Hey Lovely Family!!!!!
After reading mom's letter it sounds like everyone is doing great, loving life! It is really hard to believe that the time is going by so fast. cha cha cha! ha ha
I've never in my life eaten as many oranges than I have here in Martinez! It really is for breakfast, lunch and dinner! (I think of Grandpa Roberts singing that song "beans for breakfast beans for supper" so on so on) Everyone uses oranges in everything from juice to orange squeezed over tacos to pastries etc. It's just because well that's how Martinez runs. The jobs mainly here are: to grow oranges, to cut oranges, or work in the factory to make orange juice, or you're a taxi driver! Thats pretty much it hahah!
Martinez is really pretty, Martinez it reminds me of Spanish Fork - not too big, but not too small. Like a little mining community but for oranges. It's surrounded by ranches of oranges or lemons! The corrteros well they leave in the morning and cut in the fields and carry these huge baskets on their heads or on their shoulders and end up filling a big bulldozer truck of oranges by the end of the day. And once they finish they ride on top of the truck because their isn't enough room in the front. When they come back in the evening a lot of them are in muddy rags for clothing, and they are worn and tired. Every time I see them I think of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Ha ha just the look of them gets me.
We have a little Pueblito in our area its called Manantiales. We have just been starting to proselite in that area its just so small and its 45 mins away by bus. So it's a waste of time if we don't have plans to teach someone there. On these days I spend a whole day just knocking doors, and before I leave Martinez I would like to start a branch there! Sometimes we don't have enough money to pay for the bus or we just don't want to so we hitchhike our way! I feel like the missionaries of old! #grandpaneves #parleyppratt!
This week had it's up and downs! Elder Vazques is a good guy Lequiero but he only has 2 and half months left of his mish! soooo this week we struggled a little but we still had miracles! Umm I had an experience that I'll never forget. We went to our dinner appointment at 2 but the hermana wasn't ready. So the 6 missionaries were just waiting for the food. I asked if there was anything I could do, but the mexican ladies are really protective of their kitchens so the hermana "shood" me out. haha so instead of talking gossip with the other elders about the mission. I decided to play with the kids of the hermana. So I did, she had like 4 kids and 2 cousins living with them. Long story short I had all the kids in the circle playing with me the Frog game. (when you slap hands in the circle and last player with it loses.) I don't remember the song We sang a song with the tune of rosie posies. Ha ha it was fun and all the little kids loved It! It was a cool moment because everyone ended up playing and it took the stress off the hermana!
(playing Don't Eat Pete" with one of my favorite families)
Umm Juan Carlos turned out to be our investigator of Oro. He and his family had only been the ones going to church with us. One night I was really humbled by an experience with his family. It was late and we had just finished up the lesson and it was about 9. So we were headed home. It was probably one of the coldest nights yet here in Martinez. We were around the corner of the home of Juan Carlos and I looked back to seeing the little boy of Juan Carlos (Jonny) about Kal's age running after us. He said, hey my mom invites you guys to have dinner with us. So we turned back to go inside. So we came back to the house and the wife, Prexilis was out in the cold trying to start a fire to cook some dough to make Gorditas (kinda like a scone with beans) I ended up talking to Juan about how he met his wife and soon dinner was ready. While eating, I looked up and noticed the family just watched us. They were not eating, just us. It was a really humbling moment. I know this family is blessed with their sacrifices. Today we cooked brownies to go take to them!
Also with our contacting we found a old guy named Jose Sith (first time I thought he said Jose Smith) funny guy that can still smile without any teeth. He didn't go to church though.
We found long lost members. So Saturday felt like a long unsuccessful day. I was tired and a little onery because we didn't find anyone home. So on the way home we passed by a boy struggling with a box. I felt like to turn around and go back and help him. Well we did. He let me help him. We walked to his house lives clear on the other side of the area. Finally we made it to his house - He invited us to come in and have a drink of water, so we did. We talked for a little and introduced us to his family and then we said "have you ever talked with missionarys like us before?" and the family just started to laugh and they said that they once were baptized members but they had just moved houses and never went back to church after that. So we are now working on reactivating this whole family!
I'm doing great! Happy as ever! I just need to work harder, and study more doctrine and spanish. I know that with the spirit my words don't matter. I just have a goal to be the best gringo spanish speaker in the mission, no biggie! Wahoo!
Well thanks for the Love! I ´pray for your guys safety everyday.
With love
Elder Santiago Guzman Roberto
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