Well I'm still alive but I'm barely breathin...
lol But for real when it's cold sometimes it's hard to breathe... because like every breath just chills your body more.
I'm a load better from last week so thanks EVERYONE for their support and letters. Honestly it makes my life here, and I have the biggest smile on my face.
(@tiger su and chris kluger and anyone interested) The toilet in our pension flushes clockwise and that's the only toilet I've seen really. I can't remember what it does in the states but ya just to let you know...
Also I opened up Holly's step counter on Friday afternoon and tried to get it as accurate as possible but I'm not sure if it's correct. I mean ya we walk A LOT but I really don't think we've walked the equivalence of a marathon in 2.5 days... it's cool though and it's fun to keep track even if the numbers don't mean much.
UPDATE ON THE SPANISH: ok I've accepted my new missionary phase. But for real I think it's coming in by degrees. Some people I can understand more than others for sure but I can pick out words and the overall picture. I've managed to memorize the Primera Vision and I've only messed it up really badly twice. Improvement. I mean honestly I can only go up from here. But ya we helped this member named Hermano Rivadeneira practice his english for a test he was having with one of his tutors and I was just thinking of how strange and difficult languages really are. THEY'RE WEIRD. Anyways, I'm learning a ton and writing down the stuff I don't know. I can read and understand a lot but the listening and speaking is much slower. I managed to say in a lesson that the Holy Ghost will give us questions when we read the Book of Mormon and I know because the spirit has asked me. I ended up having to explain that I was wrong and that's not how the spirit works. I'm having a good time looking like a fool though.
The worst is when Elder Kidd and I come out of a lesson and he's just like, I can't believe they believe in Aliens, and I'll be like "Wait what, when did they say that?!" and then he'll explain and I'll be like "ohhh that's what THAT was??" But for real we've had two lessons where aliens were brought up. One guy believes that the pyramids are landing ports for the aliens and one lady thinks that the aliens are in contact with the US more than any other country. Also in the one lesson with this guy named Santiago, he starts looking through the folleta [pamphlet] like mad quick and real concerned and Elder Kidd and I sat there confused and then he asks us "Wait none of these people are black" and I was thinking "ya bc its a Spanish folleta" but also I didn't want to have to explain that our church wasn't racist but then he's just like "Jesus was black.. why is your Jesus white?" and honestly I really had to try hard to not laugh or anything. That's basically all the crazy stories I have here I guess idk.
It's COLD here! It snowed on Friday, Saturday, and yesterday. And the wind just cuts my soul down deep. I don't get how I can wear shoes, thick socks, garments, thermal pants, a long sleeve white shirt, a sweater, a thick jacket, a wind breaker, a scarf, a beanie, gloves, and still be cold. Like this isn't California. It's weird to think that it's snowing in August. To be honest the rain is worse though because it sticks longer. Also when it's real cold the mud freezes so we don't get as muddy as when it just rains. On Tuesday it didn't rain or snow but it was hecka windy. Like the dirt would pick up and blow in our face and it was rough.
Also a big disappointment that happened this week was that I think all of our lessons except maybe 3 fell through. Like seriously we'd call and confirm the cita [appointment] and then we'd get there and there'd be nobody. Then we go to find someone else and they're gone or busy. So we contact and nobody answers, they're busy, they're not interested, or they want to hear more but when we come back at the time they said to, there's nobody. It's the biggest let down and it's cold and we have to walk all over town to do it. I don't even know where the people go because there's nothing to do here.
But sometimes when I'm REAL cold or tired, I remember what the pioneers went through and I think it lightens my load a little. Like, if they could do it I can do it. I mean a lot of them died but still. Sometimes I'll sing in my head "The pioneer children sang as they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked" kind of a sad song but it helps a little. Or Nephi's Courage or a couple other songs from the children's song book. Those songs are fire. Also it helps to think about Helaman 5:12 or D&C 122:7-9 or that missionaries are prayed for everyday by like millions of people. And also I have a family at home cheering for me.
Helaman 5:12
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
D&C 122:7-9
"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
We did a service project as a zone and it was snowing and I think I still have frost bite on my toes and fingers but Mosiah 2: 17 says that when we serve others we serve God too. (I read that yesterday in the BOM.) (The book of Mosiah is straight fire honestly.) The service was terrible though. We just cleaned someone's backyard from all the trash leaves and dog poop and it would've been done in like 20 minutes if it wasn't snowing but it took like 2 hours and now I have permanent nerve damage in my feet. I swear.
I think that the world is HUGE especially now that I'm 6000 miles away from home, but the Mormon world keeps getting smaller. There's a sister in my zone, Sister Adams, who said she knows Uncle Sherman and dated our 2nd cousin or something lolol. Also this guy in our ward (the Gaucho Rivera barrio) said he knew Brother Steimle because he was his mission president. It was weird because I said I lived near Los Angeles and this guy straight up asks if I knew where Glendora was. I thought he was joking and then explained that I'm FROM Glendora!
Also this other guy in my ward who I'd never met before called me ¨"Elder Colin" and I was soooo confused because I thought Colin was some word in spanish I didn't know and then I realized he was saying my first name. He went on to explain that the missionary who baptized him knows Mom and he saw one of your posts about me and then found out who I was. lolol I was sooo confused until Elder Kidd explained it to me afterwards.
Also Rio Gallegos is located in the province Santa Cruz which is advertised everywhere so in a sense I'm in Santa Cruz at the same time as Tony, Kylah, and Natalie, so that's cool. Just 6000 miles apart.
Watch the Mormon Message about Joseph Smith's story. I think it's called power of prayer and it's way cool. (Note from Rachel: I couldn't exactly find it but this video is pretty cool too)
Also I'm not expecting packages but if for whatever reason you send me one I definitely would not be opposed to getting planters chocolate peanut butter trail mix or sunbelt granola bars. But also don't send a package I don't need it. Por favor let everyone know that my address is just the mission address. Both letters and packages. And if it's a package I think it has to be in a envelope type package and not a box.
This week's artist of the week is: PASSION PIT
Song: Carried Away (because nephi was carried away in the spirit)
Song: 5 foot 10 (because its been stuck in my head and im 5 foot 10)
Song: Take a Walk (because I walk a lot and I helped explain to Hmo Rivadeneira why it's "walks" in plural like "we take walks"
(Note by Rachel: Colin doesn't actually listen to non-church music haha it's just stuck in his head)
Love you all
~Colin didn't actually send any pictures this week but I randomly discovered some in his Google drive that I hadn't seen before so here's some MTC tbt (aka Turn Back Time to the good old days)~
I think these are with his teacher, Hermana Barlow
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