Message from Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright so here's the haps:
  1. I made nice with one of the drunks. He really isn't capable of saying much, but I think we're on good terms.
  2. My ability to understand Spanish has dramatically increased. I noticed as I was sitting in someone's house as my companion and the sister were talking about a book that I could literally understand nearly everything. Cool, huh?
  3. We're teaching a bunch of people. It's nice.
  4. I was almost robbed by a blood thirsty motorcycle gang wielding firearms. Luckily, my companion and I escaped down another street as they were about to turn around.

    I'm hanging in there I guess. I'm following some advice I read in the Ensign (there are like 100 old copies of the ensign in my room) which said when you get to the end of your rope just tie a knot and hold on. I decided that you just have to let the mission happen to you. It wants to kick the crap out of you. Sometimes God wants to hurt your feelings just so you come crawling back to him. Everything just points back to Malachi and the whole refiners fire concept. What am I being refined for? Is the mission it or is it something nastier later in life?

   The food is great. I love the black beans and we eat street food all the time, which is against mission rules but is really our only option. The bugs are gone. I bought a bunch of poison and I haven't seen a cockroach in a few days. I`m half way through my change (for those of you who don't know what that is, it means I'll have a new companion in 3 weeks).

And in local news, someone robbed a bus and shot a bunch of the people in it and also someone randomly shot and killed a two year old who was playing outside in my neighborhood.

You think life is bad there, Please. Please. One point of clarification: I don't tell you all of these nasty stories to scare you or brag, but to help you realize that I recognize that what I`m doing here probably isn't what I would want to do under normal circumstances. I`m trying to show you through what is happening here, that I have not given two years of my life to a cleverly projected fairy tale. I'm not spending two years of my life in a place that makes Brooklyn look like a playground, for something I don't whole heartedly believe in. All of these things I share testify of my testimony that what I'm doing is important.

Keep on trucking,
Michael D. Rex

message from Michael - November 2nd

Weekly update: So generally I write Mondays but yesterday we spent all day contacting at a cemetery because of some crazy Halloween like holiday were people cry over their dead ancestors. It was pretty cool, actually. Its full of huge catacombs and tombs and stuff. Too bad I can`t take out my camera anywhere without the expectation of being robbed. I get yelled at A LOT here. People don`t like Americans. Some guy thought it was insulting to call me a Yankee. Night time is scariest though. A lot of creepy drunk guys on the street threaten to kill me. I think back to Kirtland and the early saints being tarred and featherd... No. These people will literally draw and quarter me over my watch. Oh I also get sassed a lot because Americans don`t consider Central America a continent. I tried to explain to them that it`s broken up by hemispheres and its nothing personal but my Spanish isn`t THAT polished yet. So has anyone looked at Guatemalan crime stats lately? Someone is killed in Guatemala City every 80 minutes. Now I won't die. No way no how. BUT, it wouldn't surprise me if I got shot or something cool like that. Some US Embassy guy who looked pretty bad, (he had a cool shady eye and was really buff) said this place is going down hill fast. We could have another Venezuela like situation where they pull everybody out. I hope not.
    As far as the people we`re teaching and stuff its going well. We have a few nice families we`re talking to. My companion is from El Salvador and knows pretty good English so we`re able to communicate well. It`s kind of gross how when we`re at a families house for dinner he cleans his plate with his fingers... Table manners don't really exist here.

Conclusion: People here don't like me. I`m a little grossed out by them. I`m having a good time.

Michael Rex

Photos from Michael 10/26/10

First photos from Michael in Guatemala City...

Message From Michael 10/25/2010

Alright so I´m in my first area here in Guatemala City. Somewhere in zone 7 of Guatemala City. My apartment is a garage turned apartment full of spiders and cockroaches with an added on bathroom. Kinda gross, but it works. I've not once walked into my room and not seen bugs on my bed. But I'm trying to fix that. My second day we visited a little neighborhood in our area known as a red zone. These red zones are areas designated by the city as dangerous for latinos let alone gringos but we went anyways. Imagine a Brazilian Favella. Jordan can go on that level of Call of Duty and get a good idea of what it looks like. We also met a 118 year old man who still works in his field. Walking around the streets of one of the most dangerous cities in the world at night can be scary for someone like me (a mormon gringo from the states). I have already been threatened, chased, and sworn at multiple times by multiple drunks :) The climax of the third day was when we walked into the room and my latino companion casually said, ¨Something tried to eat my bread.¨ How sanitary.
    As far as the people, they generally are pretty kind but can be unusually condescending when they know something you don´t. Like spanish. I think this is based on some sort of unassurity with themselves around gringos. Dad will be happy to hear they think I sound like a Spaniard. I know he recieved that comment multiple times on his mission. The missionary lifestyle is starting to work for me. I don´t mind getting up so early anymore and my neighbors blast GunsNRoses and Kanye West incessantly which is a pleasant reminder of home. We eat a lot of Pan De Manteca from the Bakery down the street which are these really cheap rolls. About 4 cents a piece. I was also blessed to enjoy Taco Bell once this week :)

I wish I could write more but I just don't have time today. I love all of the attention I recieve from my family and friends! Thanks!

Message from Michael 10/18/2010

Tomorrow I leave for the mission field. The nine weeks of MTC
experience has proved itself a refiner`s fire in many aspects. I`ve
been required to show patience in ways I never thought I was even
capable of. I`m not sure if I`m a new man or if I`ve just been broken.
Either way, I`m sure all of you will all appreciate it. Do you have
any idea how much Evangelicals don`t like Mormons in Central America?
I`ve been yelled at so many times in a language I don`t understand it
makes my head hurt just thinking about it. We went to the park and did
a bunch of contacting and stuff last week. I also gave a sacrament
talk which actually went pretty well seeing as how I had no idea it
was coming and had no preparation time. Old man President Steimle
thought he could catch me off guard... I appreciate all of the love
and attention I`ve been recieving from anyone and I look forward to
seeing all of you in what seems like a lifetime, but, from what I`m
told, isn`t very long at all. I hope the blog looks spiffy. Make sure
to throw the link on my Facebook every once in a while.
   Anyway so tomorrow I spent the night at the mission home and then
the next day (or that day it actually hasn`t been made very clear)
I`ll meet my trainer. He`ll be my companion for six weeks following
that day and then I`ll most likely recieve another companion. Expect
another update next Tuesday or Wednesday. Make sure that my new
address is made known to everyone and that you`re using international
postage or DearElder to send me mail :)

Again, I appreciate the love and support,
Michael Daniel Rex

Message From Michael 10/13/10

Ok a few important things this week but I´ll start with something to lighten the mood. I know you folks from Utah will appreciate this.

   There`s a guy in my district who I think lives somewhere out by Bear Lake and lives on a farm. He was talking about all of the work on his mission and how it EXCITES him and how he LOVES work. Please tell me my extended Rex family is reading this. I thought of you folks.

    This week has been kind of slow. I miss my family and friends but am starting to enjoy this a lot more. Six more days. I`m ready for things to start picking up. I haven`t seen any prostitutes and or heard any gun shots lately. My spanish has improved drastically. I can almost understand everything and my speaking is decent. I can work my words around what I need to say, it`s just not consistently fluid. As far my doctorinal knowledge goes, I`m known for having an exceptionally impressive knowledge of the gospel and the scriptures. Which doesn`t really make sense because I hardly attended seminary and I didn`t really read my scriptures everyday either...

    My new address, which people should start using immediately and which I hope is posted on my facebook is as follows:

 

A.P 340-A

Guatemala, Guatemala, C.A.

 

It`s so short because it`s basically a PO box at a post office. The mail is picked up and handed out every THREE WEEKS. Kill me. I appreciate all of you who have been giving me so much attention. You have no idea how happy it makes you to get mail on a mission until you personally live it. Ha.

 

As for you, father, where is my advice on the plan of salvation? How do I properly explain it thoroughly without it taking 2342 minutes? Use Preach My Gospel as a reference if you don`t know exactly what principles I need to teach. Chapter 4. 

Oh also make clear on my blog that international postage is needed to send letters. I don´t think many people understand that. I've been getting a lot of mail but some people email me telling me they wrote me and then I don´t recieve anything. That's throwing me off a bit. My postage is different because it follows the pouch system. Also clarify that those using Dear Elder need to switch the destination from The Guatemala MTC to the Guatemala City South Mission. Dear Elder is still a free, efficient way to contact me. Also, I still haven't recieved those CDs I hope you sent. I hope you put Jesus stickers on the box.

 

Spanish is going pretty well. I´ll probably start writing you in Spanish in the next 3-4 weeks. My grammar is still pretty whack so there´s no need to embarrass myself but know that I can teach any lesson and address almost any Gospel principle in Spanish while also holding my own in casual conversation. 

Message from Michael October 6, 2010

Another great exerpt from the thriving socially forward metropolis that is Guatemala City: General Conference was interrupted this last week by the sound of gunshots.

On a lighter note, I was sitting in the cafeteria with some friends and my companion when a problem arose. My companion needed butter but didn´t know the Spanish word for butter and all of our cafeteria ladies live here. So, he asked my what the Spanish word for butter is and me, knowing it be mantaquilla, lied to him telling him it was spelled the same way but that there was an accent mark over the ú and the é. So, búttér. He´s not very good at Spanish. So he goes up the ladies and literally asks, ´´Tiene mas búttér?´´ Honestly probably one of the funniest conversations I´ve ever seen in my life. As you can imagine, he wasn´t too happy with us when he came back red in the face.

Also every bathroom in Guatemala makes me want to die. I don´t know how every single bathroom in the whole country can smell as bad as they do. Oh and I picked up the piano. No big deal. It only took me a few hours. Some people here claim I´m the next Bach or Beethoven. Who would of thought anyone would ever say that about anyone in our family, right?

Two more weeks until I leave the MTC. I´ll post my new address next week. Dear Elder will still work in the field and so will all of the normal letters. Unfortunately, I will only get them every three weeks. I miss everyone and hope everything is well.

As for you, Dad, I don´t know how you kept your sanity in Provo for 9 weeks. I would of lost my mind.  

Message from Michael September 29

The punctuation on this keyboard is screwy so be patient with me. This week has been pretty laid back. The older guys left to their respective missions yesterday so we are the older kids on the block for another 3 weeks. I heard a funny quote the other day from one of the area authorities:

 

´When I am in the airport I watch the people and the Americans and Europeans are always reading a book, but us latinos, we have two boxes of chicken.´

 

Our AP who just left went to George Washington University; He´s a super bright kid and way fun to talk to. It´s too bad he left. It makes me wish I had gone somewhere like that.

 

Today we went into the market. For a lot the missionaries, it was their first experience in a Latin American central market. Many of them were a little freaked out by the meat section. Ha. It´s funny because what you said about CA kids being generally not very prepared for the work is true. They´re much more cultured and capable of dealing with the enviromental change of a mission, but it´s also the most time consuming and most difficult work we´ve ever done. The kids from other states consider it more of a vacation. My friend from LA was asked by a kid from Colorado if he´d ever been on a ranch before. My friend replied by saying: ´´Ýeah, it had a sick spa and we played tons of tennis and then we went horseback riding a few times. It was really sick.´´

 

My spanish is becoming pretty decent; It´s better than most of the missionaries here, at least. It should all start to catch on pretty smoothly from here on out.

 

My brain is really bored. I hate memorizing grammar and nouns. I wish we were able to do something else intellectually stimulating. Oh, well. Sometimes I really enjoy being here and other times I just want to come home.

 

The mail sent to me that arrives here after I leave in three weeks will be forwarded to me on my mission. Also, make sure everyone knows that DearElder is still a very efficient, FREE way to contact me. The amount of mail I recieve has dramatically decreased.

 

Until next week,

Michael

Message from Michael - September 22, 2010

Ahh! I want to go riding. Bummer. Everyone here has a bike. It must be crazy riding through the jungle. I remember that patch of grass where we studied that map very well. Hope it was funny either way.

 

So this week. I saw a bunch of vaccination needles in the trash cans in the kitchen. Kind of weird. Oh and everyone in my district things I´m a robot because all of my comments and answers and very methodical. Ha. On a more interesting note we went and talked to people in the city square today by the capital building. Old Guatemalans are literally impossible to understand. Especially when their diction is tampered with by a lack of teeth. Most everyone was Catholic with the exception of some gay atheist. It was going really well until a gang fight errupted in front of the capital building. Literally teenage kids in highschool started a gang fight in front of the Capital Building. Where the President lives. And it took the police five minutes to show up. Absolutely crazy. Luckily, these kids fight with stone age era weapons. I watched some kid pull a rope out of his back pack with a rock tied on the end and start swinging it at people. Almost everyone else was just throwing rocks and using their belts. I felt like I was playing a game of stronghold but with cavemen. I hope that doesn´t offend anyone. Anyway that kind of cut our day short. But otherwise the weeks been going well.

 

Do you guys want to send me some CDS? I`m looking for some straight up piano and string instrumentals. I heard some lady named Jenny Oaks Baker makes a lot of church CDs with just those instruments. If you can find them and send them that would be amazing. I´ll a cheap CD player at the market or something.

 

Also, any advice on teaching the plan of salvation? I remember you saying you had it mastered.

Message from Michael September 14, 2010

Hey! Things are starting to move really quickly here. Which is good. Im sick of the MTC and am anxious to get out in the field. I hear gunshots everynight!! And this is within my mission boundaries. Its funny because apparently we´re in the safest neighborhood in all of Guatemala... I was able to play three hours of basketball today which totally rocked! I miss everyone a lot. I´m kind of gravitated towards this Elder from LA. Really super good guy who I can relate to really well. Also very ahead in Spanish. He´s 3 or so weeks ahead of me which is a bummer but I´m sure we´ll keep in touch. We´re kind of locked up in here which isnt so fun but apparently in two weeks they let us go to the market and the city square and shop and talk to people, etc.

 

Everyone keeps asking me if they can write Courtney when they see my family picture. I have to remind them that she´s 14. Then they ask how old my older brother is... Ha. I hope everyone is doing well. Tell Jordan and Courtney they´re free to email me.

 

Heres my current address-- Boulevard Vista Hermosa 23-71, zona 15 Col. Vista Hermosa, Guatemala... I think thats it at least. The mail here is reliable so invite people to send me letters. Dearelder is also still a very good choice.

 

Michael D. Rex

Same day next message:

Oh and the guards carry 9MMs and shotguns. People literally walk down the streets with shotguns and rifles and stuff. and I saw a prostitute across the street. Let everyone know I appreciate the love and attention!!

Same day next message:

Oh also, Ive been teaching my Spanish teacher English slang. Yesterday she said the word ´shades´and the day before that she said ´Permiso, I need to get out of yours guys grills.´ Its super funny. Also sometimes we´ll purposely whisper or speak super quickly so she has no idea what we´re saying. Thats probably the best part of the day other than Basketball. Oh and all we eat is beans.
Same day next message:

Real address:

Guatemala MTC

Bulevar Vista Hermosa 23-71

Vista Hermosa 1, Zona 15

01015 Guatemala

Guatemala

 

Message from Michael September 8, 2010

Landed here in Guatelmala last night. At first I was a little shell shocked and wondered what exactly I had signed myself up for. Wait, I still feel that way. Am I honestly living a country that's not America for two years? And these spanish keyboards are outrageous. I got a new companion too. He doesnt like beans. I told him that might cause problems during his stay in Guatemala. Nice guy though.

The MTC is composed of two small buildings and only a hundred or so missionaries. It is guarded by 6 armed security guards and a 7ft castiron fence, so what I thought would be more freedom has turned how to be less freedom. The food is good. We get black beans and eggs every morning for Breakfast and today we had mashed potatoes and chicken for lunch. Not bad. This is just all so crazy.

I dont like Spanish which could very well cause problems.  Its not that Im bad at it, in fact Im better than most of the other missionaries, Its just a lame language. On a brighter note, Im making serious progress in Jesus the Christ and have started to read my BOM in spanish. Only six weeks left... Hopefully I can keep myself busy and stimulated enough to stay consistently happy. As I look out the window I realize the weather is pretty nice too. High 70s with moderate humidity. Because Guatemala City is elevated above sea level its not as wet as youd think it although it still retains a lot of green throughout the year. People from CA would consider it tropical. I wish I had more to say but I really dont. Hopefully Ill have more for you next week.

Any idea how to make a break on a spanish keyboard?

Peace.

Michael is in Guatemala

We were able to chat with him for a few minutes today while he was in Dallas at the airport.

He loves hearing from all of you, so please write. He likes to receive e-mail, but please include your mailing (not e-mail) address so he can write you back.

His e-mail address is michael.rex@myldsmail.net.

The address for him in Guatemala is:

Elder Michael Rex
Guatemala MTC
Bulevar Vista Hermosa 23-71
Vista Hermosa I, Zona 15
01015 Guatemala
Guatemala

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Message from Michael August 31, 2010

The MTC is getting really tedious... I'm excited to get out of here and go to Guatemala. It's not that I've been having a bad time because It's actually alright here. I'm just so sick of classes, etc. The only downside to Guatemala is the mail. I've been getting tons of mail from friends and family which I GREATLY appreciate. It's weird, the days here are super long but the weeks fly by. I leave to Guatemala in only one week! Elder Holland came last Tuesday and spoke to us at a devotional which was really nice. It was one of those don't be such a wimp talks he's so good at giving. I'm sure you heard Jessica is my teacher the last week I'm here which is super cool. Everyone I've talked to who has had her as a teacher absolutely loves her. I hope everyone is doing well. Spnish is pretty easy for me. So no need to worry about that.



I might ask you guys to send me some more bootish shoes soon. My roommate has a pair of echos that are pretty tight.


Also make sure people know to start to send mail to Guatemala probably starting Thursday. DearElder is honestly the easiest and most reliable way for them to send mail but I reccomend they just email me so you should go ahead and post my email.

Have fun in the Carribean. I'll be calling on Tuesday. I sent mom the times. Sorry I don't have much to say. Love you all.


Michael Rex

Michael Photo

This photo of Michael is courtesy of his cousin Jessica Rex who is a Spanish teacher at the MTC in Provo. Looking good buddy!

Message From Michael - August 24, 2010

This is the first day I've been able to write because Pdays are Tuesdays! Sorry for the delay. They have a timer set on this computer for 30 minutes to keep it short so I apologize if I'm brief. I'll try to handwrite something later.



I'm glad to hear everyone's doing alright! How's mom? Has she gotten out of bed yet? Kidding! The first three days here were crazy. Eleven hours of classes, 30 minute meals, and absolutely no down time. Luckily, things start to slow down and they give a lot of personal and companion study time as the days go on.


You were right about the laundry rooms, still the same set up. Although now there are computers in there. Luckily I found a computer lab where it's a little quieter.


Doctorinely I feel prepared. I feel like I'm just relearning the same things I already feel confident I could teach. Spanish is difficult but coming along just fine. Any study tips? I don't even know what I should be focusing on and the teachers haven't been much help yet. My companion, Elder Woodfield, is a good guy. I'm just so busy and I don't like getting only 8 hours of sleep. It's a hard knock life. I like wearing suits, though. Kanye West has a quote: "Everything is the perfect backdrop for a suit." -- I'm sure the MTC fits into everything but I'm not sure if he had a Guatemalan jungle in mind when he said that. I'm anxious to get out of here and go to Guatemala. Apparently when you're in the Guatemalan MTC you get to go on splits with Elders in the field every Saturday from 8AM to 8PM which should be a blast. And there are bball courts there. The gym here is under construction so I've been playing a lot of frisbee which is good but not at all what I'd like to be doing. I hope everyones doing well. I'm surviving. I'm sure it all be fine. When I complain I think of Ammon's brothers who were found in that prison naked and starving and still maintained some patience. That really is my biggest problem here. Keeping patience with those around me. Alma 17:11 is another one on patience. Those guys really had it going on.


Where are the packages my family is supposed to send me?! Get on DearElder.com and send me crap I don't need!! Kathryn Vidmar is the only one who has sent me any snacks!


Also, change the date of my departure on the MTC to Sep. 7th. I think I definitely got it wrong. Adjust as needed.


I miss home. I miss everyone. Until next Tuesday,


Michael

Michael Is Going

Hello Everyone!

Tomorrow morning we put Michael on the plane -- he will spend three weeks in Provo, Utah at the Missionary Training Center, then he will head to Guatemala. We'll post selected messages from Michael here (hopefully we'll hear from him each week) as his journey progresses.

This will be Michael's Missionary Training Center mailing address. You will be able to send him mail to this address until he leaves for Guatemala on Wednesday the first of September. Since mail will take a few days to get there, I wouldn't send anything to this address after Thursday the 27th of August.

Elder Michael Daniel Rex
MTC Mailbox # 312
GUA-GUAS 1019
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

He will be updating us with a new address when he arrives in Guatemala. An easy (and free) way to send Michael mail when he is in Guatemala is through the website www.dearelder.com. We will have more information for you regarding how to keep in easy touch with Michael as time goes on. We will also update his address through this blog as soon as it becomes known to us.

Join us in praying for Michael's safety and success!

Daniel & Lauri & Jordan & Courtney Rex