(A typed letter taken from photos of the letter written on the bus, you're welcome)
I didn't have much time to write last week and I won't have much today either, so I'll just write my letter by and let you all try to read my handwriting. I'm currently on a bus traveling from Pinotepa, Ouxaco, to Acapulco. They closed the highway, so we're just chillin here, waiting.
This last week was a week of many travels, many hours on a bus, many days hungry, carsick, but perfectly content. On Wednesday, we had Consejo de Liderazgo (Mission Leadership Council). We talked lots about the laws of consecration and sacrifice, and how that comes into play when it comes to obedience to commandments such as tithing, the Sabbath day, and in our case, obeying the standards of the Great White Mission Manual. We also talked about lots of other things and I learned a ton, but I'm sure none of you care about what happened in consejo.
As far as my many travels, on Monday, I traveled 5 hours from Taxo to Acapulco. On Tuesday, I worked in Acapulco in the Cuauhtemoc with my MTC generation brothers, Elder Hernandez (my ex-comp) and Elder Hughes. Ahhh, the heat and the hills of Acapulco...
On Wednesday, I traveled 5 hours from Acapulco to Cuernavaca. We had consejo, ate tacos, etc. then on Friday, it took Elder Garcia and I 14 hours to get to our area. We got up at 4:00 am, got on a bus at 5:00 am, then 2 taxis, another bus, a ride from the branch president later, HOME SWEET HOME-PINOTEPA NACIONAL, OAXACO. We arrived at the church at about 7:30. We still didn't have permission to sleep in our house because it was damaged in the earthquake, so we had a sleepover with the other elders in Pino on the floor in the church. Fun stuff.
Something that has been amazing to see is the receiving and of the church's response to natural disasters. The church sent literally TONS of food to help those who were affected by the earthquake and they employed architects and contractors to help repair damage. The people here in Oaxaca are well taken care of. And the missionaries too.
The members and investigators in our area aren't too fond of the idea of having an American missionary (I'm the first in 3 years), but I'll do my job, they'll do theirs, we'll work together, and we'll just go baptize the whole flippin world.
Pinotepa is a small town that actually reminds me quite a bit of Rigby, ID, but Mexicanized. Our zone is a district, not a stake, so all 6 areas in the zone are very small, weak branches. The church is very new here, but that's also when you see the faith of the people. These members have great faith and I'm excited to work with them in the coming months.
I always say that training was a lot more like raising a child than I had anticipated. They repeat the swear words, they don't do anything unless you hold their had, they rat out all the bad habits of their trainer, etc. Now I say that being a zone leader is a lot like being a babysitter. "Don't have card throwing contests off the balcony." "Day of rest doesn't mean stay home instead of work." "What do you mean you did your weekly planning in a half an hour?" "Go home, it's 10:00 at night." All things I've said in the last 72 hours.
Now we're on our way to Acapulco for our mulit-zone conference tomorrow. We were stranded on the highway for an hour without air conditioning, and it is really hot. But, now we are moving again.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week! I love all y'all! Remember who you are. Remember who I am. Don't eat rocks. Scream at the sky. Only kick the ugly puppies. Rule the world. And most important, SHARE THE GOOD NEWS.
-Elder Tyler Steven Aldrich
FOTOS
1) The day in Cuauhtémoc with Elder Hernandez and Elder Hughes.
2) ...I'm on the white board. Only 4 changes left. :(
3) Sleeping in the church.
4) Pinotepa is a lot of tree-lined dirt roads.
5) Most of the ceiling tiles in the church fell in the earthquake.
6) Weekly planning with Mtn Dew! (s/o to mi Mom) ((P.S. He's Elder Garcia))
