Ohhkay this week has been a bit different, but to start out i want to say this week has been better! Emotional levels have mellowed out, and ya there were still some sad times, but it doesnt bother me as bad, or they dont exist, not quite sure which it is.
Okay stuff for the week. Oldschool technology is pretty epic here. I mean ya every once and a while people will have a PS3 Xbox 360, havent seen any of the new generations yet, but ps3 and xbox 360s are still rare. This week we were walking to a members house to do divisions, and his little brother was playing dragon ball Z on the playstation 2, its gameplay looked kinda like mortal combat, but with dragon ball z. Everyone here doesnt have to have a tv like the brothers said they did in mexico, but everyone here has a really big sound system for their house, like 2 huge boom boxes and 4 1 to 2 foot tall mini boxes. anyways, these kids were playing and turned the volume up super loud, and every little kid on the street came running in to watch how cool the playstation 2 game was. i laughed inside comparing ps2 to newer consols and games, but hey they dont know any different, so thats high tech for them.
I talk fast in english, everyone knows that, but apparently in spanish to. Ive had some people this week start telling me that i talk really fast. i asked if it was in comparision to other gringos or spanish in general, and they said both. Looks like old habits die hard. Spanish is going good though. Elder Cuevas has a new companion who is a gringo, and so he always asks me questions because he doesnt understand the spanish or wants to understand costa rica, and cuevas only talks to him in spanish. I guess its bad that im talking to him in english, but i know what it was like to be a new gringo here who couldnt understand anything, when i was there i would have liked to have a personal translator/guide for the mission, and so ill try to help out however i can for him. By the way is his name is Elder Moss and he is from Surprise, Arizona, and his spanish is still new. My spanish i can understand lots now, id say i can easily have a conversation with anyone i talk to with one exception. i have to start the conversation. if i can control it, i understand. if they control the conversation, its really debatible whether ill follow or not.
Did divisions 3 times this week with members. One of the guys named Johan said that if we payed for a haircut for him, he would give us 3 full days for divisions, we definitely took him up for that offer. Fromed doing these divisions i learned some important things that had been bothering me for the past couple of months. While working with Johan, i really had the opportunity to do what i wanted, when i wanted, and decide how hard i was going to work. Being in this position, but for the first time i realized how hard it is to work as hard as i would have wanted. When i was with Soy, i didnt do as much work and so it felt like i had plenty of energy, but when i was directing our time for divisions, i realized how hard it really is. So that being said it doesnt bother me as much when Soy isnt using his time as wisely during the day, because i realize how much energy it takes, and i need a break every once and a while to.
Now that i can understand the investigators more, when i know what they are talking about, and listening to their stories, i get exhausted by the end. Before, i would just smile and have fake conversations with people, but it didnt take any energy out of me. So ya, i get super tired now, but Soy is better using my time, and now that Elder Parked had cambios, Soy doesnt get carried away with stuff, so now we are working really well together.
Conferencia General. I thought i would have to listen to everything in spanish, but seeing as we had a generous member in the branch who spoke english, he knew our struggle and pulled up LDS.org on his laptop and hooked it to a tv in the back room for all 8 gringo missionaries that are in liberia. I was mostly focusing on the talks for investigators, so i dont have to many stories for myself that i learned, but i figure i can read more in depth when it releases to the Liahona next month.
I did have to say Bednars talk for investigators was perfect, and the talk that applied to me the most i dont remember his name. But he talked about the story of the guy whose life was going great, but changed when a friend asked him if he kept on that same road, would he achieve the blessing promised him in his patriarchal blessing. The same thought applies to me, but also for my post mission goals. I have lots of stuff i have written down about who i want to be and what characteristics i want to have when im done with my mission, but im not exactly changing my every day actions and hoping on the path to lead me there. So that was a really good eye opener, and ill try to work on personal things more often. That being said, all the family members that feel close enough with me to ask my parents for a copy of my patriarchal blessing, i give you permission to read it and hontesly and truly give me some feedback about what i am lacking.
I know that is kind of a personal thing, but a mission is a personal deal, and will be a rutter for the rest of my life as far as who i am. So that being said, i am coming to anyone reading my letter with a broken heart and a contrite spirit willing to accept any feedback or critizism that can be given. I dont have to many ideas of what i can do to change, but i do know that who i am right now isnt the ideal of what i want to be post mission, so theres things i know i need to change, but i dont know quite what. So ya, that being said, but if thats something innapropriate to ask for, which i dont quite know if that is, then dont worry about it, but send me feedback about things i could work on to improve anyways without reading it, as the principle still applies. i want to change, i just dont know what i need to fix or improve on.
Salad rumor about salads with thousand island here are true, but not common, especially here in guanacaste. People have salads occasionally, but i dont know what kind of lettuce it is, its nasty though, and they just use crap tons of salt or a limon for it, super nasty.
Okay food.
This has been the black whole of my mission and is still causing crazy problems. So, im going to describe my food situation, but also my request from you all. I think i have figured out a way to budget my food, but now my problem is figuring out what to eat. And i dont want to buy fast food every day, as a) that wont help me in the long run. b) im not learning anything, and c) its a lot more expensive. so. im going to first list what i currently eat, and then explain what id like from you all
For breakfast i can have an egg sandwhich, which has eggs, bread, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Parents, i remember you made saltine eggs which tasted really good back at home. i tried cracking eggs, putting some saltines, and a bit of milk in a cup and mixing it, but it doesnt taste the same. If you could let me know on that recipe, that would be great! I also have a bowl of granola, which has milk and yogurt. PArents, i also forgot for this one the ratios. i know it uses those 3 ingrediatens, but i dont remember if it is lots of yogurt and little milk, or vice versa, or what. I can also make instant make grannola, but it tastes nasty. the grannola here come in bags with absolutely no flavor, and when you put them in the microwave they get super mushy. i add brown sugar , a little bit of milk, and have tried maple or cinnamon with it, but it still tastes nasty. think ill scratch that idea from my breakfast.
Top roman is 40 cents a package here, which i know it doesnt have nutrition, but it also is food and is cheap, so i generally have one of those for my pre lunch or dinner. i also make a pb and honey sandwhich to take with me throughout my day. peanut butter is about 6 dollars for the little jiff jar here, and 4 dollars for a small container of honey, expensive, but its better than nothing. Milk here is always powdered. if you buy the container, almost none of them have preservatives so they only last 3 days before they get a little bit chunky and smell bad, but lots of people here dont mind so no one sells milk with perservatives, i mind though, and know rotten milk when i taste it, so i still to the powerder milk which i have to make every morning. I add sugar and a little bit of vanilla for flavor, and that helps, so ive got that.
Fruits are crazy expensive here, apples are like 75 cents a piece, and the only cheap ones are the ones that are like snacks and dont do anything, like coconuts, or mamon chinos, ill have to tell you about those later.
Okay this is where im asking for your help
I believe i can make food and feed myself a little bit better with my limited money, if i dont buy premade stuff. So, id like to ask all of you that have served mission, lived in college and made your own food, or whoever you may be for advice for making food. What kinds of things for a person on a mission with limited resoureces can i make for breakfast, snacks throughout the day to bring with me, or dinner.
I have a microwave, and fridge, and a stove, but no oven. Im looking for anything with recipes, combinations that taste good, or really anything at all that you guys can think of that i could apply. Anything you people did that you liked on your mission, or really anything at all im willing to try. So please send me your ideas, and dont feel like your sending me to much, the more ideas i have the merrier. I'll check back next week with all your ideas. thanks!
And nothing really else that i have to say, so talk to you next week
Elder Campbell
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