Transfers/Changes & Cortez

Hola, 

Change aboundeth here in Chalco.  First things first, I have had changes, again.  It took me a whole week and two days this time.  I'm now in the area Culturas 1, which is right next to my old area.  My new new companion is Elder Vasquez.  He is from Guatemala and has 20 months in the mission.  The area I'm currently in was the first area of my trainer, Elder Tadeo, and so far it's been pretty good.  I arrived thursday, and we had a baptism Saturday, with several more to come in the coming weeks.  I've just about gotten use to changing areas now, so it didn't come as a huge shock when I got here.  It is interesting though, I've now been in four areas in four different zones here.  If that keeps up I'll have been in every zone by the time I complete a year.  As far as why we had changes, I'm not sure what the situation was exactly, but it affected at least five different companionships.  Still, change is part of the mission, and part of life, so here I am, for now at least.

That is basically what my week was like.  I once again have basically no idea where I am most of the time, and I give the opening prayer in almost every lesson.  The people here do love to ask the new person to give the opening prayer here.  At least I'm not the only one whose a bit lost.  The other companionship in the ward is opening an area, and Elder Vasquez has to help them find places often, especially where we are eating.  I just hope I learn the area fast, because changes are in four weeks, and who knows what is going to happen then.  (I think the term for changes in English is actually transfers, but the term in Spanish is cambios, or changes in English, so that's what we call them here.  So if you were confused about that, now you're not.)  Still, the area seems nice enough, so I wouldn't mind staying awhile.

I'm sorry to here about the craziness you had to deal with at school.  Society really is falling apart at the seams, isn't it.  I remember when fifth grade girls still had a nausiating case of the cooties, and now they are breaking up with boyfriends that shouldn't even exist.  I wish you luck with that, and that you have more days like Lori's than like that one.

As far as Columbus goes, I haven't heard one thing or another about him from the people here.  They don't seem to really hate Cortes either, he's just another historical figure to them.  That is something I find pretty interesting here.  The people that I've met at least don't seem to have the strong cultural butt-hurt that people like the Native Americans feel.  I'm not justifying the atrocities that occured with either group, but I'm just saying it's been well over a hundred years since it happened.  Ultimately, the events are pure history now, and nobody living experienced them.  That's probably just the white male view of things, but it is how I feel.  (I'm pretty sure if you look it up that the politically correct term is in fact cultural butt-hurt.)

That's about it for me this week.  I love you and I'll talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Long