HOLA from El Salvador!

Hello all! Greetings from San Miguel El Salvador. This week, I don't even really know where to start. So this week was good, the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. Ill start off being really honest. This week was super hard at times. Mostly I was more home sick than anything. If you know me you know how much i love to be with my family and how important they are to me and a couple times this week I have had an internal breakdown

because of how much I just wanted to be home. I would never in a million years actually come home early, but that doesn't mean its hard to live here away from everything I know with little contact of home. But I was talking with Elder Beecher who is from my district and im probably the closest to here. He told me that yeah, it sucks. He can vividly remember his first change being trained and he thought it would never end. He thought there was no way he could make it two years because the time is just crawling by so slowly and he felt so out of place.. That pretty much sums up how I felt a lot of this week. But he told me my family is better off without me. At first that kind of hit the heart but the more I pondered that phrase the more i knew it was true. I remember when Tyler served all the many blessings we felt as a family because of his service. Who am I to deprive my family of these blessings with selfish thought? You guys really are better off without me, because you guys will be more happy and blessed because of this service. I have felt this to be true and although it is still hard at times this gives me a lot of comfort. Now, i don't want you to worry about me too much (mom). I really am doing great here. I am starting to get more comfortable with the language and comfortable with the lifestyle as well. Its very different from home here but I actually love the people and the way of life for the most part. Probably my favorite thing honestly is that every house without fail just has hammocks EVERYWHERE and it is my favorite thing in the world. We have had many lessons in hammocks honestly and when I get back I am definitely bringing a hammock with me. Also we had a multi zone conference with Elder Alonso from the 70. I wasn't able to understand all of it but i was able to get most of the things and it was really good and some deep stuff in there. Other than that we just worked. We walk so much I have blisters all over my feet and constantly drenched in sweat. But i am used to it already and hardly notice it. The drinks here in this country are awesome!! Probably the best is the tamarino y the charamusca (sorry i dont know how to spell it). We have some good promising investigators I really think have potential this week and i am excited for that. I do want to take a moment and give some well deserved thanks. First goes to Dad. Dad, I can not even begin to express how much you have taught me that has helped. You have taught me above all else to be a hard worker and do whatever it takes to accomplish a task and this is something that has been priceless on my mission. The way you conduct yourself too has always been something I have admired and as i try to emulate this in my self i receive compliments and immediately I gave thanks to God for such a great example for a dad. And Mom, I was always so close to you that honestly it has been the hardest at times being away from you. I miss dearly and cherish above all else the memories we have together and will always be a mamas boy and proud of it. I really cant put into words how much you have taught me and the example you have set, so i try to show it with my actions everyday. I truly cant wait for the day I get to see you guys again in the airport, but I promise it will only be after two years of an honourable mission. Well, it is kind of hard for me because I really don't get a chance to work out and I'm basically losing all my physique that I worked so hard to build forever but this is only a small price for the work I have the chance to do. The buses here are crazy and I feel like i have had many near death situations on them but they are fun at the same time. Its a lot of rice and beans here but I love it. The lord is really taking care of me and I pray for strength and help daily and I always receive it. I really do have a testimony of the Gospel. In the almost two moths I have been gone so far, my testimony has grown to the point I cant even recognize the one i had before my mission because it was so small. I can feel it everyday, the blessing and truth behind the restoration of the gospel and the book of Mormon as I try to be fearless in testifying. Well, that's all for this week. I have had a couple people ask and no I have not received any mail since I got in the field, but everybody says that is normal and it can take anywhere between 2 weeks and 3 months. But I really look forward to receiving them. Love you all and thank you for the love and support!

Wait.. there's more! 

So i tried to send pictures and everytime I do the computer crashes i really am sorry about that. The Internet is just really slow. Anyways things are hard but I'm doing okay with my companion. he is great, we are just really different. This first change as being trained everybody says is the slowest and then it just flies by. once again I apologize about the picture but I tried for nearly 10 minutes and time is precious. The language is still difficult but i am starting to understand and speak a little more. Also i wont have the chance to write everybody back but thanks for the words of encouragement. I read them all. Brother Foster wrote me and a feel like we have had a lot of similar experiences and it was a lot of comfort for me. Our house is actually one of the "nicer" houses in the mission but it gets really hot. Ill try to send a picture of them and my district next time. Love You all! PS I am Super excited to hear about Jessie I think of her every day. i hope that all is going well!

During the conference with Elder Alonso