Things are good here in Usulután, where it is a chilly day if it drops down to 89°! It makes me laugh a little because everyone from Guatemala and other places complains about how crazy hot it is here, how back home it is so cool, and how the temperature
change makes them get sick. It is just sort of humorous because from a U.S. perspective, El Salvador and Guatemala are pretty much equal as far as climate goes.
Something I keep being impressed with is that it is way easier to share the gospel than we sometimes think. Before the mission, I think I got nervous to talk to someone about the gospel. But there are a lot of people that are really interested or could
use a pick-me up. I think it is very possible to share the gospel in natural ways if you are living it. But it is an added bonus to have the missionary tag, which pretty much gives me permission to talk to everyone about the gospel and it is automatically
natural. They already know we are missionaries and might be more surprised if we don't try and say something.
Another thing that continually amazes me is that I can be 15 feet off the side of the road in the pitch black night and a car can fly around a curve at 40 miles an hour and the driver can have time to first see me in the dark, then see that I am white
in the dark, and then unroll the window and yell, "Griiiingooooo!" as he passes. Sometimes I forget how white I am hanging out with all these latinos. And sometimes I think I am not so white anymore, but then I roll up my sleeve a little and can see that I
am just dark from the elbows down. Oh well.
On Saturday nights here they have what is called "Paseo." There is a street they block off and everyone throws out tables and chairs. Restaurants are outside cooking food, people are walking around, and little stands are selling sort of crafty touristy
goods. They have lightbulbs strung from wires in zig-zags over the street. It is a sort of fun atmosphere.
The bishop here makes pan dulce (sweet bread) for a living, and today he said we could drop by and try some. We went over to his house, and he had a talking parrot and his big old bread oven. We ate some pan dulce fresh out of the oven. And everything
tastes better when it is free.
There is a little store we walk past a bunch where there are usually a bunch of drunks hanging out. They enjoy yelling things in english to me like, "Hey, want a beer? We can talk about the gospel!" The drunks are always best friends with Americans.
We walked past a guy sitting in a plastic chair on the side of the road and he said, "Hey man, how's it going?" We started talking to him and he told us that he used to live in the states and a friend used to take him to see the temple and that he always
liked Mormons. He had a big bottle of beer in his hand, so when he asked, "Can I treat you guys to a power-aid?" I was pretty sure that he was going to offer us a beer, so I was a little surprised, but he was nice. I always appreciate it when people do little
nice things for us.
This weekend we were fasting, and here everyone fasts from lunch on Saturday to lunch on Sunday. Needless to say, after working all day Saturday in the sun and then running around for 40 minutes before church Sunday to invite people to church, I was super
thirsty and hungry. When we took the sacrament, it was just a huge relief to have something to put in the mouth and swallow some water. Now, clearly this is not the reason we take the sacrament, and I don't mean to treat it lightly. But the thought occurred
to me in that moment that we should feel that same burning desire to repent and have the blessings of the atonement. It is even way more vital for our well-being then bread and water. Anyways, it was just a sort of small thought, but it taught me a lot. The
atonement is really something that gives so much healing and power in our life.
Another thing I was thinking about is Rubix cubes. Rubix cubes have millions and millions of possible combinations, like the millions and millions of people in the world. But notwithstanding the almost unlimited combinations, there is one series of steps
that works as a solution for any of them. In the same way, the gospel of Jesus Christ works for everyone. It is the solution that leads all of us to happiness and perfect glory. It can overcome any problem or set of circumstances.
The black snow-ash continues to fall. Pictured here we have Little Caesars (the lunch of champions), my shoes after being shined and the same day after working, late night snack of Ritz with Nutella, and a couple other random things.
See you around,
Elder Harris
(Mom note: Abe didn't mention this in his email, but we spotted him in these two pictures his mission president shared from a zone conference in Oriente this week.)
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