This is a letter -- week #2

This is fun, but I get where Talon is coming from in not being able to think of what happened during the week and so it's hard to always write a letter that has something. 

My companions are Elder Nae'ole and Elder Anderson and it's a bit of a struggle sometimes because they are very different than me, but it isn't that bad so I'm alright. 

Elder Lauritzen has been really struggling for the last week with the stress and considering going home and talking with the President and other dramatic things, and we fasted for him twice now but he's really doing better. 

My district is also picking up the language just fine, and I'm fairly proficient at carrying a decent conversation with natives. I am also good with using a Peruvian accent and not worrying about the Colombian accent and it isn't hard to understand either. 

We have three latin roommates and they are way fun and they are also good to practice the language with. Elder Herrera (one of the latin roommates) got his endowments when we went to the Temple today and we were so happy for him. I gave him a tie and he wore it -- (yay fun!) It was an ugly tie so I didn't have withdrawals yet, so not bad. Also they took our cameras and candy and we only get them on P-day (still friday) so too bad. 

Selfie with me, my companions, and my latino roommates who were in a trio like us

Elder Alvarado, a missionary that lives in Talon's ward found me on our first day and gave me a package from Talon and now we're buddies and I talk to him all the time and he broke his glasses when he got hit in the face with a volleyball today. Volleyball is intense here. My glasses are staying intact so they must be stronger than the volleyball. The other missionaries here are great (yay). 

 Me with Elder Alvarado, a missionary that arrived from Talon's area in Peru!

The Bogotá Temple president came and talked to us on Sunday and he gets released this weekend. The Bogotá temple is way big compared to Denver and is really great. Our teachers are super fantastic. Hermana Rangel is super great and apparently half the older elders have a small crush on her. That's all about her. Hermano Mendoza is also great and really animado [energetic]. Like actually way animado. 

I've gained 5 pounds the food is good.

Not anything like Lima Temple housing.

I also type faster than the other elders in my district.

It's so hard to find personal study time being new at the CCM because they pack your schedule with language studies and other things like that. But time is beginning to move fast and it entertains me. 

Dad, Andres emailed me asking about meeting up and I just told him to arrange a time with you and I'll just comply with that and talk to the authorities here. 

I'm also great and doing well.

I also didn't think that having 40 ties would be that much more than other missionaries but I'm glad I have them.

Everytime we have meat for lunch, one of the CCM cooks tells all the gringos it's gato and I believed it for like 10 minutes the first time and then I ate some and it was just beef. 

Everyone is great here, and some people struggle hardcore and some people don't. That's just how life works. 

Some people find it easy to type with a Spanish keyboard and some don't. I don't see why people keep not getting how to do that.

Remember how I said that here we use stickers as a commodity? The CCM basically stopped supplying the JetBars that come with the stickers and so they're really valuable now. Dad, tell Andres I'll give him $10,000 if he brings me a package of a bunch of JetBars because those stickers are like a way of survival. I traded away my puma and I want it back. This is actually like a really big deal in the CCM. Like money in the real world. We really, like, never leave the gates. I have done it twice. Once for immigration (to stay past our visas, we are getting a Colombian citizenship) and then for the Temple.

Our "investigator", Javiera (Hermano Mendoza dislikes the name) is very easy to work with and she committed to baptism, but my companions haven't been able to participate in the discussions until today and still they're rough. I've done a couple solo lessons now. Also Elder Tolman (the canadian) is super canadian. [As training, missionaries are paired with fake investigators.  The experiences he shares here are mostly for his training purposes.]

Love,

The Younger Elder Hicken