the one with the new "Viejitos!"

There is a new senior couple that just got down to zapata, this way they can work here all the time and the Mangums can stay in laredo the whole week. they are from Arizona, so they are just as bundled up as everyone down here. she is originally from peru, so she speaks spanish fluently, and he is the one learning. they are a very sweet couple of 'viejitos'! they are very willing to come to lessons with us, which is good, because they'll be here in zapata for their whole mission, so when they fellowship someone it actually matters, unlike us who just up and leave in a few weeks or months. they REALLY need to learn some teaching skills though, like how not to use big words that confuse the investigators! Like 'dispensation' or 'apostasy' or even 'gospel' in some cases!

on tuesday we took them to meet Graciella Castillo (martinez), and it went really well I think. her and sister strong really hit it off I think. hermana castillo gave us this weird kind of alternative to hot chocolate or cider, it's called "maizena" this particular kind was coconut flavored. it was really pretty good, especially with oreos. it is a kind of corn starch... thingy.

the new old couple is already planning a christmas party for our little group here in zapata on the 5th of december. But I don't know if I'll even still be here then. by the end of this transfer I'll have been here for 4 and half months, which is a very long time! I could see either way though. I haven't decided if I want to leave or go yet. but I'll guess we'll see. I'll know where I'm going by december 1st, but I won't get my new address (if I leave) until that next monday.

we were going to stop by an inactive member's house this tuesday night and we were about to knock on his door when we see through the screen door, 12-15 catholics circling a statue of the mother mary, chanting the rosary. which is very strange to see for sure! needless to say we did not have a chance to reactivate him that night!

We were working in Medina on Friday, and all of a sudden 4 or 5 cops start walking through all the trailers and down the street looking for a guy that had just crashed his car then driven it back to the house and now they couldn't find him. the whole thing was very confusing, apparently some random woman stole the car, and she had crashed it, supposedly, and then brought it back to where she stole if from, after she hit another car! (I don't know if I believe it or not)

saturday we got some BBQ from this guy that had made a fire in his front yard and boiled his pork with that! and he heated up the tortillas by throwing them directly on the ashes! it was definitely a cool experience. the weirdest part was when we figured out how everyone at the BBQ was the connected. there was a 7 year old (girl), a 21 year old (man), a 23 year old (man), and the mom of the 21 and 7 year old. apparently the mom has 7 kids, so I asked if the 23 year old is one of her son in laws, husband of a different child. but nope... turns out the 23 year and the mom are a couple!!! so weird! Mexicans do the weirdest things!

-Hope you all have a great week! Hope all the letters I sent out get to where they need to go! I'll send more out later, but I forgot paper this P-Day, and we are much busier today! I'll let you know if there is anything special I want in my christmas box next week. Be Good!

Love you all lots! -Elder Duerst!