Pan con Queso

Hello Everybody!

 

As week four in the MTC rolls around, things are starting to move faster and faster! These last two weeks went by super fast, and it's sad for me because I feel like I only got to see Eric and the other Latino Missionaries for a really short time. There was one Latino Elder that I got to be pretty good friends with before he left, his name was Elder Ynoñan. He was super cool, and he knew a good amount of English too. He was definitely one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

 

To answer your question, CCM stands for Centro de Capacitación Misional de Lima.

 

Every day blurs together, so it's hard to write new things every week, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.  SO! Every time a new group of Greenie MTC missionaries comes in, on the first P-Day the intermediate group has to escort them around. We were the intermediates last week and the others decided to leave me and Elder Wesemann, so we got to take around the newbies everywhere they wanted to go outside the walls by ourselves. It was not very fun because everything is still new to us too. Anyway, I don't think we'll have to drag other greenies around anymore, so that's a plus.

 

The majority of the intermediates know me by now (of course) and there really are a lot of great people here at the MTC. I can honestly see myself becoming good friends with most of them even outside the MTC.

 

They have a learning program here in the CCM called TALL. (Technologically Assisted Language Learning) 

I hate it. I think it's supposed to teach the language topics in an easier way, and I think it does the exact opposite. I can't use it because it's such a difficult program to use. It's definitely no replacement for an actual teacher, even if they don't speak English. (Only one out of my three Spanish teachers speaks a little English.) It's really hard to learn something so new, but I'm definitely starting to get the hang of it. I won't be thinking the same thing in two weeks when I'm out of here though. Anyway, that's fun.

 

It was Elder Wesemann's Birthday on the 23rd, entonces the hermanas got some brownie mix at the store, and we made mug brownies! I'm actually kinda sorry for Wesemann, because I definitely wouldn't want to have my birthday in the CCM. It'd be rather boring, having to sit in a classroom all day learning Spanish on your birthday, so I'm glad mine is circa 7-8 meses from now.

 

I learned something really important a few nights ago. American humor is not Peruvian humor. I'm lucky I found this out from someone else, because it would've been really awkward learning this myself. You see, Americans are known for having really harsh humor. I.E. Telling someone they're the worst, or calling them names without meaning it. The Peruvians, as well as the other Latinos take that kind of joking very seriously most of the time. I know this because one of Eric's Latino roommates got really offended because of the American's humor, so I have to be really careful of that. I'm lucky I didn't offend anybody before I knew about this. Anyway, I just need to remember to be really careful.

 

Entonces, today was p-day, So we went to the temple as usual. When we got out, we met a guy who had some packages for some of the other missionaries from their families. He's an American, but we found out he lives down here in Peru, so just out of curiosity I asked him if he'd ever met Nick DeWall, Liz's brother who lives in Peru. He did. Small World, right?

 

Anyway, I don't have any more time to write, But I love you all! Oh, and I think letters take about two weeks to get here, but I'm not completely sure. We'll find out when I get the letter you sent.

 

With lots of Love,

-Elder Daniel Jacob Smith