14 Julio 2001

Querida Familia,

How's everything going? Well, I hope. Just got back from shopping and laundry and hair cuts (not too impressed with the haircut guy) and it's about noon. The weather is really hot with short bursts of downpours, but right now it's pretty cool because it's drizzling. Right now I'll respond to the latest letter I got from you, dated June 23 to give my mind time to think :P

The letters are pretty old by the time they get to me, probably because we get mail like monthly. I expect to get changed on the 26th to an area far away from Valencia, so it will probably be like this until the end of my mission (if I'm in my next area as long as I've been in this one, it'll be my last :( ). I assume that it'll be so because when we went to Curazao, they told us that some of us weren't changed because the President knew about the trip and wanted to keep us close. Nevertheless, there were some elders who went to Curazao who were changed the changes before, but weren't changed so far away. Which makes me think that President wants me far away (farther than Barquisimento, I assume). To spend 7 months like this in an area is pretty rare, but the General Authorities have also asked the MPs to keep missionaries in their areas for longer. In the photos, we're drinking a drink called Chicha. It's a rich, sweet drink made from corn to spaghetti to the usual, rice. We had to drink 2 liters of it if we didn't memorize the 5th charla by a certain date. None of us did :) And you'll have to excuse Elder Hughes. He's just . . . odd. :P Got the visa taken care of , now I have it for 1 year, instead of for 3 months. I think I've already told you about Curazao . . . tell me if I haven't and I'll write about it. Enclosed are some Curazao pics. Disney animation tie - rad! I got my face medicine and soap. I've received one cheesecake, but the box you have it mentioned in didn't have any rice krispy bars nor stationery nor stickers. I forgot what else it had in it, but I don't think that any of the boxes I've received had been opened. Still haven't gotten any box with PB bars or music, but I did get the Greg movie and the carrot cake. Still haven't made the carrot cake, ovens here are a huge hassle to use. The other watch's face got broken. All the glass came out. Yep, same Elder Klemins as from the MTC. Also, Elder Allen also from the MTC is in the office. There's a Zone Leader called Elder Wadman who's from Layton, UT. Maybe Elder McCormick knows him. But of COURSE he's fallen in love with SoCal. It's about time! heheheh

Juan and Jennifer are doing good. There was a week where we couldn't pass by their house but President talked with Elder Christopher and I after Zone conference on the 11th and told us that we could go by as normal, so now everything's back to good except for she can't write to mom. At church yesterday they both looked and sounded great.

Our investigator program has been thinning out a lot lately. For this month we projected to have 7 converts (baptized and confirmed) but it's looking like we'll only have 2. We were going to have 3 but she's a little iffy with the Law of Chastity. Our second convert, the mom of our first for this month, will be baptized Saturday.

Well, on to the pic descriptions.

[Note: Nick describes in detail a roll of negatives he has sent. Select photos and the descriptions will be uploaded to the photo area as soon as they are printed. This letter reflects mostly answers to questions or responses to comments I made in an earlier letter to him.]

Love you! Chao! Elder Onken