Monday, July 6, 2015

Buenas tardes de Santa Barbra!





This week has been long and hot but much different than in the city! I have had more time this week to explore the area. It is almost 100 percent mountains, so we do a lot of hiking. i am sweaty all day no matter what, I don't know if my body will adapt to the humidity but for now ill just have to stick with being sticky all day. 
View from the roof top

The area is much more poor than the last area I was in. Many people just live in a cement block in the shape of a square in the mountains. We eat mangoes all day every day, that part I cant complain about. If we get hungry we literally just pick a mango off a tree, and throughout the day people give us mangoes because they have so many. I am humbled that someone who can barely afford clothes for their kids will give us 3 or 4 mangoes when we come to visit.
 
That is another thing that I don't think I will ever feel comfortable around, which is, when it gets hot, so pretty much always,people don't put clothes on their kids. its very awkward. also everyone is missing teeth.
When we go t hike up a mountain, there is always people carrying things, usually kids. My companion and I decided it was because the old people don't want to have to scale this mountain every time they need some clean water so they just send their kids. 
  
Pigs on the road

I feel so bad for them because 1. they are carrying things for their whole family, clothes, food, water, etc and its pretty heavy for a 6 to 14 year old kid. 2. they are so malnourished that I don't know how they have the energy to do it!
The first time we saw a little girl who was 13, maybe half the size of savannah. we asked to help carry her things. half way up the mountain I was sweating profusely. the next fourth of the way  was struggling hard, and when we got to the top I was DYING! How was this little girl planning on carrying this up the mountain? 
Since then a lot of our service involves helping people carry their stuff to their house and talking to them a little on the way.
I am thankful for this experience because it is different than anything I have ever experienced. I a so thankful for the support from everyone at home. Happy 4th of July!
Love

Elder Dowell

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