Christmas Songs

I had an interesting week....well my companion was sick. Her tooth had some problems coming out. They had to break up the roots because it was fused to the bone. So she had a lot of pain this week. It's still healing up. Then after days in the house she got a cold with fever. So the poor girl was sick and tired. She wanted to go home this week. It was really rough because she's in the last of her time here in the mission and she's sick. We only left one day to work, and with that only 2 houses. It wasn't a great week for her. I tried to enjoy my time in the house cooking, cleaning, studying, yeah pretty much anything that I could do so that I didn't die of boredom haha. It wasn't too bad though. The first two days I was glad because I could sleep a little because I didn't sleep anything in the bus.

We had a baptism this week though haha. We started teaching this investigator because he came to visit his aunt and said that he was going to go back to the capital so we started teaching and hoped that he could find the missionaries when he went back. But then the elders visited them one day and they started teaching and basically stole the investigator. It was all good though because they could relate better with him because of his age and everything. But in the end the ZL said that it was our investigator because he lives in our area so we got a free baptism haha! His name is Welser.

Osbin kind of fell through a little because we couldn't visit this week but we're going to put a new date with him to get married and to get baptized.

I'm looking forward to celebrating this next year with you. This sunday we started singing Christmas songs in church haha! That's one way to get into the holiday spirit!  And I found the stocking from last year so I'm going to put it up this week!

Well this is the last week of the transfer. So this Saturday or Sunday I'll find out what's going to happen. The good thing is that I already know that my companion has a transfer haha.

Yep we got the root beer but with my companion sick I think we're going to enjoy it today!

Well I hope that you all have a great week and that I have a better week as well! Love you all!!!!!!

 

My companion and Nilza. She's leaving on the mission at the end of January for Mexico. She goes with us to visit people.

Happy Thanksgiving

This week went well. We were able to meet with Hugo and his family, Odet and Jonathan. They're doing well. This week we won't be able to see them because they have to go to the capital but hopefully they'll make it to church. Max and is family are doing alright. The son isn't getting better. The hospital kicked him out because they said that they can't do anything more for him so he's not in there anymore. It's really sad because he's really not doing well. We're thinking that most likely he's going to die... We talked with the family about the Plan of Salvation and they felt a little better but there's really not anything that us or them can do. It's up to God now as to what happens with him.

Osbin is doing great. They're getting excited to get married so that he can get baptized.

We get our investigators here by contacting and by reference. Poptún is huge!!!!! We have a branch and there's four of us missionaries. The district leader, Elder Child, and his companion, Elder Gamez, and us. But the area is huge. To get to Machaquilá where Hugo and Max live we have to take a bus or tuktuk (a tuktuk is like a mini carriage. I don't know how to describe it. It's got three wheels and reminds me of a motorcycle but it's got the seat in front and then seats behind and it's covered. That's the normal transport here. I'll get a picture of it to show you.) and it's like 20-30 minutes away. When we walk to church on Sundays it's like half an hour walking. So it's pretty big but I love it!! It's like a pueblo. Most of the streets are dirt and it's really different from the capital. In the capital the houses are connected and they don't have front yards or back yards. The houses here and more spread out a little like farm area but smaller. There's a ton of trees and there's more humidity here. I'm loving loving loving it. We had interviews this week with the president and I told him that I never want to go back haha!

Wow sounds like Dan had a great time!

We had a slight problem this week. For the last like two weeks the last of the wisdom teeth or Hermana Garambel, and the only that they didn't pull, decided that it wants to come out. But it's giving her a ton of pain like there's something that isn't quite right. So Sunday night we headed into the capital where we are right now. She'll be going in for her appointment in a few hours and hopefully everything goes well so that we can work these last two weeks. I just really hope that she feels better because she's had a rough last few days. And then we'll be going back tonight about at 9pm.

I hope that you all enjoy Thanksgiving. I really wouldn't have known Thanksgiving was this week but the elders asked if I was going to do something. I said no. But because I came to capital they all wanted rootbeer so I bought a bunch so that we can celebrate. Maybe I can find some ice cream somewhere as well..... But I hope that things go well. Enjoy your pies and all the food!

 

Love you all and hope you have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a picture of my district after the interviews.  we were trying to get jalón (hitchhike).

Left to right it's Elder Rojas, Elder Córdova, Elder Child, Elder Lowe, Elder Gamez, and Hermana Garambel. And the one sitting down is Elder Mijangos. That's my district!!

Didn't Feel the Earthquake

Things are going great here! I love Peten!!!!!!! Today we had another great P-day in.....Tikal!!!! It was awesome and definitely worth it!!!!! And after that we ate in Pizza Hut which is awesome. There isn't fast food in Poptun. Different from the capital but the food is better than fast food. But one always misses the fast food haha.

 We did not feel the earthquake. Peten didn't receive anything so there's no need to worry. We're doing great here. I called and talked to Hermana Ramos. She said that it was awesome. They had gone to the temple for their p-day (it's not open on Mondays so they went Tuesday) and she said it was great! So the capital didn't get it too bad either but I'm sure that down by the coast they got hit pretty bad.

The missionary work is going well here. We found some new investigators. Last week when we got a free ride up to Santa Elena to go to Yaxha we talked to the guy and he lives in our area, Hugo Flores, and he said that he lived in the US for like 15 years so we visited him and his family. His son really appreciates it because he's interested in this stuff and he enjoys talking a little in English. He's lived here for like 2 years now but it's still a little hard for him. There's also another family, the dad is Maxamiliano, or Max, and their son's sick so we were able to bring the elders to the hospital to give the son a blessing so we're hoping that turns out well.

We have someone with a date to get baptized. His name's Osbin and he's going to get married the same day. They had a date to get married and him baptized but it fell through so we put a new one for the 1st of December. We're really going to work with the ward so that they can complete this date. They seem excited though so it should go through. Hermana Garambel told me that the last time they weren't as excited so we'll see what happens.

Yeah I'm working hard on learning the area so that I can take over when she leaves. It should be good though. It's bigger than I'm used to but it's not too confusing.

Love you all and hope that you have a great week!

(Don't know what the white spot is... just a camera glitch or something)

 

 

Sights of Peten

I'm glad that Jacob got off well. I thought about him that day and I've been telling everyone that he left in the mission haha! We had a good Halloween. We were going to have an activity but it got canceled and also they called and said that we needed to enter early that night into our houses. So we were there at 7pm.

 The ward here is really good and there's a girl that's helping us. Her name's Nilza and she's leaving for the mission at the end of January. She's going to be a great missionary!

I'm loving it here in Poptun! It's amazing. I think the only downer is that there aren't as many stores here to buy stuff because it's a little far but everything else is better here!!!

My companion is Hermana Garambel. She's from Peru and it's her last transfer. We get along great!! I'm really happy that she can finish her mission well.

Today we had a great p-day again. We went to some ruins called Yaxha. They were awesome! It's a possible site where Christ may have visited but of course we don't know for sure. The best part is that to go to Santa Elena to meet up with the zone and to come back, it's two hours, we get to ask for jalòn! Hitch hike! The people here are super nice and we can always find a pickup truck that willing to take us where they're going. We got lucky that it didn't rain too much either. I have a great district and we all get a long really well so I'm happy here.

I'm glad that you're Halloween went well. Sorry I don't have much for investigators right now because we're looking for new ones but we've found some possibilities. I'll let you know next week!

Hope you have a great week! Love you tons!!!!!!!

 

 

The sights of Peten

 

A Transfer!

Well I have a lot to write this week haha! First, yes I had a transfer. On Sunday they told us that we didn't have transfers and we were super excited because we didn't have to pack anything so that's what I wrote you but then Wednesday morning happened. Here's the story. We left early because one of our ZL had a transfer so we went to tell him goodbye before he left. He left and we came back home. About half an hour after we got home one of the asistants called. I had a transfer and I was going to Peten. My area Poptun with Hermana Garambel. I needed to pack my stuff and get there as soon as possible because I needed to be there for the bus that left at 2pm but Hermana Ramos needed to be at the transfers to collect her new companion. So this happened at 9am. I hurried and packed my stuff and we went to the family Shoenfeld, said goodbye to one of the sons, went to one of the daughter's houses and said goodbye to her and then I left the area. We got there about 11am. Then I left for Peten. It was a 9 hour and we got to Santa Elena. We spent the night there because it was like midnight and then we went to Poptun, another two hours haha.

It's great here. The first thing I bought was sunblock haha! Right now we're in the good time when it's not as hot and supposedly rains. It's been a little warm. Not too bad and I'm really enjoying it. Time for the tan haha!!!! I'm excited that I'll most likely be passing Christmas here so this will be cool!

The P-days are definitely cooler outside of the capital. In the capital you can't use normal clothes in p-day but here yep!!! Today we went to some waterfalls and then when we came back we rode in the back of a pickup that had a corral type thing on the back so we were standing up and it was awesome!!! Hopefully we'll get to go to Tikal this transfer because that's the ruins that everyone talks about here.

I'm going to complete a year in the mission this week! Whee!!!!!! The time has passed by fast. I'm really happy here and I'm loving it.

The other week we had a conference with a general authority, Elder Duncan. He was really good. He talked about how we need to think about the wards that we're in. That they're going to be stakes one day. And God is hastening the work right now so it will be in less time than we think. He also told us to start working with the less active members to get references because it will help both them and the investigators to build strong testimonies in the church. It really works because we started doing it in Martinico and it had a huge success.

Well that's my crazy week! Happy Birthday Bruce!!!

Good luck and enjoy the snow while I'm enjoying the sun haha!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!

A Great Week!

This week was great! We had two baptisms. Well really only one because the other didn't count for us. Eunice got baptized on Tuesday. It was super good. We got a little afraid when they did the baptism interview before the baptism because it lasted like 40 minutes but Elder Flores, our DL, said that she really talks a lot haha!! She told us that the weekend before her baptism she still wasn't quite sure about it but she decided to pray and ask God if she should be baptized and she felt peace with her decision. We were super super excited for her. It's always amazing to see these real conversions. Then on Sunday she was supposed to work but luckily there was an event so she got to go in to work a little later than normal so she was able to make it to church to be confirmed! It was a great experience.

Then on Friday there was an 8 year old that got baptized. He the son of some less active members that we've been working with. The mom is super excited to return to church and the two sons are really loving the activities and everything. The dad it still a little hard. He works a lot and I don't think that he really has the desire to come back but we're going to keep working with them. They're the family González.

We weren't able to meet with Glenda this week. It's a little hard because she lives in the zone but not in our area but she had problems with her husband and they're getting a divorce and she wants to move in to our area. Her niece lives in our area and we've been teaching her in the niece's house. The problem is that Glenda has 5 kids, no car, and the niece doesn't have a car either so it's hard for them to come to the niece's house. But we're planning on seeing them this next weekend and if not we're going to need to pass them to the other missionaries so that they can teach them.

I'm not sure exactly what's happening with Aurelia. We called this week and she wasn't able to come to church. It's hard because we can't go out to Chinautla very much with the rain so we haven't seen her in weeks.

And with the transfers.....well you aren't going to believe it but......I don't have transfers. And neither does Hermana Ramos. hahahahahahahaha!! We couldn't believe it. Here we go for our 6th transfer together haha! It's crazy but well it's by revelation so God knows why the things happen. This is Hermana Ramos's 5th transfer in this area. She's had 5 in Los Olivos and 5 here. And I think I'm following her footsteps because I've got 5 in Los Olivos and now I'm going for my 3rd here. We're excited!

Upcoming Baptism

Ok. Eunice is doing great. We're going to baptize her tomorrow night! Whee!!!!!! We're super excited. She really wants to be baptized so here we for tomorrow. Glenda is also the name of the new contact with the kids. She's doing great as well. We taught her yesterday and she really feels the Spirit. She's going to pray about the day for her to get baptized but I'm sure she's going to accept.

Aurelia is still in the air. We went to Chinautla on Saturday but she wasn't there. We were able to talk to one of her sons and hopefully we'll find her this week. It was awesome while we were there though because we gave service with a huge group of women that were preparing food and stuff for a funeral. We were able to talk and mingle with them. My companion got all dirty haha.

Wow I can't believe that Jacob's going so soon!!! That's so cool! I'm going to miss him but it's for a good cause haha!

This week we had a cool activity for the investigators that we did with the bishop. We had some investigators that came to the church (we did it with the elders that share our ward as well) and they watched the movie John Tanner from the D&C movies, and then we ate hamburgers after so that they could meet each other and so that they could ask questions.

My stomach is doing well! I think that I'm good now.

Well I hope you have a great week!!! Love you tons!!!!!!!!!!