One down and who knows how many to go.

This week was pretty crazy.  All sorts of stuff.  Elder Polendo se fue and now I´ve got a newbie.  On Tues, we dropped the poor guy off, leaving Olanchito for good.  So sad, but we did hear that he is now District Leader.  Hahahaha!  He doesn´t want to climb the ladder, but he is like the youngest DL in the mission.  Everyone knows that he´s gonna be an assistant.  That´s my Dad!  :)


The rest of the day on Tues and all day Wed, my comp was... Elder Skousen!  Pretty fun for just a little bit.  We´re still in the same district, which is great.  Not so sure that we will every really be companions, but it was fun for at least a day.  He´s a great missionary, and I hope I´m making all of you who know him jealous that we hang out often.  Haha.  I actually think I see him here more frequently than before the mission.


My new comp whom I met on Wed is Elder Gomez.  He´s from Guatemala, and he´s crazy.  Haha.  He works hard, and is a great missionary.  The branch seems to really like him a lot, and I can already feel the increased support we´re going to receive.  I am confident that we are going to see some great success this transfer.


Side note:  I ate a ton of food yesterday.  Like a lot.  I really love the food here.  All that worrying before the mission.  I´m actually one of the only people I know of who hasn´t gotten sick yet at all on the mish.  Even some of the latinos get sick, but I´ve been just fine.  The MTC was actually way worse as far as being sick all the time.


Dont you all worry.  I don´t think that I will gain any weight out here.  We work too hard.  I´ll be as good looking as I was before.  Sorry for those of you holding out for an improvement...


So, we have a little quadrito where Elder Polendo and I liked to go and teach like 3 families at the same time.  It was fun once or twice, but we decided that we´d start teaching each one separate. 
Way better.  We started teaching a woman named Suyapa, and after she told us her husband died a few years back, we jumped right into the Plan of Salvation.  She was REALLY receptive.  We explained to her the spirit world, and how her husband will have a chance to accept the gospel and how her family can live together forever.  She was all lit up.  Totally changed.  Super cool.  So she accepted baptism, and we now need to set a date for sure.  I feel good about it. 


She´s pretty much my best pal.  Last night we visited her, and she was asking about missions and missionaries, etc.  Normal stuff.  We explained it to her.  I was explaining how I have a sure testimony that while I´m away from my family just for a few years, I will have all eternity with them.  As a missionary, I´m helping other families attain the same blessing.  How great will it be to see those families after this life together with God!  She responded, ´´Que bonita su vida.´´  haha.  She´s like awesome.  Don´t know why, she just is.


So this is possibly a little shorter, but I´m sure that I´ll have tons to report next week once Elder Gomez and I have more of a chance to show Olanchito what we´re made of.  Stay tuned.


Love and miss you all greatly.  Thanks for all the letters.  I got a stack of dearelders this week from Anna, Mitra, John the Ross, and others.  I am eternally grateful.  I´ll confess that I haven´t sent a single written letter yet.  This will change.  I have already started responses, and they should start to travel the world soon.  Please don´t feel like I´m not responding.  I am.  And I love and appreciate the updates from each one of you.


Les Quiero bastante,


Elder Thalman