Sept. 9, 2019 -- Griiiiingoooooo

Kids 300 feet up the street: "Griiiiiiingoooooo!"

Me: (turn around)

Kids: (shy wave)

Me: (return wave)

Haha, thus is my life here in El Salvador. People also enjoy shouting things like, "Don't drink coffee! It´s bad for you!" and "Want some coffee?" Kind of funny.

Every P-Day we have to do about 3 hours of traveling to get to and from the stake center to write emails, which is too bad. However, when we head into the big cities, that means restaurants I recognize! I do love the El Salvador food a lot, but it is also fun to have something familiar. Included is a picture of some Wendy's with a Nutella frosty. Very good. We also made rootbeer floats last P-Day, which was amazing! Nobody here really knows what rootbeer is, and it was surprising that we found some.

Speaking of food in El Salvador, I am loving pupusas. The current count is 32. Also, you know I am a true "Oriente" El Salvadoranian (smaller outskirts, not the capital and big city area) because I am a fan of salsa negra. Sort of a sweet black sauce that apparently only people in Oriente like. The salsa natural is very good as well.

The cars and buses are always fun here. The cars usually have their windows tinted completely black so you can't see in. Also, everyone here believes in God, which is nice. The cars and buses and buildings are all covered in religious slogans, scripture verses, and stickers of all sorts. The only thing that even comes slightly close is the batman symbol.

Lots of fun things down here like a giant motorcycle gang cruising by honking their horns with the guy in front doing a wheelie standing on his seat. Very impressive.

I didn't really believe that those "Rock and Roll" churches existed, but we pass them all the time on Sundays. People inside are jamming out and standing and clapping to incredibly loud music. Kind of funny. I do like that our church is always the same. That is very comforting to feel something familiar. During my first couple days when I was feeling a little lonely it was also overwhelmingly comforting when my companion played some Mormon Tabernacle Choir on his speaker in the morning. Hearing a familiar sound like that was great. And the ever familiar voice of "This is the 182nd semi-annual general conference guy.

I love walking home every night in the dark and seeing the lightning. It always lights up the clouds and is everywhere but usually very far away and quiet, so it is way cool. The other day we were walking home and the cities power went out for a few minutes, so it was very dark. Very fun.

Spanish is good. I can understand most of conversations now. Although the other day I was trying to ask my companion for a napkin and asked for a watermelon. I actually gave a full on talk in Spanish in our ward yesterday. I have also helped give several blessings in Spanish, which is interesting because I haven't done that in English. I have been getting very good at what I call the "thoughtful nod" for when I don't understand what people are saying. Sort of a slow and careful nod that implies understanding but not necessarily agreement in case they are saying something crazy.

It is super pretty here. There is a lot of trash just around in the streets, though. It was kind of funny the other day in a lesson, my companion asked this older lady if she had a place he could throw away his soda can. She said yes and took it and then gave it a great heave into the bushes. I had to try really hard not to laugh.

We do a LOT of walking. I would guess at least 6 miles a day. I always come home super tired, but I guess that means we are working hard, so that is good!

One final thought is from my favorite Spanish hymn. It is called Si La Vía es Penosa. Roughly translated, the chorus says this:

Don't take a break from fighting. Stay firm in the fight. God will send rest to those that fight in the battle.

I like that thought that we have to work and fight to really receive rest and peace.

Keep fighting.

Elder Harris

Included are pictures of my Wendy's, some pan dulce (I ate like 30 of those because we bought way too much for a family night), me mixing it up with the glasses and calculator watch, and some random others.

(A sweet lady in our ward would often give Abe a candy bar when he brought the sacrament to her home. Before he left for his mission she sent him a card with money to buy a candy bar from her on his mission. The picture above is Abe with those candy bars.)