Monday, August 29, 2016

Drinking from a Coconut and Scrambled Pancakes


So we had changes this week and I am now with Elder Mejia. He´s 22 and from Honduras. He has about 19 months in the mission. Yeah so that´s him. So things were kind of bland this week. Nothing too crazy. So theres this one lady we found that was baptized as a kid and has since left the church and she's smoking like 20 ciggaretts a day. When we first met her she said she didn't want to hear anything from us, but we could talk to her son. Then after a couple days we started talking to her and now we´re helping to quit smoking and her son has a baptismal date.

I guess latinas love white skin... its really creeping me out. We were starting out this one lesson with a girl staring at me saying "oh my your eyes are so beautiful...." (insert other creepy crap) then her sister was asking if I can marry people here in El Salvador... Then in this other lesson this 50 year old women was saying "oh wow your white skin its so beautiful....." (more crap). Then during the lesson my comp was talking and I looked over and she was staring at me... No. Please, no. Yeah that's what we call "snakes"

So my comp was saying I´m weird cause I'm quiet and don't say anything (Why talk unless someone asks me a question?) and he always asks what I like to do for fun in the mission (like at night and stuff). and I dont do anything. I just like to read pretty much, But I realized my real joy comes from the people in this country I have such a fun time talking with everyone that I don't need anymore in the night. Yes this is hard work but the people really make it easier and make this country fun.

Here are some pancake scrambled eggs because my pan is denfinitely not a non-stick. But very delicious. Me drinking cocunut in the "garden of eden" (yard of the zone leaders/assistants house), a super dope bridge. Also, I look very bald, I'm sorry. And the river next to the bridge. More coconut.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Teaching Castro's Personal Fanboy


So I'm just gonna kinda go all over the place, this week was pretty interesting.

So an investigator gave us a reference to his English teacher, so we decided to go hit it up the other day. When we walked in the investigator was there with the guy. This guy is fairly large and uses a wheel chair, he has a special button to open up the door for people too (way dope). He wears an apron and shorts shorts. Both of which are not very flatering. He has a very large beard (like Bin Laden) and wears a beret (weird hat thing) that has a picture of fidel castro on it. alsw he has giant posters of fidel castro EVERYWHERE. We taught a communist. He had a weird thing for mentioning baghdad a lot . . . We taught a communist terrorist, and then he gave us a bag of coffee. café de maíz. communist coffee. ya.

So last week for P-day we went to youkwaquin (you-kwa-king) and did this way amazing hike (pictures attached) and basically chilled at the top of this place overlooking El Salv and Honduras. So our recent converts little sister was super super sick earlier this week so we gave her a blessing, then the next day we were passing by and the little girl was perfectly okay! Running around and eating this monster of a sandwhich. So yeah I think she`s okay . . . I'll let you people think on that more. So one of the most frustrating things is when we talk with people and they say "Yeah of course im gonna do this" and we plan out everything for them (like going to church). Then we pass by in the morning and they`re like "ohhhh no we`re not going . . ." then we say "hey you got a half hour no worries you can still go" they say "oh yeah we`ll get ready right now!" and guess who doesn`t go . . . everyone. Yeah that`s really annoying. But whatever. So there is this pack of dogs that always waits to come and take us out, but we`re ready now. so there is like 4 or 5 of them that hang out on this one corner every day/night (night time is when they attack) but we have a couple stash piles of rocks on either side of them, so no matter what direction we come through we`re armed. I have yet to hit one yet, because I cant force my self to hit dogs. But I just throw them close and they get scared. Also turns out if you run towards them they freak out like none other. Yeah that`s always fun.

My area is by that volcano and it includes where we are standing . . . (way huge), the district (minus the assistents to the pres.), posing infront of honduras and the ocean, some street, baleadas are like the pupusas of Honduras (a member makes them for us all the time), some off brand tortillas smashed between two tortillas. is this salvadoranian food? No this is Jesse food.

Goodbye children

First Homemade Pupusas


So as you´ll see below I made my very first pupusas! The salvadorans were pretty suprised at how good they looked. So yeah, I was pretty successful at it if you ask me. I ate 4 of them and right after felt so full like I was going to explode. We made it home, planned, and immediatly after, threw up everything that was in my body. (so I´m not sure if I can say I´ve eaten 18 pupusas or 14). Yeah it was gnarly, then I got hit from the other end too . . . This happend for a couple days and I can successful say that I went about 3-4 without eating . . . all I could down was some yogurt an cereal. I Had my first full meals yesterday, and that was pretty hard to get it all down. and now I have zero appetite to eat pupusas again. But I'm feeling better now. Oh, one thing that was fun, was I downed some pepto and then we got on the bus to head out for the day and this bus was packed. My comp was hanging onto the rails outside of the bus and it got to the point where I pushed some ladies out of the way so that I could make it to the window just in time to throw up. Every latino on that busw was starring in horror. it was awesome. It made me feel better though. Heres a downing ewxperience as well.

So we have these two super progressing investigators that read the Book of Mormon every day and do everything they're supposed to do, but the dad is catholic and wont let them go to church or anything unless he goes with them (so he'll never go) and they cant be baptised till their old enough to decide on their own (18 years old). So maybe in 4 or so years they'll get baptized . . . But right after that we had a good experience with someone else. We went to this house were a brother and sister and her boyfriend live. And they didnt have time to visit cause they were leaving for a soccer game (that's everyone excuse) but they said they prayed and the boyfriend said he felt really really happy when he prayed. And the other said he began to cry when he prayed. We asked them "Oh, so does this make you know Joseph Smith is a prophet?" and they said "yeah" and then we invited them to church and stuff but the one that cried, said he cant go because he's preparing for baptism in another church . . . Hombre. But still cool.

These are pics from our trip to Youquaquin (you-kwa-king) and at the house where we made pupusas.


Monday, August 8, 2016

Temple Trip and Rain Storms


Well this week was fairly decent. Nothing too extraordinary to report on. Thursday we had a temple trip for everyone in our mission boundaries (members, investigators, missionaries, everyone). With like presentations and stuff about the church and the temple and what not. Nothing too crazy. But it was pretty solid. We had 41 from our ward cram on a crappy school bus for 4 hours (one way), but they all liked it. I didn´t do anything. I walked around picked up garbage and bought food for other missionaries. Pretty boring for me, but it was nice to go. Bummer because it was pouring rain the whole time so we didn´t get to walk around and take pictures really, but oh well. Yeah so one minute it will be bright and sunny and hot like none other, then you see this black wall in the distance... then we say "okay we got 4 or so hours till the storm hits us", 30 minutes later the storms on the outskirts of the city... "ahh crap we gonna die" then 5 minutes later its all around us, lighting everywhere, then it pours like crazy. The streets turn to rivers (we couldn´t get to a families house because the street flooded too much) then it just dies away like nothing happened (or continues on through the night. it kindof changes sometimes). So yeah its pretty nuts usually. so we were visiting this less active lady and she said she didn´t have time to talk but she went over and bought us two charamuscas (really good frozen chocolate things). She spent a dollar on us, and she literally has nothing. Her husband spends everything on alcohol. She did it another time too and legit the next day asked us for a dollar because she didn´t have any left, but we arent allowed to give any money away. So that kinda stunk. Everyone here is so kind and giving. It doesn´t matter how much they have, they give to help others.

Elder Vaughan

Here´s a couple pics of the temple, some graffiti in the town, and something else random from the bus, and a bottle of pepto bismol that we down like noneother. JK I have yet to partake of that vile drink. Me with our delicious giant watermelon, I decided to practice my photography skills with this watermelon because I had nothing better to do and the finished product, with some pan dulce. and my cool backpack I bought the other day.


Monday, August 1, 2016

Dog Attacks and Progressing Investigators


El Salvador is nuts man. I guess today marks 2 months. Does it go by fast? Eh, sure. I don’t know. So this week has been somewhat eventful and also not. I´m not gonna go in any particular order. I saw something that I thought I would never see... a mattress store like from Spongebob Squarepants! That part when Spongebob asks Patrick "Wow, how many do you think there are?“, and Patrick says, "10." Legit. This store had stacks and stacks of mattress just like the cartoon, so that was a bright spot in my week to remind me of my childhood. Still have only had 11 pupusas. I should be counting how many tortillas I eat, because we go through a ton of those. Also today we played soccer and had a Gringos (white guys) versus latinos game, and the gringos won! Very unusual yes, but hey it was like 10-3 and I scored 3 and got a couple assists too. People are kind of annoying here. We ask them "hey so you going to church ya?" and they´re like "oh yes of course Elder" then we set up plans to take the bus with them, and we show up to their house in the morning and don´t answer so we walk all the way back across town to make it right on time for church all sweaty and stuff. Yeah, fun stuff. We had a good experience where we met with this one guy and we were finishing up and we asked him to pray and he was saying stuff like "Oh, no. I don’t like to pray. God doesn´t listen . . .". Then he finally did, and after my comp asked, "how do you feel?" the guy says "really good..." while smiling. then we set another appointment and left. that was our bright spot this week.

Here´s my first sketchy story. So we were walking through this neighborhood in our area called “15 de septiembre” at about 8 PM on Monday night (a week ago) and we hear this guy screaming and a horn honking around a corner about a block or so ahead of us. we stop, listen, wait, and just keep walking to our appointment. As we get to the corner we see 2 guys beating this other guy to a bloody pulp. We kept going to our appointment and tried not to look. they pulled the guy out of the car threw him to the ground and let loose on him. I can honestly say that I do not know if he is alive or not. The part that hurt me the most was not being able to help. All I´ve thought about is about how I wish that I could have helped, but it would have gotten the both of us in trouble for sure. Honestly the worst thing I´ve ever seen.

Also on Monday night (before the story above) me and my comp were walking and out of no where a dog comes chomping at my heels. I pull my leg away and turn from the dog, then my comp delivered a swift kick to its face, then we were good. Nothing too bad though.

Due to request here is my average daily schedule: 0630 wake up. 0800 personal study. 0900 companion study. 1000 We study the 12 week plan for new missionaries. 1100 language study (ive only had it like 2 times.) 1200 lunch either at a members house or our own. Usually at a member’s place. 1300 We return and get ready to leave. 1330 Leave for the day for lessons and stuff. 1900-1930 we go to someone’s for dinner or fight for ourselves. 2030 we need to be back in the house. Then its read, write, wash clothes, cry (I don´t cry), pick your nose, whatever you want until 2230. then we sleep. Wednesdays we have an English class, Thursday meeting with ward mission leader, and district meeting at some point in the week. It’s kind of whatever.

Yeah things are good and moving. Havent been sick, mugged, shot, or all that falls in between yet.

Don’t run with scissors. Don’t eat the glue and be nice to the girls.

Love you all!
Elder Vaughan

I didn’t have any other pictures to send, so here are some from my living quarters.