCM (MTC) sometimes. 

Oh I heard that Elder L. Tom Perry died... How sad. But he is in a far better place with far better people. He was suffering from cancer and he was old. I've been reading all the teachings of the prophets and it's quite cool. All these guys and how they became who they are. I'm trying to obtain as much wisdom as I can out here. 

Not much else to say, things are fine out here! I just wish it wasn't so hot... that's all for now folks! I'm going to have to find out how to send photos from my camera since I just email on here now...

Love Elder Rex

So I'm being transferred! I will now being serving in El Puerto de Santa Maria! It's over by Cadiz for anyone who knows southern Spain. It's 300 miles west of where I am now. I will be serving with another native Spanish speaking companion, Elder Pomazon. He is Peruvian! So we will see how that goes! I'm excited to see a new part of Spain! I will be able to get american food over there I think! There is a senior couple who lives on a american military base and they can buy american food for me if I want!  As expected, I'm a little nervous but excited! I get there on Wednesday so by next week I will be able to tell you more hopefully. I don't like that I have to re pack up everything but I guess I should get used to it! 

This week was pretty good, we kinda had a baptism! We reactivated this lady and her 8 year old daughter got baptized but it doesn't count as a mission baptism because she's 8 and that goes through the ward or branch! But that doesn't matter, it was a sweet thing to watch, afterwards she bore her testimony and she started to say "when I got in to the baptismal font I felt the spirit..." and she just got super emotional and couldn't finish. She really could feel the spirit it was a touching thing to witness. It's weird saying goodbye to people here in Lorca! I have been here for almost 5 months! I finally was getting used to it.. haha oh well. 

It's been warm this week but not too bad. I climbed a hill into a castle! I feel like I could build a pretty good castle on Strongholder now. Also I'm sending some videos that we took home for you guys to watch! They're pretty funny

I hope all is well back home! Love you guys!

Elder Rex

Tugaa. One of my favorite guys

Osazuwa

I don't know what to say about this week, not too much has happened I traveled thursday and friday to Murcia because we had meetings with president thursday and zone meeting friday. Um I went up on this mountain and took some pictures... oh and it was like super duper hot. Like nasty hot. 111 I think. 

Also it turns out I dont have testicle cancer so thats the good news of the week! Yeah I had some concerns but I went to a doctor and Im okay! Suprise! haha 

I hope all is good back home! I find out saturday if I get transfered (I think I will), but we will see! 

Love Elder Rex

Goats!

Mother's Day

It was great to Skype you all yesterday!! I don't have too much to say since we talked so much... I hope you have a great week!!

Love you! Elder Rex

Some things we talked about during Skype:

-- The mission wide conference last week in Sevilla was the first time the entire Málaga mission has been gathered together (picture below)
-- They don't do much knocking on doors, they mostly teach people on the streets or references from members
-- They teach a lot of Africans, most Spaniards are not too interested
-- He is teaching the lessons in Spanish
-- Jordan is afraid he will get fat on his mission so he likes to exercise a lot
-- He misses music and sushi
-- He eats a lot of Fufu, and in his apartment he makes a lot of pasta with chicken, turkey, and veggies
-- He is going to learn how to make Paella, a Spanish rice dish

Super indie

 Well hello... This week was hottttt. We decided to have a bbq with a few kids who are members and non members. We didn't plan it out though... I wanted to but some people just like to wing it.. and that doesn't work well.  We left our piso at around 11 and got home at 6:30 we expected it to end at 2ish. But that's what happens when you don't plan!! And you don't let the eagle scouts build the fire since you are anti fire starter and whatnot. It's all about the experience I guess.

Tomorrow I have a 9 hour bus ride to Sevilla for the mission wide meeting about iPads and stuff. Hopefully we will receive them next week!! Sevilla has a Costco!! Fun Fact! Also Sevilla is the hottest place in Spain I think... #SUIT #IMGOINGTOMELT --- gotta get ready for technology;)

 

Next weeks email should me more interesting. But yeah I'm melting here in Lorca... I'm sunburned and everyone makes fun of me because I'm a white boy who is red now

BUT I bought some sunscreen!!!

I'm excited to Skype on Mother's Day!

Love you guys!

Miguel! 

My BIC pen collection that I love

4/27/15

Hey there friends and family. I hope all is well back home! Well this week went by fast and I'm not really sure what happened really. Kinda like every week...

I go to Sevilla next tuesday for a mission wide conference with area authorities and 70s about the iPads we will be getting. We should get them next week a day or two after the conference.. but idk. I'm excited to see friends from the MTC that I haven't seen since the day we left!! Miss them them so it should be good!

Here are some answers to some things Courtney asked me:

I eat at a this lady's house usually every Wednesday. We usually eat paella, just a typical spanish rice dish. I will learn how to make it so I can make it when I come home! 

Not so much knocking doors... occasionally. Mainly references from other members and just people on the street. Depends on who I'm talking to, Spaniards are usually strict Catholics and don't want much from us. South Americans are wishy washy catholics who will listen and are open to it. Africans are just a very religious based people here. They are always down to listen but here the ones we have as investagators or recent converts have drinking problems so they are always drunk.

Love you all!!!

Elder Rex

Hey I don't have much to say this week but I will send a few pictures to make up for it!

I was sick for about 24 hours this week because I think I ate something bad...not sure what but I think a tomato which is lame. 

It was just another week, we went bowling last monday! I won! woohoo! 

I'm trying to eat healthy so I don't get fat over here... my first comp showed me a video and he got really fat at one point (sorry Elder Bassett) but it's true and I'm not sure I can get fat with my body build, but I don't wanna find out! I basically have just been eating a lot of chicken and turkey with pasta and rice and vegetables. 

I got letters from Uncle Mike, Aunt Tasi and their family so that was nice to get! and a package from Becky and Halle! That was great!! I love getting stuff. 

We get iPads soon! Which means I will be a facebook missionary. Weird!

I hope you all have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Rex

Artsy pictures during bowling

What I eat for breakfast sometimes!