Well its been a crazy week to say the least. Izalco Is very different from the states, a lot hotter and just different. I literally sweat from the moment I walk out the door to when I go to bed at night. I drink lots of water. Izalco is pretty poor, a lot of people have dirt floors, with cinderblock walls, but everyone here is really nice. I'm still not convinced that they speak spanish yet though, because they speak about 10000000 words per minute and drop of all of their s's. Our casa is also pretty sweet, no running water really. We have a spigot to fill up a water basin. We take showers by taking a bowl and dumping it on ourselves, it is actually really refreshing! I wish you could see my shoes at the end of the day, they don't even look black because of how much dirt they are covered in. But it is so beautiful, there are banana, mango, and coconut trees everywhere! Its way cool. the streets have alot of trash in them but thats just how it is down here i guess. Pupusas are awesome, Im keeping track of how many I have eaten and so far im up to 21, pretty pathetic, ill try harder this coming week. They are only $1 for 5 or 6 depending on where you go. So we can eat alot of pupusas for pretty cheap. Okay funny story, second day in the field and we are teaching this family with a newborn baby, and about halfway through the lesson the mom just started nursing, no big deal, that kinda threw me for a loop. People here are just different alot of the bolos (drunks) will just pee right on the side of the street. Speaking of the streets I think there are more chuchos (dogs) living in Izalco than people, they are everywhere! The bus drivers here are obviosly escapees from the local insane asylum because there is no way someone would hire someone so crazy to drive any sort of vehicle. But it puts a little excitement in my day every time I get on one.
My companion is super awesome, hes Honduranian and doesn't speak much English so we really don't talk alot but I'm getting better. He's a hard worker and a good teacher. We had a baptism this sunday, it was a good way to start off the mission and we have a couple more investigators with dates, yesterday I extended my first invitation to a family to get baptized, it was a soft invitation but they have been super positive so far so I think (hope) they will say yes after some prayer.
It sounds like you guys have had a fun weekend with Eli and Shih-Ping, It was funny to read each of your different takes on it. It was weird to see the pictures and realize that back home there is still snow and stuff on the ground, It is summer here in El Salvador, but the rainy season is coming up in the next month or so, so I´m in for a treat. I´m gonna try to send a couple pictures with my camera. hopefully you guys get them okay. In case you guys didnt hear, the church is creating 58 new missions as of july 1st, including two in idaho, and our mission is getting the ax. its being split into the El. Salv. Santa Ana missin and the San Salvador oeste/ Belice mission. kinda cool if I stay in Sonsonate or Sonzacate for two or three more transfers I will be moved to the new mission. I only have about 30-40 minutes to write so I hope that this email was sufficient for all of you. I am gonna try to figure out how to send pictures. I love you all and wish you the best!
Elder Schriever
PS my address is:
Mision El Salvador Santa Ana'Belice
Apartado Postal #142,
Santa Ana, El Salvador, C.A.
and if you send a package send it using USPS
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| typical streets here in Izalco |
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| street in Izalco |
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| central plaza of Guatemala city |
