Families SUCK

Ha, just kidding families definitely don't suck that was just a clickbait title to get you to read my letter. The only reason I even said that is because this week it was a little frustrating because we lost 3 baptism dates, 2 of which were because people's families told them the church was bad. One dude left because his family told him the catholic church was better, and the other one left because his family told him that the church was gonna make him give them all his money. The last guy left because he decided he hated the Book of Mormon.

Anyway, another boring letter from Jacob is here. I suppose I should kinda just tell it all in chronological order. On Tuesday, we had exchanges but it was just with the elders we were with everyday anyway so it wasn't anything real different. My companion was Elder Randall and he's from Montana but his Spanish is really good. He helped me a lot.

Also that afternoon we had kind of a cool experience. Someone rang the doorbell in the church gate so we went out and it was some guy who was wearing dirty work clothes and his hands were clogged with mud and he had a wheelbarrow of dirt with him. He started telling us (I think) that he loved the bible and scripture but he didn't have a religion and so he wanted to read the Book of Mormon. He also said he wanted to read and learn the Book of Mormon in English and I just happened to have an English Book of Mormon and I gave it to him. Also it was kind of funny because here fist-bumps are what everyone does here but this guy (Gerardo or something) insisted on giving us handshakes. After he was done talking to us he put his new scriptures on his pile of dirt in the wheelbarrow and walked off.

Also I taught my first lesson in person that day and I was so awkward cause I couldn't read anything like I can when were doing the phone lessons and since it was my first lesson ever in person, I had no idea where to look or what to do with my hands.

Later that night the other elders we did exchanges with stayed at our house and so we had to go out and get food. It was such a cool experience cause it was like 9:45 at night which is way later than we were supposed to be out and there was this taco stand that this old couple were running outside their house and we went there and I had no idea what to order so I literally just pointed a the meat I wanted. While they were cooking they invited us to sit on chairs on their porch while we were waiting. It was literally so cool to see them make these tacos and just be sitting on the streets of Mexico with mariachi music in the background. I realize typing that out its not as cool as I thought it was but literally at the time for some reason it felt like one of the coolest things I’d ever done. And I was so mad that I didn't have my camera with me (but I did take a picture of the tacos after we got home and they were literally the best things id ever had)

The next day was extremely boring because literally all we do during the day is sit at the church and teach like three lessons sometimes. the bad thing about it is how freaking boring it is sometime but the good thing is I’ve had a ton of time to get into the bible. (read John 12-21 its literally some of the best scripture you will ever read. also read exodus 4:25 heh)

Thursday was the worst day of the week and it was the only time I really felt homesick cause it was a super slow day at the church and literally all I could think about was Utah Football. I tried to think of other things but it was hard. I was just waiting for the game to start so I could start reading email updates from my dad. I wasn’t able to see the final score till the next day cause of that rain delay. (out of the very few things I was able to read about the game it seems like if there hadn't been 2 dropped tds and an early special teams blunder which are really annoying but fixable, the Utes would’ve won 55-10 which ain’t too bad)

Friday we had exchanges again for some reason and that night we went out for hamburgers and they were good but for some reason they put giant slabs of cucumber on them.

Saturday was another slow day but at the beginning of the day my companion went to the mission office to get his vaccine so we did exchanges AGAIN but this time it was just for the morning but I literally had 4 companions this week. Also that Saturday we had these quesadillas from the big market right outside the church and they were so good.

Sunday was church obviously and like last week it started 20 minutes late and it was fast and testimony meeting but after like 5 testimonies the bishop decided to end the meeting and have sacrament and since the ward is so small it was like less then ten minutes so literally church was like half an hour so that's a positive. Obviously after the meeting we stayed at the church and do our normal stuff and most of the ward does too and they are so nice. Theres like dudes from the bishopric and other people in the ward who will just clap you super hard on the shoulder and start talking to you. Obviously when that happens I cant say that much back but its still really awesome. Also we had a meeting with the bishop and other members of the ward and I could not tell you what was said in that meeting cause I did not have a clue.

Afterwords I was playing hymns on a piano in a classroom and some little kid came up to me and wanted to sing while I played. Later that night it was raining harder than I had ever seen it rain and I got a picture (hopefully I can upload it) but the photo does not do it any justice.

Later that night there was a missionary in the ward getting set apart and her entire family was there and even though we obviously we didn't know them at all they just started talking to us and it was the classic process of me telling them I'm new so I can't speak or say much in Spanish and them being confused by my last name being Rivera (also does anyone know where our family heritage is from in Mexico cause people always ask what part of Mexico and I always just tell them I have no idea)

Today is P day obviously, and we went to Walmart which is literally the exact same as Walmarts here and then we had to do our laundry and we didn't do it last week so we had a ton. We have a washboard and I sink in the back of our house and it was the first time I had ever used one so it was kinda fun to wash for like the first 2 garments but after that it got boring. after we washed our garments we called a laundry place to do the rest of our laundry and it was so awesome because they literally came to our house, picked it up, and then tonight they'll drop it off.