Putting my foot in my mouth

know that you guys have been waiting attentively for my next email so Ithought that I would spare you the nervous anticipation. I just came out of atest so I can only think in sophesticated big words that work in spanish andenglish.Well, I have to tell you that I have been learning to appreciate the wonderfulworld of washers and dryers. There is no laundramat here but there is a womenthat will wash your clothes for $1.50 a kilo. That is OK for me because Iwear my clothes until they are filthy, but for my garments I have to wash themby hand. I don�t know if any of you have had to do that but it takes a lot oftime. Also because I can�t hang them outside, I hang them in my room on anything that I can. Our cieling fan is the best, but it only holds fourarticles of clothing. With Chris and my garments hanging everywhere it ispretty full. We have to lock our door and make sure to avoid the day thecleaning lady comes.I just had my touch football game before my test, but even an hour and a halflater I am still sweaty because it is so humid here.We went to a museum today about medical plants to finish the book that we aremaking for the ladies in the village. It was incredible all of the plantsthat can live here. They have a lot of knowlege of plants because here evenMontczuma had his medicinal garden and hospital of plants close to where I amat.I went to Puebla on Tues and on Wed by myself and taught English for two hoursand then videotapes these ladies talk about the plants. They all then triedto teach me Nahautl, their indian language. I have been learning a little butwhen I pronounced something wrong they all started laughing because the word Isaid meant vagina. I also was trying to say one of the names of the plantswhich is in thier language and I said take out your breast. Everybody hasthier double meanings. We had a good time laughing and then they fed mespicy, spicy mole. This town is famous for thier picante food. Everyoneknows this town because of they have the hottest food. Luckily for me, Idon�t get diarreah anymore and am accoustumed to spicy food.Well, good bye everyone. Congrats on the babies and stuff. Good luck, andcould someone call the parents and tell them to check thier email. I haveemailed them some stuff that I need answers to but they haven�t emailed meback. I don�t think they even know that I got my scholarship.

GREAT NEWS!!!!!

have great news. For all of you who didn�t know, I lost my scholarship atUSU because of I had too many credits because of the Spanish Clep test andbecause of going to two fall semesters in a row. I was going to go to theCommunity college because I have been having too much fun in Mexico and willnot have a lot of $$$ when I come back. I told the professor that I amwriting an article with about the problem and she told me to email the provostabout my problem. I did and she talked to the dean of my college, they pulledstrings and now they gave me a scholarship. In thier words "I am too valuableto loose".Because everything I do they get to put USU�s name on it. It is like having anemployee that they don�t have to pay. I am fine because I get to do everythingI want and now I don�t have to worry about tuition.They want to meet and talk with me when I come back. I feel that I should dosomething to thank them right now. Any suggestions? I think I should sendthem a thank you card or have Paul deliver one to them. I would like to givethe ladies flowers too but I don�t know if that is too much. Tell me what youthink.As for Mexico, I didn�t get to go to the soccer game because it was too farand I had class, but next time. Also because of my good sunburn that i got onthe beach, I am pealing a lot. I am collecting my skin in a jar so that youcan see. Well, it is mostly to gross out the people that I live with. I liketo put it next to the salt and sugar in our cupboards.Sometimes I feel like I am on a mission here. Yesterday, Chris and I gotasked to give a presentation in our phonetics class on poligamy. I taught adiscussion for new members, brought investigator friends to our ward familynight and then went to my home teaching companions house because he isinactive to talk about our visits and Chris and i stayed and talked with themuntil midnight. It is fun, but because Chris and I are always together becauseour schedules are the same, we have the same friends, do the same serviceprojects and the same activities in the church sometimes I feel like we arecompanions.However, I am going to the mexican village today alone to finish my naturalmedicine project and to teach english classes but I am excited to get youremails on thurs.

My last doctors visit here in Mexico

Hello FamI went to the doctors office the other day to find out that now my colon has aviral infection because everything was coming out green. I am learning allabout diseases of the digestive system through my own experience. However, Itold him how I am planning on going into medicine. He got really excited andtold me all about the medical schools here and then asked me if I want to helpwork at the university soccer games. SO today I am going to tape up anklesand put dislocated shoulders and put splints on people. Pray for injuries OK.School is going great. Classes are easy but to be honest if we didn�t havethis attendence policy I wouldn�t go all the time. One of my teachers who ishelping me with going to visits to the customs office and finding a way tobring computers to the community that we are helping made me give apresentation about our organization. He then took us to the school where hisdaughter works so that we could get a good list of things for the schools.The kids were 4 or 5 but they could understand English. They start them younghere. It is such a good idea.Well, It looks like I am going for another adventure this weekend toQueretaro.I have a question though, why dave and michelle are moving to Tulsa? How longare they going to be there? Are they selling their house?Have a good day familyScott

Mexican Indepence Day and other good news

Hello FamiliaWell, I hope you all enjoyed Mexican Independence Day, I sure did. We first went to Mexico City and painted the new center for children with cancer. Then Chris and I went to Acupulco for a couple of hours and waited for our friends to come from Cuernavaca. We went swimming in the Ocean and then ate good food. We then took a ten hour bus trip at night to a beach called Mayunte in Oaxaca. It is close to Puerto Escondido where they have a huge surfing competition and where the waves are some of the largest in the world.There were 14 of us total 9 beautiful girls and 5 guys. We slept every night in hammocks on the beach. They were very comfortable and only $2 a night. And although the first night it rained, we had our palm thatched canopy to protect us. But I slept grate through out the trip They also had fresh seafood and shrimp that was the best I have ever tasted. You would have been in heaven Dad.We also met a German couple who wanted to know everything about the church. I more or less gave them the first discussion They became our good friends and we played volley ball and body surfed with them. The waves were so big that the girls hardly got in the water because they would loose their bikinis. They would have fit in with some of Euro girls that walked around without their tops on anyways.We also went on an adventure hike to see the sunset. I was in heaven and if you can I would definitely tell you to come down here. The beaches are very clean and pretty remote that most of the Mexicans don`t know about them. There was about 50 people on the whole beach and it was a holiday weekend.I am terrible sun burned and pealing, but I am very relaxed and happy. It is great how the ocean can make you forget all of the stresses of life. We spent the holiday weekend with the town. They had the traditional independence yell and a huge dance. We danced with the little kids and with the other people until 2 in the morning. It was funny to see 5 year olds up so late.I also have potentially good news. I told Maria that I wasn`t going to go to USU because of financial problems. She told me to write the provost about my problem and about what I have done at USU. The provost is talking to the Dean of my college to get me a scholarship for Spring, and is giving me lots of advice. So this could be good news. We will have to see. You never know what is going to happen in life, I don`t even know where I will be going to school in the Fall.I love you and hope that you are having a good time. Don`t be afraid to write me. I will write you back,Scott

LENNY KRAVITZ and drinking milk from the cow

Hello FamilyI have to tell you that I have had a great week. We went to a Lenny Kravitz concert on Saturday night in Mexico City. It was in the Aztec Stadium, the second biggest stadium in the world. It fits 120,000 people and there was about 80,000 at the concert. It was incredible. The people at the concert did something that I have never seen before. They would flash their lighters with the beat instead of waving them in the air. It was cool because the stadium is so big that the flash was a big wave because of the speed of sound.Pink opened, but Lenny was awesome and played for over 2 hours. It was the first time he has come to Mexico so this was big. They announced it every day on MTV mexico for the last 3 weeks. Chris and I went with two girls from Finland and a girl from Canada.Also last week, I started officially this project in the village. We slept over in the house of the teacher. They just barely got a high school here about years ago. The problem is that almost all of the people have family in the US and they feel that it is easier to immigrate to the US and work in horrible jobs to save money and build huge houses in their home villages then to continue their education and stay in Mexico. It is kind of strange how there are these huge houses with no body living in them. However, because of the village depends on farming and their has been a drought here and their crop is ruined, the people depend on the money coming in from their family members in the US. We talked to the students and tried to help them understand the importance of education and to make goals. We also will be teaching English classes every Wed for them. They have 2 teachers for 150 students. We also started our project putting together a book about the medicinal plants for the women of the village. We had a meeting with about 20 of them to get the names of the plants in the community. They are going to bring them next week and we are going to take pictures of them.The people of the village fed us so much. They killed two chickens for us and we drank fresh milk taken from the cow. They boiled it though. On our way home, we were driving through a rain storm on these steep dirt roads and they were dynamiting because they are building a new highway. Anyways we missed our bus home and had to sleep in another town and wake up at 5 in the morning to get home.My parasites are gone, but now I have a terrible cold. You can never win. I love you guys and the YSA are going fine. This weekend because it is the Mexican independence day we are going for 5 days on a virgen beach and sleeping in hamacks for 2 dollars a night.Have a good day