Week 10

 I want to call this one Finalmente.

I feel like I can finally say I am here. I am in the DR and I love my life here. I wake up every morning. 30 mins of exercise (Which I go super hard with, I have been getting big actually) I take a cold shower and sometimes I don't because we have like a 50 50 percent chance we will have water in the morning. Which sucks. The same with electricity. Sometimes I leave the house with a very creased shirt. Ha. We eat breakfast which is usually a Peanut Butter Sandwich. I love how American these people are! We do our study time which I enjoy so much. I read 30 mins in the Book of Mormon and 30 mins in Liahona and church magazines. We have comp study and then we get plans for the day. I serve in the San Francisco District 4. It is the largest in San Fran. Me and my companion walk about 15 to 20 miles a day. Before we got here, the Elders had ton of success in baptizing but horrible in retention of activity. We have been teaching a ton of less active families. It is difficult to find Investigators because it is either the Catholic church or nothing. They are super poor and live in 4 concrete slabs they call walls and sometimes don't even have doors to their house so they are robbed often although they don't have much anyways! We teach but I am still having difficulty with the language. Spanish is difficult especially here. I can barely understand the people but I try everyday to get better! I share my testimony in every lesson and do my best to share stories or personal experiences. We have like 25 to 40 people at church everyday which is one of the worst in the whole mission. I freaking hate that people here are difficult to change but my mission president obviously had a plan for me. I plan on 5 baptisms in the next 10 weeks. We will see how that goes. We have 5 main investigators and about 10 less active families. I will name them and say a little about the investigators. The first is Miguel. He is 6 foot 5. 19 years old and a bad liar. Dancing is his hobby. We teach him a lot and I think he will be our first baptism. Second, is William and his wife Belkis (Belkeys). They have 2 sons, both too young to be baptized. William works construction I think and Belkis is a stay at home mom. 3rd, is Andry. My comp think he is a mariposa or is interested in men for the use of nice words. He memorized the first 3 pages of the restoration pamphlet and I think he could be a baptism! He just graduated college and is doing great as an investigator! Next is Sandy and Yoagni. They have 3 kids, 2 boys and 1 girl. They don't seem interested in the church but we continue teaching them because they are slowly progressing. And finally, we have Rafael. He has no use of his legs and is in a wheelchair. Last week we went to visit him, He was hardcore drunk and was chewing. He grabbed my arm, wanting me to sit and I just stared at him. He kept tugging and accidentally spit some chew spit on my arm. I just looked at him and told him I am good. He kept trying to bug me when we were talking so finally my comp just said we will visit later. Wednesday we went to go visit him and I was a little scared. We got to his house, and he had 5 of his friends  there. I was still a little ticked for getting chew spit on so I grabbed his hand a little hard when I shook his hand. I was not happy at all to be there. We sat down and taught about the importance of keeping the commandments of God and all of his friends were present. They actually started to join the conversation and started sharing their feelings and thoughts. I felt the spirit so strongly. At the end, I shared a very inspired testimony and many of them were so surprised how well I did. At the end, they all scheduled a time we could all meet up again and they were so interested and excited for us to return. We teach them tomorrow. Besides that and getting chased by crazy drunks on the street wanting my money, Which has happened almost everyday, this place is pretty calm! I can say I am finally here. I am finally getting used to things!

 The days go by so fast! I am going to the Beach I think this next Wednesday so i will take a ton of pics and send them!I am so living the DR life and me and Elder Hudson have splits tomorrow and were are going to go so hard! This zone is so bomb! I love this place but I miss home still. Haha but I can tell you it has gotten alot better from the first! Well that's all for this this week!

Some pics!

 Me feeling Dominican Rich!

Me with Elder Pace!

Me and my  Companion, Elder Vazquez

Week 9 - A little slice of AMERICANO

I am going to name this one ¨A little slice of AMERICANO¨

Well this place is freaking real! Like, really real! Freaking this life I live here, is insane. This week has been normal but I have decided that this is the best mission for me. I think I went a little crazy after last P Day because I craved anything American because I was sick of getting so upset with my comp with him not being able to speak English. So I just said a prayer in my heart asking for something American to just happen to me and guess what, as we were going to a members house to share a message, a car drove passed bumping some Kesha. I think that was the first time I jumped for joy here. The next day. Me and my comp were eating in one of the DR restaurants and we were just sitting there and some random guy just come sits right next to me and is just blankly staring at me. I was like what the heck. As we were leaving, I had the prompting to talk to him but I ignored it to save my confidence from being shot down because I cant speak the language that well. So we walked outside the restaurant and I saw a car with the license plate saying ¨Im proud to be an American¨ I freaked out for a second and walked back in the restaurant and asked the guy in English ¨Is that your car?¨ He looks back and with a smile on his face answers¨Well of course Elder Garfield¨ He ended up being a Dominican who moved to NY when he was 30 and spent 15 years there. We talk about everything American for like 10 mins and he mentions that he flew an American Flag out his window the day of September 11th and it made me so happy! He shakes my hand and says ¨If I see you around again, feel free to talk some English with me¨ I told him that that was the best offer here I have had yet. I know, Tyson, freaking be a man and take in the DR. Well to be honest, I have. I eat their food (I eat a food called ¨Mangoo¨ on a daily basis, its a plantane and its freaking bomb) I say their words like ¨Freaking Binah¨ I am pretty sure thats my comps favorite word. it means freaking thing. I really am enjoying my time here even though its going fast! Well I am so greatful for all the tender mercies I have here. Things in San Francisco 4 havent changed much. We still have like 0 progressing investigators and only 15 members in church all that awesome stuff. But I feel as if change will come soon and I will be the one to change it! Things will get better and I am going to be the one who makes it better! I am trying everyday to be an effective missionary and I can feel me getting better each day! Well thats all for this week. I love and miss you all!

Week 8 -D&C 31

I want to title this one D and C 31. This week really has been a week that has tested me in a lot of different ways. From Getting bible bashed in spanish for 45 mins to getting called A Sexy American by some 26 year old Dominican lady who stopped me in the middle of the street just to say that to me. I can honestly say I am so thankful for all my things back home but Ill be honest, I don't really miss my phone, car or clothes. I miss you guys, my bed, and warm showers. Since all my friends will be on missions soon, I don't miss them too much. I am super grateful for my companion. I would be dead in a ditch without him. He freaking Irons my shirt everyday and cooks when I am reading scriptures. Although sometimes i just eat pb and j sandwich because some of the stuff he cooks is sketch. We had our group reunion yesterday which had all of the kids in my group all together again and not much has changed! Espinoza still cant speak Spanish, President Douglas is still bomb as ever and I have a ton of cool friends. There is so much I am thankful for in my life that was tough to give up like my family but that is why I titled this letter D and C 31. You need to read to understand. I know I am as safe as I will ever be here but I still worry about you guys. My mind goes crazy when I think about all the bad things but instead of worrying about it, I just go to work. I have shed a ton of tears this week for a bunch of different reasons but I know that I was sent here to take away my Ego. Time can go by super fast, or super slow here but either way, I enjoy this place! Sketch things still happen here like crazy driving and Old women American Lovers but I guess I will get used to that in time!

I asked him if he knew Elder Scheffner yet and if he was in a picture on the blog and what his schedule was like.

Elder Scheffner is one of the coolest kids here. He is so hilarious. He is a good friend of mine. That was the group reunion of the group before me. I am not in that picture. Our mission is different than most Said President Douglas. We are in the house studying until 3 then proselyte for 6 hours. We will do that for our first 12 weeks because we have to do a program with our trainers. On week 13, we leave at 10 and proselyte until 9. Its an interesting schedule. Braeden, It is good to hear from you! Hope your doing good! how is the fam! I miss you!

PS> he sounds so much better this week like he is finally adjusting. Not as much about wearing our seatbelts and being safe. I think he only said it like 3 times instead of 30. He is doing good!

Week 7- What I have realized

Alright. I want to tell you about my week and describe my feeling so far. I title this email ¨What I Have Realized.¨ So I have only been here for a week but i already have such a crazy knowledge for this place. There is so much going on here like you already know (Underaged Drinking, Crazy Driving, Dengue) but there is so much that you didnt know was here. Families living so poorly that it sketches me out to even sit on what they have left of a couch as I see a cockroach run across the floor. People here are so content with their life which makes me understand why I came here. I have missed you guys to the point where I wake up at night, bawling my eyes out because I dont think this mission thing is for me. I sit in lessons like a fly on the wall because they truly speak a different language. My comp has to do his best and translate into English (Which he isnt good at all). Also, I sometimes want to
 knock my comp out because he wants to learn English so bad and I am doing my best to learn Spanish and it just doesnt work out the best always. It just is a totally different world here, literally. I have had some points where breaking my leg sounds better than being here because I feel like I am wasting your and dads money and it makes me feel like crap. But then, I always remember the quote ¨I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.¨ I have lived by that quote since I stepped foot off the plane. This really is not easy. It is hard. But when I bear my testimony (Which I did this last sunday, Fast Sunday, In Spanish, Which also I bawled because the members here bring the Spirit and I talked about how important my family is to me.¨) I can tell they feel it, they feel the Spirit, in their hearts and their home. This place is nothing like I expected. So this, is what I have realized.
1.Family is the most important thing in this world
2. I am proud to be an American
3. Traffic Laws are something we should be greatful for
4. If you say 12 prayers a day that your family will be safe until your return, it makes you feel alot less home sick
 5. Teach with the Spirit, And you can break the toughest hearts.
Although me and my companion have no baptismal dates (Mainly because we teach less actives) I know I am needed here. I Love this place and each day gets easier. I hope all is well back home! I love you guys so much!!! and miss you all!
Elder Garfield

THESE ARE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS I ASKED HIM.
Me: Do you need me to send you anything? Are you eating enough? Have you been sick at all? Are you doing ok? I promise it will get easier. We are doing fine here. Your service is blessing our family so much! Where is your Companion from? What part of Mexico? Do you have any pictures to send me?

Tyson:
NO!!! Dont send anything. If I need anything, I can buy it here! Elder Hudson had a crap ton lost in the mail so if you send anything, let it be pics through email! Also, I am going to send pics next week throught the computer because they taught me how to do it without breaking your card! I havent taken much because I am sketched out! I eat a crap ton and have only lost 5 pound and thats only because i sweat a crap ton. I havent got sick because I dowse myself in Insect Repellent! Dont worry about me. I worry about you because Coop will be driving and I dont want him hurt. If one of you die, I am coming home. Alright? That will be the only way I come home early. So be careful! My comp is from Middle of Mexico and he cant speak a lick of English so I dont bother! I am fine and havent got Dengue Yet! I love and miss you guys so much so dont get hurt okay!!

Me: Are you having any fun? Please dont worry about us. We are fine. Do you need any more money in your account? I am glad you are eating and using bug spray. What do you have to pay for?


Tyson:
Haha i am actually having loads of fun but yes! I need to by a different handbag so i am going to take out like 80 american dollars out of my accout! I really do enjoy this place it reminds me of you! I love you and miss you soooooo much! Please tell Cooper and Braeden that i love them because I am writing Ky. I kiss your guys pics everyday that i have in my bag! I have the Ensign in English and that gets me through the day! I have not seen Elijah but we call each other when I have question. Elder Grover has been such a help too. I love that Guy. Tell Mckay Hi and i Love him. Call him sandwich. Yes. I get on here at 5 or 515 every wedensday or 3 or 315 your time! I love and miss you and Please be safe!


Me: So you get to talk to Elijah? Thats good and I am glad you have a Cedar Connection. Should I email some pictures this week? I will watch your account and keep plenty of funds in there for you. I sent a letter yesterday so let me know if you get it.

Tyson:
Just send Emails. Letters are difficult because they get lost all the time! Put pics on here. I call him on our phone and havent got yelled at yet and thats nice. Elder Grover goes home in feb and I told him i am jealous! send pics please and I will send some! I love you and miss you so much! Please wear your seatbelts and please go to the doctors if anything seems unordinary. Please watch my account. I will only get like 50 or so dollars a month if needed so if you have a question. just email me and if it ever gets over 150 dollars, cancel. I will let you know before hand if i need to take out alot! Well i have to go! I love and miss you so so so much!!!!! Please tell everyone I love them and I miss them! Please be safe and be careful! Ill talk to you next week. 3 your time! I love you and miss you!
Elder Garfield

Pictures from the MTC

 Tyson and some friends in his District at the MTC

 Tyson and Nate Jarvis at the Provo Temple

 Tyson and a friend at the MTC

The Provo Temple