Email 14 September 2010

Independence Day from Spain
declared September 15, 1821

¡Hola familia y amigos! How is America?? Guatemala is still pretty sketchy but I’m enjoying it as much as I can. So I’m writing again on Tuesday because they switched our P-Day again. Tomorrow is Guatemala's Independence Day I guess. The Temple President requested our P-Day be switched because there will be a lot of people at the Temple Wednesday-I guess... So I’m going today now... Should be fun. So I have learned a few things. Supposedly when you send packages and such, throw a Virgin Mary or Jesus sticker on. I guess it keeps people from touching it. Weird how that works... haha. Well that is really the only thing I guess.  I’m in desperate need of stamps and my stationary stuff. Hopefully you put that in the package? If not, don’t expect too much handwritten mail. I would like a photo album of my family! Especially my new niece...... So sad I missed out on that. Brylee will understand someday I’m sure why I wasn’t there haha. So Ryan is officially out in the field. With the new group of elders, came Anthony Durfey. It is nice to have a friend as always. Haha. With all the new elders, my classroom was changed. I’m no longer at the church for class sadly. I’m officially up on the 3rd floor in the actual CCM building. It has taken some getting used to, but I’m starting to warm up to it :) It hasn’t rained in like 4 or 5 days now. Well like a lot of rain. I miss it. Supposed to rain a bunch next week I guess though. We had a long conversation with a few 15 year old natives at the temple the other day. They just kept making fun of our crappy Spanish. Haha. It was fine though I guess. Oh! With the new entry of white people, all 19 of them...., we got some Latinos too! 40 in all. Almost as much as the 50 we already have here. We have 10 more Latinos than the original time, so that is cool. One of the Latinos is in my room with his North American companion. He is from Honduras. He is a pretty big kid, weight wise. He is so funny though. At night he makes the weirdest sounds and just always says Hasta la vista babbbbyyyy. Haha. Makes me laugh every time. In our new classroom we have a DVD player and a nice TV, like the one in my room for the most part, so we can listen to CDs while we study. That is one benefit of it. Haha. They play music in the halls all the time too. Your kind of Music dad. I swear I’ve heard every song they play like a million times because of you! So it was weird to have 9-11 in another country. They definitely don’t really know about it that much. Our room decided to have a few minutes of silence at night. At the end of those few minutes, there was like 8 gun shots right up the road. That was freaking sketchy... haha. We all got really excited though strangely enough. I just got the mail from last week yesterday. The guy that gets the mail was in Quetz for some reason so we just got it ayer (yesterday). So I guess that will make up for you not making the pouch.... It sucks not getting letters, but I’ll manage. It is weird to think I have been out on this adventure for 7 weeks now. Two more and I’m in the freaking field. I’m so nervous.... but even more excited. Quetz is going to be way more sketch than this area, the nicest area in Guatemala where you see a Range rover, Aston Martin, G-Wagon, etc every day haha. I’m excited for the sketchiness :) Well, I love you all! Sorry I caught you by surprise sending on Tuesday again. You’ll get over it I’m sure. Thanks for the letters! I actually received 2 legitimate handwritten letters yesterday from Kaylee, the girl in OK. First real mail so far. DearElders are just as good though :) Especially from all my family. I love you all!!!!! Stay happy and be strong. Let’s take each other’s hands and make a school wide stand to keep the drugs and alcohol out of the lives of one and all.... Sorry got distracted haha. I forgot to mention I speak like spanish all day now- that is strange, but I’m getting quite good at it. haha. Love you guys so much and I miss you so much as well!!!! Love, Elder David Bitner :) Coolest/hottest missionary ever. (Oh I got a haircut this morning from some sketch Guatemalan. They use a razor for a lot of it, not the electric razor so that was weird. I look even more like a Nazi now. Even the Natives think so ;) haha. Peace!