December 21, 2009

hahahaha I'm glad you got a kick out of where I'm at. It's wonderful. If you can go down the streets, you can find the pet shop I live behind at 509 Molinos de Raffo. Don't ever send me stuff direct though, it's MUCH safer going to the Mission Office.
No, I didn't get the pj's yet haha just the trees :) Hopefully tomorrow in Zona.
So for the last month I've been sad about the fact that mangoes are unavailable, so I've been trying out different kinds of weird fruit to find a replacement (the Prez. wants us to be healthy so they reemburse us for fruits and veggies!!!) and today I found a fruit that comes close! It looks like an apple in the shape of a peach, it smells like a peach, but has the texture of a mango and tastes like a mixture between peach and pineapple. It is wonderful, now I can be happy about my fruit selection for the rest of my mission (...ha).
I'm also very tempted right now with fireworks as there are fireworks stands on every corner for SUPER cheap. In the states, Christmas is the most tranquilo (peaceful?) time of year, but here it's a month of partying. Fireworks go off constantly and all the little kids run around with cigarrettes their parents gave them to light em. Dont tell Kayli, but usually its the dogs that get the hits from them. Which I don't mind as much as I used to since I've been attacked so many times I don't like dogs half as much as I did haha.
Alright, so for Christmas, Pres. recommended our families call us instead to save the office elders sorting through bills and figuring out what all we have to pay, so you guys can call me anytime between 8 and 9pm my time (I believe that is 3-4 you time, but I have no way of clarifying). My phone number is 305-0089, look online I guess for the extensions for Montevideo.
As for transfers, this president keeps things moving fast to prevent problems in companionships. This way, you miss out on seeing a lot of people you taught baptized and baptize a lot of people you never taught, but the benefits outweigh I think. It makes the mission work more as a team and gets rid of fear of being stuck in demasiado (too? sounds weird in this context in English I dunno) tough area for too long.
On the bright side of the humanitarin FAIL, at least dad doesn't have to go to Afghanistan :) Even if he has to go somewhere else, it will probably be safer at least, and possibly closer to home in case of problems.
Don't send me any calling cards, I'll never use them since it's infinitely cheaper for you guys to call me. Use pennytalk or something I think its like 2 cents a minute or something like that. If I call its like $5US a minute.
Carmen will be baptized on the day after Christmas! A bunch of her family is coming, so we're planning on reaping that harvest like crazy.
Josè, 25, will be baptized early January, probably the day before transfers. Ali Hiatt asked me to inform her when I baptized a Latin stud to sweep her off her feet (her words, not mine), so please look her up on facebook (I think it says Alexis or Ali Hi) and inform her: mission complete. ha
Oh! Yesterday in church, we had a bunch of investigators come, and a member of the 70 spoke. That was a relief, even though it kinda got messed up by this mental dude that came in halfway through his talk and yelled "Pardon me, everyone, I don't mean to be rude being late, I'm sorry!" He always talks during all of all the meetings its frustrating, but the leadership can't very well tell a homeless mental person he's not welcome. So....good luck to them haha.
I think a few emails back when I got here I said that Uruguay makes universal healthcare work, so maybe there's a way we could follow suit. I retract that statement. This country is psycho hahaha Nearly half of the people here have severe mental problems and I'm not exaggerating. Elder Grau says its even way more out in the country. They pay sooooo much in taxes to "help" people and I swear they give these people something radioactive. Seriously, for example the other day this dude with bleeding eyes walked up to me and showed me his new HIV positive papers and asked us to save him and them starting talking about 2012 ending of the world and then started to hum and dance. hahaha We've seen so many disturbing stuff I think this country as a whole is possessed.
Well, on that note, I will talk to you on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!! I'll be waiting :) I have approximately 45 minutes to talk FYI.
Love you! Merry Christmas! Can't wait for PJ's tomorrow!
Elder Magnusson