Email 24 January 2011

Bishop Burton

Beautiful people (aka Family and Friends)!
How is everything going? You can’t really reply to that question, so I’m just going to assume that everything is going decent. I hope so at least. I can’t imagine anything too bad that you couldn’t survive. Anyways, this week has been pretty good. Some good experiences, both spiritually and physically.
First off, I got another hair cut. He started to shave the side of my head with a one, so part of my head is quite bald haha. I look like a Nazi again. If possible, find out how Becky cut my hair back in the day. I’m sick of looking bald. I want to just straight up tell them what to do, rather than them deciding for me.
Also, I had my first experience with a well. I got to take out water for a member. Never had done that before. The wells here are kind of sketchily made, but they do the job of course because Chapines know how to get things done in some very strange ways. I actually drank water out of the same well last night. I was dying of thirst and that is all the people had, so I just went for it. My comp said it would be okay to drink, so I went for it. I felt sooooo sick the rest of the night. I think it was just in my head though because this morning I felt perfectly normal. It was kind of weird. I helped the same family move three pilas, which are what they use to wash stuff, on Saturday. They are just huge cement sinks basically. Can’t really describe them. They are very heavy though. My back was sooo sore too because I had to bend down so far to lift it up. Everything they make here is tiny...
Sooo, the main spiritual experience was our Conference/fireside thingy with Bishop Burton (Bishop of Presiding Bishopric) and Elder Martino (Second Quorum of the 70). That was a pretty cool fireside. Especially since three of the four talks were in English since no one knew Spanish but Elder Martino (he actually opened up Huehue back in the day on his mission). Bishop Burton gave us so much insider info, that I will share with you. He told us about the meeting they have to decide how to spend the tithes. Supposedly, President Monson and all of them set aside enough money to build 13 more temples this year. So don’t be surprised if they announce quite a few more temples this year... I guess it is just up to President Monson on if they go through or not. After the whole little shin-dig I was actually able to briefly visit with him. He told me that the Phoenix Temple had just received its permit, so building would start soon, but that there were still a lot of people very angry with it. I thought it was pretty cool that he knew everything about it. Every area got new phones at the conference too. I guess President worked out a deal with the company Tigo. We now can call all our leaders for free and they give us minutes for other uses monthly. Pretty cool... The biggest thing I took away from it was something that the wife of Elder Martino said (weird I know). I have heard this before, but it never really hit me. She said, "The most important convert of your mission is yourself, and that only comes by obedience." Because of that, I have taken studying to the next level, and I don’t take crap from my companion. He has changed a lot actually, so we work all the time. Just aren’t having success still. It sucks...
Funny story. Well, funny-ish... I was showering yesterday morning... I had soap and shampoo all over me (don’t picture that in your head), and the power went out... The sketchy way of heating therefore stopped working and the water became very cold. I had no choice, but to endure the possible hypothermia. Great time.
Well, don’t really have anything else to say... So that it will be it for today. I love you all so much and miss you! Thanks for the letters and packages and all that good stuff. Be happy and choose the right. I’ll continue to work as hard as possible with this comp. Changes are next week. Hopefully something good will happen to me... Peace out everyone. Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDADDY!!! :) I love you! No one told me about it, so I didn’t send a letter. Sorry :( Enjoy being 34! ;)
Love you all!
Elder Bitner