Jake's e-mail from Sept 3, 2012

Hola hola. Well this new area is a lot different. Because it's almost all city compared to the last one I was in. and our area is super huge. I'm kind of scared that I won't learn it and I don't know. But my house is super huge. And we live with the zone leaders. They are super chill. They don't drop Cain or get all in your business. The only bad thing is the bathroom is disgusting. I will have to send pictures. I almost gagged when I first saw it. But it's super big. And the house is on the second floor. And its right on the main strip here in Paysandú. It's kind of cool going home at night and just walk the strip home. There is actually a casino right across the street from us. So it's super nice. But the area is a little hard, because my comp doesn't know it. And there are not very many members and even less are active. And my comp is a little disobedient. It's kind of sad. He says that being obedient is not necessary to have success. But that is totally wrong. Look at every example of missionary success in the book of Mormon and they are all doing what they need to be doing. But I can't force him to do anything. All I can do is help him. I hope he will change. But sorry I haven't been writing too much lately or sharing spiritual things. I just got bored for a little. It just seems like I do everything the same over and over again. But I'm almost done reading the book of Mormon in Spanish. It's interesting to think that I can read and talk in Spanish. I still have problems believing it. But I do learn things new every day. I learn that I can walk a little farther and talk a little more every day. And last night we got stopped by a group of 6 drunken men asking about drugs. So we taught the word of wisdom. Then we just jumped to every other subject. It was kind of scary but we handled it good. It just scared the crap out of me when one man grabbed a brick. But he just held it. And at the end of the teaching one of the men pulls out this little wad of paper and sniffs it. That is the first time that I have seen someone sniff cocaine. Really interesting. And all were smoking weed too. But I knew I would be safe. And I also saw a prostitute get out of a man's car and I saw him pay her. That was also interesting. But it's good here. So don't worry. But I do have a question. How do I better study the book of Mormon to help people and explain it simple? I feel like my teaching skills are lacking a little. I just need to explain things better. And I get super nervous too. Well if you can help thanks. Well I got to go...love ya'll

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Con Amor  Elder Salmond