Look at all these Americans

  February 24, 2025

 GOOD AFTERNOON OR MORNING WHEREVER YOU ARE. Have you ever had those moments where life is super busy, and then you come up for air and it's been three months? Yep, that's me. I've been a Missionary for 8 months at this point, and I don't know how in the world I got here! I messed up and didn't get an email out to y'all last week. Please forgive that, but I'm here now. Buckle up, everybody, we've got 14 days of memories to cover! Oh, but don't worry, it won't be in order! 

               "Oh, look, it's Americans! "

     Ok, go with me to Tuesday. You're in San Nicolás, Aruba. You're on a ZL exchange, so you're navigating biking in a trio, and you step out onto the main road when a car full of Americans scream at you. Look for a moment. See that car full of Americans? Those are your Americans. Americans you knew from way back in the land of pre-mission! Yessiree, a group of family friends found me in the middle of Aruba while on a cruise (cause that's what empty nesters do) . They knew I was there, but I did not know they were here. But oh man, was it fun to see them!

     OK, now step back a few more days. You're getting out of the house to go visit some friends, and as you're riding through a parking lot, you see more Americans in a Rzr (it's a thing here). Alright, cool nothing super crazy, rando Americans. Pfft, non locals. "ELDERS!!! ELDERS COME HERE!!" Did I know these guys? No. But they knew us... sort of. They were some cool members also on a cruise and just there for the day. If I had a nickel for every time this has happened to me, I would have 2 nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice.

Will someone please get the dolphins out of my bloodstream?

     Elder Patrick Kearon. Perhaps one of the most lively and incredibly British men I have ever seen. He came to Guyana for a devotional, and the ABC islands and Suriname got to Zoom in on it. It was great to see Elder Kearon out of his, as he would call it, "Apostolic poker face." At one point during the missionary devotionals, he spoke to us about getting up and getting out the door as early and as eagerly as we can. "As you get out and get some sun, DOLPHINS ARE RELEASED INTO YOUR BLOOD STREAM" *looks at foot doctor mission president* "OHHHH ENDORPHINS." I quite like this man. There was a great balance of spirit and smiles.

That's about all I've got! I'll be staying in San Nic with a new companion, stay tuned to see what is about to happen this transfer. I love you all, God loves you, and is watching out for you. Let him do his best work and submit your will to his.

Ayó, 

Elder Aldrich

Thou shalt not kill... Unless it's a Snake

February 10, 2025   

Hey everyone! Please forgive me while I lose my time management on Pdays, but I got an email for ya this week! 

          SNAKES... SNAKES EVERYWHERE

     Okay, this is not an exaggeration; we see at least one dead snake every single day out here on this island. Someone pulled a Florida and brought invasive snakes out here, and now we have a bunch of Boas that just take over the island. Usually, they hide in the tall grass, and you won't encounter a live one. But this week, on an exchange, while teaching a lesson, the grandkids of the family we are teaching started yelling. Naturally, we all look over, and they run at us and start telling us about the Boa in their fencing. Now it's a social law that if you find a Boa, you have to kill it. But these kids are not fond of the idea of killing this snake, and to be fair, it's a 3-foot-long snake. So I offered to take care of it. Elder Long, bless his heart, was not a fan of the idea, but this snake has to die, and who better to kill a serpent than a soldier of the Lord?

      Armed with a stick and the dullest butcher knife you've ever seen, I wrecked this snake with a rock. Yep, the stick and the knife didn't work, so I went caveman and dropped a boulder on it. And then threw it into a sewage ditch. Woo

               Zone Conference

     Zone conference, as always, was an absolute blast. In Aruba, the missionaries stay put, and all of the Bonaire and Curaçao missionaries fly to us. Everyone comes in, sleeps for a night, spiritually FEASTS, annnnd then gets on a plane and flies back to their respective islands. Always pretty lit. Zone Conference also comes with about 10 Elders, all sleeping in one apartment that generally holds two. Every square inch was covered in mattresses, and old man Missionary wisdom got dropped. It's a good week to be a Missionary!

          Can't Forget the SNAKES

     Yup. That's right. More snakes, sorry Mom. Okay, so like I said, there's a LOT of snakes on Aruba. So, probably once a day, you see one that got smacked by a car or killed with a rock. Last pday, a few of the Elders and Sisters "collected" the bodies of 2 dead snakes, gutted them, skinned them, and stretched them out to dry. And now the sisters have scripture cases or bookmarks or something made out of snake skin. Good luck getting that through TSA 

     I'm sure that more happened this week, but I can't think of it right now. Don't worry, in about 5 minutes I'll think of 4 more things to add, shrug my shoulders, and move on cause y'all have listened to enough of my rambling. I love you all. The work out here is incredible. I have seen daily miracles as I look for them. I often remember the song "Count Your Blessings," where it says, "count your many blessings, see what God has done." When we count blessings, two things happen. One, we forget what had us upset, and two, we really realize just how much the Lord loves us. God loves each and every child, and yes, that means you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. There are no exceptions to God's love. 

His greatest creation is you.

-Elder Aldrich

My favorite dog on the whole island

Said snake skin

I always find cool cars wherever I go

Zone Conference