Dec. 18, 2013
Dear Family!
Well I have been super busy this week! Sorry for not being able to
email, we have had and will have a major activity everyday this week. Ok so
first, guess who went to Manhattan? I did! I saw Times Square, The Empire State
Building, Central Park, the big tree outside of the Rockefeller Center, and all
of this crazy, busy, glowing madness on the way to the Temple. Crazy cool
right? Right. We sang Christmas Carols in a subway station, and it was legit,
there are a ton of pictures (relatively speaking) of the sweet stuff I saw
yesterday.
I was happy to hear from you all again! Dad your letter was really
good this week! I'm a fan of the small things and brief looks into everyone's
lives! Keep it up! I hope work keeps going well (or starts, whatever the case
may be this time of year!) and you, and the rest of the family, are
lifted during this Christmas season.
Brooke(and baby=)). I love you so much!!!!!!! You are the best! I
love your letters and they always make me so happy! And yes I expect to have
those pictures on my desk by New Years! I cant wait to see the harbingers of my
little nephew!
Christian, nice Portuguese hombre, keep that up and one day you
will you can be like me! =) Thanks for writing! Finish up this semester strong!
I can't wait to hear about Christmas break and how all your tests went! (and
yours too Brookie) Study hard, work hard, your the best!
Mom. I absolutely love your letters. I can literally feel your
love seeping out of your emails! You are the best and I love you. Yes I did get
your letter and it was awesome! Ok and two things I think we will be skyping
with the Burts @ their place and I never got those batteries, Amazon sent me
two international chargers, I'm not complaining, because they look expensive
and I need them, or at least one. So I actually don't know what to do about
that.
Thanks for telling me what you did about Filipino. Although sometimes
generalities like that don't always ring true I can see what people are saying.
I do need rubber overshoes. One of my sets of
shoes has really taken a beating. Thermals would be good to but I will be ok
for several more weeks. I have gotten used to the cold and I actually really
enjoy it. I asked Sister Jeppson where to buy overshoes today and she told me
to go to Walmart, but I won't be able to get back there until at least Monday. If
you could or already have sent them that would be great.
We really are not teaching much at all. What we need are solid,
interested people, and in all honesty better communication with those we have
already contacted.
The companionship has me more upset than even last week, but it's
not like its unbearable. I feel bad though because I feel like my trainer just
wants to go home. At the same time I don't know how critical I am being. For
all I know I just have incredibly high expectations, in fact that is highly
likely, but until I have something to compare this companionship with I will
have no idea how effective it really is. I do know however, something has to
change simply because I DO see so many issues. I also find that it is difficult
to act the way I want to and know I should because I feel from my companions
like they think I am not doing something right! But they won't tell me what it
is. It is super frustrating.
The branch is small, and well I don't really know how to explain
it besides saying it is different. There are very normal members and they do
try to feed us. There aren't an army of them though so we do eat a lot at home.
I do language study alone, and I need to improve there. If there
was something I would want prayers for it would be that. I really want to get
all my studies in every day, but even out here on a mission there are excuses
for why they didn't happen this day or why they can't happen for tomorrow, but
they are just that, excuses.
The apartment is sufficient, and comparatively nice I'm sure. I am
sending home pictures of it and so you will be able to see it soon.
I will skype for an hour on Christmas at the Burt's! Can't wait.
I'm sending a package but don't open it until Christmas.
I love you all and wish you my best
Elder Showalter