week 2 in the MTC

ok, where to start? 

i will say that mexico city is crazy. not just the bus ride. but if you look up the celebration of the virgin guadelupe (however you spell it) you can find out what is happening this week. and i heard it only gets crazier around christmas and new years. but to give you the short version there are explosions happening constantly outside (nothing serious) and it keeps us all awake. and yesterday one of the mountains caught on fire because of it. :) fun things.

I think Elder ______~Tanners companion's name goes here~_________ is learning fast that i dont exercise. so i am not dying yet. but i might die of boredom watching him exercise all the time.  but he is a good guy and helps me a lot. and i learned that we have a lot more in common than we thought at first. 

my spanish is doing really good. We taught an "investigator" this week and i was able to say some sentences without cheating by looking at a book or paper. it surprised me a lot and later i learned i actually made sense. amazing! i do still have a lot to learn but when i think that two weeks ago i only knew what Dora the Explorer said, I really have learned so much. I am so thankful everyday that I am able to learn as fast as I have. 

Jamaica is what it is. its hard to explain other than really good. it is just a juice, not a carbonated thing.  (note from his mom.. I had asked him about the drink mentioned in his last email)

I am doing really well without caffiene. I think i have only had one bad headache. I really do see that as a miracle. because i know that caffiene makes headaches constant. but I have done really well, I am definitely off that completely. but i do carry the medicine just in case. :)

I have already picked some stuff out for the Tienda for you guys. no nativities, but maybe at the Temple. I am not sure when we go, but i know we will. so maybe then, but if not i have other great things. 

it is around the 70s today for weather and the locals are complaining that it is cold. I am like this is really nice. I just dont get it... 

that the days here are very long. everyday from 6 to 1030 we are doing something. It really increases the learning a lot. and our "investigator" from last week became our teacher so now we learn spanish from two different people. one is a student in Mexico City (he went on a mission a couple years ago) his name is Hermano (brother) Trejo, and he is seriously the funniest person. I am writing down his stories so I can share with you guys later. the other is Hermano Candia (the fake investigator) and he makes prostetic (whatever fake is) teeth out of his own lab for a living, and at night he teaches us. he is really cool too. I am so glad I have them as teachers. 

by the way both teachers are now playing investigators for us, and their stories are real people. but they are just pretending so we can learn different situations. it helps us to stay on top of learning how to teach. 

the district  i am in has lots of crazy people. but everyone is crazy. they are really cool though. everyone is getting along well enough. I like to say each day is a roller coaster because we are nice and then not so nice to each other many times everyday. but in the end we all pray and we all go to bed as family. i am actually learning to love them all as family. which is crazy because i have gotten so used to not getting to like people. but now i can actually say that they are my family here in Mexico.
That does not mean that I have forgotten you guys though- I think about you all the time. 

well my time is almost up for today, so now i have to end. 

thanks for the prayers and support. I really couldnt get through this without knowing you all are being blessed for it. I have thought of leaving at least twice because it gets tough without you, but i just think that someone out there needs me. so i push through and know that you guys are always there in my heart. (think of tarzan songs) :) 

i think that is the highlights from this last week. maybe i will think of something else for next time. 

love and miss you all!!!! do not worry about mexico city and the explosions. :)

til next week i guess! 

-Elder Burke