FAMILIA! Well hey im so glad to hear about all the good news happening back in zion! And especially thats awesome to hear about Kristi and Nolies baby... That really is a huge blessing and I know theyll do great! Also tell kristi she should write me sometime... Anyways, This week was pretty crazy... im starting to know the area and its pretty strange... Its totally different, I mean Guadalajara was huge, and here i feel like its where Nacho Libre lived... Its defenitely a lot more dangerous here though... The police dont drive around with anything less than 2 police trucks with .50 cal machine guns and about 10 police all dressed up in military uniforms and balaclavas... They do that because if the gangstas find out where they live, they hunt down their families and kill them... ya... kinda blunt, but its the truth... I guess michoacán is famous for the "familia michoacána" its like ummm a gang... but its huge... they have members everywhere and realistically, the best way to describe them is the gadianton robbers... They kill whoever doesnt know their secret combinations if they are in their path, and all they are trying to do is hurt the people who want to play fair... I have met and passed some of the best times on my mission so far with some of the families here... Its sad... Realamente la violencia has destroyed so many good families it just breaks my heart... My companion is a little explosive, but hes a great guy... He hates to laugh whenever members or investigators tell jokes or are talking, nor does he smile... its actually pretty great for me, because immeadietly all the members really like me... haha but our ward also is way awesome... we had 80 people in sacrament meeting... hahaha and of course i had to talk to... yep, just my luck... but it was all good, i was just happy to see a ton of people in church... We also have a member thats always with us named Giovanni... he went to mexico city on his mission and hes just the one of the best guys ive ever met... his parents died while he was on his mission, so we ARE his family... Hes at our house every morning at 9 to studdy with us... he sleeps on the cement in his house, because he has no bed, but he has such a strong testimony of the lord its great to have him around... Well not much new going on here, but i hope everything still is going good there... stay strong and i love you all! Elder Smitheram