Zachary's Letter January 31, 2011

Hey everyone!

 

This week was a lot of fun. We had a two training on Tuesday and Wednesday, all day in the stake center in Cancun. We were informed at 10 oclock the night before that our relief society president was in charge of bringing us food both days. when we called and asked her, she didnt know anything about it, but said she would try. Well lunch came around tuesday, and we didnt have food. I knew of a Carls jr not too far away, so we ate there. Thats why Carls jr was on the card dad. But we learned a lot of things in the training that I think will really help. Still havent had any more baptisms, kinda on a dry spell with those, but hopefully within the next couple of weeks. Its because Mexicans will not go to church! We worked our butts off this week, and had 14 people swear left, right, and sideways they would come. We even called almost all of them an hour before church started and they said they were going, and then what do ya know, none of them come. We had 4 come though, but it was their first time so we lost our progressing investigators, or in other words, thier baptismal dates have to be changed because it is required that they go to church three times before baptism. But things are looking good none the less.

 

Because of the trainging we didnt have as much time to work, but we still got a lot done. We had a lesson I will never forget, and not for any reason that could be called amazing, but just because it showed me that some people, regardless of what I think they will do, can surprise me. Me had taught this lady named silvia about three times, and each time she had a lot of doubts about everything, and never wanted to pray at the end of the lesson. We would ask and ask but everytime she would just tell us she didnt want to and she would pray when she was ready. I wrote her off. We went back two days later after the training, and started the lesson with a hymn and then i asked her who she wanted to give the first prayer (usually one of us says the first and we aske them to say the last) She said "Yo" which is me in spanish. I probably looked like an idiot. I was so confused and just thought she misunderstood me.  I asked again and she laughed and said it again. I was thrilled. We started the lesson and I remembered that we gave her a book of Mormon last time, so i asked if she read the chapter in alma we left her with. she said yes and we talked a little bit about it. Then she launched into great detail about how much of a difference she could feel in her day when she reads this book. She talked about Nephi and some of his expierences. My comp asked how much of First Nephi she had read and she told us all of it.

 

Here was this woman, simply looking for that "something more" that she knows was out there, and I had written her off as a difficult investigator. Lesson learned.

 

So my new comp is pretty cool. He is more on the quiet side, which helps me because now i have to do all the face work with the members and investigators. Im also learning my area because he has no clue where we are or have to go. It keeps things really interesting. In the picture I included, he is the Elder in the front row kneeling down, in front of the other Elder thats in front of me. Thats my zone if your were wondering. The other pictures include me making sushi, and two different mayan ruin carvings. The one of the tree looking thing is a carving found on one of the temples, and is of the tree of life. It has a lot of diferent things like 12 tribes, Nephi wiriting on the plates, Lehi looking into the liahona, laman and lemuel being brats, the iron rod, mist of darkness and so forth. Its a really popular one, especally in members homes. The other one was a gift from a family we are teaching. i told her i thought it was cool and she made me take it. i tried to say no, but she literally put it into my backpack. the pictures are harder to make out, and ive only ever seen it in non members houses, so i didnt think it had anything to do with the church, but it does. there is a crap load in it like the resurrections, 12 apostles, satan, crusifiction (the cross in the middle) and a bunch more. It pretty cool.

 

My hammock will be done on wednesday! Im so excited. Dad, you asked where I ordered it from. I just laughed when read that. I asked around the ward long enough until i found a sister that makes hammocks. I told her to make the biggest, nicest oe she could. Its gonna cost 800 pesos, or about like 64 dollars. not bad for something that took 5 weeks to make.

 

well thats about it for this week. Hope everyone has a great week. Love you all.

 

Love, Elder Kitterman

Zachary's Letter January 24, 2011

OK!!! lots to tell this week so buckle up.

 

Congrats to Dorian!!!!! We are like brothers now! Mexican pride baby

 

A few people asked if i will be recieving a new president during my mision. they change presidents every 3 years, and President Salinas started in like june or july of last year, so no, i will not. If you were wondering if i will get a new one cause you think he is evil for not letting the missionaries here do anything, please worry no more. He is awesome and im glad to have him my full two years.

 

Im still in Tumbencuxtal thankfully, cause i really like this area, but i did get a new comp. His name is Elder Brockback. Hes from Salt Lake and a stud. He played soccer all throughout his life  We should be tearing up Cancun for a while together. He has 13 months, and this is his first time being senior companion, so it will be a learning expierence for the both of us. I dont have my camera on me right now cause we just came from the bus station, but next week i will send you guys a pic of me and him.

 

So this week was very eventful so i will just take it day by day.

 

Tuesday- We had knocked this door about a week ago and were going back to see if we could make another appointment cause we missed the first one. We had talked to the mom of the family and she has 3 kids and a husband who works. They live a shack basically. When we went back, she came out and didnt look very happy. she told us here whole family except her was sick with some kind of flu or something. I had never heard of it, but Elder Juarez knew what it was. We explained the preisthood and told her if her and her husband would like we could give them blessings. she went in to ask her husband. Elder Juarez told me that this sickness was not pleasant. You get a high fever and boil looking htings that are pretty painful, and it was very contagious. He told me that if I wanted, he thought it would be a good idea if i stood just outside the door. I said no. I knew that if i trusted in the lord, i would be protected. She came back and said her husband didnt care if we gave the kids one but he didnt want one from us. we went in and began blessing the kids. she had an 9 month old baby, who she told us couldnt sleep cause he was always crying and fussing. As soon as we placed our hands on the babys head, he calmed down. the spirit filled the entire house and it got very quiet. After we blessed all the kids, we left. Both of us were fine.

 

Wednesday- There was a two day capacatation for all the leaders and trainers, so my comp went and i went on splits with two other junior comps. Kim, i alwaya forget to tell you, but Elder Brewer is in my Zone. For everyone who doesnt know, My brother in laws, Nick, sister got married recently and elder brewer is the brother in law of Nicks sister. Figure that one out... Well i went with him and another elder Mendenhall, who is best friedns with Elder Moser, my comp from the mtc (btx i found out that Elder Moser will probably be coming here in may!) Anyways that day was really fun. We went to a really rich part of town to eat at a members house, and we made sushi! It was so good. I made my own, and then the members taught us about some of the mayans beliefs and how it all relates to the book of mormon, cause i was asking. that stuff really interests me for some reason.

 

Thursday- Second day of splits. Nothing too spectactular happened. pretty normal. Three white guys that dont know spanish very well yet walking around the middle of cancun. what more is there to say?

 

Friday- Spilits are over and im back in my area. we are working pretty close to where we blessed that family. We finish an unsucessfull  contact and as we turn around, the mom from the family walks up with the biggest smile on her face. I had been praying for them all week and was extremely curious to see what happened, so i was excited to see her. She told us that after we left, the babys fever, along with the other two kids, had dropped a lot. By the next day it was practically gone and the boil things had reduced by like half. Her husband had not gotten any better. Her smile faded and told us that she has no money for food or medicine, and she was on her way with what money she had to buy only bananas. We told her we would come see her in 30 minutes. We went and bought food to make beans, rice and tortillas. When we went back and didnt give it to her right away, but taught her family first instead. Her husband wanted a blessing by the end of the lesson and then we gave them the food. This is why i came out on a mission. To help families like this in whatever way i can.

 

The power of the preisthood is real. Its as real as you and me. There has been millions of lives touched it, and i as a disciple of Christ hold the athourity of God to heal the sick, strengthen the weary, baptize those with contrites spirits, and give the ever so precious gift of the holy ghost to those who are ready to recieve its holy guidance. It can work miracles, and I am blessed to be a vessel for the Lord in which he can touch his people. The Lord never leaves us. He is our crutch, our brother, and our savior. There are no words to describe what it feels like to walk with him in the work of God, to bring all those who are ready and willing unto salvation. This is Christs church and although many are not willing to listen to our message of his restored gospel, i love them still the same as chilren of our loving heavenly father. 

 

Dahlin, when you said you knocked 1500 doors last week, i almost fell out of my chair. thats insane. You must have the patience of a saint by now. If we knock three in a row where they dont want to listen, we usually leave that street and go somewhere else. The promlem we have here is everyoine wants to listen, but no one is willing to do what we ask, like freaking get married. 

 

Well I have pics from the sushi and stuff, but like i said, no camera. so next week it is. I love and miss everyone. Peace

 

Love, Elder Kitterman 

Zachary's Letter January 17, 2011

Ok heres the down low. Today my and my comp had our interviews with president salinas, and he was supposed to be at our house at 1 30, but ended up not getting there till 4 and now we get less time to write because we have to be at our district meeting at 6, in 30 minutes. but the interviews went well. I love my president.

 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Also, Happy Birthday Elder Draper and Elder Cromar!

 

Dad, i forgot to ask you last week, so before i forget, did UCSD or LaVern offer me scholarship or just an offer to go run there. just curious.

So it has been raining a lot here this week, and the drain systems here in cancun arent exactly very great. so most of the streets flood pretty fast. it makes walking everywhere interesting. Thankfully, its never that cold, even when it rains.

 

Yesterday I had to give a talk in sacrement on unity as a ward. They told me at 10 pm the night before. When I asked my bishop why me and not my native companion (i was curious) he told me, "Because your not fluent yet, your more direct and speak simpler." I wasnt sure if i should feel insulted or complimented. Oh well, either way, it went really well.

 

This week, we built a wall for a less active members house, out of nothing but pallets. It was a work of genius if you ask me. I didnt take pictures cause that part of town is a little bit sketchy and i didnt want any problems. But she was thrilled with it.

 

Well i got some complaints on the mexican water heater. That wasnt my house, that was my zone leaders house, where i was sleeping for just one night. My house has a water heater thing. But I am always very careful, and promise to not kill myself.

But i still think it was awesome.

 

I need to get some other emails out before times up so thats it! Peace

 

Love, Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter January 10, 2011

What up???

 

This week was just plain good, and for no reason other than i get to be a missionary!

 

We had the baptism! his name Darvin Farid, he is 14 almost 15 and man can he dance. He is a great kid and recently told us he wants to serve a mission. that was probably just as good as somebody telling us they really want to get baptized.

 

Congrats to Cristine!! I have another cousin! Whoop whoop

 

A miracle happened this past week. they changed P day. Instead of going from 7:00 to 3:00, it now goes from 11:00 to 6:00. Mathmatically, i loose another hour, but they way its set up now i can get more done with less stress. It starts at 11 now because we have to do all our studies, which last from 8 till 10:30 or 11. But no complaints. Also they are giving us more money each week for food! another miracle. Last week they told me they were changing the amount, but didnt say more or less. With how they make money around here, i thought they were going to give us no more and tell us to just live off the land. I wouldnt have been surprised. but now i get 150 pesos instead of 100. Thats almost 13 dollars instead of 8. Things are a little cheaper here, but not by that much, so you can imagine how tough it is to buy food for breakfast and dinner if you want to eat at night for 8 dollars

 

This week i went on a one day divison with one of my zone leaders. Elder Tame is his name, and making you feel like a crap missionary is his game. He has the, no lie, fattest uni-brow i have ever seen. its like one eyebrow. but none the less, he is a great elder. I managed to make it the whole day without him rebuking me, and he actually told me what a great missionary i will be with some times. thats a big compliment for him. Also about the uni-brow thing, thats actually a rule here, that your not allowed to shave inbetween your eyebrows. im just glad i dont have one.

 

Well Yesterday was sunday, and it was pretty stressful. none of our investigators came to church, but luckily we had 3 new ones come. anywasy, afterwards we taught two of the best lessons i have taught right in a row. there wasnt anything super special about them, but the first lesson was with a guy who simply told us right when we sat down, "Im looking for the true church of god. I dont know which one is correct though, I study the bible but i dont know how to tell." Me and companion just smiled and then blew his mind with some sweet Joseph Smith action. He said he knew what we told him was the truth, but we asked him to pray about it anyways. I really hope he gets baptized. the other was with two parents who have an 11 year son, who they want to grow up to be a good person pretty much. They have never believed in organized religion, so they were a little tougher, but it was still an amazing lesson.

 

I have a quickk question for the other elders, who I know will read this thanks to miss Cortnie. What do you do on your P days besides write and wash and the normal stuff, anything cool? I was reading in the white bible, and it says to go to muesiums and places like that on your p days. we are not allowed. Sometimes its frustrating when I read the Book of Mormon, and I literally live where some it probably took place and i have the evidence 30 minutes from my house, but i cant go see it. Oh well.

 

Well the pics attached are of me and Darvin, and also a very mexican water heater. thats not a joke. We usualy take cold showers or heat up buckets of water and dump it on ourselves with a bowl. but the thing we heat it up with broke and i dint want to take a cold shower so when i was on divisions my zl showed me this is what he does when he doesnt have the thing to heat up water with, called a calientador.

 

Thats its for this week. Peace out.

 

Love, Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter January 6, 2011

Hey Hey!

 

So im back in good ole cancun again! Home sweet home. It was like a mini vacation to merida and back, even for only 2 days. I got to hang out with all the newer elders from the states and just talk and share experiences. Elder Evans, who was one of my companions when i got put in that threesome right after Elder Moser left, went to a tiny little pueblo (village) at the very south of our mission. I was so stoked to see him again, alive and well. Ive heard some pretty narly stories about those types of pueblos. To be born there would probably be extremely difficult, so talking to him about it made me realize how blessed i am in have been born in the best area in the mission and still serving in cancun.

 

When I first got to merida 6 weeks ago, i was kinda cultured shocked so i didnt pay too much attention to my surroundings. now that im used to it, or more used to cancun, going back to merida was awesome. that city is so amazing. everything is clean, the people just pretty much look nicer, and there are actual things to look at in the city. I only snapped one picture of this statue because we were driving and i barely got out my camera in time for that. sorry mom, but next i promise to take lots more. the only problem with merida is the heat. in the summer, it gets up over 105 with 80% humidity. hope i never have to serve there during that time. right now its not too bad.

 

anyways...I got the package! Thank you so much. I didnt realize how much it could lift my spirits. Kim, you did an awesome job with the ipod. both me and my comp are thrilled with all of it. I really liked all the batman stuff too haha. My companion was laughing about it the whole time i went through it. I have bad news though, that family with the little boy Jesus, ya we arent teaching them anymore becuase they wont get married and we have too many other people to teach to try and convince them otherwise. so i guess i will just have to play with my hot wheels by myself... bummer right?

 

I rember you said that they went through it and said no food. did they unwrapp everything and even open the letters? cause thats how it was when i got it. Everything was still in there, like the ipod and the camera for the computer, but i was just surprised everything was open. But anyways, i would recomend not every using that service again. i think it was fedex. I talked to other elders and they told me how they get food in their packages all the time and nothing has ever been opened like that. Just a thought.

 

I especially liked everyone letters this week, again my time is short to write today, only 40 minutes instead of an hour, so i cant respond individually, but i really liked both Kims and Nicks. Nick, everything just made a lot more sense the way you spelled it out for me, and im definetly going to be figuring out a way to simplify. And kim, The best way to make sure this is a great year for you, is to make it that great year. 2010 was by far the best year of my life, simply because i went out and made it that way. You can always do the same. Mom, i havent read your letter from yesterday yet, but its on my camera and i will read it later for times sake, so sorry if there is specific questions i didnt answer. But again, thanks for the package. I loved the picture! Greg Olsen (that artist) is my favorite. And more specifically, that picture of Christ is one of my favorites. There is one picture he painted that I saw in the MTC, that for some reason always made me think of you. Probably cause i always thought you might like it. I think its called "After the Masquerade" (I cant spell that word). I saw it in a book that had all his paintings. Look it up. Also, that plan de salvacion puzzle is sweet. An elder in my zone had it in the mtc and i always wanted one. thanks. I can use it when i teach that lesson.

 

Well its a work day so we are gonna hit the pavement! Just a heads up, Darvins baptism got moved to Saturday. Pics from that on Monday. But here are some just cause I love ya.

 

Love, Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter January 3, 2011

Hey, I can only write 15 minutes today due to the fact that I have to go to Merida today and take care f some immagration paperwork. nothings wrong, but they told us when we got here there would be some paperwork in about a month. well its been a month. the time has really flown by. My comp says that I will probably be able to write more tomorow, but just in case not, I will let you as much as possible now before i have to go.

My new year´s was nuts. Of course for the actual stroke of midnight  was asleep, but for friday and saturday i saw some pretty crazy stuff. Frida i went on a one day division with an elder that only has 1 mmonth on his mission total. hes american but his parents are from mexico so he is fluent, but still didnt really know what was going on all the time. that day was interesting. We got approached by so many drunks and crazies, and Elder Joseph, being new, felt like he didnt to stop and talk to everyone, including the drunks. Not good, so i had to explain to him they dont want the gospel, they want entertainment. Other than that i got crapped on by a bat. yes, thats right. in some cultures they eat it, so i wasnt thattttt upset....

then saturday we had to be in our house until 4 like christmas. we went to our bishops house for lunch at 3, that way we could start working again at 4. well right as we were finishing eating, a gang fight broke out right in front of his house. i guess it happens often, but it was my first time seeing one. basically, there were about 10 guys on each side huling bottles and rocks at eachother. if two got close to fight, they would go at it for a while until one ran back to his side. one guy had a machete, but he never got close enough to use it. I learned some new spanish words, but I doubt i will ever use them haha

then last night we finally set a for sure bapstimal date with this 15 year guy we have been teaching. his name is darvin and hes way cool. but his mom hasnt allowed to to set a date. finally she gave last night and decided to even feed us dinner. it was way good, but in the middle of that a drunk came all the way up to the patio of their house where we were eating and started demanding that we teach him. he wasnt taking no for an answer. it was cool to see darvins mom and grandma come to our defense telling him we were busy and what not. he started getting really close to the table, and so i std up and moved in between him and the table. Im not very big, but compared to him i was huge. he backed up quickly but he continued to harass us. he couldnt read or even barely stand. we took him away from the house and got him to go away by giving him a pamphlet and told him to have someone read it to him. it was crazy, but anyways darvins baptism is this friday

thats all i have time for right now. i love you guys

Love, Elder Kitterman.

Zack's Letter December 27, 2010

Hey everyone, hope you had a great Christmas!

 

Mine was pretty quiet, but I think thats what I needed! The package should be here next Monday, or at least thats what my ZL´s told me. I want to know what everyone got for Christmas! I got two ties from a family in our ward who loves us. They´re pretty sweet.

 

So last letter in 2010! Happy New Year! Our area might change this upcoming week, so we will see how that goes. Our area is huge, and since we are walking, I wouldnt mind it a tad bit smaller....

So last Tuesday, our apartment flooded. We have a washing machine, which is like the gift of life around here, but we have to fill it with water ourselves with a hose from outside. Well my comp thought i turned off the water and i though he turned it off. 15 minutes later, we were laughing our butts off sweeping water out the front door. there was a lot. It wasnt a huge deal because all the house here are tile because of the heat.

 

Last Wednesday, a member family took us to the mall type thing in our area to eat at the food court. I had only been in there once before but didnt know what there was to eat. There is a McDonalds, Buger King, Dominos, 2 chinese places, a barbque and the rest are mexican. I cant imaine any of those non mexican places would be as good as the states, but none the less my mouth started watering. But just my luck, the family wanted to eat at one of the mexican places... oh well

 

We didnt have such a great week numbers wise this past week. when my and elder Juarez started talking to me, he confessed most of his old companions were the ones that organized and planned out the teaching. He is a great teacher and a great missionary all around. But im his first greenie and he felt a little lost. I was shocked, but we worked it all out and I think our teaching anf finding methods are going to be a lot more effective.

We had a baptism on saturday! His name is David and he is 23 and might serve a mission in a year! It went really well, except my companion came up with the program and forgot to mention to me that I was supposed to speak on the Atonement for 8-10 minutes right after the baptism. So I pretty much winged it and it turned out alright. He just laughed when they read out the program and called my name.

 

So David Drapers heart surgery is next month? I will definetly be praying for him and let me know asap how everything goes.

Mom, I couldnt find your email this week. Your second was here, the short one about the package, but i didnt see the main one. Im going to look a little hard but maybe it didnt send. Dont freak out, just send a good one next week.

 

I love you and hope you have a great new year!

 

Love, Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter December 20, 2010

Hey Hey

 

Not a whole lot of time today, but this week was great. Im getting to know my area pretty well and my and my comp Elder Juarez are good together, even with that silly language barrier.

 

¡Feliz Navidad! Sierra, make sure you do someting to ruin Christmas. Remember, if Mom doesnt cry its not a good Christmas! hahaha.

Im excited to see whats goin down here for all that, but the truth is I wont be doing too much. Christmas is huge here, and that means a lot of drinking. Most unfortunate i know... We have to be in our apartments for the night of the 24th and most of the day the 25th. Im not sure exactly what we will be doing, but dinner should at least be good. We are going to a members house for dinner that makes bomb food. im not sure what it will be though... For christmas to myself (yes thats happening) Ive decided to get a new hammock. the one they gave me is decent, but its made for the average Yucateco, and lets face it, im a little bit, uh, larger. So a nice new huge hammock is a very merry christmas to me. (Dad, your funding christmas. Big surprise I know)

 

So i dont have a lot of time, but a few people wanted to know more about teaching and stuff like that. There is a family we contacted my first day in this area. We helped her carry her grocieries and she let us teach her. She is 17, her boyfirend is probably about 20, and they have a 1 and half year old son named Jesus, who is my favorite little mexican chile in the whole world. They have little to nothing. they live down a dirty back ally in one room about 15 ft by 15 ft. All Jesus has to play with is 10 or so old beat up hot wheel cars. I sometimes play with him while we teach. The other day Marisol (the mom) expressed her desire to not get married. My comp just hung his head. I was sitting on the ground playing a little bit with Jesus listening. I stood up and asked if she wanted to change her life. She said of course. I looked down at little Jesus and couldnt take it anymore. I testified that her life will go nowhere unless she gets married and baptized. I told her in the best broken spanish that i could muster that this is what was right and she knew it. Everyone was quiet. We said a prayer and left. Our next appointment is tomorow so we will see how that goes... 

 

They are not married. No one here gets married. Right now we are teaching 3 other families, who have kids from the age of 16- 4, and none of the parents are married. So with those familes, we spend most of our time teaching them the need for marriage. Thats like 12 peoples baptisms just sitting there because of stubborness. its frustrating.

 

The ward here is a little bit smaller, but still decent sized. The memebers are awesome, but unfortunetly lazy. We try to get them enthusiastic about the work, but in vain usually. But we continue to work hard none the less.

 

My time is almost up. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Zack's Letter December 13, 2010

Hey everyone,

 

Firstly, Im sorry to everyone (mostly Mom) for the poor letter last week. I was literally overwhelmed with letters and lost my ever loving mind in the rush of joy...

 

But yes, I did get transfered. So lets start from the top. I was in Cancun, an area called Peten. Thankfully, an answer to my prayers, I have stayed in Cancun. But now Im closer to the center, in a whole different stake and zone called Tumbencuxtal. Dont try to hard to pronounce it...its mayan. My new comp is Elder Juarez. Hes is from Mexico City, and is pretty much your standard mexicano, and I already love him. I pretty much love Mexicans in general.

 

I am walking. Im sorry i never answered that question before, but i straight up told you guys that before I left. All of Mexico Missions are walking, always. There is only a few exceptions, and those are the pueblos (villages) outside the cities.

 

The church meetings are pretty much the same as in the states. Im not sure about my new area, but in my last area we had a very big ward, like 200 members, and we were in a nice building. I loved the members there. We got fed everyday, and way too much. Here in Mexico, its an insult to not finish your plate completely, and if you are asked if you want more, its pretty much a yes or they assume you didnt like it. Everything I have eaten has ben good. They eat mostly soup with chicken and rice in it. Depending on what exactly it has in it, it can be called something different. Im not good enough just yet to remeber all the names. But Ive eaten a lot of tacos from the street vendors (the good ones) and ohhhhh man, those are bomb.

 

As for the package, im very sorry I cant think of anything i want/need. And who the crap told you I cant have music??? I was pissed when my ipod didnt get to the mtc before i left. i know i hadnt mentioned that before, but they should have sent it back. If you have it, send it to me. dont worry too much about it getting stolen. All the elders tell me thats rare if a package gets robbed, but just to be safe, hide it in something, and put some pictures of Jesus on the outside. Not Virgin Mary, then they think we worship her.

 

Yesterday was El Dia de La Virgen, and I have never seen so many drunk people. We had a super baptism, and like 3 drunk people wandered into the chapel. But about the super bapstism, that was sweet. 10 people got baptized from our zone, and President came and spoke before hand. We had a baptism, but it was on thursday cause he was working last night. But it was still amazing to watch one person after another be baptized.

 

My spanish is getting better, but now its going to take off because my comp doesnt speak a word of english.

 

I miss everyone and thank you to all who write! I should have lots more info about my new area next week! Paz

 

Con Amor, Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter December 6, 2010

Hey People,

All I can say is I am loved!!! I had way to many emails to read, so i had to take pictures of a lot of them and I will read them later. The best part was that a got a bunch from people that hadnt even written me yet. Pretty much a good day. I did read Mom´s and a few others, but that still doesnt mean i will remeber all the questions you asked. Its a curse.

This week went really great. We just lost one of or companions, my beloved Elder Rupp who has been with me somehow since sept 1. An elder in my district has been sick and is going home so they put elder rupp with his companion, who is a good trainer. I will probably get changed next sunday. Im not looking forward to thyat because the area I am in is amazing. It has cooled off this week, so that means its a sunny, breezy 75 degrees most of the time. Its pretty rough on me...

Mom asked a little bit more about the people, so here goes. They are all pretty tiny. You can easily tell who is traditional mexican and who is mayan. Mayan have tiny bodies and huge heads. Also, they speak in a weird accent and its hard to understand. The men here, just in cancun i mean, are mostly garbage. they all cheat on their wives and beat them. More than half our lessons taught are to women who are trying to get over their husbands beating or cheating. It kills me because they are so sad. But the gospel can really help them. 

I have one interesting story I will share. We were teaching a young boy, like 15 or 16, and he couldnt read and he didnt understand a lot of what we were trying to teach him. His little brother was going crazy inside the house while we were teaching him just outside the house. His grandma right before this came out and told us she wants us there everyday to help her grandson because he has demons inside of him and he is evil. Well she had that wrong. He was pretty nice, but his little brother, during our lesson, had grabbed a knife and was trying to stabb the grandfather. It was crazy. I thought i was going to witness my first murder. But Isac (who we were teaching) jumped up and grabbed the knife, and then sat back down like nothing happened. Crazy stuff like that happens all the time here. this city is nuts!

We didnt have any baptisms this week, which is a little bit of a dissapointment, but next week we should have at least 1, if not 2 or 3. Everything is going really great here. The food is really good. The members will give up all they have to feed us, and im never hungry. The other day we had lunch with some members and my comps and the family had me eat a habañero chile. i knew what i was in for, but boy am i stupid. While we were in the house, i took it like a man. I just sat there quiet, drinking tons and tons. We left shortly after and thats when i wanted to weep like a 4 year old girl. It was so freaking hot.

I was able to write a few letters today, but now i just have to figure out how to mail them off. Other than that, not much else. Just learning tons of spanish everyday and doing my best. Oh, and I didnt have time to read carlos´letter, but i looked at his pictures and i was just wondering, why is he carrying a huge boulder looking thing down a mountain? Just curious... I will read about it later i guess.

Until next week...I love you all!