FAMILY!

Hello Family,

Another week, another thousand stories to tell. First, let´s address the huge elephant that just squeezed into the room. I´M FAT! Let´s just say it how it is. I´ve gained a ton a weight. Yes, I can see it too. Happy mom? Haha. It doesn´t bother me. I mean, whatever - I´m chunky - but I´m happy. and I´m thoroughly convinced fat people have more fun. And the food here is so good! What am I supposed to do?! I ate consuela for the second time yesterday - DELICIOUS. and it´s not like I don´t eat healthy. Yes, I eat tons of cookies and chocolate bars and peanut butter and jellies, but I´ve never eaten more fruit in my life. I told you before, that we get free fruit from the Cortez family in the fruteria so every week I eat tons. Every morning and night I´m eating fruit. My companion always reminds me of how much weight I´ve gained. But it´s all good. Food is good. Plus with all this weight I´ve been gaining everyone has stopped saying I look like Harry Potter and have started to tell me that I look like Justin Beiber! What´s not to LOVE about that. Yep, four different people and counting have told me I look like Beiber and then broke out into "Baby Baby Oh" The Spanish accent version is so much better. Well, now that we´ve discussed all fat, I mean all that - I´ll tell you about my week.
We lost Gabriel. He stopped returning our calls and when we stopped by his house, he didn´t answer. Roberto, Karina, and Rodrigo all didn´t attend church so all of their fetcha´s for the end of the month fell. Eduardo and Macarena attended church - they´re basically active. So we´re hoping to see them get married at the end of April and then get baptized at the begining of May. Also, she´s pregnant and is due at the beginning-middle of April. Lot´s of changes these next few months for their family. Good changes. This sunday was really cool. We had two members from the Quorum of the 70 AND our mission president and his wife attend and speak in sacrament meeting. Surprisingly I understood most of what they were saying during their talks. Gringos are more easy to understand. On saturday we had a zone conference where the same people and their wives talked to all the missionaries. It was really inspirational. Elder Richards and Elder Nash. Don´t ever slow down.
Also, I think it finally sunk in this week. I´m here, and I´m not leaving anytime soon. Deep breath. The last few weeks were kind of wishy washy, like "What the heck am I doing. Smile. Ah. I´m going to puke. Breathe. Ok, go." But this week, I feel like "Alright. Let´s do this." Which is an improvement. Plus I´ve been reciting HP quotes every day to help me cope. "You´ll stay with me?" "Until the end." "Always." Harry. James. Lilly. Thanks guys.
Funny stories: Elder Broadhead and I were talking down the street like normal, and I stepped on one of those circle drains, and it FELL IN! and I fell smack down on my face! hahaha! I was SO embarrassed. But I don´t think anyone saw...I HOPE nobody saw.
Elder Broadhead and I were talking to eachother in a spanish-english (HP) accent. Which is really hard, if you were wondering. And then I went to yell "Alo" at a gate and I did it in an English accent on accident. No one answered.
I got my first trophie! A trophie is when you teach the Palabra de Sabiduria (word of wisdom) and your investigators give you their beer or cigarettes because they want to live it. Roberto gave me his tiny bottle or rum! WHOO! and he and Yoanna committed to live it! I was so happy! They´ve progressed so much. We gave them a tour of the church building and they really enjoyed it. They have a little son, Tomas, who is the funniest kid ever. He doesn´t talk much but is so polite. Cute kid. Also, I don´t remember if I told you this, but with one of our lessons with Roberto and Yoanna, Elder Broadhead was explaining about Family home evening and how we start with a hymn (Idahoians...) and then offered for us to sing right there! Just me and him! I was like "wait...you´re serious...?" "Yeah..." "Uh...ok..." and we SANG! Right there and they just started at us and laughed at my faces. WHAT?!?! So that was suuuper awkward.

Well. I´m ok that Cassie put that sticker on my Jeep. I´m glad Parker´s healthy. Eva your kids are getting too big. Not fat big, like growing up big. Aleksi I miss you sister. "My name is Indigo Montollo, you killed my father - prepare to die." Mom, thanks for the inspirational quote. I remember you dancing and singing in the keys this week. Made me laugh. Dad, I can´t believe you´re so close to retirement! Wish I was there to celebrate. I might even have gone fishing with you....might.... Mitchell, you´re an incredible missionary and I wish we were companions. Don´t ever slow down.

I wish I could name every one I love and talk to you. I think that´s the hardest part of this work, at least for now, is being so far away from those you love. But you know who you are. And I hope all of you know how much I love you. Seriously, thank you so much for the letters and packages! Mom, I got a call from the zone leaders and they said that your package came - but that it had been opened at the airport, they might not have stolen anything but just send me a list of everything that was in there and I´ll let you know what I have.

I hope you all have a great day at work and school. and a great week! Spring Break is so close! Take in some sun for me. The weather here has cleared up. Apparently February is rainy and cold and March is sunny and warm. But today was pretty random. You never know here.

I love you family. I´ll be with you until the end.

Always.

Love,

Elder Poirier.