Derik's 9-22-14 Letter

So, hey all.

The flights were a little painful. The first one, a large woman slept on me for the entire flight. The second one was fine. The third one, the stewardess kept waking me up to tell me things that were unimportant.

I am in the second area for Reynosa city, and I have no idea exactly where I am, because none of the streets have names. With the exception of those whose signs are so rusted you can't tell what they say.

We have taught about 15 lessons, we talk to a lot of people, and everything here is great. The first day was hard, but everything got better after that. This area is a new one, (kind of) because the hermanas who were here last didn't leave any records for us.

My companion, Elder H, is a fine elder but is a little difficult to get along with, but everything is good. He is from Mexico City. We get along fine, but he doesn’t like to follow some of the rules. He doesn't do morning exercise, sometimes we come home early, and the way he eats...oh boy! The serving sizes here in Mexico are about 3x the sizes in the US. Everyone who can afford to buy food here has a belly (almost). I can barely finish half of a plate, and he has 3 or 4 every meal. The members feed us every lunch time, and the food is always really good. I drink so much water. I can drink 2 liters of water at a time and still feel thirsty, but I can’t eat anything. The water here is not safe to drink, so you have to buy purified water from salespeople who drive around in little cement trucks.

I understand what most people are saying, but I have trouble figuring out what older people say, because they have almost no teeth, they mumble, and they talk in a really strange pattern. Understanding depends on the line of communication, with phones I understand nothing, in person, as long as they have teeth, I am good. I can kind of talk to people, but the way I word things is weird, and people seem to understand me, but I don't feel happy with my language skills.

We walk everywhere. My bishop’s house is about 2 miles from the chapel, and my residence is almost in the middle between these two places. Everything is good though. I teach the gospel every day. I see at least one donkey a day, except Sundays. My mission President is very nice, although he doesn't speak English. He really is very nice, though.

Oh, Canicula? The 40 days and nights of extreme heat? It isn’t just 110. It can go as high as 50 degrees celsius (about 120 F) or more, but it is always over 45.

Also, someone accepted a baptismal date already! Her name is Immelda, and we have her set up for baptism on the 9th of October. Pretty excited about that!

Love you guys,
-Elder Scott

Pics from the MTC:

Derik's 9/15/14 Letter

P-day is now Monday! Of course, today is Tuesday, but that is not important.

So I understand almost everything people say to me except when they say it really quietly. I have to intently listen to one person if I want to understand anything.

My first companion, Elder H., is from Mexico and doesn't speak a word of English.

I got to speak on Sunday, which was fun. I missed Elder Cristiansen, though; he is a member of the first 70.

 Talked to mom. That was nice. I can't talk to people in English. I forget the words to use.

My companion and I have a little house because we are out close to the middle of nowhere. I saw a donkey cart today. Also there are dogs everywhere.

I absolutely love everything I have eaten in this country so far.

Also, a couple of Mexicanos and Peruvians have complimented me on my accent. Hah! Dad, this is the reason I pronounced words wrong, because I was speaking the wrong language!

This keyboard is really hard to use.

The heat here really isn't that bad actually. The precipitation in the air is hard, but the heat isn't bad. Apparently there are 40 days during the summer where it is always over 110 fahrenheit. That sounds fun.

Um, absolutely everything here is off brand. The yoghurt is amazing.

So, I have nothing really to write about yet. I will next week, but basically all I've done so far is sit and wait to be told what to do next. Pretty excited though.

Well, love you all.
-Elder Scott

Derik's 9/11/14 Letter

So, I start packing today. I leave the MTC at 9:00 Sunday, and I have 2 layovers. My flights and layovers in total add up to like 18 hours of time. I am stoked. Although I may have to acquire more money in order to pay unforeseen baggage fees at the airport. I am not too worried about it, though. I will just be flying AeroMexico. I am very excited to be able to head out for Mexico soon. The MTC was nice, but I am so ready to be out there.

In other news: here are the nicknames I received during my stay at they MTC: Jukebox (Because I like to sing--A LOT), Rocket-man (because I punch the volleyball over the net a lot), and The Wall (because of how I block in soccer.). 

I get to visit the temple today. Oh last week, instead of going to the temple because there was a mix-up up with one of my district members I ended up sitting outside of the temple studying Jesus The Christ for two hours. It was amazing. 

Here is something I noticed that I thought was really cool during my studies: in Spanish God is Dios. Dio is the preterit form of Dar, which means to give. So, what I got is that the word for god is directly related to "he gave." How cool is that? 

 

I talked to my branch president again, and he said to remind him to have me give the talk. Fingers crossed right?

 

I see David for the last time at lunch today probably. I will tell him congrats. 

Ii enjoy getting your letters, Mom and Dad, but I haven't heard from anyone else, which makes me sad. Many persons should send them to me! Bring me a Email-ery (shrubbery)!

 

Love you all,

-Elder Scott

Derik's 9-4-14 Letter

So, I have 1 more P-day after today here at the MTC, so no need to worry about me not writing again before I become a Mexican (mom). Glad to hear everyone is doing well. I am actually pretty sure I saw Jessica practicing a couple of days ago when I got on a bus that was supposed to go to main campus and it went to BYU instead. This particular trip, although very fun, made me miss choir again. Bleh. I haven't been able to sing in the choir yet at the MTC! I do quite a lot of singing anyway, however. Just random things. Some of the people here actually refer to me as Elder Jukebox. This makes me happy. I love music!

So, in this email I will tell you all a couple of funny things that happened this week.

First, my other companion, Elder H, got to speak in church. He did really well, and the entire thing was in Spanish AND understandable. I was not, however, sick for this meeting, which was nice. No, what was amusing about this meeting was that our branch president spent the entire meeting sleeping…also his first counselor…and one of our two zone leaders. Three of the five people who remained on the stand for the entire meeting were awake for none of it. Elder J attempted to take a selfie with the sleepers but decided against it because you aren't supposed to take pictures in the chapel. Elder J kept referring to our branch president as "The Holy Grail Of Sleeping Selfies!" Needless to say, our district found this very amusing. After the meeting ended and everyone woke up, I walked up to the branch president and requested to be chosen to give a talk at the next opportunity. He said, “Elder, be careful what you wish for.” I guess he didn't think I was serious. I want all 3 people in my companionship to have spoken at the MTC, and I am the only one left who hasn’t. I want to give a talk, which I have to admit feels strange.

This next story happened at volleyball. Elder R and I were on splits so that we could play volleyball, because everyone else was at soccer or basketball. We were playing with 7 of the hermanas (sisters) from our zone, as well as a couple of guys from other zones. I have discovered that I can serve better by throwing the ball into the air and punching it (both actions performed by my right hand) than serving it normally. Also, I cannot even hit the ball when I try to overhand it. But, during one volley, the ball comes over the net, and me and this Philippine elder I was playing with both go for it. We are both looking up, and of course we slam right into each other. On our way away from each other (because we hit so hard) we grab hands and manage to hit the volleyball. It goes back over the net. After this I feel kind of out of it, because we knocked heads, and we both have pretty hard ones. But of course, that doesn't get to be the most exciting part of the game. Not even close. The most exciting part was when I saw a ball coming from another court. So, watching the ball, I walked over to catch it and throw it back to the correct court. Little did I know, that the hermana who had hit said ball my way was following the ball and that she was also a large Hawaiian hermana from my district. She was also watching the ball and not where she was going. (If you think you know where this is going, prepare to be a little surprised.) I caught the ball, but then all of a sudden something happens. At the time I had absolutely no idea what, but it was explained to me afterwards. Immediately after I caught that ball, the hermana that had been following it body slams into me. This would not normally be a problem, but there was another heramana, also from my district, standing right behind me. So Hermana G slams into me, I slam into Hermana E, and for a split second I know that I have been sandwiched between two heramanas and that it has to be a violation of page 33 or 34 in the missionary handbook. As a result of said 'encounter' Hermana E ends up on the ground. I end up crouched over her. And Hermana G is the only one left standing. I was absolutely sure I was going home for the next twenty minutes, but it turns out that I am considered the victim in the encounter, so I am good. Elder R, who I was with, ended up just laughing at me for a good while, but it was all in good fun.

The next experience has to do with soccer. My zone likes soccer, and we play it a lot. I always play defender. They consider me the best defender in the MTC. I know! What an accomplishment, right? But the reason I say this is because of how Elder W explained to me how I play soccer. Here goes: (and this is a conversation, so bear with me.)

"The way you play soccer is so funny!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, the way you defend is hilarious Elder Scott."

"How do I defend?"

“Ok, so you are standing there, the elder with the ball starts dribbling toward the goal, and you walk up to him. Then you stop. Then it looks like the elder with the ball hands you it, then trips."

     (now keep in mind that Elder Webb was laughing this whole time)

"And I would say it was something like luck, but it happens every time."

So I found out that my tactic for defense was to stop moving. Apparently it is very effective. We play ball a lot, and I have observed myself and I really do just stop moving, I somehow get the ball, and then the person dribbling and running with it usually trips. I don’t try to trip them and don’t think I’m doing anything to trip them. It just happens.

My favorite thing that actually happened during soccer was one such experience. There were some new Elders in this day, and they were trying to show off and show how much better they were than everyone else. As you are aware, I am a rather solid person. I was playing defender, and I did what I always do, which is run up, stop moving, and then get the ball. But this elder doesn't react  like everyone else does; he tackles me and bounces off, ending up in the dirt. When I tried to help him up, he brushes me off and tells me I shouldn't be tackling people. I felt kind of bad about it, but I was a little mad that he accused me of tackling him. About five minutes later in the same game a ball comes flying in from the other side of the field, so I decide to punt it back. I overrun it and turn around in order to be able to hit it. I kick it, and then I feel something slam into my back—the same elder. He is in the dirt again. I try to help him up, and he brushes me off. I tell him he should probably stop running into me, but he speaks to me venomously about me needing to stop running into him. So I ask him how I generated enough speed without moving, to hit him with my back and knock him down. He then went and played Goalie. This particular match was bad because, as I said earlier, it was a bunch of new Elders who were trying to prove themselves, and they were playing dirty. Their goal got 'stuck' at half the size of ours for instance. It was all right though, because my zone had fun.

The next experience happened at Basketball. I played basketball once. The games are 3 on 3 half court only. I spent the entire game trying to get out of the way of my teammates because I couldn't remember how to play basketball.  I shot once, and it went in. That was the only shot that went in for the entire game for my team. We were destroyed. I found this rather funny because when they asked me to play because they needed another player, I warned them that I couldn't play, but they didn’t believe me. They believe me now. Muahahaha! I spent the entire game trying unsuccessfully to get out of my teammates’ way, laughing the entire time. Way fun!

Next experience: Like I said, I do quite a bit of singing here. Being able to make people a little bit more happy makes my day. I finally met a hermana who I could not please with my song, due to her hatred of the music of Josh Groban and my inability to sing any songs that she wanted to hear because she liked a bunch of fringe music from bands I have never even heard of. That was a little sad for me, but I still got to brighten a lot of days with other songs I can sing. I have two crowd pleasers that always work; take on me (just the chorus) and Grace Kelly. I spend lots of time getting requests to sing songs from people I don't know as I walk around, also to beat box. We as a zone found out that Elder B can do a crazy House beat (watch a movie or something where there's a party going on at a teenagers house and the parents come home early, that deep thrumming bass and notes in a rhythm). After devotionals and during bus rides we kind of have jam sessions. We all sing whatever we want, do beats, the works. It is really fun. The devotionals are always really good too.

OK, here is something I think they should warn missionaries about before they get to the MTC. All of the hermanas here are stinking GORGEOUS. How is that fair? We Elders are not allowed to date! We are on missions! They should not be allowed to be so pretty, funny, cute, or whatever else they are because it makes talking to them without flirting extremely difficult. I will survive, though. ;)

I will admit I am jealous that the girls got an Impala. But I will live because I know what I am doing right now is so much cooler than anything they can hope to accomplish with that car. ;)-

I love you guys, and I am doing great here. Cannot wait to get to Mexico. I am very excited!

Love,

Elder Scott

Derik's Mission Emails -- Week Three

Hi!

I think Mosiah 4:9-12 is what I actually want for my mission plaque:

 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

 10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

 11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

 12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

I don't know whether it is because I am excited, or because English is hard, but typing is really difficult now. I leave the Missionary Training Center in roughly 2 weeks, though I do not know the exact date. 

The Spanish is coming along excellently, I now know seven (I think) ways to conjugate a single verb, and my lessons are still mostly me talking and explaining things, but I rarely stumble or cannot find a word to express my thoughts anymore. 

Elder B's accent has gotten worse, and he gave a talk in sacrament meeting this Sunday. These short five minute talks are solely in Spanish, and should contain a scripture, a quote from preach my gospel, and a testimony. In Spanish. Elder B walks up, say Hola, and then proceeds to apologize, because he did not bring his scriptures in Spanish. He then gives the entire talk in English, except for a couple of word which were in Spanish. The branch president cut him off because he wouldn't stop talking. He just told him he needed to be finished. And if that is not a humbling enough experience, the president of the whole MTC was in our sacrament meeting. (Oh, just so you know two random missionaries are selected weekly to give talks. He was chosen, he didn't know he would be speaking.) 

Also, during this time I got really sick. I had to leave priesthood meeting earlier that morning because my right eye had come completely red and I could no longer see out of it because it was watering so much. That lasted for roughly three hours, and then it miraculously just ended. Then, as soon as I sat down for sacrament meeting, I discovered that I really wasn’t feeling well. I was going to ask my companion to leave with me right away, but he got called up to give a talk. As soon as the first 2 talks ended I ran past the President of the MTC in the Cultural Hall with my companion. I remained entirely uncomfortable in the devotional and throughout the night, but don’t worry. I’m better now. It sure wasn’t fun, though.

I also learned this week how being blessed with empathy can sometimes be really difficult. I have related to you some of the problems my class has been having with one of our instructors. We finally had a sit down heart to heart with the guy (which would be hard for anyone) but I have been given the blessing of understanding and feeling in part other people’s emotions. The emotions in the room ranged from furious to absolutely confused. And I felt and understood the reasons behind every single one--at the same time. And you know me, when I actually care about something, I become a much less eloquent speaker, and I get really confusing, even more confusing than normal. So there we are in the classroom. My district Leader has been “discussing” with our teacher in private. And we have a heart to heart. We use English because we are unable to express ourselves well enough in Spanish, and he uses Spanish, which many of my compatriots do not understand, which causes more frustration. So, my district now knows more about him as an individual, and can respect the reasons for his choices. Also, he’s seeing a girl that he is in love with this weekend for the first time after she got home off of her mission, and we all wished him luck. I think things will be better between us in the future. 

Well, Love you guys. Hope you have as much fun as I'm having (not possible!). 

-Elder Scott