Livin´ the Spanish Life

¡Hola!

Hello all. It´s another glorious Wednesday and you´re all about to wake up in an hour or two (or 5, if you´re like I was) and so good morning all! It´s about 2:30 here. In case anybody out there was wondering. I know you all like to do the little, if it´s this time here, then what time is it in Spain for Tanton? I do it for Utah too. Don´t worry.

This past week has been pretty average. Some ups and downs. As always. Jacobo we have not really been able to teach, because his wife came back from Ecuador (she has been there for like month) and so he had all these plans with her and made it difficult. He is getting a little more flojo lately, so hopefully we don´t run into too many problems with that. Abdiel´s wife told him that he doesn´t need to be baptized and so he won´t talk to us anymore. Good stuff, eh? The members here love to feed us. I had Papa´s a la Juan Caina, which is a peruvian dish, at a members house this past week. That was super good. Then yesterday, some member punk´d me real good. We´re eating, right? and it´s like bread and salad and mashed potatoes and salchicha and cheese. I´m like, alright, cool. Eat until I´m like 75% full, and then she brings out this plate with a dang chicken on it. A little bit below average sized chicken. So we´re like, wow, we have more to eat. Then, she brings out 3 more freaking chickens. There was a whole chicken for each one of us to eat (although they were small-ish). So I´m like, crap, what am I going to do? Well, I did the only thing possible, I ate it. Not quite all of it, but 90% ish. Wow. I don´t think I need to eat again this month. It was ridiculous. For the food advice I´ve been asking from ya´ll it´s pretty much just anything that can be made and eaten in less than an hour. I can get pretty much everything from the grocery store. So that´s not too big of a deal. Thanks!

Ummm, other news from the week, oh! We contacted this 18-year old girl and her mom at like 9:00 Saturday night, invited them to church. They came. Then they came to a family home evening with the Bishop and his family on Monday night. How great, right? They´re from Colombia. They seem pretty promising to me. Sunday was fast sunday. That is a great day. I have learned over the last little while how much easier it is to fast and how much more we are blessed when we fast with a purpose and begin and end it with a prayer. It´s fantastic. So much easier than back when I was a young 12 year old Deacon and Vance had to chew me out for being so upset and a big baby and ¨Just starving¨ haha. I learned a lot from that day. Monday and Tuesday were just regular days. Haven´t had tons of people to teach lately, so we just walk the streets talking to people. The Spanish is coming along. I learn more everyday, and I finally made a language study plan like Preach My Gospel tells us too. That´s helping my vocab a lot. As for listening, I have decided I´m just bad at listening. I can´t blame Spanish for that, although it does make it harder. I´m terrible at it in English too. Kylie is gonna have to wipe a smirk off her face after reading that. I should keep a tally of how often people ask me a question and I give them an answer that doesn´t even make sense cause I heard something else. yahoo! Love it! Así es la vida.

Sounds like everything went well this past week. I´m especially happy to hear about the progress that Natalie is having. So fast too. Krista and Doug went to Disneyland. ¡Que suerte! I´m sure Trey and Krew loved that, and Krista even more so it seems. I think Greg should have taught them the Fast-Pass trick we learned in Disney World. hahaha ohhhh that was good times. I can´t believe that was almost 7 years ago, right? I thought I mentioned this, but I did get Melissa/Tim´s package. Muchas Gracias! I loved it. I´m sorry that Spain costs so much to ship stuff to, it´s ridiculous! I hear I have one coming soon though, so I wouldn´t mind a couple of things tossed in.

Feel free to use my money to buy them. G-2 pen ink(like 4 blue and one black), Food items to snack on, like hostess and granola bars and just whatever you can fit after you have put everything else in it. like Macaroni could be good, I dunno. You decide Mother :) Also, if you could find a good shoulder bag that is not too big not too small. Big enough to fit my scriptures and an extra book of mormon. I would say like 12x8 inches maybe? I don´t know. That ogio one is too big for everyday caring around though. Sorry :( Maybe a pocket Spanish-English dictionary? They don´t have them here! It´s like they expect me to know the language when I show up...geez. Any CD´s with legit church music on them. MoTab baby! I already have the ¨Called to Serve¨ one, but other than that it´s free reign. I actually need these yet, but I just thought of it so... That´s all I can really think of. None of this stuff is super important and I don´t care if you can´t get it all, I just had a couple of emails asking me so I thought you´d like to know. Also, I don´t know if I will ever be able to watch DVD´s. I will see what I can do about that though. Thanks for all your love and support. Oh yeah, and just remember that packages are always to mission office, unless I get sent to the Canary Islands (fingers crossed). The ayudantes will pick it up on Monday. Thanks.

The letter you sent to my piso got to me yesterday mom. Tuesday, the 8th. I can´t remember when you sent it, but that means that anything you want me to get that is sent to the piso should be sent by Monday. It´s nice to get letters there and not wait til monday, but both techniques are great. Next week is my last week in Barrio 2. It will be nice to get transferred and know that I will have a lot of time to get to know members and actually be able to get settled in. I´m excited to see where I go. I will find out next Saturday, and then the Monday after I will move there. I have a hunch I will still be in Madrid area. The ayudantes already know. Scoundrels.

Today, for P-day, we went to the temple! Oh how beautiful! I think it is my new favorite temple. Sorry Logan. It is amazing! and I had a very spiritual experience. It is always a great day when you can feel the spirit that strongly. The Lord truly loves his children and I am so grateful for the many, many temples that dot the globe these days. I did it in Spanish. I just figured I ought to respect the culture, ya know? :)

Love,
Elder Tanton Sil Jeppson

Mom, Yes, I have met Elder Knorr. I did not tell him my secret though. I just met him like I met everybody else. Haha, I´m such a creep!

Krista, Let´s start a Nutella club!

Abby, congrats on getting 1st place! Everybody plays PSP here. On the metro especially. You´ll have to bring mine if you come out to pick me up. Have fun playing it for two years you scoundrel.

Greg, I would like to see Kristina´s shaved head and your new Tattoo. Boston was in a gang before I left.

Dad, Good luck on the Lacrosse season. I want awesome updates throughout the season. Just remember, a strong foundation will lead to good things. Take risks. Have fun.

I think that´s all. Stepmom, Brad, I love you both! Tim, travel safe and good luck!