8-19-13

Family and Friends,
Thanks for the letters, I always do appreciate them very much. This week was so so good. My new area is huge so we walk a ton and in the refinery there are always huge fires going up into the air, I think that's why it’s so hot here. We had a baptism last week, and we have another this week. We are currently teaching like 6 investigators at the moment so we have a goal of 5 baptisms this change, which would be awesome because the normal is only 1 or 2 a change. I am keeping myself in shape and being healthy. Every night I work out because of the lack of food and the amount of sweating I have lost a little weight and think I weigh probably around 155 right now. I eat only healthy stuff here when I can. I’ve stopped drinking the soda here because there is just so much here. Soda and beer are cheaper than water here ha. Um my Spanish is better but still needs a lot of practice, I can understand most things if they are speaking slow or if it is something I know a lot about. But there is still quite of few words I do not know. This week beats the record with gun shots heard this week was 7 each when we were walking home ha. This week was kind of cool because we got to go into another ward in our mission to do interviews because my comp in the DL(District Leader) so we crossed the big river in a ferry into Veracruz.  Veracruz is almost half of our mission. But anyways at first it was a little nervous getting into that little ferry because those rivers are infested with crocs and every year people die from big crocs knocking over little boats and what not haha, but don't worry I made it just fine. On the other side of the river is more of the country and jungle, kind of like my one half of my area next to the beach.  The area is really really poor and more of the country. Tons of Dogs! EVERYWHERE! On the way back we were waiting next to the dock and I saw a bunch of ropes hanging from this HUGE bridge, The bridge goes across the river to connect Tamulipas and Veracruz. It’s real big. So I asked my comp whats up with the ropes, and mom stop reading because you won’t like this, But I guess when a narco, or one of the cartels catches a soldier or another cartel, or anyone who messes with them, they.... ya hah I guess it’s a pretty regular thing. They do it to scare the people because in the morning everyone sees it on the news. Kinda crazy. Well I gotta go! Thanks for everything, Tell Anthony congrats from me on his graduation from BYU. I would write more but don't have much time. Thanks for everything. I will try to send some pictures.

Elder Vince Miller