Saturday, December 28, 2013

Dec, 18, 2013

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