Elders in the Hood: Week 10 - Well! It's been about 2 & 1/2 months!

Time has passed by pretty quickly! And it seems like there's a couple questions my mom told me that you would all like to know more about!

1) Do you get dinners with members?
A: Yes, in fact, people feed us whether we like it or not here. It's just how the Hispanic culture is haha! It actually reminds me a lot about my best friend's mom every time I was over! (Victor's mom)

2) How's the Spanish coming?
A: The Spanish is coming well! I learn more and more every day! When my companion would go to the bathroom and leave me in the room alone with the people we were teaching, I normally wouldn't have said anything (that was in the beginning of the transfer) but now I can hold excellent broken conversations! hahaha I try to spit out as much Spanish as I can everywhere I go!

3) Are you biking?
A: Yes, we are either biking or walking every day! We do have a car but we only use it to go to far away places like for shopping or going to the church building and we share this van with 5 other Elders!

4) How is the cold?
A: I love the weather up here! However, I am not a fan of 45 mph winds and the wind doesn't go in one direction. It always comes in every direction, from all sides, right at you! But am I cold? No, absolutely not, the wind is just a little pesky!

5) How is the family I helped with the tree debris?
A: Quite annoying actually. We try to see them as much as we can but even though they know what we said was true and committed to baptism, they still make no effort to come to church or read from the Book of Mormon.

6) How is Olga and her little innocent son Alexander?
A: Well, once again Elder Bardalez and I cannot make anyone keep their commitments, whether or not they know it's true. So we try to see Olga as much as we can and teach her and help her but if she doesn't sacrifice some of the things that waste time and keep her from keeping commitments, then, while we will still care for her, there is someone else out there who will, and that's the person we need to be finding and teaching!

But now on to the letter! Lately I've gotten several emails about concerns about what I want for Christmas and my 19th Birthday, well let me tell you! Nothing! I don't want anything! The only thing I want from those who love me is to send me an email of a picture of you! I miss seeing all the faces of my friends and family! But really I don't NEED anything else! But something you could do for me for Christmas is to let the missionaries help YOU in YOUR SACRED CALLING as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! As missionaries, we are called to ASSIST the unit in which we serve in. We, as missionaries, are supposed to teach and aide the members around us! And the work cannot progress the way it needs to if the members of His church don't hasten it! So if the work isn't going to take off here, send it to the sky down in Arizona!

Just on a side note, I have found that they're are few things as beautiful as a PB&J on my mission. It's cheap, the supplies last forever, and it's delicious!

But now quickly to sum up this week! As we were tracking and not having too much success, a tall, skinny, African American man of about 24 years of age came up to us and asked us if we had anything to read and Elder Bardalez said, "Oh ya I do!". At this point and time I was struggling to close this gate between me and the largest pitbull I have ever seen in all of Detroit! and that's saying something!! It had rather beautiful blue eyes! I am so sorry I will finish my letter next week, I ran out of time.... But I love you all so much!!!
Elder Alger

Graffiti pic of the week!