Looking Forward to Conference - September 26, 2011

So I have not got any letters from the ward yet. Your dearelder for Sept 11 was received on the 22. I don't remember much about the missionary lessons outside, crazy. I love the temple puzzle ideas that sounds way great. The Bountiful or San Diego temple would be good pictures. Tell Brent Beus I'm proud of him. He will be great in the bishopric. He is such a good guy and my friend. I will have to write them again and tell him my congrats. So Jessica´s Aruba trip was great. She went to the beach a lot and did snorkeling with her sisters but I can't remember if she did any dives. I think she did. But they went parasailing, with the parachute and a boat and enjoyed the food at the beach restaurants. She enjoyed it but said she wouldn't go again cause she wants to see new places. I can't wait to go somewhere fun after the mission.

I think both those shoes sound wonderful. I'm already excited for them. The slip on and the lace would be great. I was thinking about a slip on. I think the 2 year warranty is an amazing idea too. Thank you so much Mom. I was looking around here but the shoes are not waterproof and are ok. I think size 11 will be perfect. You're so good to me sending me shoes. I love David and that he loved the pics. We do have a lot of great pics from Europe. He is so kind to send me health supplements. It's good too because I'm starting to get to the end of the calcium and multi vit that we bought. Now I'm super excited for the shoes, health stuff, peanut butter, and dice. I can understand on Survivor now when they see peanut butter and go crazy for it, it is delicious and you don't get it that much here. I eat some bananas but I need to eat more bananas and more fruit. I did not know that about the fleas. We have a nurse that talks with the drs. If I need some meds I will let you know. That might not be a bad idea to send some. That is sad and scary for Lois. I will keep her in my prayers more. I hope she gets better.

This week we didn't have any baptisms. We have marriage and divorce problems with a couple families. One family is now ready to be married but the wife because it's her first marriage wants rings and a dress. So the branch president and some others are going to see what we can do to help them get those and get married before the date they planned of Nov 5. We are trying for this month. They are really good members and people. Another woman is ready we have taught her and she will be baptised after conference. And there is a guy who has had a hard past with drugs and drinking and wants to change. I shared with him about my life a little and how I didn't go to church but I changed and now I'm blessed. He is feeling that God loves him again and is progressing alot. He read so much in the Book of Mormon. We are going to help him be baptised this month. Kinda a slow week though. Not many new people. My companion is about to go home in Nov and sometimes he gets a little baggy. That's what the missionaries call it when someone thinks of home a lot. A couple days it was a little hard to get us out working. But we are doing good. I started talking with him sometimes in Spanish but with a southern or Texas Spanish accent. It makes us laugh a lot and we like it. We also were having fun in our house one night making up terrible dance moves. I hit 7 months this last week. I only have 13 changes left. That is so crazy. Changes are every 6 weeks. Time sometimes feels so slow but it is also going by extremely fast. Time will be over before I know it so I need to make the most out of all of it. I didn't hear about the earthquakes. The last time I felt an earthquake was a couple months ago in Samayac. Kinda scary though. I love hearing from you and getting your letters. I really can't tell you how much they help me work hard and feel more happy. Family is a blessing and I'm extremely blessed with mine. Conference is this weekend and I'm excited for my first conference in the field. I love listening to conference. I'm excited to talk with you again about the different talks so you better watch which I know you will. Sending all my love and keeping you in my prayers. Will try to send more pics. Until next week. Love you Mom, Love Son

This is for David. Hello Kitty de Guatemala!


Elder Perez and I before service for someone

What Our Meals Are Like - September 19, 2011

Thank you for the baptism info. I thought Grandpa baptized me. So I was 11 when I was baptised? I was considered a convert baptism then I think because it was past the age of 8. I do not remember that. Interesting the people that were there. Yeah the inside of the Rockport shoes completely came out and is destroyed. I'm going to try to look for another pair of shoes here. The Eccos are wonderful but the design I picked is not waterproof so if I get another pair I want it to be waterproof. I think I would like another pair of Eccos, cause you're right I have 18 months still. My shoes are a size 44 Europe, I don't think the Eccos are in US sizes, but it's about a 10 1/2. I will let you know what I find here. Thank you for dating the dearelders. I agree with you I think it will be interesting to see when I get them. I love that you write me every Sunday don't stop. No baptisms this week. The little kid is impossible to find so he is a no right now and we have three families but they have problems waiting for papers that say they are divorced or one family the papers say she is still married so she has to get that worked out first. It is sad cause they are so ready to be members but it is just the time and waiting for paper stuff. We have another woman that will not accept a baptism date so we keep trying. We did have a really good first lesson with another woman and she accepted our invitation to be baptised. I chose the date but did not think, the date I chose is the same day as conference. We thought we could change it to this coming Saturday but she didn't come to church. So if she comes to conference she can be baptised the following weekend. My talk went well. It was on reverence and it was a little hard finding resources to use. But I did ok other then the fact that even though I practised my talk a few times and it was fine, Sunday I was under 5 minutes. Whoops. But not too bad, the next talk will be better. I'm loving my companion. I really feel like myself around him. We love the same music and movies and we joke around a lot and have fun, he is way relaxed. I'm grateful for my companion. I think he might be someone I could visit here in Guatemala after my mission. The hot showers are nice but sometimes the cold shower is nice and I just think it is like when I jump in some lakes, it's not too bad. My clothes are doing really well other then a couple pairs of socks and my Rockports. It's always hot here and I sweat all the time, I have never been this sweaty before. The other day after church we were at our cook's house and we had to stay there for a couple hours cause it rained so hard, the streets were really flooding. All of our cook's windows are uncovered except for a couple blankets. There was a big pool of water on their floor in the living room so we helped them clean it up. We usually eat beans and eggs with bananas for dinner. Lunch is meat usually, it is soup with a chicken leg in it sometimes too. Yesterday it was meat with tomato sauce stuff and tortillas. I like it but I think sometimes the food has a lot of fat or grease. Oh I had some cooked bananas that were cooked with sugar and cinnamon. They were so good. I thought of a couple things for the next package. I will think of what else I like. 6 dice for playing games and a big jar of creamy peanut butter, the peanut butter here is small and about 42 quets. I love your letters and I love writing to you. It really helps me when I get a little discouraged, the letters give me the biggest happiness and the boost I need to work hard. I am sending a letter to Jentry. Let me know if you hear anything about people getting my letters. I'm so excited for general conference in a week. I can't believe it is time again, I love it. The mission and the weeks are going by so fast. I love you so much Mom and love talking about you and talking to you. Before you know it we will be talking on the phone for Christmas. Excited for that very much, I am. That sounded like the way Yoda talks, haha. Well I love you Mom and will anxiously await your next letters of love. You're the best mom ever! Love Elder Son

Quetzal - September 12, 2011

My companion and I are doing really really well. We are getting along joking and laughing, and teaching well. We are slowly getting to know the area but it is big and hard to find all the members. Coatepeque is actually part of Quetzaltanango. The suitcase was crazy. Thanks for looking for my baptism info. So we get a little over 2,000 quets a month, can't remember exactly how much. Rent is 425 each, our cook for lunch and dinner everyday but Monday is 500 each, and laundry is 100. It is actually really a good deal. Money from the States can really go far here. One quetzal is worth about 13 cents in US dollars. Can't think of anything I need right now. Did my Rockport shoes have any warranty? They are wearing out way bad and one shoe is not completely waterproof anymore. The biggest thing that makes me mad is that the shoes have worn a hole and are destroying my shoe insert you sent. Might look into a pair of waterproof shoes here. Thank you for checking my balance, I don't check it because of the fees. I will write you when I spend money from it. Sounds like fun that everyone was there at Peach Days. I miss the parade but most of all thinking about the dutch oven lunch is difficult. And peach shakes with bacon sandwiches sounds so so yummy. So sometimes our water goes out at our house and we have to take showers from a bucket of water. I have gotten used to it and sometimes when we have water in the morning I still use the bucket because I heat up the water. Warm showers are the best and here if I want one I have to heat the water. When you write Dear Elders can you include the date? It is not always there and because we get them at different times that helps me know when it is from. Back pain is better this week but because the roads are made of rocks and dirt my legs get so tired at the end of the day. My right knee has been really hurting. Another crazy thing, the last couple months I have been weighing myself. Entering the field I was around 175, in June I was 161, Aug I was down to 157, and now I am at 151 lbs. I don't know if part of it is the scale could be a little inaccurate but still that is a lot of weight difference. Crazy. Things are good. I'm getting to know more people here and enjoy my companion a lot more then my last companion. We have a talk to give next week and hopefully this Saturday we will have some baptisms. There was a problem with finding the little kid to be baptised Saturday so we didn't do it. I'm really excited for conference next month. Time is going by so fast in my mission it is crazy. I almost have seven months and before I know it I will have a year. I'm trying to learn a lot. Right now I'm trying to find how to get more out of my scripture studies. Love you so much and think about you and the family a lot. I love you and am glad to serve a mission and bless my family. Until next week Mom, it will go by fast again. Love you so much and pray for you too. I mailed 2 more letters, to Nana and my Jessica.
Love son.

My New Casa

My ripped suitcase before I sewed it up

My buddies - out 6 months together

Osman - one of the coolest people in Samayac

New Companion & Area - September 5, 2011

I did have changes. My new companion is Elder Perez of Guatemala City. He is very chill and I think we will work great together. We already are getting along very well. He learned English during his mission and can speak really well. He has been out 20 months and will probably end his mission here. My new area is Zone Coatepeque, area Magnolia. It is hot here too. But it is very different from Samayac and very pretty. It is a lot quieter then Samayac too. There is one area with houses on the side of the street and trees and it makes me think of California. But other areas the road is just pebbles and rocks that are in the ground. My house is really nice once again. We live on the 2nd floor above a member and it is pretty big. We have our pila inside this time which is really nice for washing dishes but we no longer have a hot shower and the bathroom is small but I really like it. My companion and I are both new here and don't know anyone so it is a little difficult finding our way around and getting to know the members. Our cook cooks us lunch and dinner everyday but Monday for 500 quets. Her name is Joyce and she is really nice. I like her and her family. The church is a little smaller but very nice and we are getting to know many people here. We have 6 investigators that can be baptized this month. So I was so excited for changes and my first change meeting that I was bursting at the seems, literally. My smaller suitcase ripped open below the zipper and along it for more then 2 feet. Luckily nothing feel out and I sewed it back shut. But it was disappointing and very hard to fit everything in the 2 bags. I really like Coatepeque.

I have no idea right now about Christmas things. I will think about it. That would be so cool if you learn Spanish. I support you in that. That is way cool about the growth in Central America. I believe it. But at the same time a big problem here that I think is a problem everywhere is inactive members. Many people in Samayac and here in Magnolia are inactive. I love David and how he is part of the family. His last letter was so funny. No one from the ward has written me yet, other then the Bues´ a while ago. I am thinking of writing the bishop. I got a letter from Jentry that was really nice. I am writing Jentry, Nana, Bro Esthmeyer my friend from the temple, and Jessica Stevens for her bday this week on the 8th. I am really going to miss Peach Days and the peaches, peach shakes, peach cobbler, and dutch oven. But when I return I will eat a lot.
I will send some more pics and other things. I love getting your emails and letters every week. Don't ever stop they really make me so happy. I love you so much and can't explain how much I love you. Our cook Joyce got sealed to her family this Saturday and it made me think how excited I am to go to the temple with you after my mission.
I have been having some lower back pain again this last week, some days pretty bad. I don't really know what to do. I hate my back and don't know exactly what is wrong with it.
Question. I know I was baptised in 1996 but would you be able to write me and tell me when and where. I really cant remember.

I love you mom and am excited to write you next week and tell you more about my experiences here and my adventures. My Spanish is getting so much better. I love you with all my heart. Take care Mom, hugs and kisses.
Love Elder Son