PIGGIN' OUT!

6-7-201
Dear Family!
Well, it's been a pretty good week all in all. It was disappointing that none of the baptisms went through. But life moves on. Like I mentioned in my e-mail, we have not given up on them. We will give them a new date to work towards as we help them overcome their various challenges. The pretty solid ones that we have are Wendy, Tracy, Rachel and a new guy we found and taught the other day who's name is Mario. Some of the challenges are pretty tricky and we and they only have so much control over them so we'll have to wait and see what happens while at the same time still helping them work towards baptism.
Other than working with these people we have been doing a lot of tracting. Tracting in and of itself really isn't that bad...I mean it's not that good either but it's not that bad. But lately it's been hard because it's been about 90-100 degrees everyday. And yes, the wind has still been blowing but it doesn't help because it's hot too! So we have been taking advantage of every spinkler we find. Whenever we see a sprinkler we go and stand in it until we are drenched! (We have our right hand coving our pocket on our shirt so our pass along cards don't get wet!) It's amazing the difference it makes! It literally makes it feel 30 degrees cooler...and it makes the wind feel cool. And then of course we are completely dry within about 10-15 minutes. It's fun.
So, the other day we were tracting and we ITL'd a couple of Mexican guys and they were frying pork they said. They asked if we wanted any. Elder Alonso said no but I said sure. (I can't turn down meat!) So they said, "Grab a piece." So I grabbed a piece and then realized that it wasn't pork meat...it was the skin. Fried pig skin. Luckily I've had it before (thanks to Jodie) and so I knew that it wasn't that bad. After I started eating it I saw the pigs feet at the bottom of the pan and then over by the big bowl they had everthing cooking in I saw a camp chair with a plastic bag on it and there was the pigs head! It's a lot different eating pig skin out of a bag that you boght at Winco and it's another thing to eat pig skin with all the pigs other body parts scattered all around you! It was pretty crazy. They didn't do the best job at removing all the hair either and so I think I ate some fried pig hair too!
So the other day (this is not the same other day that I ate the pig skin) we were ding more tracting and I found a dollar bill! It was so exciting! Usually I just find pennies but this time it was a dollar bill blowing in the wind. So then a few days later after church Elder Alonso and I were in the foyer and one of the YW from the ward was also in the foyer waiting for her parents (the Arillanos, who are an awesome family by the way!) and so we were talking and some how money came up and I said, "Hey, guess what, speaking of money, I found a dollar bill the other day while we were out tracting."
"That's pretty cool," she said. "Guess what I found blowing int eh wind the other day though?"
"What?" I asked.
Then she said she found a hundred dollar bill.
"No way," I said.
"Yeah!" she said.
"You're lying," I said.
"No I'm not! she said.
"Are you for real?" I asked.
"Yeah, I really found $100.00!" she said.
"Well, thanks for making my story look pathetic!" I said.
It was funny. Can you believe that though!? I wish we would have been tracting that street instead!
So, I think that I have invented or discovered a new flavor combination. Now, this is prabably going to sound gross but it's not. It is AMAZING!!! So lately for lunch I've been cooking some chicken (diced) and then covering it in BBQ sauce and putting some pineapple in it and then putting it on a bun. It's the Elder Cryer BBQ Blast Sandwich. Well, I went to make on e a few days ago and then I realized I had no pineapple left! So I thought well, chicken a BBQ sauce will still be good. But I still wanted to have some fruit with it so I washed a couple of strawberries. Then a brilliant thought started creeping into my mind...What if I put the strawberries in instead of pineapple? So, eventually I decided to try it. Oh my goodness! It has to be one of the tastiest flavor combinations I have ever tasted. i know it sounds weird but Mmmmm! If you want to try it just dice some chicken and cook it a then add some BBQ sauce (I'm using Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar!) and then add the diced strawberries. Just slap that on some bread or a roll or something and prepare to be amazed! (You may not want to let this get out in the public until we patent the flavor combination!)
Well, I was so excited to get your patriarchal blessing Emma! I read it right when I opened the letter. Wow! What an amazing blessing. I guess dad was right when he told Sam that you were/are quite the amazing sister. Does this mean that I have to be nice to you as well when I get home? Be sure to read your blessing often. You were promised a ton of blessing and now it's up to you to secure them for yourself. Aren't these blessing amazing. It's like being able to get a glimpse of who we were before we came to earth. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it agian. I love my blessing. It has helped me so much. I think it's so neat that our whole family has their blessings ow. And they're all so amazing!
Well, I'am adjusting well to my new area. I still remember when I left Pueblo Colorado. I did not want to leave. I was sure that it was the best area to serve. And I felt that same way when I left LaJunta, and the same way again when I left Calhan/Falcon. It is so hard to leave these areas I serve in because I come to love the people there. And yet I love going to new areas because there are even more amazing people there too! I do love where I am at right now. I have already formed great relationships with some of the members and investigators.
Well, don't worry....I haven't chased after any storms. They actually do pretty well at coming to me! Except for the tornados. Those have just been around Ulysses. Dang it! A few weeks ago...about 40 miles away from us they had baseball size hail! That was exciting to hear about.
I hope the sun comes out for you so that your garden can do well and turn green! It's June so the sun should start coming out soon. It's sure been showing itself here!
So Mom and Emma, your littledate sounds fun. I could go for a burger and fries and milkshake right now! Actually just a milkshake would be good. Oh gosh, that dating issue of the New Era was so funny. Sister Boyd (and her daughters, kailey and Kelsey...in the Falcon ward) were reading us all of their favorite parts! We had some good laughs too!
So how was dinner with Landon? I bet he gave you some very animated reenactments of things that went down in his mission. Has he changed much?
I loved the suspenders story! I can just see that whole situation! I had better never be a trail boss because I will refuse to wear pants that are too big by design! Either I will be a very fashion conscious trail boss or it ain't gonna happen! Good job though, Dad...you're a better man than me! (Did you get any pictures of Dad in his wedgy pants with his too small suspenders?)
So the 'no sugar diet' only lasted three days!? That's too funny. I'm impressed you managed it for that long! Well, good luck on the 'less sugar than normal diet'!
Oh, before I forget...thanks for J's address. I'll write them a quick note.
Well, I just got a package from Sister Pfile full of Spanish stuff! Let's see...I've got a Spanish and English dictionary, a Spanish Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, a Spanish Preach My Gospel, and a missionary vocabulary and phrases book. Looks like some good stuff! I can't wait to start teaching parts of the lessons in Spanish. I've been starting most of the conversations with the Spanish people. I'm starting to get pretty comfortable doing that.
Well, I'm going to go pick up my package from you guys in about three hours! I'm so excited!
So today while I was shopping for food I bought some stickers! Kids always love stickers and so I bought some Cars stickers, some Kung Fu Panda sickers, and some random stickers. Now the kids will love me! I've juggled for a few people already as well and they love it! And Elder Alonso makes them balloon animals. We have a regular little Mormon circus going on! The kids get a kick out of it!
So I finally figured out what I'm going to do with my old scriptures. There is a recent convert here in the ward who has been wanting a quad but can't afford one. I am going to see if she wants mine (even though the Bible Old Testament is a little mixed up...which I'll tell her). I'm not using those old ones thought and so hopefully she'll be able to use them.
WEll, that there's all the updates I done can think of.
Love you guys! Have an awesome week!
Love Ben