Hey everyone,

Aight, so first things first. This week I had my first experiences with gross food. I just ate at some chicken and fries restaurant with Elder I. and they gave us soup and it had chicken foot and chicken heart with valves and everything. I just took out the stuff and drank the broth. At least that was in a restaurant so I'm not obligated to eat it all.

Also, a few days ago someone served us fish. It wasn't a “staring at me” fish but it was like the front half looked like fried meat and the back half looked like dead fish with tail and everything...I couldn't do it. Luckily no one was watching us eat and luckily I followed the advice of Bishop Smith and put a plastic bag in my backpack to secretly discard the fish. Elder I. doesn't understand and I think it bothered him a bit. Oh well. I think I'd prefer that than to have to actually eat it.

So, as far as the packages go, in Pasto we only get them every transfer. So I won’t get any until October, but it's okay because I know chances are for sure I'll be here a minimum of at least another month and a half after that, so it’s all good.

So they always told us in the MTC that we need to be ready at any moment to give talks in church because the people who are supposed to give them often don't show up. I thought I was safe because they didn't even ask me to share my testimony the first week. Of course yesterday, they asked me and Elder I. to give talks. I've never even winged a talk in English and I had to make up a talk on the spot in Spanish...yeah, it went okay, I think. Oh yeah, I thought I might mention that the people down here are not the best singers. I am a terrible singer and they make me sound like an angel.

So this Saturday we are having the "noche blanca" where the whole zone is having a combined baptism. We had five dates set, but one didn't show up to church yesterday so she will have to wait until she commits to attend church more regularly. Two others told us to never go back to their house. I`m pretty sure they had been talking to the Jehovahs Witnesses. They make our life the biggest pain, I swear. We had to spend one lesson with our investigator Maria explaining everything that the Jehovah’s Witnesses had told her that was incorrect about our Church. I honestly think they are following us and talking to everyone we talk with...it's frustrating. They just go talk to people and talk smack about us and the church. I don't get it because we have never talked bad about any other church. Oh well, we have to remember that people have their agency.

On the good side, our two baptisms this Saturday are Juan and Betty. They are probably in their fifty's and are for sure, as long as they can give up their coffee. I think we have taught word of wisdom like 8 times in the past 2 days. No one here understands why coffee is bad for you.

Our other baptismal date is for the 29th. A girl named Gabriella. I think she's thirteen and she’s great! We are trying to get her cousins to commit, but they are a bit stubborn. Another big reason people don't get baptized is because they are living together and aren't married, or haven't divorced someone legally. It's a pain because these people want to be baptized but they have to wait for papers and stuff.

Also, I haven't tried cuy yet, which is the grilled guinea pig thing. I don't know, it's just nasty to eat something that is dead and has a facial expression which looks like it’s being tortured.

Entonces, estamos trabajando duro y estoy estudiando mucho. Sé que algun día entenderé estas personas. Siempre me gusta recibir cartas de ustedes. Es bueno que toda esté bien allí en los estados. Estoy tratando hacer ejercisios cada mañana para que no regrese a ustedes un gordito. Todas las personas nos da comida y siempre es pan y chocolate. Nos vemos.

Elder Chase