6 Months!

 I feel like I am new here in the mission because I am still in my first area training my comp but I am actually coming up on 6 months. That's a fourth of my mission gone super fast! I am determined to make the last year and a half really count. Spiritually, I'll look like this body builder when I get home!

We had a pretty good week here in Mexico. I started offering English classes and I had 15 people show up for the first one. It was actually pretty fun. I don't think that anyone will actually learn how to speak English from my classes, but we do have a lot of fun. We have candy and everyone speaks in English,..... not very well but sometimes you can understand them.

The hot season is starting right now and it is SUPER HOT! The difference in the heat here and in Oregon is that the sun here hurts really bad! The sun is MUCH stronger here, and if you aren't in the shade it just kills you! (I've got some sweet tan lines from my white shirt!)  My expensive shoes are already pretty destroyed. From the outside they look pretty good, but on the inside I can feel all of the holes and rocks that are in them. But at least they look good on the outside.

Tell JoJo that yes I am still handing out candy to the little kids, but the bouncy balls ran out a while ago. I keep buying candy and the little kids love it. (My comp also likes to eat it.) Having been in this area for 4 months, I have gotten to know everybody. I have officially knocked on every door of my area, except for the buildings in the south of because they have security. All of the people here know me. I can talk to every street vendor and hobo that lives around here by name. There is one little old lady that is always hanging out by a fresh orange juice stand who calls me "her white boy." In Spanish it is natural because they have a word, guerro, that means white person. Every time we pass by she tells her friends or the people close to her that I am her guerro because one time I helped her carry her groceries. It's pretty fun to know everybody in this area, but I think I need a transfer.

Tell Miss Daisy that I say hi and that everything is ok. When I get some stamps I will write her a letter but I can't send anything right now without stamps. Everything is ok here and I love you Mom. 

Elder Shumway