Yeah it has been really hot here. It's nice though because people are always offering to give you a bottle of water. They are all super nice and I really feel like God takes care of us in that way.
This fourth of July we didn't do a whole lot. We had a ward party in the morning and the entire time people were talking about the world cup. Have you guys been watching it at all? It's not so big for us Utahans but it's huge in the Latino culture. Everyone was super bummed when Mexico lost. It was really interesting. We saw a couple fireworks but it rained a little so there weren't a ton. Kind of hard to believe right? We all had to be inside at 8 anyways but before that we had some time to work. Plus everyone here is Mexican so they aren't too huge into the fourth :)
Here is an entirely different world than Utah. There are good things about it and bad things. Something that I've noticed here is how many problems people have. I feel like everyone here is going through a hard time. It's sad but we really do see how the choices we make have an effect on us.
Yeah it's my companions birthday He's not too big into celebrating a whole lot so he didn't want me to say anything but people found out anyways. It's pretty much just a regular day. I'll go and buy him something at the store probably but for the most part he wants it to be a pretty normal day. I'm kind of the same way too so it's kind of interesting. The one thing that he really wants is a nap so we are probably going to crash in the chapel during Pday.
I really can't believe how fast this year has gone. It's hard to believe. I'm trying to slow things down but it's really hard. Everything just mushes together and it's hard to really step back. We're trying hard to though and it has helped a little.
It is still pretty crazy in our house right now. We have gotten rid of most of the old stuff. Now we have bunk beds and I'm on the top bunk! It's like going back to my childhood. Besides that it looks like a regular apartment. Before it was trashed because it's been a missionary apartment for so long and the last couple of guys hadn't cleaned up very much. Now we call it "the crib". We did get another AC unit in our house (which we installed) and so it's pretty cool. It still does get really hot though. Before we'd wake up super hot but now it's super nice.
I remember you telling me about that story before. I really like that and I will make sure to remember it. I remember when I was back home one of my favorite movies was The Bucket List. At the beginning Morgan Freeman talks about how to measure a life. He then says his theory that he believes a life is measured by those he leaves behind. At the end of someone's mission most people won't remember you. So what am I going to do to be one of those people who makes an impression on someone else. I could be known as the apostate missionary, or the lazy missionary. I would rather be known as someone who listened and was kind to everyone. A missionary who has now left once told me that the mission will change you into the person you want to be. You just have to let it.
Right now in our ward we have two sets of hermanas. Hermanas Munoz and Seumanu in Galena Park. Then we have Morales and Walsh in Jacinto City. Hermana Munoz was a visa waiter who was supposed to go to a mission in Brazil but then she ended up staying here and becoming a Spanish missionary. I think she's from Nicaragua but she grew up in Houston. Hermana Seumanu is a really good friend of mine. She lived in Kerns UT but her family is from Samoa. Hermana Morales is from Peru but lived in Provo most of her life. Hermana Walsh grew up in Idaho and California. They are great hermanas! As for the ward our best friends are the Vargas family and Obispo. The son in the Vargas family is pretty much our bro. He served a mission about fifteen years ago in Las Vegas. He sort of speaks English but not to us. He REALLY likes transformers.
It's interesting to see how different people speak. People from South America have a very different accent from the Mexicanos.
President Drake is from St. George Utah. He used to be a coach for a whole bunch of different sports and then he went to be a business man. It's a different feel but it's a really good feel. I like him a ton.
Love you!
Elder Ressler
