2 ANOS!

Hey! 

I have not time because this activity that we had today literally took up our whole preparation day! Long story short, we went to a place called IZAPA that has ruins and carved stones. One of the biggest known ones is one that is called THE TREE OF LIFE which many members of the church believe is its a story that is found in the Book of Mormon. We were guided by the church patriarch which has studied with many arciologists (i have no idea how to spell that) and even worked with President Howard W. Hunter on this same site. It's a places that is somewhat recently found but the studiers believe that there were two civilizations that lived in this place. A civilization that was here 2000 years before Christ and another one that came about 550 years before Christ (if you have read that Book of Mormon you would know that those two dates mean a lot haha). He explained to us what the theories are of where all the cities were that are found in the Book of Mormon (Zarahemla, River Sidon etc.) Which is really really sweet because from what he told us, it just about all happened in my mission haha. But we played soccer and volleyball and basketball afterwards and ate a ton of pizza and soda. Pretty sure I got burnt but that's okay because I'll come back tall, dark, and handsome...(spongebob haha) I'm super super super super super happy about my life right about now. I'm super stokes because I am surpassing (not sure if that's a word) my call as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 2 years and am going to serve 2 years and  4 weeks haha. I have been in the same area 7 months now and the assistants just called and said that I'm getting transferred towards Tuxtla Gutierrez (the capital that's 7 hours north). I'm not going to be in the city but in a smaller city an hour away but will travel every week to Tuxtla for meetings! I'm super happy because I am going to get to know a new area and have a companion that started his mission two months ago! I'm going to finish training him in the mission. I don't know his name but I do know that he is Mexican! Sooo basically I'm going to finish my mission with 6 areas, and 10 companions. 3 Americans (including the one I had in the training center with 2 in the mission field) and the rest Mexicans! haha. I haven't had a conversation in English in 6 weeks and don't plan on talking in English till I see my Dad haha. I help the missionaries out with words and Grammar but i haven't had a real real conversation in English in a long time haha. I'm super stoked to work hard for these 4 weeks and show a new missionary how to work to the end. I love this country and I love these people. I cant wait to see the states but I don't want to leave my home here. It has been a million dollar experience times a thousand (a million dollar experience would probably be going to outer space or something and this was better than that would be) haha. I got to go but I hope you enjoy the pictures. Pray for me so that I don't get sick from the food...outer cities aren't the cleanest places! haha. I love you all! Smile!

We had like 4 opportunities to paint houses this week it was really fun. It made me want to paint my own house...that I don't have...and the other pictures are of these transporting vans in-between cities called Combis! There is a guy that drives and another one that sticks his head out of the car while screaming the city that they're going to go to! haha its a lot of fun. They usually jam about 20 people in the van haha it's awesome...but I won't miss it at all

We celebrated my 2 years and Elder Cervantes 6 months this last weekend by buying Dominos pizza

My companion just finished a year in the mission and so some people in the ward invited us over Saturday night to celebrate the two years (me) and year (my companion) by eating a flan. The mom killed a flying cockroach but I wasn't lucky enough to get that on tape! haha

Elder Braden M. Spence