Elder Preston Fowler: #8 First Week Out in the Mission Field

I feel like it's been forever since I've talked to you! It's been like 10 days or something crazy like that. I made it to the Mission Field Monday morning (Aug. 17th) and met my mission president and his wife (President Ulises and Sonia Chavez). They are really sweet people and I know I'll love them; they seriously are the best people to direct th missionary efforts in Chihuahua. My companion's name is Elder Vergara, he is from Mexico City and has 3 months left on his mission. At first I didn't want a native as my trainer, but it's all working out just fine. I teach him English, while he teaches me Spanish! It's a fair trade. The food here is so good and the members feed us really well. There's a drink that's really common here that's just water and cantaloupe. I love the stuff and I'm sure Grammy Val would love it, like as much, if not more than me. I'm serving in a city called Anáhuac, which is by a bigger city called, Cuauhtemoc. Our area is quite big...we walk maybe 15-18 miles a day over mountains! But the thing that happened this week is that it's probably hot until 2:00-3:00pm and then there's cloud cover and rain for the rest of the evening. I have been quite humbled by the things I've seen thus far. I'm definitely blessed with so much in my life that I've taken for granted, especially my dental hygiene. We've met so many people this week and we have a handful of investigators that seem really interested in the gospel. I kinda failed today because this morning we had a Zone meeting at 8:00am and I didn't know we would be emailing here, so I forgot my weekly letter in the apartment and I have no way to send my photos...Sooooo, I'll have to send them next week! I'm sorry about that!

But, I'm really enjoying the mission and the people, they are the nicest people I've ever met. There's nowhere in the USA where people will listen to everything you say. It's definitely a tender mercy of the Lord! The members in the is area are seriously the best! In Mexico, the big meal of the day is lunch around 2 :00pm. We are fed the best Mexican food I've ever had, and there's plenty of food to be full. ha ha The missionaries are treated so well, so my mother doesn't have to worry about me not getting enough food. ha ha I love the Mexican candy! I didn't like it before my mission, but I love the stuff now! I'll have to send home my favorites! I am so grateful for all the prayers from everyone in my behalf. I know the Lord blesses His missionaries with safety and success as we are obedient. I really have enjoyed every moment of my mission. I look forward to seeing the things that will happen in my mission. It's going to be "the best two years" without doubt!
Hope all is going great back at home! I love and miss you all!!! Someone eat an IN-N-OUT Burger for me!! Ha Ha!

Le Amo
Your son,
Elder Fowler

Questions that Preston answered for us:

Q: How much time are they giving you to send emails?
A: An hour and a half! So it's a little more than the CCM.

Q: How's your companion?
A: There is a language barrier so it can be hard, but it's good!

Q: How are the living arrangements?
A: It's just my companion and l in a small house that these people are renting out to missionaries. It's nice not having other missionaries in our living areas. I love coming home and feeling exhausted and beat. Makes me feel like I did something good that day!

Q: Do you feel like you are getting a grasp of the language?
A: Sorta.. I felt like I was in the CCM but out here, everyone speaks differently, so it's harder than I thought it would be....but my language is getting better and better as time goes on. I feel like it will take the 12 weeks of training to fully understand the language, if not more.

Below, the first 2 pictures were put on his mission Facebook page that we were then able to download.

Preston on the first day he arrived in the mission field (Chihuahua) with the other missionaries from the CCM. Preston is the 5th one from the left in the back row. President and Sister Chavez his mission president and wife are front row center.