Ya Me Voy (week 75)

Hey family loved your letter mom this week. I’m happy to hear that Benjamin and dad returned safely from their trip. I hope that it was as fun as the last high adventure.  So crazy that it is summer back home because it doesn’t feel like summer out here at all haha

This week was alright for us. We found a lot of new investigators but we don’t have a whole lot progressing. We have some good possibilities but they don’t want to accept fechas right now.  We had a fecha that was going to get baptized in a couple of weeks but he left to some aldea like 4 hours from here to work and is not sure when he is going to come back.  It’s tough but it’s ok because I know that the lord will help us to find more people that are willing to progress. We found a good family this week as well we only taught them lesson 1.It was a really tough lesson at first because there was just so many distractions it was crazy. There were kids running all over the place and finally they calmed down though and we were able to teach a good lesson. The guy, whose name is hector, told us that he just wants to join the true church but doesn’t know where it is. That’s a good sign haha but he just needs to put himself pilas read pray and go to church and he will find it out soon. He doesn’t like how in all the other churches the pastors are making money. He is like that is not what the bible says. Church shouldn’t be a paying job haha oh well hector good news nobody in the church is making money in their callings. I just loved saying that haha. The other good thing this week is that Daniel is reading his book of Mormon mucho and is praying, he says he has some questions that he needs to ask us. Also a good sign because he wants to learn more and actually cares.  Oh the other good thing that happened this week is if found out that in Salama they baptized somebody that elder Garcia and I found and taught a lot and also in San Cristobal. This Saturday the elders in San Cristobal baptized Rosa. She was somebody elder Bonillo and I found and taught but she never progressed so we left her but put a progress report in the area book. The elders of San Cristobal found that report found her and then like 2 weeks later she was baptized. That just gives me so much drive to work harder in this work. We never know what is going to happen with the people that we teach even know I taught here like 9 months ago.  I love the mission.  My comp is the best and is doing better.  Love you all so much. I hope and pray that you are all striving to obey the commandments. Keeping them is the only way that we can be truly be happy.  Whether that means not buying on Sunday or not telling little lies… it doesn’t matter. Commandments are commandments and we should willingly keep them because we love god.  Love you all so much and I pray for you every night.

Elder Call

we cooked breakfast as a zone today it was dope haha

Transfer 13 Week 4 (week 74)

Family loved your letter this week. I cannot believe that its summer in the states… that’s so crazy to me. Here it just rains and it is overcast all the days so it all feels the same. I saw the blue sky the other day and I forgot how beautiful it is.  I am super jealous about the high adventure trip. That was the best like so fun that trip. I will never forget it ever. I remember having my carnival at rancho as well haha I had it up the street at like some old house or something. Glad to hear everything is good at home.

This week was a good one. The work is good in our area besides the fact that mundial has started. Nobody wants to listen to us if a world cup game is going on.  We found a couple new investigators this week but we need to find more. We are focusing on finding the investigators that god has prepared for us to teach.  The best thing that happened this week was the baptism that we had Saturday. Jefferson and Edson are the best and I was so happy to see them get baptized.  We visited them a bunch of times this week to make sure that we had taught them everything and that they were ready for the baptism interview.  They did great though.  Another highlight of the week was when we were talking with their dad. I don’t know if you remember like 2 weeks ago he was so stressed that he looked like he was going to die. I have never seen anyone look like that in my life. He didn’t have work and he was on the verge of losing everything that they have. Well basically like I told you guys we talked with him and told him that he needs to repent and remember god not only in the bad times but in the good like Pres. Uchtorf  instructed us in the last conferencia general.  We promised him a bunch of stuff and told him that he would find work if he went to church and prayed and tried to follow the commandments. Well he did just that.  He has been gone for 13 days from here and came back Friday. We talked to him and he told us that he tried to pray more and remember god. He told us that like 2 days later he was offered 3 different works. He was offered so much that he had to choose. It was a complete miracle. When we talked to him he looked so happy. We need to help him realize that that was a complete miracle and he needs to thank god a lot. That was one of the coolest lessons of my mission. Such a testimony builder that god answers our prayers and cares about us. Such a miracle and that is just one of the reasons why the mission is the best. At the baptismal service Daniel also went. Daniel is the joven that we found last Sunday. He is super pilas.  He loved the baptism interview and said that he is now even closer to getting baptized. We just need to help him react on his answers to his prayers. He also went to church and loved it as well. Really just such a great week.  I love Octavio so much and his family. We need to baptize him and his wife now. The only problem is that we can only teach him like every 2 weeks because of his work.  Ya so pray for him and his family as well as for Daniel.  Love the mission so much and I look forward for every new day. The only bad thing is the days are going by soo fast. Oh pray for my comp as well he is having a really hard time right now. He just got diagnosed for an eye problem that basically means he is going blind. Not immediately but over the years he will go blind and his best friend died this week. So pray for him he needs it.  Love you all so much. I’m so grateful for the church and the things it teaches us. I love Jesus Christ. I love god for sending him to this earth to be humiliated spit on and tortured for our sins. Mom if you think it was hard to send me on the mission imagine how god felt. I love the teachings of Jesus and teaching them to other people.  The mission is the best. I hope you all have a good week. Love you all and stay safe.

Elder call

Good Week (week 73)

I loved your letters as always family and so good to hear that everything is good back home. Love that the fam is in the pool all day every day. That’s the best and such fun memories back home.  There is nothing like a summer night swimming in the pool, a bbq, and then just talking outside by the fire… that’s the best.  

This week was overall pretty good. The weather here has been a little rough though and it just rains all day every day. We are just soaking wet all day. It’s all good though because I prefer that over the extreme heat in Salama or Peten. Plus with all the rain it just makes everything so green here in Coban. This place is just soo beautiful and I wish you could all see where I am chosen to serve. You guys should see were I am serving it’s the best.  The highlight of this last week was Sunday. We were sitting down in sacrament meeting when a joven came in that we have never seen before.  We invited him to come sit by my comp and I.  We found out that the elders in Rabinal had found him. They found out that he is interested in the church and found out that he is living in Coban because he studies here. So the elders of Rabinal gave him our names and told him where the church is. His name is Daniel and this is an investigator of gold.  He just wants to know where the true church of Jesus Christ is. Well he found it haha. During the classes at church he was answering questions and stuff during the class. The teacher was like are you baptized or is this your first time here? He was like this is my first time here. The teacher was like you need to get baptized haha.  Ya so he is just super pilas. He is a super dedicated 18 year old who wants to find direction in his life. After church we had just a fantastic lesson with him. We taught him about the restauracion and about el libro de mormon. It was just a great lesson. We were able to help him answer his doubts. He still has a lot of questions but with time and prayer he will receive answers. We sent him a text message Sunday night asking if he had finished his lectura en the book of mormon. He said yes and that he started reading it from the beginning. He is so pilas.  I have had very few investigators like that.  Ya so if he does what we say and prays he is for sure going to get baptized. This next Saturday we have 2 baptisms planned with Edson and Jefferson. They should get baptized but they still need to learn some things so if they do not get baptized this week for sure the week after.  All is well right now in the mission. I am loving it and wouldn’t trade this time for anything.  I love teaching people about Christ. It’s the most satisfying thing I have ever done.  I love studying the scriptures and look forward to it every morning. The church is so true and I love it. Love you all back home and hope you all have a good week.

Elder Call

dad for this sunday happy fathers day. eres lo mejor y  estoy tan agredicido con mi padre celestial que eres mi padre. veo tantos padres aca en guatemala y no son nada a tu lado. siempre tuve tu apoyo en todo que hice. fuiste paciente conmigo y mis errores. mas que todo algo que no comprendi y no me di cuanta antes es que eres fiel y recto en la iglesia.  no sabes que tan agredecido estoy por eso. que pudiste en cualquier momento darme un bendicion.  veo tantos personsas aca sin padres y veo muchos en la iglesia que no son dignos de tener el sacerdocio. te quiero tanto y pienso en tu ejemplo mucho en mi vida. te quiero papa y ten feliz dia 

Family (week 72)

I loved the letters this week. I remember going to the USS hornet like yesterday. I remember they gave me my little sailor hat. I don’t have a doubt that that is in the garbage by now but it was in the guest room closet the last time I remember seeing those hats haha. Sounds like you all are doing well which makes me happy. It’s interesting what you said mom about our health. We are so healthy. I don’t get it… knock on wood but we have never had any serious health problems and that is something I have recently been putting in my prayers. I think most of the time we take that for granted.  It’s great being healthy haha.

As for this week it was more tranquilo than the week last but it was a good week. We had a baptism as well on Saturday which is always the best. It was a little 9 year old girl named Ingred.  She is the daughter of less active members. She is just a great little girl and the smile on her face after her baptism is always rewarding.  I think the highlight of this week besides the baptism was a visit we had with Marcia and her mom Caroina. We watched the joseph smith video and the spirit was just soo strong. I cried like 3 times haha. It really was the greatest and Marcia is one of my most pilas converts. One of their friends was at the house as well when we were teaching.  She asked us about tithing. I was like oh Marcia could you explain to us what tithing is? She explained it perfectly to her friend like better then I could have haha. Later after her friend had left we started bugging her telling her that she could be a missionary and that she teaches great.  Things got really quite and she started crying and told us that when she got baptized she promised God that she would serve a mission. She said she hadn’t told that to anybody until that moment. Not even her mom knew. It was soo great and the spirit was so strong.  It was just awesome hearing that from my convert. She said that she wants to do what we do. Teach other people about Christ and change lives. It made me feel so good about the work my companion and I have done with her. To see how she was 7 weeks ago to seeing a completely changed and truly happy person. I can always tell if people are members... I don’t know why. I think it’s because members of the church are generally happier and not in a worldly happy but a happiness that comes only from choosing the right and keeping the commandments. Marcia has that light in her eyes now as well as her mom. I don’t know if I told you but her mom was baptized like 30 years ago but hadn’t been to church until like 7 weeks ago with us. Now they are both active and powerful members in the church.  They also have just put the goal to go to the temple in 2 weeks with the ward. They are so pilas and I just love them so much. Now as far as Jefferson and Edson go. I don’t know what ended up happening to the mom but she didn’t go the capital and she said it is because they lost her test results or something so she has to wait for more time. The aunt of Jefferson and Edson is staying with them in their house as well and we are teaching her now. She lives in Livingston but she will be here for another week. We watched the restauracion with her and her nephews and again the spirit was just so strong. She ended up going to church with Jefferson and Edson and she loved it and she just couldn’t get over it. She said it was one of the best experiences of her life. It was awesome. She might not get baptized here but she will in Livingston.  Also Carlos Valasquez and his family came to church as well. Carlos is that super pilas guy I found like a month ago.  I still feel like I have met him before but I just don’t know where. Ya but they came to church. They also say that they liked it lot. The problem with them though is visiting them. He is always working so we don’t ever get to visit him. We are really trying hard and praying to be able to teach him and his family more. I’m just happy they came to church but now we need to get them in the water. Missionary work is the best. It really is. I wouldn’t trade this time for the world and I get really sad when I think how fast it is coming to an end.  I love the church and what it does for people. I love my Savior and his sacrifice for each and every one of us. We can have that light in our eyes. We just need to repent and keep the commandments.  The book of Mormon is so powerful and I have seen it change the lives of my investigators. escudrinarlo every day. I don’t know how to say that in English so dad just translate it haha. I love you all so much and pray for you every day. Have a great week!!

Elder call

my comp and i with 2 members in our area drinking atol shuco. atol is like a corn drink and chuco means dirty. ya so i was a little scared to drink it because it means dirty corn drink haha. it was good though and i didn't get sick

my mtc comp and i

 

Lunes Again (week 71)

Love your letter mom… thanks for never forgetting about me and always writing me. My comps family hasn’t written him in like 3 weeks haha. I don’t know what the deal is with them.  Thank you so much mom and family for everything that you do for me. You guys are the best and I am soooooo grateful that you are my family.

Man where to start. This week was soooooooooooooooooo nuts… like crazy. It would take about 4 hours to write you about everything that happened this week. Ok here I go and get some of it down in this email. Last Monday we went to the doctor because my comp could have some like eye disease where he could be going blind. So we went to the capital on Wednesday. That’s always an adventure because I don’t know the cap at all and you are almost always likely to see a dead person haha. Ya so Wednesday we went to the capital. We went to the eye specialist and stuff. I think the best part of the day was eating taco bell for the first time in 18 months. Let me tell you I was sooo excited for it but I don’t know what happened and it wasn’t nearly as good as I remember it.  That’s what we ate for lunch. Afterwards we went to do a bunch of more tests at another office. Then we ate Wendy’s haha. I felt soooo fat and I hate feeling like that haha. I basically haven’t eaten food like that since the states. That night we went to sleep at the assistant’s house in the east mission because we missed our bus to come back to Coban. When we got to their house we went visiting with the office elders in the east mission. It was horrible. I was soooo full from eating crap all day then they told us we had 1… yes 1 dinner appointment. So we went there and I ate. I ate as much as I could but I was sooo full already. I felt like I was going to die. Oh and btw that was probably the nicest house I have ever seen in Guat. Sooo nice… I am soo used to visiting in shacks made out of wood and laminate. I was shocked with the amount of money that member had haha. Ya so we left that house and the elders were like oh I forgot to tell you we have another dinner appointment. I was going to die. As elders we have to eat everything people give us or else it’s like rude. I started sweating and I didn’t know what to do because I was sooo full. So we went and I ate like a disgusting hot dog thing and just about puked. I looked at my comp and he was pale.  He asked to go to the bathroom and we were all sitting at the dinner table and everyone just heard my comp yak all in the bathroom because he was soo full hahahaha. It was the best. I was just dying laughing hahahaha sooo funny. Ya so that was Wednesday. We got back to Coban Thursday morning.  This Saturday we had a baptism. It was one of my favorite baptisms that I have had in the mission. When we first started teaching Marsia she didn’t want anything to do with us. She hardly even listened but we had a lot of really powerful lessons with her and she started to listen more and more. She started to read the BOM as well and that just changed her life. The BOM is sooo powerful. Ya so that was soooo great watching the cambio in her life. She is really really good family friends with the patriarch of the stake here. They like raised her for a while and stuff when she was young but she never wanted to get baptized and go to church. So for her baptism she wanted us to invite the patriarch but not tell him who was going to get baptized. Ya so when the patriarch saw Marsia and her mom they all started crying. But like balling and I starting balling as well and it was soo incredible. Marsia, her mom, the patriarch and the patriarch’s wife were just sooo happy soooo happy. It was one of the coolest moments of my life. The patriarch and his wife just came over to my comp and I and just started thanking us for finding her and teaching her. It was incredible. It was such an incredible feeling and such a good baptism. Ok that was Saturday. This Sunday she got confirmed. Now we had just a crazy cita Sunday afternoon with Octavio and his kids that come to church with us. Oh freak and I almost forgot… Jefferson and Edson the kids that we are teaching well their mom is sick really sick in the hospital. We went to go visit her on Friday. We just talked to her and her kids’ because Octavio wasn’t there. We gave her a blessing as well. She started talking to her kids and telling them how much she loves them and how everything is going to be ok. She is going to go to the cap to have her back opened up to have fluid drained out of her spinal cord. It’s a really dangerous surgery and she could die or end up in a wheel chair.  Ya she was saying bye to her kids and started talking to them and telling them how much she loved them. Then the kids started crying. They are sooo scared for their mom and so sad that she is going to be far away from the house. Octavio has to work so he won’t be at home either because he has to work in the cap. They are having serious financial problems. When the kids started crying and went over to hug their mom I just lost it. My comp and I just started balling. I was crying like a baby for these poor kids. Let me just tell you that Jefferson and Edson are some of the best kids I have ever met in my entire life. They are so well behaved and disciplined and so happy. They have 11 and 13 years if I haven’t said that.  Ya so that was Friday I think and it was so sad. I’m crying just writing in my email haha.  Ya so we met with them again Saturday and Sunday. Sundays visit was nuts. When we got there Octavio had just got done punishing Jefferson the kid of 11 years. It was so sad but he talked back to his dad and is choosing sides with his parents because they are having marital problems as well. On top of that like I said they are broke. They were really rich so they have really nice things but they can’t sell any of it and so they don’t have any money at all. They have been eating ramon for a week.  Ya so there are just sooo many problems in this family but they are all willing to change. I love visiting this family sooo much even though it is always soo nuts when we visit them like soo nuts. Like the dad is soo strict and stuff with the kids. Basically we put fechas with the kids and the dad is willing to change as well to get baptized but we need to talk with his wife too because they need to get married first. Ya so Jefferson and Edson will probably get baptized in like 3 weeks but for the parents it could be longer. I see so much potential in this family. There are soo many problems like sooooooo many but it can all be changed if they just put Christ in their lives. They are willing to change and repent and I can’t wait to see what happens. So I know that you are all sooo lost and I’m sorry but there are just soo many details about this family. I can’t put it all organized in such a short amount of time haha. I hope you can understand a little.  So the mom goes to the cap to get surgery and the dad has to go work. There is no one to be with the kids and they basically don’t have food. Jefferson and Edson are soo special. I just can’t tell you how much I love these kids. Freak ya so there are some of the things that happened this week. A lot more happened but I just don’t have time to tell you it all. Just know that I am so grateful that I grew up in the family were I grew up. I loved just being able to testify of the happiness that one can have in a Christ centered home. That doesn’t mean that there are not problems but there are a lot less haha.  I love my family so much.  Parents that are righteous and fantastic examples for me and for brothers and sister and that are just so special. I love you all so much. Charlie Ben and Ella you guys have nooooooo idea how good you have it. Be grateful for everything that you have and be happy.  Love you all soo much have a good week. Remember how powerful the BOM is. Read it every day without fail. The church is sooo true. Love you all!

Elder call

Again sorry about that letter probably the craziest i have ever sent home... I hope you understand some of it haha

Time is Flying (week 70)

I loved your emails this week as always and it was crazy to see how torn up the house is… it’s nuts.  I’m glad to hear that everyone is doing well back home that always makes me so happy. Mom you are so right our family is just the best.  

Well as for my week it was a little crazy. Tuesday we had concilio and it was awesome. I seriously love that conference so much. I can always feel the spirit just so strong when my president of the mission is teaching us and when his wife is teaching us.  It’s the best. They are just soo great and you can just feel how much they care about us and the mission. I learned a lot in that conference. Right now the mission is changing a lot. We are really cracking down on obedience on the little things. Obedience brings blessing but exact obedience brings miracles. We had our zone meeting this week as well. I was a little nervous at the beginning because the assistants, president and his wife were all there. Well I was a little nervous at first but then I said a small prayer that I wouldn’t be nervous and that I could help the missionaries in my zone to feel the spirit and to have more animo to work. Overall I think that the meeting went really well and it showed this week in our weekly stats. The greatest part of the week was a division that I had with one of our district leaders. His area is called Val Pariaso and its out in the mountains. It was freezing cold and raining. We hiked the freakin biggest mountain in the world to get to a small little village. I thought that I was in Mongolia and it was awesome. The best part though was finding a great investigator in a barber shop. We taught just a fantastic little lesson about prophets. The spirit was really strong and he wants us to go back to visit him. That was the best part of the day and it’s just too bad that I won’t ever be in that area again to see if he progresses. That was such a fun day and I really put my boots to work that day hiking up huge mountains haha. This Sunday our investigators who were going to get baptized this week didn’t go to church. She can still get baptized but we haven’t been able to meet with her this week. We are going to meet with her tomorrow to see how she feels for this Saturday. Be praying because we need it. Well actually she needs it and her name is Marcia Bol. Pray for her. Those 2 kids Jefferson and Edson that came to church last Sunday also went yesterday. Their parents still haven’t been able to go to church because they are both really sick. We are hoping to put a couple fechas with those boys so they can get baptized.  I’m dying to teach them though. We are going to teach them tonight and we have planned to watch the video of the restauracion. I’m excited I love teaching. Overall this week was good. This next weekend is change weekend. I can’t believe that it has already been 6 weeks how could that be? That was one of the fastest changes of my mission. How crazy.  I don’t think that I will have a change though to be honest.  It would be weird if I had a change. I love the mission and the life lessons that I learn every day. Just remember we are not perfect but we should strive to be a little better each day. Repent sincerely and all your sins will be forgiven. I love the savior and I’m forever in debt to his sacrifice. Use his sacrifice in your lives please. He did his part now do yours. Love you all and have just a fantastic week.

Elder Call

don't send this to everyone... i just want you to see how great my mission pres is and this is what he wrote me after the zone meeting this week

Elder Call - thanks for your constant effort to improve the zone. Your example will mean so much. I appreciated your lesson in zone conference and your desire to get the missionaries pumped. They are quiet but hope you can spark them up with success in their work. 

Love you,

Pres. Curtiss

i dont know why this is in grey but this is me now but ya i love my pres soooooooooooo much he is just the best!

elder garcai and i he was my comp last change in salama and i absolutely love the guy haha

my 18 month celebration and my comps one year celebration.

my glasses of baptise and retain

Happy Mother's Day (week 69)

Happy mother’s day to the best mom in the entire world and I thank god every night in my prayers that I have you as my mom. You have always been there for me no matter what I have said or done.  You are the best mom in the world and I mean that but that doesn’t mean you should get cocky like you already are with your lemon squares haha. Love you mom sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.  I loved talking to you all yesterday you all sounded soo great and just so happy. I loved it. It may or may not have made me baggy thinking that is the last time I am going to talk to you guys until I get home…hombre que loco.  

Now as for my life right now I basically told you everything that is going on in my life yesterday. This past week was fantastic though because we had investigators in church. That is just the best. Sunday here in the mission can either be the best of worst day of the week. Yesterday for this week it was the best. We also found just a fantastic family yesterday as well. They are really receptive and ask lots of questions which is the best. I love it. When we were singing the first hymn the mother of the family cried. Her kids went to church with us in the morning and they loved it. The parents told us that they were just talking about how much they liked church all day. Ya at church is where they learned how to sing the hymns and they wanted to start off the lesson singing the hymn they learned in the church. It was called cuando hay amor. I don’t know what that is in English but ya we started singing it and the kids were singing it with my comp and I. The mom started to cry and it was the best.  Oh crying of happiness of course haha. Ya the lesson though was fantastic. The spirit was just sooo strong. The parents right now are not married so that’s a big problem but I am 100 percent sure that if they are feeling the spirit and do the things we tell them to do they will get married and baptized. As for the kids well  I am almost sure they are going to get baptized because when I told them that church is only 1 time a week  they were soo sad. They like church more than I do I think haha. Ya so that was the best lesson of the week. We are going to teach them again this Thursday.  I can’t wait to teach them again. We also had a conference this week with elder ochoa. He is a 70 and gave a talk in general conference the last year october.  We had that conference friday. It was great. The spirit was just sooo strong that entire conference and it was like 8 hours long. I learned a ton. Our mission president talked a lot about how we can increase our faith as well.  Studying the scriptures and putting them into action. I wish I had my notes with me right now so I could write what he said but it was fantastic. Elder ochoa talked a lot about repentance. He compared it to a splinter. When we have lots of sins it hurts like a splinter does. Now to take it out it will hurt even more but once it’s out you can fully heal.  That’s so much like repentance.  Just think though repentance isn’t a bad thing it’s a fantastic thing. Through repentance we can be happy and feel free of our burdens.  It’s the best. I have a strong testimony of repentance. Its real and when we really repent we can feel clean and pure. It’s the best feeling we can have when we have truly repented of our sins. I loved the conference and I love preaching repentance to the people here in guat and overall just a fantastic week. Thank you for everything you all do and I love you soo much.

Elder Call

me making tortillas

me with the dopest bus driver in the world

us with member who always leaves with us. check out his wonkie eyes though they are dope haha