[Editor's note: I asked about the earthquake in southern Mexico and he replied: "I heard about the earthquake it was a bad one. Luckily it only hit Guatemala and Chiapas."]
Right now my legs are sooooooooo sore. I started an exercise program called Insanity today and the name says it all. IT IS INSANE!! We started to day (my companion and I) and we both ended up super sore and we both threw up. It was awesome and I will consider it a triumph if by the end of the 60 day program I can do it without being super sore or throwing up.
I hope that the subject of this E-Mail isn't quite as startling as the others were. But hey they got the result I was looking for (a startled mom) but not quite for the right reason.
Congratulations to Kray on finally doing something right and getting married.
To read about this week's miracle see my letter to president.
President Christensen,
This week we had a miracle. we found a family of 11 this week and they all look really exited. One of them came to Church on Sunday and has a baptismal date for August 8th. It is awesome to see when we are lead to people who are ready to hear the gospel. the work can be difficult at times but when you find someone like this it is amazing. we are going to be focusing a lot on them these coming weeks to be able to help them all come unto Christ.
Elder Blanding
1: You have to warm up their water every morning by turning on a boiler that is outside the house and fueled by a tank of natural gas that you buy off of trucks that drive down the street.
2: There is almost no such thing as a back yard. (or a front yard for that matter) because all of the houses are placed one next to the other.
3: A finished house is the exception rather than the rule.
4: You buy your bread out of a van that goes down the street blasting a really annoying song.
5: You can basically live within a block of your house.
6: Instead of a police force to control speeding they just put speed bumps every 100 meters on all of their main roads. (even the freeway has speed bumps).
7: No one has personal computers. Instead they go to the nearest Internet server to do anything and everything computer based.
8: You can't buy a vacuum in Mexico. partly because no one ever has carpet.
9: Wooden houses are for the poor people and cement is for the rich. (a wooden house here is basically like a camp shack, 4 walls and a roof)
10: Pizza is delivered by a motorcycle.
11: Fresa (strawberry) is a slang term that can be interpreted as posh, rich, really nice, or just anything upper-class. not just a very tasty fruit.
12: Being 30min to an hour late is normal...
13: A Piña (pineapple) is a slang term for a good looking woman. not just a delicious fruit.
14: It is virtually imposable to buy Root Beer. *I found a place where you can get it... but it is super expensive for a missionary budget.
15: Milk is sold in boxes and doesn't need to be refrigerated until after you open the box. The expiration date is usually for next year.
16: When there is a World Cup game on in the which their country is playing the whole city seams to shut down. you can also always tell if a goal is scored.
17: A doctor hits your stomach a few times and because it hurt says that he needs to operate
*18: Average people know more than the doctor about what a sick person should or should not eat... or at least they think they do.
*19: Nobody buys DVDs in the stores... they all just buy the pirated ones you can find on almost every street corner.
Elder Jason Blanding