YES, you heard the subject line right. This week I finally passed the 100 pupusa mark! I am sitting at a comfortable 107. I hope I haven't gained any weight, but I don't know because I have only seen a bathroom scale once in the mission office
on the other side of the country. I think I'm maintaining even though, so that's good. Pupusas are great.
Also, I am unfortunately liking dogs less as a missionary than I did in the pre-mish life. Two different dogs got me this week. One grabbed my thumb as I was shutting a door and another bit my ankle (also while I was shutting a door). I guess the motto
is to watch your back because they like to get you when you're shutting doors. Or just leave first so your comp has to get the door.
One snack I like down here is these little packs of peanuts baked in soy sauce that you can buy for a dime. They taste pretty good.
The other day we were walking and one of the drivers of one of the little three-wheeled moto-taxis gave us a ride for freeeee. It pays to talk to everyone and make friends, haha. Also, ride is the same word here. ¿Quieren un ride?
Man, I have realized how awful alcohol is. These poor guys that are addicted spend every day sleeping on the same dusty street corner in their drool. It is just a very sad way to live. Don't drink.
We got to church and they had a bunch of newspaper taped to the walls to protect it because they had been restaining the wood parts. They wanted to take the newspaper down so it would look good for the meeting, but it was way up on the ceiling and everywhere.
The decided solution was to take the tallest person in the chapel, which happened to be me, and put me on a big stack of those plastic chairs they always have in the church buildings so I could grab all the newspaper. I could practically hear the theme song
from Safety Zone playing, but it was all good.
(Mom note: The Safety Zone is a series of church videos missionaries are required to watch before leaving on their missions. The videos are, as you might suppose, all about staying safe on your mission.)
Everyone here is very nice. We were walking past the prison and they had the prisoners out in their white shorts and shirts and white crocs building a wall or something and one shouts, "The Elders!" and waves. Even if people don't end up progressing too
much, lots of people are willing to talk and let us in to their houses to listen. Lots of people that even say they are in a different church and are uninterested will still give us a snack or some juice or something, which is very kind.
I have also hit the 4 month mark! Time just flies by. I am officially 1/6 done, which is crazy. Time on the mission is super short. Take advantage of it and enjoy it. Even the hard bits. One kind of funny thing is that the missionary daily planner has
24 holes in the binding and the title has 24 letters (in spanish, not english). Missionaries will tick off one every month. Included is a picture.
It feels weird to hear Christmas music or see people's Christmas lights while I'm sweating and seeing palm trees. It messes with my time perception. I still feels like it is the summer I left because it has just been constantly hot. ARRRGGHHHH I have to
use every ounce of self control I have to not start typing in Spanish. Messes with your head to speak so much and then switch to english. It is funny when my comp or other older guys forget english words. Spanish is coming along nicely and I understand just
about everything and can usually figure out unfamiliar words from context.
Man, this Gospel is so true. Stick with it. It is worth everything. I wish I could put into words the happy feeling in my heart I have when I read the Book of Mormon and think about the Gospel. It sounds a little silly typing it out here, but it is very
true.
Pictured this week are the planner, a dragon I drew just for fun, and a beautiful soccer field that is in the middle of a tiny outskirt jungle town. There's also an El Salvadoreño sunset and moonrise. This is Reynoldo Barrahona, a super cool guy in the
ward that makes violins and guitars for a living. He plays very well and I like talking to him. Pretty much every older man in El Salvador dresses the same way with a shirt with one button done. Also a large spider in the sink.
Thanks everyone for the letters and emails. It always makes my day just to know someone was thinking about me.
See you all later,
Elder Harris
Also, here are pictures from last week that I couldn't attach because I didn't have my camera. That is me with the Halloween haul and my decked out planner. Feeling that holiday spirit. Also me with the new missionary, Elder Taggart, during our
day together. Wooo that was a lot of Spanish brainpower and focus we used because we were on our own, haha. I also found a "Men at Work" piece of construction tape on the street and took that home because it applies nicely to us.
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