Baptism

Beef Jerky Buddies

My Shoes After Only 4 Months

Lizards in Our House and Yard

A Baptism and Hit by a Car - June 27, 2011

That is cool about the parade of homes and Jess´s puppy. Crazy that Connie had that happen and kept limp walking. It has been an interesting week. First last Monday I was walking past some stores talking about how there is no cd players here and in the window of one store I saw one. It was the last one they had. What a coincidence. So I have one now. And in one of the really big market stores that is kinda becoming more and more like Walmart that we get to go to from time to time has a lot of awesome food. When we walked in I saw a huge display of cans of Mountain Dew and I was speechless. That is the first Mountain Dew I have seen in this country. But I can't by any cause we can't drink Coke or Pepsi, mission rules so I guess Mountain Dew is out too. I shared the licorice with some members of my branch and they have never had or seen red vines but they loved it and keep asking me for more. I also shared a pack with our zone at a meeting, it is fun sharing and bringing a taste of home for everyone. One of the members that I shared with came to connect some wires in our shower and now we have hot water. It is so nice I love hot showers, best feeling ever after a long day and when I wake up. I have given some glow sticks to some little kids of our investigators and they thought it was lots of fun. So sometimes when I enter our bathroom in the morning I see a blur pass out by the top of the door. Well this last week my guess was confirmed, we have a bat that comes through our roof and hangs out in our bathroom. It is crazy. We did divisions this week and I was with a different Elder for the day. We spoke with one of our investigators that said she had a dream that told her to go to church but before she progresses she needs another dream. So we explained how we receive answers and invited her to pray with us right there. It was a silent prayer so I was not sure if she was praying or not, or do I say something. I just said a prayer of my own. She said she felt really good and happy, peaceful. So we invited her to be baptized. She was thinking and I could really see the spirit working on her. It was so cool I can't really write about it and do it justice. She was still hesitant and said another month so we put a date for July 2. The next day Elder Card and another elder went to visit her and were able to get the baptism changed to June 30. Yesterday she said she had another dream and now she is not sure about being baptised next week. But she is ready so we keep praying for her and are going to help her tonight. But what a cool spiritual experience. I hope things work with her. Saturday we had the baptism of a 9 year old girl. I got to do the baptism which was cool too. So now I am at 3 with 2 of them by me personally. Yay! Saturday night we had a lesson with an investigator that went well and as we were leaving for home we were talking about how to help her. It was raining a little and dark. (Ok mom don't freak out about this next part, everything is ok) As we were crossing a street we looked both ways and there was nothing there. Halfway across the street we both looked over our shoulder and saw a car turning coming at us. He was probably going 10-15 but he hit both of us. I can't really explain it cause I can't believe it happened and not sure exactly how, but we fell on the hood of the car then Elder Card fell on the ground on his stomach and I fell onto my but and back after falling off the hood. Elder Card was completely fine no bruise or scratch. I had a couple little scratches on my elbows from landing on the road, but I bent my foot and below my ankle hurts. The guy got out to talk to us and apologized, said if we need medical help he will get it. I stood up and my legs were shaking so bad from the shock of being hit and the rain. We got his info and said we are ok. We went home and spoke with our leaders. I think I'm going to get my foot looked at just in case. Crazy traffic in Guatemala and useless traffic lights that people don't follow very well. It was crazy. I will let you know how that turns out. Elder Card and I want to turn this guy into a contact and investigator. We were joking and said we wish we did it that night. Other then that I am doing well. We have a conference with President again this week and hopefully after our hardest efforts another baptism. Jessica and her family are thinking about sending a package for my birthday. Is your friend coming to Guatemala again soon? If so is there a possibility he could take it to avoid the crazy mail here. Anyways I love you so much and keep you in my prayers. I hope you are enjoying your time off from work. What´s the status of you going to the temple? I know you have to wait to be sealed but you could still go and do sessions. I love you mom and think of you a lot, also talk about you to others a lot. Take care. Also I sent a letter to Corinne and am writing one to Nana and Great Grandma so I'll send them soon. Love you Mom

The Package

Four Months Down - June 20, 2011

I know, 4 months is crazy! I feel like I have a lot of time left, but then I think it has been four months already and it was just yesterday I was in the MTC. I have a less active member that has a washing machine that we pay her to do our laundry for the month. She is really nice and she has been coming to church more lately. We have another member Hermana Rosa that cooks us lunch almost everyday. She is very nice too and her family is fun to talk to and eat with. The music is so wonderful, I can't explain how much I have missed music and the cds are so nice I really love them. I'm going to write another letter to Nana and Grandpa and thank them. We have a mini dvd player right now for training that I play the cds on and I bought a little pair of speakers. But next month we lose the dvd player cause training with it is over. It has been really hard finding a cd player. I thought here it would not be difficult but I still can't find one. The package was so nice. The letters, the music, love the bears and the licorice and the jerky. The goodies too. Going to start sharing those with kids. I took a bag of jerky to zone meeting and surprised many of the Americans. They haven't had jerky in a long time so we all enjoyed the bag. Thank you so much. The dinner sounds nice. And I bet you are very excited to be done with work. I am looking for dice here in a few places so we will see if I can find them but I think a game night would be awesome. We had zone conference this last week with the president and it was really good. I love learning from the president. I got a mission pin for my suit because Elder Card and I baptized a family so that was cool to get with everyone there. I learned a lot about the Book of Mormon and missionary stuff. Fri we had our district come to our area and we got in two groups to go contacting. It was pretty good. We got 8 or so investigators. And Sunday we had I think 5 investigators at church which was really awesome for once. I'm really hoping that things progress with a few of them. My shoes are doing good. The rockports for some reason have really worn the soles. I will send a pic soon. I walk a lot some days. I got a couple blisters but nothing horrible. But my feet are peeling real bad and I do have some sores and things here and there. Also, I don't like to talk about it but my knees get pretty sore. Dumb bad knees. I finally got the conference Liahona last week and the issue for this month. The talks are so good. Things are good and I'm getting to be more myself in teaching and staying positive. I'm excited for you and the no salt thing, way to go. Your diet sounds incredible. I know you can keep it up. When I show our family picture everyone comments on how young you look. And I say I have the best mom ever. I love you and pray for you all the time. Glad you're my mom and want to give you a big hug. Jessie Stevens said that she thinks since you raised me I should get to call you on Father's day. I agree haha. Love you Mom and talk again soon.

Will Get My Package Tomorrow - June 13, 2011

Yesterday was stake conference and it was really good. President Maravilla spoke about missionary work. It was really good. I asked the ap's if there was a package for me and they said there is. I will get it tomorrow at our meeting. I'm so excited for it. That would be way cool to travel in Guatemala. I want to go and see things with someone that knows where to go. As my mission comes to an end I'm really going to ask if you can pick me up if you want to. You would have fun with the Mortensens. Sounds like a lot of people came to RJ's farewell, Holly is so nice to come all the way from California for mine and for RJ's. Home at 2am, yikes. I'm glad great grandma is hearing about my mission. The week was not too bad, still need a lot of improvement and need more families as investigators. This week we went to do service for a member but she only had one machete and it was not sharp so we said we would try again another day. On the way home we saw a couple guys shoveling a huge 5x5 pile of rocks outside his house so we offered to help. We shoveled for almost two hours. Elder Card and I went none stop filling wheel barrow after wheel barrow but we did the whole pile of rocks. I felt really good about the service even though I was so sore in my back and arms. We went back yesterday to make a contact out of it but I'm not sure if he is that interested, but the service was still good. Our fireside is no longer the talk video. The ward has kinda taken it over from us so I'm not sure how it will turn out. They do things a bit different but I hope for the best. That's something I am trying, to be always positive and enthusiastic and enjoy myself with the work. I am not letting them take over our game idea. It would be lots of fun. Another difficult week of not getting many new people and not having progressing investigators but I have a lot to learn so I will keep working and learning all I can. I love you and think about you a lot. What are you doing now with your summer? Are you completely done with school yet?
Thanks for the game rules and the letter. I will write you next week about my wonderful package. Love you mom, you're the best! Mwah!

Guatemala Shirts

Rain Gear

Kuxin

Sink, Kitchen, Desks, Beds of House

Corinne and David got their Letters - June 6, 2011

I'm glad the letters got there. I have really enjoyed writing to Corinne and sharing with her kids and her. That is so cool David came by and that he is going to Mexico. That will be cool with his company, I'm proud of him. I did have the interview with the President. He asked how my Spanish is coming and how things are going. I told him we are not having so much success in our area so he referred me to some things to study in "Preach My Gospel" on working with members. We are trying to do that. Next week we have an activity to help get more references, it is a fireside that me and Elder Card organized. It is a talk by one of the general authorities. Hope it works out. That's nice that you have a break. You need it. That is so cool that the pool is going to start soon. In your last letter I got I read how Scott found his ring. That is so amazing. What are the chances of that? So our trash here is bad. In the cities there is more of a trash system but in the smaller towns people just chuck it or burn it on the street. We have a guy that comes every Tuesday to pick it up, it usually is 5 quets to do it but last week they did it for free. The trash is sad cause it is so pretty here. A week and a half ago we were in the chapel before church started and we felt a small earthquake shake the building. It was crazy. And there has been a few days were the lighting has none stop lit up the sky and the thunder was so loud and non stop. I have never experienced anything like it before. We also have had a little problem with finding a mouse in our kitchen a few days. We now have to keep our bread in the fridge and our other food in a covered pot. Stupid rodents. So something really cool happened to me. I was reading Mosiah 26 and I was able to liken it to me so much. I put my name as Alma. Because the people had a lot of unbelief so he poured out his whole soul to God and God said blessed are thee for thy faith and works. And things were better. I have been having very little success in this area and this chapter was exactly what I was going through. I applied it to myself so much it was crazy. I'm not getting my hopes down though. We are working more with members and have a couple good people we are teaching so I will keep working my hardest and enjoying myself. What are the rules for the dice game Bunkle? We are also trying to plan a game night for members and investigators and I could not remember the rules. Also if you think of any other fun dice or card games. I bought a really awesome Guatemala shirt here this week that I will send you a pic of. It is rockin. Things are pretty good and I'm growing everyday. Your letters and the letters of family and friends really help. Thank you so much for all you do. I love you and hope you're doing well. Enjoy yourself and I keep praying for the weather to be good so you can start the pool. That would be so nice, I can't wait to swim again. Love you so much. Talk to you soon.