Ok so right when we got to the field they sent me out to santiago with a temporary comp for a little training. My comp´s name was elder Williams. He was really cool. We were teaching some less actives with two girls who weren´t members. It was really awesome. I didn´t understand a whole lot but I got to teach a little bit. My spanish is... well mas o menos but I just do my best. The spirit was there. It was incredible. Finally I´m teaching real people!
Then this morning we woke up at 5:30 to head to our area. I´m in fantino, it´s a town actually similar in size to Ada. It´s more in the country, it´s beautiful. There´s mountains all around us and the weather is casi pèrfecto. My trainer´s name is Elder Walker from Logan, Utah. He´s really awesome, fluent in Spanish and really excited about the work, just like a trainer should be. We ate today at a little street shop that was really cheap, he says we don´t cook much since our stove doesn´t work, but it´s all good cuz the food is pretty ridiculously good. I am so tired I can´t even describe it to you. I feel a little sick but I feel like I just need rest. I told my comp I just want to go to bed early tonight and it would be all good. He wasn´t arguing, I think as a missionary it´s normal to be a little tired so he´s ready for a little relief.
The town I´m in has a little branch and they just finished a new building to meet in this week. It´s really nice, like an american branch. It´s a really good topic of conversation and a great reason to invite people to church, other than the obvious reasons like their salvation.
But I´ve actually had a pretty wild day, especially the ride over here. It was such a culture shock. I rode in the gua gua which is a van from la vega (about an hour from my area) to my area. On the way we stopped at a couple different cities to drop off other elders from my group and others being transferred. On the way to Bonao we were on a little dirt road and we saw ahead a group of people huddled around the remains of a crashed motorcycle. It had been hit by a car with a young man on it. It was obvious the young man had been killed. They put him in the back of a truck to take him to a hospital, and later i was thinking. It´s so wild how fast life can just come and go. It makes me so grateful that there´s a plan of salvation.
Then we took a taxi from cotui to my area fantino. The taxi started smoking and broke down about half way, and we had to take another taxi the rest of the way. It was... Wild. Yeah so we finally made it to my area, and i´ve been here for about 4 hours now. It´s really really different. Like it´s.. gonna take some getting used to. But I love it so far. Apparently this is a great area and the branch is really unified and the missionaries are really vital here. Better make a good first impression. Also we have about 4 baptisms lined up (thank you last companion of elder walker). That´s such a sweet way to start the mission.
Btw the keyboard here is different and I haven´t figured it out yet so bear with me for writing with.. well like an uneducated 8 year old.
I love the work still. I love the change I´m feeling from being here. I.. well Im humbled. I don´t understand what they say almost the majority of the time. I just smile and nod. yup.
Oh the mission president. haha president lee. He is SUPER direct and to the point. Because he doesn´t know much english he doesn´t mess around. I love it. He´s not my grandpa, he´s not my dad, he´s my mission president. I actually do feel like Hermana lee is like a mother, she´s so sweet. Also elder and hermana powell are super nice. They are the secretaries for the mission of finance and letters and such. They are really texan and it makes me happy. Definitely makes me less homesick.
I know this is where I´m supposed to be, I know this is what I´m supposed to be doing. I love the work. I love the people. I love the gospel.
I miss you guys. A lot. But I know you are taking care and living your lives as am I. I am already 2 months out. 22 more. I look forward to every one.
Hasta proxima semana, With all my love,
Elder Sweeney
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