Unexpected and not prepared.

I am writing from my lil desk in Nanuet. I’m very likely to stay here for the next 6 weeks so I probably will be writing you from this little desk until dad comes and picks me up. Last interview I had with president he told me that he was planning on keeping me here. Especially because no other missionary speaks creole (I mean, neither do I but I’m getting the hang of it) so I’ll probably just be here. I like it here.

So let me tell you about the weirdest exchange of my entire life on Saturday. I went to Passaic this last week with Elder Dominguez who is pretty new. He was born on 08/13/96 though so he’s 3 days older than me. Anyway he’s the coolest guy and we had a ton of fun. Started off the day by literally getting pooped on. Some wind blew some poop water on us from a nearby building. Had to shower again. Don’t know what I did to deserve that. Later we went to have this lesson with this excommunicated member who is 83 years old who lives in a frickin’ funeral home. Literally. Like, what the heck? This guy lives in a spare room in a funeral home. In order to get to his room you have to pass though said funeral home. So me, being curious, started just looking around and I found this door that was pretty small so I opened it and there was a small staircase and I thought, “I’m going to walk down these stairs. That’s what stairs are for.” So I go down into this basement and it’s dark and I’m talking to Elder Dominguez who is on the stairs and I turn the corner and I literally see DEAD PEOPLE. Like, there are 4 dead people down there on metal trays and I was like, WHAT THE HECK? It was so unexpected!! I was NOT prepared. Lesson learned to not snoop around funeral homes. But the day is not even over yet. We ended up checking out this once store that had a bunch of cool stuff in the window and I was like “Let’s just go check it out for a second” and we went in and it was the weirdest store I have ever set foot in. It was full of veneration statues for worship and stuff but there was also like Buddha stuff (which I liked) and then further down there was super sketchy stuff like bath soap that gives you good luck and dusts for spell casting. I know, you’re probably thinking “Jack why didn’t you just get the heck out of there?” My only answer is that was already halfway into the store and I might as well have finished it. But at the very back of the store was a giant shrine for my favorite saint, St. Death. Like why the HECK is there a Saint Death? Veneration in and of itself is a weird thing but to St. Death? Who thought that was a good idea? Who thought, “You know? I’m going to make a saint that is literally a skeleton. We need that.” Anyway. Pictures attached. We also had some cool missionary work miracles but this paragraph  is already too long and those stories aren’t as funny. 

Today we are having zone pday so I’ll be playing some basketball. I was actually hoping to order a new pair of glasses today actually. I have enough money because I’m not going to do Warby Parker because their glasses are super expensive. But I have a current prescription and everything and I am feeling a new pair. I like my ones I have right now too but it’s nice to have options. I have enough money for it though so don’t worry. I love you. 

You’re so funny. I love you SO MUCH! Guess who comes home in 7 weeks? Me. In case you forgot. I’m excited. I love you. 
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I’ll talk to you more later today. I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH. 
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox! 

—me!