Hey Mom and Dad!
Oh man...so many questions....too many questions! haha. I feel as though so much has happened! I will try my best to fill you in on everything but there is seriously just too much!
So last monday we hiked the mountain and it was really fun! We thought it would be a pretty easy hike up a hill. Nope, it turns out it is a very steep mountain! It was pretty hard but fun. There wasnt really a trail at all so we were just making our own way up. It was nice and muddy and we would just plow through the small trees and bushes. We needed a machete! Once we got to the top we had the Boza. Oh man.... it was awful! So bad I dont know how to describe it so that you can fully understand how bad it really is. I just don't understand how the people here drink it?! (Oh yeah, I had my first duner and it was good!)
It was pretty cool being up there and seeing the entire city of Sliven, its not too big of a city so we were able to point out where we lived. We decided to not go down the same way we went up so we went a different way. The Elders said they thought they had seen a road so we went down on the either side of this mountain and it was all snow. We got a little lost but it was fun hiking down in the snow and finally walking back into the city. I am not sure how much we walked that day but I want to say we easily walked over 10 miles (trying to find our way back to the city.)I am guessing we walked more but I dont want to exaggerate too much.
By the time we got back home we were so smelly from everything we just took a shower and went to bed! It was so much fun!
Let's see this week I have been doing a lot of street boarding with my companion. Street boarding is when we get this pretty big poster with pictures of Jesus and other church things and put it on a stand in the middle of the Glav. The glav is the place in the city where there are lots of little shops and no cars are allowed to drive through it. It is usually in the middle of the city.
Anyway, so I get a lot of funny looks while doing street boarding. Also when people walk by we are supposed to try and stop them for a moment so we can give them information about the church. So one phrase that works a lot is "may I have a moment?" So I say that a lot. The only problem is when they stop and my companion is already talking to someone else so I am trying to talk to them and well...let's just say I need a lot more work because the conversations I have usually sound like this..."May I have a moment?" They say, "Yeah, what?" Well they say that so fast that my natural instinct is to say "what" after that. So basically we have this really awkward 15 seconds of saying what to each other and then finally I just bear my testimony on how I know the church is true. hahaha oh man its pretty funny. I am constantly laughing to myself just thinking about how all my conversations would be like in English...oh well.
The other day it was super windy and my companion was talking to someone for awhile so I was trying to hold the street board on the stand so it wouldnt fall over. Oh, and my skirt at the same time because my skirt kept flying up! Anyway this lady walked by and I said Hello and smiled and she gave a pretty mean glare, well right at that moment I had an itch on my face so I let go of the hand that was holding the board to itch my face, and then the street board went crashing down and smacked the lady who had just given me the mean glare!!! Hahaha it was great! Except for the fact that I think she thought I did it on purpose and gave me a look like she was gonna kill me!! I just smiled and laughed on the inside.
We met this one guy while street boarding who came up to us and asked if we were the church with the Book of Mormon. We said yes of course and found out this guy found a Book of Mormon on the table of a restaurant 1 year ago and took it as a sign from God that it was true. He has read it 3 times all the way through since then and he even quoted it when we talked to him! Crazy huh? We have had a lesson with him and he came to church on Sunday!
OK so... The Elders met this lady who wanted to have them and the sisters over for dinner. Apparently she had met with Sister missionaries a few years ago and wanted to hear more. So we went with the Elders to meet here and have dinner. She was very nice and the food wasnt too bad...until she pulled out chicken LIVER! Yes, I ATE LIVER! eww gross gross! It was so bad. The lady asked who wanted some and the Elders were being funny and said something how I wanted to eat some! Since I dont know how to say anything I had to eat it or it would be rude! Oh it was so sad. My whole body was crying on the inside! So that was fun...haha
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened on friday. We went to go visit a old man who had hurt his leg from falling in his house and had been in the hospital for 2 weeks. He is a member of the church but now cannot get there because of his condition. He has a wife that has alzheimers or something and my companion had told me that when I get there dont be surprised if she randomly screams.
So we get to the apartment and he calls for us to just come in because he cant really come open the door. He is in the kitchen and as we pass by the kitchen we see his wife laying on the bed in the room next to the kitchen with something all over her face.
We ask if there is anything we can do to help as we her his wife crying and screaming from the other room. He asked us to give his wife water. we went in there and found her covered in throw up and blood. It was everywhere. The smell was so bad and we felt so bad for this old woman who had been covered in this for a while and couldnt help herself and her husband couldnt do anything to help either. They were completely helpless. We tried to clean up the room as best as we could and helped change her shirt. We also found out that they had a womman who came to take care of them everyday for a few hours and would be there in 45 mins or so. So we tried our best to clean things up and help her feel better. We sat her up and I was sitting behind her to make sure she didnt fall while my companion was cleaning some of the floor. I was holding everything together until she started to throw up again while I was holding her. It was the saddest thing ever and it looked like blood. She was screaming in Bulgarian and I cant even understand what is going on. I was trying not to throw up myself.
The worker lady finally got there and took care of the rest of it. I was talking with the husband while my companion finished telling the worker what all had happened since we got there. The lady told us, "Well, now you both can see what it is like for us here." It was kinda harsh...but its true. Things are so bad here. They dont have nursing homes where people get cared for all the time. The only have ladies that come in a few hours everyday for there job. And that is not enough.
Anyway, sorry that was a bit much but it is really only a small portion of everything going on. Being here and seeing people go through there everyday reality is really intense. There is no middle class here. You either have money or you dont. Most people don't. You see Mercedes Benz and BMW's next to gypsy carts (a gypsy cart is a hand made wooden cart that is pulled by a malnourished horse) This is what the gypsies drive around. Almost every morning we see Gypsies picking out of the trash and filling there carts up with anything valuable and riding off.
Basically, being here has made me realize how grateful I am for everything that I have and for family and friends that care. I want so badly to teach everyone about the gospel because I know how it can change peoples lives and give them hope or even some guidance for their life.
Well to answer a few of your questions.... I dont know my exact address I will try and get it to you next week. The cockroaches aren't that big so thats good and No I DO NOT feed them are you crazy?! We kill them. Yes, President and sis roth speak english. Yes, we have a refrigerator. Nope, I dont know what Antuineta cooked me and I dont think I want to know. Yes, those pics are with her family. There will be lots of fresh fruits and veggies in the summer so I am excited for that!
Oh thats really sad about Mr. Wargo. He was a good man and a great teacher. He is in peace now and that is good.
I love you all bunches and bunches!!! My mailing address is the one for the mission home so if you want to send something(which would be cool) send it there.
I hope you all have a great week! You are all in my prayers :)
Love, Jodi
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