Week 12: Proud Mary

Sometimes in our lives, God gives us neighbors that test our patience.  That is very much true for the elders of Ilobasco 3.  One of our neighbors likes music.  A lot.  So much so that he starts blasting his stereo at 5:00 am.  It used to wake me up every morning, but I'm used to it now.  This morning as my alarm went off, something sounded strangely familiar.  And no, it wasn't the obnoxious beeping of the clock.  I heard a strangely familiar bass line.  As I listened on, I heard the lyrics "rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river."  Definitely not the usual Latino pop music that this neighbor normally wakes me up with.  Turns out that he is a fan of 70's American music.  I have to admit, I much prefer that to the other neighbor who likes to blast Skrillex late at night.

Later this week we have the dreaded transfers.  Change meeting takes place on Wednesday morning.  We don't find out if we have changes or not until around 10:00.  So you'll just have to wait until next week to find out if I stay in Ilobasco or not.  I probably will though.  Elders who start here usually stay for a few transfers.  What isn't so sure is if Elder Hood will survive this transfer.  There's two reasons for that.  One: they like to have norteamericano elders start with another gringo, then switch them to a Latino trainer.  Two is that Elder Hood has been here for five months.  That's a long time to stay here.  But we just have to wait and see.

Last Monday was a zone P-Day.  We went to Cojutepeque and played soccer with the rest of our zone.  I learned that I can actually play fútbol, if I play defence.  I also cleaned house at Uno.  And we had real pizza!  Okay, it was just Pizza Hut, but it was the best pizza hut I've ever had in my life.

This week the Ilobasco Branch had 101 people in attendance at sacrament meeting!  That is the highest it has been since I got here (my first week we had 73).  Our branch president is helping with that a lot.  He's a recently returned missionary (2 years since he got home), and is reforming this branch.  We are having branch council and Priesthood Executive Council meetings, he's charged the Elders Quorum and Relief Society presidents with organizing home teaching and visiting teaching programs.  And he's training the leaders on how to be good church leaders.  It's awesome!

Love,

Elder Colton West

El Salvador, San Salvador East Mission

Myself & Elder Hood with the future Elder Alexis Herrera. 
He leaves tomorrow for his mission!

Around the World ping pong at Zone P-day.  

Elder Hood, my companion, dominates at this!

Sunrise in Ilobasco

One of my shoes after working in La Elen. 
That's the farthest out part of my area, and it's all dirt roads. 
Very, very dusty dirt roads!