Bad News!

     Hey family! How’s it going? Well not much really happened this week.... well ok a lot happened this week. Well I will first start out with the bad news... but I will give you 5 bad things. 1. My mp3 got stolen. 2. I’m coming home. 3. I broke my leg. 4. I ran away and am now writing this at a member’s house. And, 5. My camera got stolen..... Ok well I gave you 5 bad things but only one is true, but I gave all 5 so it wouldn’t seem so bad! My mp3 got stolen... which is fine because I knew it would just not 3 weeks into Guatemala.  They hire some outside cleaners to come and clean, and I had it under my pillow and they must clean good to clean under my pillow:) but esta bien, porque it had church music on it so they will become converted. (Or just throw it away) jokes on them though, I still have to chord to charge it and to change things on it! Ha-ha don’t worry about sending me another one, it will just get stolen again.       This last week I’ve been sick with a cough, but that’s only it a cough, nothing else like fever or throwing up, I had the worst stomach ache this week cause we had to take some pills for the worms inside our bellies, and there was an epic battle going on inside my belly for a couple days, they just wouldn’t die, but eventually they did.
      I got a haircut this week and I look like a naked mole rat, I hate haircuts but you already know that. Oh and to trim everything they used a real live razor! Like one dad uses to clean windows and such! Super sketchy! But they freakin know what they’re doing cause I look good!
     Well this past week the old Latinos left, and old North Americans to their missions so we got new Latinos and new nortes, and we down sized! I no longer get a Latino comp! It’s pretty stupid I would have loved to have another one, but it has brought our district together cause we now eat and do everything together.  And we taught some of the new nortes and they teach us, and MAN! I didn’t realize how much I had learned! Because they were horrible! Ha-ha granted it was their first day so they actually did really good, but they like worshiped us cause they thought we gave a perfect lesson, but in two weeks they will know how bad we really were! The language is coming slowly I still have so much work left to do! And am super nervous but yet super stoked to get out to the field. I can’t think about it or else I get too distracted and stoked!
     Well Sunday you taught your lesson and I taught mine... in Español, they randomly called on me and Elder Bruderer so we had to give it.  Thanks for the package! And thanks for sending another one! But now stop it! It is expensive!!! But I sure do love them. 
     Umm dad the last letter I got was number 5 I think, so hopefully the other ones will come soon.  This is weird I now have nothing else to write about.  The CCM is taking its toll on me, I have gained weight and now look like a shorter dad, it’s actually kinda cool! ha-ha umm every night I go to bed at like 1032 ish or lay in bed and some nights not all the time but some nights I think about you guys! So ya think about me then and then we would be thinking about each other at the same time! There is nothing like time here in the CCM, the days feel like weeks but the weeks feel like days they just fly by. It’s crazy I will be in the field in two weeks!  Oh FYI 1. We get to email the Tuesday we go out, so not this one but the next one. So just be ready for that, so it doesn’t surprise you again, and 2. I sent a bunch of letters today! None to you though because I get to email you guys!
     Well I am out of time, I love you guys just know that.  I am still stoked to be out here! It is hard to still be in the CCM and stay busy. Dad you know your favorite movie Groundhog Day? Well be jealous because I am living that movie right now!!! Minus the killing myself and being able to be out in a city. That is how the CCM feels! But I still love it! Mom how is the new helicopter? Super jealous! And love you guys.  Can’t wait to hear from you next week and don’t worry about me.  Oh real quick I did the Temple today in Spanish! Super sweet! Well love you guys!
Elder Call

July 19, 2011 Thanks to everyone that wrote me letters!!!

Hey yañ! (no idea what that means) well I didn’t get a email from you today but it’s ok cause that should give me more time to respond, and they said I could probably come print one off tomorrow so still send one. And I will print it off and read it later. I received a lot of emails from friends; it’s so good to hear from them! But just let them know I can’t email back, I can only email family in the CCM, so I will write them all a letter! Tell everyone thank you for all the love and support!! And tell Julie thanks for the email.  So I am emailing today a day early because all the Latinos left for their missions this Monday and Tuesday, and all the North Americans got to go out on a culture field trip. Haha oh boy am I not in Utah anymore!! It is so crazy here! AH I am so stoked to go out and just get to work!

so I saw houses that literally look like the ones you see in movies like slumdog millionaire or the houses in brazil, or in blood diamond (did I just refer to two R rated movies?) if I did I saw them on TV or just heard about them.... but ya straight up ghetto sad sad day, it is so crazy how poor some of the neighborhoods are, I got plenty of pictures that I can send you.  But then we went to a mall and it was nicer than any mall I’ve ever been in!

so I will start from the beginning, this morning we first went to a giant 3d mad of Guatemala and they have these towers that look over it all so we can see everything and where we are and where our mission is, it was really cool, and he explained how the Book of Mormon ties into it all, it is some crazy stuff! These people are the Laminates!! So EXCITING!! AH! Then we went to a market, this place was HUGE three stories of just little dickens festival stores, so cool I bought two sick Guatemalan Soccer jerseys and a poncho shirt thing which I am so stoked to wear! They had a fruit market and a meat market with straight up cows! Haha super awesome. I got my shoes shined there for 3 Q's! Super cheap that’s like 40 cents, and I hate shining shoes so I want to go there every week. Then we went to a museum thing of this ancient city which is connected to a huge mall! Where we got to eat! I ate at subway got a Pepsi (is that a sin?) then I was still hungry so I ate at Dominos! Ah man a Hawaiian pizza never tasted so good; all in all I spent about 270 Q's which is like 35 dollars ish on everything so I feel good. While we were in the mall I honestly felt like I was in the US straight up it was weird they had all these American stores and restaurants, like an IHOP! And CHILES! But ya, it was weird to be in the world but not of it, definitely tested my faith made me not feel homesick but miss it a little, walking into the Nike store! But I didn’t need anything; I wanted stuff but didn’t need ;)

I don’t know if you could tell but I love it here! It’s not UTAH for sure but that is what makes me love it! I love the people here I just want to bear hug them and ah!

Ok I got your package in Friday the 15! And oh man was I stoked!! You guys seriously have out done your selves, I couldn’t have asked for a better package! You packed it so good. It was AMAZING! I am rationalizing it (wrong spelling but saving the candy to make it last 3 more weeks) but I love it so much! And the PENS! How did you know I liked the Pilot G"-05/07's? You guys are awesome thank you so much! It truly made my month here!

Well Elder Choy left today for my mission SUR, he goes to Peru but doesn’t have a visa yet so he is temporarily in my mission. 

Dad your letter number 4 was so good, idk what made it so good but I loved it, and I love receiving letters! It truly makes things so much better! The down side of going out is that you realize how much Spanish you don’t know! Haha but it will motivate me to work harder learning Spanish.  I am so stoked to get out! And DO WORK!! WOOT WOOT. We get to go to the temple tomorrow; it was closed for the last two weeks, so ya I am excited for that.

Well the weather here is super nice a steady like 73-78 all day every day, I truly feel bad for you guys suffering in the heat, while I am here in paradise, and it rains so much! I love it! Basically every day around 3-5 in the afternoon and at night. Well I am out of time but just know how much I love you guys and how much I love it here! Super stoked to be here if you couldn’t tell and miss you guys but am glad I am here! Good luck to you all this week and ya... I love you!!

Elder Call

Can You Believe I'm In Guatemala!

Wow so I received that email and was over whelmed that thing was so long!! Haha but I read through until the blog updates.  Well first off thank you dad for those letters I got two of them Monday! It was so sweet, and I also got one from Bo, he's a stud love him, you can tell me that if you see him. Dad thank you for the advice I really think that will help, and I will take implementing that into everything.  I don’t remember what I wrote on July 6th so if I was negative or down I’m sorry, things are completely different now! I love it here! It’s the best.

 I figured out how to enter! I have to hit alt then 013 so tell Alex that it is not as easy just to hit random buttons.

But anywho yesterday we were supposed to go out to the plaza and prosolite (spelling) but I guess that there was a huge riot there yesterday haha! So we didn’t get to go to the plaza instead we got to just go down the street we are on, which is like a busy highway, so me and elder Choy went out and oh my goodness am I in trouble!! Because they were not speaking Spanish, the first guy I went up to him and just went for it, then he replied and I just looked at Choy and he just soared! he would look at me to come in but I would just shake my head because I was so lost, then I would hear a word I recognized and then I would testify haha a little two liner here and there, but ya after that I would start it, he would take over, and then I would testify we placed two Libros and got 4 peoples info to hear from the missionaries more, it was way fun but after I was so tired! And that was only for 2 hours I can’t imagine a whole day of doing that. Oh and half way through of doing that it just started down pouring! Like DUMPED! it rained so hard on us, luckily I had my umbrella so I busted that out and we huddled under a tree with that by the street but then a river started flowing through the street (ya that’s how bad it dumped) probably the worst since I’ve been here, and cars started slashing the water up onto us so then we just gave up and walked back to the CCM I was dry, but I think Elder Choy got a little soaked, IDK because I shared my umbrella! BTW the Ecco shoes are amazing! I am so glad we got those they held up so well out there, my feet were perfectly dry! And everyone else’s weren't so HA! In their face. I get crap for them because they are like the heavy duty all terrain shoes and I’m just sitting inside all day. It’s like having the BF Goodrich mud-terrain around town and never takes them out, but oh when I take them out they wreak havic!

So the weather is perfect here it is seriously like a dream here in the mornings, it’s usually clear skies and the temp is always just so nice! ALWAYS! Then in the afternoon a storm blows in and just dumps, it doesn’t even blow in, it just takes it sweet time, just a slight breeze its perfect! But ya then it dumps!

So the food here is interesting, I have had some of the best and worst things here.  The juice is amazing I have had like every single kind of juice possible, pineapple with lime is my favorite! By far it was so good, but ya we have had so crazy juices with ruits that they don’t even have in the USA, WHO KNEW?!?! But the food here is hit and miss, sometimes it is way good and sometimes ya... refried black beans look like the most nasty stuff in the world, but they taste so good, I love them! Oh and they have ice cream novelties here, for every meal just a big freezer full of them, that’s why I am gaining weight! DAD would die, they are so good!  Oh man a couple are even better then American but for the most part America still wins.

So all in all if you take anything away from this just know that I love it here! Can’t speak Spanish! And love the people! I just want to wrap Guatemala up in a giant bear hug, but... ya that would be viewed as weird so I won’t, I am so motivated to just do work and learn, but don’t get me wrong this is still way hard I’ve never been challenged or pushed like this ever before in my life, and the days are long and hard but still just super stoked! Dads letter helped about not taking things too seriously and just love, so ya. I love you guys! And hope all is well on the western front, we watched the testament Sunday and I love that it is super good! Ah!!! Love it and I want to be like those prophets and like Holland and just stand in all things and testify of the truth, I never want people to question that I know. 

So a couple questions if my calculations are correct the tour de France is going on right now? UPDATES! Send that in a different email so I don’t waste time reading it I will print it off, and FIREWORKS?!? How is that new law? Sounds sketchy, I miss fireworks, anything else going on? I will probably take some money out we are going to the market next Tuesday and just out on the town! We will eat and shop and bargain and get mugged!! I am so stoked, every shop has a guard here with a shot gun it is so crazy! There are so many different guns here and so many people wit them, EVERY STORE has a guard with guns it is so crazy. Well LOVE YOU GUYS and love everyone, tell people they are letting me down by not writing me!

Love you

-Elder Call-

Wow, Where To Even Start!!!

Ok Joke... how do you dry something out in Guatemala? .... YOU DONT!!! haha wow where to even start?!? i feel stressed cause i want to write so much! but i have such little time, ive been keeping a list of things throughout the week of things to tell  you guys, the keyboards are different here kind of hard to figure out so bear with me, i am just going to just jump around and tell you as much as i can. Oh and i still haven’t figured out how to enter, no one has.  yet. Wow so i have mixed feelings here, the CCM is great, it is really so nice, a lot nicer then provo, i got a new comp elder bruderer instead of penfold and he is pretty cool, i miss penfold though he was the man, and a good comp, he is now zone leader here with his comp.  We are givin a norte americano comp and a latino comp, a latino comp we eat meals with him and group meetings with him. His name is elder Choy from Guatemala he is such a short guy, and by fare the shyest guy here in the ccm, he doesn’t talk much but i try to talk to him, he knows no english, not even a lick! there are some latinos here that actually speak really good english so they help translate. i started teaching him english in the afternoons which is way fun! so we get sports everyday, and there are two basket ball courts one for basketball and one for soccer, the first day we were totally separated north americans and latinos on the two separate courts and i went and tried to play soccer but got schooled way bad! haha the next day i actually focused and did a lot better. The rain here is so crazy, it will be clear and then just DUMP rain for like ten minutes and just rain so hard.  Today is actually the first really nice day. Sunny and all.  Sleeping i just sleep with a sheet, it is pretty warm and humid here!! so no blankets for me.  Ok so fast sunday i fasted a full 24 hours! Aren’t you proud of me!?! it was crazy and the lord truly helped me cause i never have done that before.  They asked everyone in centeral america to fast for the protection of the members here in centeral america.  and included the scriptures d & c 88:91 and first nephi 22: 16, kinda sketchy stuff, but honestly everything is so good here. we are super safe and not even ever scared. So we listened to a talk by elder holland and he is such a man, motivates me to be so much better. oh man i remember that was sunday and from that point on i am just super motivated to just do work! ok well i don’t have much time left so i am going to deviate from my things and just talk.... it was weird thinking about the fourth of july and what you guys were doing, i won’t lie i miss home, but i am not homesick, i am still focused and ya it gets tough here, super tough but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.  With the latinos it was crazy how well we get along.  the first day we were separated but after that we get along super well which really surprised me, idk why because i was never racist or whatever but they are honestly just like me and you, i love them, and i love joking with them. i joke a lot with them, more than all the other americans, oh! i scored a goal yesterday agaisnt them, NBD haha my soccer buddies would be proud, i will be so good by the time i get back. during service saturday morning i got my first bug bite, from a mesquito i think, still hasn’t gone away, but i got some cream for it so don’t worry, but my first one! I’m stoked! we went to the Guatemala temple  friday because it is closing for two weeks which was super cool, as always, it was in english luckily.  Elder oaks spoke to us... haha from provo in April! but anywho he looks so much like uncle Jay and Uncle Alan its crazy how much they look alike.  The food here is so good! they do a good job switching it up and even feeding us american food, we had burgers and steaks, but also the straight up Guatemalan stuff like black beans and eggs with the sauce. the CCM is pretty small, it is weird just being in one building with food and meeting hall on the first flood, dorms on 2nd floor and class rooms on third floor.  I kind of get sick of it but it’s ok we go tracking next tuesday!! it is going to be super crazy we are going to their central park and just straight up tracking! wish me luck. Umm we can get dear elders here and they come twice a week here, so PLEASE send me some! i am dying not hearing from you guys and only being able to write once a week, i will write you a letter tonight and they say it takes about 10 days or a week to get to you guys so not as bad as what i thought.  They also play music here throughout the day which is something i love! and my music is great but the speakers aren’t loud at all!! but it’s ok i will look for some others.  I bought a Guatemalan bag today along with some american candy at this little store they set up every wednesday for us. But ya if anything know that i love it here! it is so great, and i wish i could tell you guys about everything but  i don’t have time.  This is really hard! but i love you guys and love it here, it’s not easy for sure, but that’s life and the lord is truly helping me, Only 5 more weeks here in the CCM! It’s crazy.! i love you guys! 
-Elder Call  love you!!!

Here is a picture taken upon their arrival at the Guatemala CCM (MTC) last week. Chad is 2 rows back and one person to the right of the CCM mission president. You can go the website to find more information regarding the Guatemalan CCM at http://guatemalaccm.com