Monday, November 25, 2013

11/25/2013

The foods I have had are fruits. One is called manzana de oro it is really good and we have a tree of it in our back yard and then the other thing is called guanabana it is delicious in shakes.

We did a fun get together at Christmas last year, but this year the area seventy prohibited it because there are too many missionaries to get together we are 260 just in the east part and I guess it causes problems if we all get together.

Don't you worry mom all they eat here is chicken every day they eat chicken rice and beans it is called the bandera..or "the flag" it is a trademark here I actually don't like eating meat that much I prefer fruits and salads. I have been trying to make pastas more often too.

What are Grandma and Grandpa Allen up to? Are they doing well?

 I teach english at the church. If you get the chance can you send me stamps in the package and carmal apple suckers the ones that have the green wrapper? I have such bad tan lines... and I think I have a boil or something in my armpit it gets really irritated so I need to take care of that. If you get the chance you should send allergy medicine too because  I get really stuffed up because of the dust and it makes it difficult to sleep sometimes. 

This area is hard haha I am learning alot from it. The sacrament meeting yesterday was really good the district leaders came and bore some testimonies that I needed to here from people in this country. Such solid members they really gave me a spiritual upliftment that I needed I was pretty frustrated that morning. Not a lot of support from members in this branch and people got baptized for the wrongs reasons too. But I am happy to know that there are members that are truly converted in this country and for that the true will progress because converted members are motivated to do the will of the Lord.

 I love you all tons! Have a great week!

Monday, November 18, 2013

11/18/2013

Well the spiritual experience this week would be that we went to look for inactive members and found three sisters that got baptized six years ago but stoppped going two years ago because  it wasn't the same when the missionaries changed. That is one of the excuses that makes me really sad that they were going to church to please the missionaries. So we got to know them pretty well and then read alma 5:26 and asked them how the misionaries that they are so tight with would feel if they saw what they are doing now and it really touched them we then read a chapter in john 21 and reminded them that just as the apostles did we all lose motivation at times, but all the same Christ expects us to keep pushing forward and learn to progress and adapt and help others want to sing the song of redeeming love that we feel as we are continually more and more converted to our savior's teachings..
 Sounds like a really weird dream mom don't dream stuff like that. ha yes sugar cane is just a big stick you chew on it and spit out the remains after getting the sugar out it is flipping good.  We do service for people all the time usually digging  up piles of dirt and mving them to make the bases of houses and stuff like that. We painted the kitchen of a hospital last week too. That sounds like a whole lot of fun with the  primary. I am super jealous about the State championship haha I had a bad dream about football the other night.. which isn't as common. I really don't like remembering that stuff sometimes so I don't think about it. Every day is a fresh start, The priests and teachers only showed up ten minutes late to Sacrament meeting this time so that was good they actually even blessed the sacrament. We are trying to get them ready to serve missions in two years so the Duty to God Program is a big deal they have never established it or used it here so that is badly needed.
You want to know what is stressful? teaching english classes to twenty people and five of them change everyweek and they all have a different leven of understanding and are different ages.
Tell Justin congratulations for me.  I was really excited about the trip to china that will be an awesome experience. Where does Bay want to go to college?do you have any plans for Christmas? what else... have you accepted the friend requiests I may or may not have on Facebook?
 Mango season gets here in two months... TWO MONTHS I can't wait I missed the last one and now I am in a place where there are so many I can get them for free! I am starting to gain weight again! No one in our house wants to leave to do anything like that so it is a little difficult ha I just have to pretend I will be wrestling when I get home and that I am training for wrestling season and I will be more motivated haha.
 Love you all a whole bunch have a wonderful week!
 Love, Elder Bell

Monday, November 11, 2013

11/11/2013

Wow I had no clue about the Philipines, I was in shock when I heard about Brinton Carlson I love that guy. I hope he is ok. He graduated with me and everything.

Well my cultural experiences usually include talking about baseball or having to explain to people here that I don't know how to dance bachata or salsa or  mambo, because it isn't common where I live.The people here love music and they have some really good stuff and kinds orf dancing that originated here. I do want to learn to dance more when I go home. I have been enjoying walking ankle deep at least in water and mud wherever I go. I really have been focusing alot on the young men's program here becasue that didn't have their own class or anything before. Well I am still working on playing soccer, however I have to learn how on a basketball court because there is no where else. I love buying sugar cane still. I can buy a huge stick of it for only fifty cents so flipping good. Ahhhhh I am really way too comfortable as a missionary haha I have noticed that one of the first things I do every morning is I pray then I go put a shirt on so I can put on my plaque haha kind of nerdy.

Tell dad to keep updating me with the stuff about college wrestling haha I miss that still. Where does Baylin want to go to college? where is she applying?  I think I will go to ISU when I get home that way I don't have to take out loans and stuff like that. My companion is cool. He did some MMA before the mission and played on a soccer team I think he was a mechanic too.

Wellllllllllll I don't have a whole lot more to say sometimes I totally space. I really have enjoying reading Joseph Smith History lately and focusing on his feelings and the way the spirit guided his words in defense of the truth it is pretty spectacular when you read it and realize how powerful and sincere his testimony really is  I am striving to have a testimony like that.

 Love you all tons have a great week
 Love , Elder Bell

Monday, November 4, 2013

Nov. 4, 2013


That is cool  I love hearin about what is going on in sports. It sounds like you all had a blast for Halloween.
 My new companion and area are... very different the only thing that is like my other areas is that I still feel very isolated from all the other missionaries.  I get along with my companion.  I was really bummed today because we were supposed to get together with a whole bunch of Elders and play soccer, but it has been raining for the past twenty four hours, we were about to get on the three hour bus ride to go play and we got a called that it was cancelled... I spend more time washing everyone's dishes than I do exercising which kind of kills me. But the bright side is this house at least has a pull up bar inside.Yesterday I was told I was teaching the Young  Men's lesson from now on and I know that that will be a blast. Basically I get to be the young men's president for a little while and I love teaching them even though they don't listen for the first thirty minutes. If I am patient they always end up participating by the end. This area rains too much so we are always walking in the mud.

 I want a rematrch against that Rock Springs wrestler. I  had a dream about that match the other night.It is pretty weird how fast time starts going two weeks in to the transfer and I feel really new still the area is small too and I am still getting used to it. Tell Trevor thank you for the quote in the Dear Elder he sent me it has been helping me alot I needed it. I love you and mom and bay and brit and brea miss you all , but that's just how it is!
                      Love, Elder Bell