A Four Hour Bus Ride

Hey Mahm and Daddy-O,

I just got to Retalhuleu after a four hour bus ride... It was awesome to see the city and actually get out of the CCM. The poverty here is crazy. I don't even know how to describe it other than it's crazy. My Mission President is awesome and I met some missionaries that are going home tomorrow.  They are crazy awesome. One of them had a Mom come here to get him.  I got to watch their reunion today. It was really tender.  I can't wait to see you guys.

I just wanted to say that I am safe and happy.

Love you guys so much (and miss you) !!!

Elder Tagg

CCM=Really Spiritual Prison

Maham and Daddy-O

This week has gone by really slowly porbably because we are the oldest now. But in 5 days I'll be in Retalhuleu and I could not be more excited. Number one, because the CCM is basically a really spiritual prison. And number two, because I can't wait to get out there and start teaching people. I might be really stink at Spanish, but Presidente Cox said that my bad Spanish will just make the investigadors listen harder to try to figuire out what I'm saying.

This week I went to the Guatemala City temple for the last time in at least two years. Everything was in Spanish even the end. It was kinda like just repeating sounds but it was cool.  I think that this time was my favortie even though it was in Spanish, I could still really feel the spirit.

This last Sunday I was chosen at random to give a talk in Sacrament meeting entirely in Spanish.  I already told Audrey but I had to use my pre-school level Spanish so you can just imagine. But at the end I bore my tesimony about what I knew to be true and I think that smoothed everything out. 

Also this week me and Elder Sv... were teaching another "menos active." (less active possibly an actor) One of the reasons she said she left the church was because she didn't have a lot of time and she didn't know what the right thing to do was. I noticed she had a CTR ring on. I felt prompted to comment on it and show her that I had a similar one. I asked her what it meant to her and if she remembered what it meant. She almost started crying. I don't know why but it was really cool. She said she remembered and commited to go to church again. Even though she was probably not a real menos activo I thought it was really cool.

Since I've been here I have played knock out every day during deportes (physical fitness time?) and I think I'm getting pretty good. There is nothing better than knocking some one out. It's so fun. Dad you better watch you back when I get back.

Did you guys hear about Elder Scott? Really sad but I'm excited to have three new faces in confrence in a couple weeks!!!

I think the next time I will email you I'll be in the field but I don't know when my next p-day will be.  So don't be worried if you don't hear from me until like 10 days from now.

Dad I think the military is preparing you for something big by making you go to that class hang in there bud... hahah 

Mahm I love ya 

Nathan I haven't heard from ya but I still love ya 

Drew I love ya 

Audrey I love ya 

Eliza I love ya 

Flubba (the dog) I love ya 

I miss and love you guys so much

Elder Tagg

PS Also I love the long emails, so don't withhold and details I want the nitty gritty

Giant Hands

Daddy-O and Mahm

This past week has gone by super fast again.  Probably because was my last P-day was only 4 days ago.  The reason is that every time the older group leaves we have a P-day. So the elders from my transfer are officially the oldests in the CCM. Only two weeks left, and I can't wait to get out. When it was the older group's transfers last night all the Elders on the third floor went into the hall and sang 'God Be With You 'til We Meet Again' in Spanish. It was so awesome and powerful and I really felt the spirit. I was reminded of my farewell talk when they sang that for the closing song making us all cry  Dang that Sister Ti... for choosing that song. I will miss some people here, but the field is white and ready or el campo es blanco y listo.

My time here has been blessed because I have not really gotten sick. Aside from some minor diarrhea, I've been okay. Elder Ga...got really sick for a couple days and what ever he had, I do not want. And yes, Elder Ga... put me in charge of punishing people with my belt... It's really fun and we eventually just started whipping each other for fun but then one of the other Elders thought it wasn't appropriate, so he told the President and we had to stop. But it was good while it lasted. (I can imagine that getting out of control pretty fast... Especially with Elder Tagg who never gives in when it comes to rough play)

Anyways remember how I said that I thought my Spanish had improved from a pre-school level to a first grade level? Well this week I actually met a first grader and I am now re-ranking my self back at pre-school level como triste. (how sad) But I know that it will come.

Today we got to go to the temple again but this time we went with Presidente Cox and Hermana Cox it was pretty cool. We also get to go outside of the CCM today for the first time ever and go to a mall!  I am so excited I feel like I have been trapped here for soo long. I'll let you know how it went next week. Today is independence day in Guatemala. So last night and probably tonight the fire works will be going nonstop because Guatemalans know how to celebrate. 

It's is really weird to think that I have 23 months left out here. That is 100 weeks or 700 days. That's not a lot of time. I better get to work. 

Here in the CCM I have had so many weird dreams. One of them was that I was on the highway in a jeep but the jeep broke down so I had to use my giant hands and arms to push the jeep along the highway like I was in one of those kid toy cars. But people kept running over my hands. It was really weird and scary. I don't know what they are feeding us but I think its making me dream weird things.  When we were walking back from the temple we met some North American missionaries that had been out for a year already. They said they miss the food from the CCM and that we were going to suffer in the field.  This makes me scared because the food here is not that great.

Mahm I know you were just looking out for me. Thank you and I know your not 'that mom' I love you.

Daddy-o keep going to those classes even though they stink because I believe your gonna be a quarter back some day.

Love all of you guys to death 

Elder Tagg

Tie Trading

Mahm and Daddy-O

This week has gone by so fast.  My companion is not the one with the glasses but the one to my right.  He is a good guy.  I will do my best to stay away from rats and things but it's really hard. Don't worry about sending the bed bug email to the CCM, it was fine. 

So anyways this week has gone by really really fast! I have been learning so fast but it's also really hard. Anyways this week I got into tie trading. I've gotten myself some good ones.  If you want to you can round up any Penguin brand tie you can find and send them to me.  They are usually really cool. I don't think we can recieve packages in the CCM though.So their is no rush. This week I went to the temple and the entire thing was in spanish even the end.  It was basically just me repeating sounds but it was still really cool and spiritual. 

Mahm, I know you have been talking to Elder Ga...´s Mom because she sent him an email about you. I'm not saying that is a bad thing but just know I know. I love elder Ga... He is an awesome guy. 

Anyways there is this big building next to the CCM that everyone calls "the great and spacious building" because it's a bar and on the weekends at night you can hear music and screaming drunk people... Please don't email the Mission President about that because I don't think he can do anything. (sheesh!  I wouldn't do that! You send one tiny email about your son having bedbugs in a church owned facility and now he thinks I'm "that Mom") 

Anyways everyday during sports time I play knock out or basket ball and I'm getting pretty good so Dad you better watch out.

This week at the CCM we got new Latino and North American missionaries. It is awesome to not be the newbies anymore. 

Sorry I don't have much to say anything really exciting happening this week.  Noting happened except a drive by shooting... not a the CCM but on the other side of the street. It was totally wicked!! (wha!?)

It's so awesome that Cameron is home from his mission. I think that will be good for them to have him home. Tell them all hello!

I love and miss you guys soo much!

Elder Tagg

I assume this is his zone.  I can't even see where he is!!  

No More Bedbugs

Elder Tagg and his CCM district outside the temple in Guatemala

DADDIO AND MAHM 

Hey guys, so this week has gone by so fast. There are a couple of things that I forgot to mention in my last email. Right when I got to the CCM they shaved my head down to the nub. I look horrible now, but hair should grow back right¿  The other thing is that the teachers here took my camera and my ipod, becausee they are too distracting.  I get them back when I leave though... Anyways that's my excuse for no pictures....

About the bed bugs, the CCM president came and talked to me because you wrote to him.  It turns out that it probably wasn't bed bugs just like mosquitos or a rash or something. Any way, the red dots are gone... Thanks for all the concern.  President Cox says you can write him anytime you want. He's a really cool guy. 

This week was awesome. I feel like I'm in the swing of things now.  Today all the 6 week English Missionaries and the 2 week Latin Missionaries left for their missions.  We get a new batch of new Elders tomorrow. Finally we won't be the new guys.  It'll be awesome.

That is awesome that everything is going so well at home with out me... Hahahha! Glad you guys had fun at the beach and Busche Gardens. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Padre! You old man you! I can't believe your 80 already. That's awesome. I love you so much.

This week I feel like my Spanish has really improved.  I've gone from like a preschool level to like a first grade level. This week me and Elder Sv... got to teach two new people. Hermana Christina and Hermana Consuela.  The first one was one of the teachers here which was fun, but Hermana Consuela is a REAL menos activo... (less  active), or so the say because I swear I saw her in the temple on Thursday and again today. I really don't think less actives should be aloud in the temple but maybe they have different standards down here.. I don't know.. Tell drew that Merrel from the walking dead was a worker at the temple. And tell Mary Mc... that haven't seen any sloths yet but I will keep looking.  I have seen monkeys though. 

the food here is really hit or miss. Like yesterday morning we had some nasty eggs with nasty salsa. Then for dinner that same day we had some amazing enchiladas and rice. 

Some of the other Elders do have rats in there ceiling, but so far I haven't heard any... So that's good.

Anyways I love and miss you guys so much.  Give everyone a hug for me, even Flubba (our dog Abby who he calls Flubba because she's chubby), which I figured out in Spanish is Fofo whic

h is awesome.

Love,

Elder Tagg