Pioneer Day in New Mexico

On Saturday we were manning a booth during the Pionneer Day celebrations, and some girls from Utah came up and said that it was a tradition of theirs to send pictures of missionaries to their parents so that they know everything is alright. And so thats what happened. The other guy is Elder Bankhead. That was a rather fun celebration, a pagent and then a tiny parade and booths. It was really quite cool to see how, as a missionary, you don't have to worry about food or drink too much, people were bringing us water and snocones and burritos. The promise to missionaries to take no thought for food or drink is really true when out serving these people, especially the Zuni, always giving us food or drink.

Today was not much of a normal p-day I guess. We went to work out at 6 in the morning with President Gibbons(really cool guy). Then we ran out to Zuni to help this older brother who can barely see put down some roofing and to switch out some sheets of plywood. They don't really do shingles out here, its rolls of stuff and if not that, then its sheet metal. Parts of the places we go look like a 3rd world country, its kinda crazy. But most people live in mobile homes with some houses in Ramah and more houses in Zuni. After the roof, we ate lunch in Zuni and then came back for a bit of study and to wash our truck cause we have zone conference on Friday. 

Zone conference is in Gallup (NM) which is 45 minutes away going about 65 the whole way, and its just our zone, and the Zuni Branch(which only had 45 members there this week)  are supposed to be feeding us. Elder Bankhead and I have to leave our apartment at 7 that morning to get there in time to meet with President Batt. I did learn that one of the guys from my district in the mtc is out in my zone with me, Elder Meng, the one who's shoulder I messed up. Its pretty cool to see him at zone get togethers. 

Our normal day right now is wake up 6:15 go work out till 7:15ish then come home eat oatmeal and drink some protien, shower then study from 8 to 11, with 2 of those hours being companion study, that's part of the 12 week in-field training. Then we have been eating lunch in our apartment with a little bit more study til we leave at noon. Our apartment is tiny by the way, take a couple feet off every direction in the garage and that"s pretty much it. I'll send some photos of it soon. then its out to work, and we have to leave Zuni around 8:30 to be back by curfew, its 30 minutes out. 

We have been teaching this one family for awhile but as seems to be the case with Zunis the committing is one of the hardest parts. We also have this man who is ready to commit he just doesn't think he will be able to be ready before the end of the year and that will be too much time, cause he doesn't really have any major things he has to change. Another guy is probably only 35 and he will get baptized as soon as his probation is over. Then another guy who is just not sure he wants to give up the Zuni religion entirely because he likes the Zuni dances, but he doesn't have to give that up just as long as he realizes it will become culture instead of religion. Not much else in the way of investigators but we spend lots of time with less actives just because there are so many who have been baptized but chose to be offended or just quit coming. 

Yeah most days kinda feel long but looking back its hard to see it as a month and more that has gone by. Every day is just so similar you can't really keep track. The worst days are when all your appointments fall through cause you know they are there but they just aren't willing to talk with you that day. 

I got the card from grandpa and grandma, make sure my emails get forwarded to them, and also the wedding announcement, nothing much else comes hahaha. It has been way more of a sauna down here, mom haha, especially since its monsoon season for a little bit more, but supposedly then it will all quit raining most afternoons.

I will be singing 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' in Zuni Branch a couple of weeks from now. President Gibbons is pretty good on the piano and a music teacher so he will be playing along, he is the one who suggested I sing. 

Its pouring rain and thunder right now, I can hear it. That is really all I can think of right now, maybe I'll think of something later but that really is pretty much everything.

love
Elder Alex Huff

Oh and I ate a halepaeno (Mom's translation-jalapeno) green chile the other day and it wasn't that hot!