February 29 letters

To Mom:

So the area is going well this week. We worked insanely hard and the area is improving a lot. Elder Goes doesn't speak any English like I said so I've been teaching him pretty intensively. Unfortunately, he's got a long ways to go. Elder Barros and I spoke Portuguese exclusively. They want to work but you really can't do anything if you don't speak the language where you are serving. Elder Goes actually has a really big fire to work but can't do anything because of the communication barrier.

One day this week we were contacting in a new area and we just got totally lost and ended up coming along side one of the queens palaces. It was pretty interesting. We flagged down a car for a ride and they said "you're lost Manzini is the other way" it was pretty funny. We had a really good time this week whilst we worked like lions.

So I've also started a stringent diet/exercise plan and it's going pretty well. I'm really increasing my health. I'll be going home soon so I'm at the end of my time to really increase my fitness here on the mission. It's going really well. My self discipline has really grown from being a missionary. That should serve me really well in the real world as well. 

To Dad:

Honestly this week I worked harder than I think I ever have before so you don't have to worry about me slowing down. Last transfer I was kind of in that mode a little bit but with the new transfer came fresh motivation and now we are working just insanely hard. The area is going well. I hope to be able to get a few of the new families that we found last week at church here in the next week. We have a few really promising prospects. Also, yesterday we knocked a house and got the number of I think the richest person I've ever actually contacted on my mission so that was pretty cool. 

I absolutely cannot wait to come home and see the beautiful new house decor and bask in 1st world country goodness for the rest of my life. I'll tell you dad that you are the only one who kindof understands coming home from a mission like me because you did of course but you have no idea the infinite additional aspects of coming home from a third world country to the United States. Ok maybe a little because you've gone on trips there but not for 2 years. I feel like Iron man when he gets back from being imprisoned in the cave and just demands an American cheeseburger. I am just absolutely pumped to eat at McDonalds or Wendy's, let alone some way nice restaurant. Not to mention the thousand other things about America that make it the best country in the world.