April 2, 2012

Well hey there! Another week gone by in the CCM! This week was pretty eventful, we lost all of the older Nortes, and Latinos and got a whole new group, so we're now the ones who are supposed to know what's going on! Yikes! Also, remember how I was excited to be released as District Leader this week? Well...I'm no longer DL! I'm the assistant to the President! So I ditch one responsibility for the other! So I'm the guy who REALLY needs to know what's going on, which is somewhat difficult around here! The new group has been pretty good. We have one Latino who was an English teacher before his mission, so he's kind of fluent.

But he's a TOTAL jerk about our Spanish! He just sits and makes fun of us straight to our faces! Also in Spanish so all of the other Latinos are laughing at us. But Saturday morning I found out something fun about him...he has a cell phone! So him and President had a delightful chat about a few things. Also, my companion Elder Earl got his Ipod stolen this week! So this new group has been...interesting!

But in the time between when the old guys left and the new ones got here we got an awesome opportunity to go on a tour of the city, and eat TACO BELL! Oh it was amazing! I missed American food! Normally they take the Nortes to Wendy's, but apparently there was some big demonstration downtown about farming or whatever...I don't really know. Lots of angry people, so the President thought it best if we go to a different place. But it was a lot of fun! We got to go to a market and I decided that I am going to buy a hamock when I get out into the field because they're dirt cheap!

May 3rd is the day, huh?! (This is the day Brenna Dunlop arrives home) About time we found out! I'm excited for her! I wish I was there to make fun of her for being an awkward returned missionary! :)

How was conference for you guys?! I missed the cinnamon rolls a ton! But I learned a lot from it! Crazy how much you learn when you stay awake the whole time and take good notes! I was really worried that it would just be 10 hours worth of nap time for me, so I said a prayer that I would be able to stay alert and awake, and I wasn't even tired the whole time! Tender mercies! There were a few things that I really liked, for Mom and Dad...President Packer in the Sat. Morning session talked about his dad, and he said that before he hears the Lord tell him, "well done thy good and faithful servant" he wants to hear it from his dad, and I completely agree with him! I hope my dad is proud of me at the end of my life, along with my Heavenly Father!

Then President Eyring was talking about his mom and how she died after

10 years of battling with cancer. The speaker at her funeral told the congregation that she had done nothing wrong, but that the Lord was polishing her. He said, "If a woman that good needs that much polishing, what is ahead for me?!" that kind of scares me! Mom is a saint, but we all know how much "polishing" she's gotten over the past few years!                                

Anyways...I'm going to eventually send all my notes home and you guys can look through them if that would tickle your fancy. I just don't want to lug them around for two years! All is well here! We have a new favorite phrase is spanish, too: Saboree el arco iris. Google translate it, you'll get a good laugh!                      

I love you guys a ton! Have an awesome week!

Love, Elder Hopper #2