Wednesday, June 29, 2011

20 feels the exact same as 19

Well, 20 feels the exact same as 19.  The only difference is I'm one year away from being old enough to drink here in the states. Not that that really means anything to me.  I'm just excited for 25 so I can rent cars.  Anyways, thank you everyone for the presents.  I got them all yesterday and waited till today to open most of them.  I did open the sponge pudding though and was very happy with what that gift contained.  Also I guess I should say happy belated birthday to Dad, seeing as that was a few days ago and happy anniversary as well since that was on Monday.  Also, those letters were really nice.  I especially liked moms and learned a few new things about myself.  One question I have though is how does someone as skinny as myself take 48 Hrs to be born.  I always thought that the fat babies would be the harder births.  Also, I’m glad that the cone head has gone away and that the suction cup wasn't a permanent change.  On a different note, I'll say I’m jealous of a few things.  First, you get to go see wicked and second, Sarah got to go see Transformers, but it's ok, I'll see them both eventually.  Hopefully I'll see Wicked here on Broadway.  I'll be sure to write thank you cards to everyone that sent me a package as well.  Hopefully within the next two weeks.  Oh yeah, before I forget, I've spent some of my personal money.  I had some surprise expenses come up, and I didn’t have enough mission money to cover them all. SO you'll have to add some money there.  I'll send some home to cover it when I get my mission money again and when my companions pay me back.

On another Note, the Bronx is WAY sweet.  So different though.  For one thing, there are people everywhere.  It’s a missionaries dream come true.  Plus the members here really like the missionaries.  I haven’t been fed quite as much as my last area, buts that’s mainly cause we've been busy with other stuff.  So far I've had the opportunity to interview three people for baptism and had the pleasure of saying that they are all ready and able.  One of them, Brenda, when asked who she wanted to confirm her pointed at me and said "him".  Needless to say myself and Elder Bowker the missionary who taught her were both really surprised.  Anyways, her and her niece are getting baptized tonight and then getting confirmed on Sunday.    Aside from those two, Elder Bowker is baptizing another gentleman named Luis on Saturday and then the third companionship in my district has a few other baptismal dates coming up soon.  So, things are hoppin' here right now.  One of my zone leaders is also from Canada, (technically he was born in Ecuador.) but he's lived in Montreal for much of his life.  As for my position as District Leader, we don’t have training really and district meetings are every Monday.  The elders in my district are Elder Topham and Elder Miller, Elder Bowker and Elder Smith, and my companion elder Hampton.  Out of all of them, I have been out the longest.  But really that means nothing.  I've learned so much from all of them.  This is Elder Smiths first area as well.  Finally the language, I'm still speaking a more proper Spanish, but in a way I need to change to speak like the people I'm serving.  Mainly because they feel more comfortable if you speak the way that they do.  For instance I speak normal Spanish with people from Ecuador, Mexico, and most other Spanish countries, but I am trying to learn some of the Dominican and Puerto Rican Spanish to talk with them the way they like to speak.  I'm still doing all my practicing and teaching and stuff in proper Spanish.  I'm just trying to change for the general street talking if you know what I mean and of course for joking in the apartment. 

As for a little explanation of my area, (you can look at it on Google maps) I live at 2367 Hughes Ave apt 16 Bronx, NY 10458. (Remember that this address is only for Google maps purposes.  Don’t send stuff here, especially packages, as it is against mission rules.)  My area covers from 200 St in the North, to 177th / Tremont in the south, and from Grand Concourse on the west to the Bronx Zoo in the east.  It's a pretty decent size area, and the church is on the corner of E Kingsbridge and Grand Concourse.  There are lots brick buildings and they all pretty much have the same dirty interiors.  The other day we were contacting a building, got down to the bottom floor and knocked on the doors there, while inhaling some good 'ol Marijuana smoke.  It was great to finish that building by contacting the kids who were smokin' it up.  Another useful skill I've learned is how to card doors.  If the door is locked, I just slide an old card I found in the day and Presto!  we’re in.  I figure it'll be a good skill I can put on my resume.  But don’t worry, I'm careful about when and where I do it.  Aside from that I'm not really sure what else you'd want to know about my area.  Next email just ask me some questions if you have any.  Oh, my shoes still look GREAT, almost like they did when we bought them.  I try to polish them often. 

Anyways, that’s about all I got for this week.  I look forward to next Wednesday and I hope you have a great week as well. 

Love you all,
Elder Dilling