(Papi's note - I hesitated to post all of this, because it's clear that TK is struggling a bit, but I wanted to share it with everyone, and also need to preserve the trials as well as the highlights, so included everything... TK also mentions a chat that we had - it lasted for just a few minutes, and the extra information from the chat can be found in my note at the bottom of this post.)
Hey mom and dad,
Things here are good but I’m stuck with a native companion that knows pretty much no English. I’m learning a lot but it’s hard because he can’t understand me. I can understand him and pretty much everyone if they talk slow. The members in my area are really nice but there are only about 30-35 or so.
We have been teaching a lot and I love it but I’m having some problems and I don’t know if I should talk to President about them or not. My knee is locking up and I can’t straighten it or bend it all the way. I’ve been praying and taking lots of meds but it doesn’t seem to be working. Next Thursday we have zone conference and that’s when I’ll talk to him if I decide to but we´ll see.
I’m not going to lie this is really hard and I try not to but I often think of you and I makes me cry. I miss you guys and I need you. I knew it would be hard but not this hard. I don’t mind the heat or the dirt or even the blisters on the bottom of my feet but it’s hard without my family and with my knee acting up.
There are so many dogs around here but they just lie around and do nothing. I don’t think that they belong to anyone so they just roam the streets and do whatever. The culture is way different obviously and I’m trying to adjust. I’m learning a lot of Spanish but I still can’t get everything out that I want to especially with my comp so it’s a little frustrating but it is coming.
It’s just me and my comp in our area that’s about the size of Provo...or at least it seems like it. It’s called Villa Angela and it’s in the Chaco province which is about three hours from Resistencia. We had to spend the first two days with some of the zone leaders in Resistencia because there is a nationwide strike with the farmers because they aren’t getting enough money for their crops or something so they took all their trucks and tractors and blocked off all the roads which means no busses.
After two days the assistants to the President just drove us here on dirt roads. That was an adventure. The only roads that are paved in our area are main street and maybe one other road. Which means...yes dirt and lots of it. I don’t mind it so much though.
Let me tell you about our house. When we got there I almost threw up. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years so I made my comp help me for the first hour to clean and stuff and now it’s better. It’s just us two and it’s basically a kitchen connected to a bedroom. Our bathroom is outside it’s like a little outhouse building.
I miss speaking in English and I’ve been trying to figure out how to chat with dad but it’s not working.
We should be emailing about this same time every week I hope so if you wanted to chat with me and make it work that would be great. I’m not really sure what else to say. I’m glad that everyone is doing well and tell Sean that I’m very proud of him and that I’m sad I missed it but right now there are more important things I guess.
The grocery store is way different and I don’t really know what to buy that I would eat so I’ve been living off of frosted flakes and the nasty milk that they have. Ha-ha. We went shopping again today and I got some fruit and stuff so I think I’ll be better this week.
My companion is Elder Avalos and he’s from Buenos Aires and he’s nice but like I said it’s hard to communicate with my limited vocab. Things are going well and I’m still alive so that’s always a plus.
We have an appointment with a family tonight that I think we´re going to baptize. They love the gospel and are ready so I think we´ll set a date with them tonight. There are six, a mom and five kids that are old enough. The dad is just inactive. I’m excited about that.
Well I’m chatting with you now so I’ll end this but I love you all very much.
Tay
- Note - the following additional information from a chat session:
- TK and his companion walk 12-15 miles a day by his estimation. This is contributing to the problems he's having with his knee. It is our hope and prayer that his body will adjust and that he won't need any real medical attention to resolve the issue.
- TK has not been able to get any physical mail since arriving in Villa Angela because of the strike. He and his companion were not able to attend their district meeting.
- TK is a foot taller than his companion, and believes he could "take him" even with his bum knee. (Humor shining through the struggles !!!)
- TK and his comp will head to Resistencia next week for Zone conference, and will likely collect his physical mail then.
- When TK and his comp are tracting, they don't knock on doors, the stop outside the fence around the home and clap.
- TK likes his comp, and despite the language barrier, they are getting along. But he does get a little frustrated, because his comp only seems to want to teach families with a father, and there are many families with no man in the household which they are passing by right now. He is working to help his comp understand and begin to teach these families too.
- TK will be using his gmail account as his primary email from now on because it is much, much faster than the myldsmail account.
- TK will try to upload some pictures next week.
- TK sends his love to all, especially his brothers, and made careful mention that we make sure that JK knows he is thinking of him too.
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