Longest Shortest Week Ever!

HI FAMILY! Holy cow longest/shortest week ever! so my hands are frozen right now so it is super hard to write, but this week FLEW by, but longest because every day was jammed pack with enough things to be a week long, so basically I just lived through 7 weeks in one! This last week was just full of contacting and setting appointments only to have them fall, and turn out to not be interested in the least bit, all day every day, we were pretty down and discouraged, my comp more than me, but the Lord has given us so many miracles this week and we have a lot of investigators progressing which is so great! We just saw the bad but when we took a step back we saw really how much work and how much the lord has blessed us! So ya it is super hard opening an area and training at the same time! having to do everything, get to know the area the busses where we eat the house, get to know the ward and the members gain their confidence and try to get the missionary program rolling again here, every night I have been wiped out, literally going to bed as soon as we can, but it is such a good feeling when you are tired, it is a feeling of satisfaction. I’ve never slept this well before! So this week we gave service, BUT so different then the service in Zacapa, in Zacapa we were building houses out of scraps of wood and anything we could find, here we enter the security gate, walk down the street where the houses look like where Alex and Ryan are living (see photo)

enter the house and he wants us to cut his grass, the member we came with had a machine but he only brought a machete, so we cut his back lawn, (see photos before and after) that was done with a machete and hand so I am still in Guatemala but I feel like I am in Utah sometimes!

So where we live is up in the mountains and the clouds are so low we are like in the clouds, this last week was a little warmer and didn’t rain at all until yesterday, so it was like perfect weather! Clear blue skies a slight breeze, it was crazy I felt like I was up in Brain Head or Park City on a clear summer day, it is truly amazing here. I sent the letter with all my memories in it this last Tuesday so look for that and let me know once you get it! Also you asked about nana if something should happen call the mission and tell them and then they will tell me, or have you call me; I think that would be the best thing. So Elder Arce is my zone leader, it is AWESOME! It is such a party, and we will probably do divisions tomorrow with them super stoked to be with him again. So training is good, it requires a lot of patience but a different kind then with past comps, I am literally teaching him everything, but he is starting to get it figured out and adjusting to the mission life, I forgot how big of a change it is, and how crazy Guatemala is even where we are, I am grown so used to Guatemalan life that having a greenie reminds me that these things aren’t supposed to be normal but are! 4 people on a motor cycle with the mom breastfeeding while texting or talking on a phone, or jumping off the busses, we were on the bus and it started leaving before we had gotten off completely well I got off but my comp no, and he panicked and froze, I told him to jump (because the sooner you jump the slower the bus is going!) but he didn’t like my philosophy so we had them stop the bus so he could safely get off. (Rereading that makes me sound horrible and cruel, but I promise I’m not) So our bishop looks exactly like Ryan, EXACTLY, it is crazy. Ok so one of the miracles we had was yesterday, after church we were going to go on splits with 2 elders preparing to leave for the mission, and they came but one brought his friend to talk to us, so my comp left with the other guy, and I stayed to talk and teach this guy a little. Never have I seen the spirit work on someone as strong as it did with him. We got talking then started and he had some great questions and I explained the Restoration to him and answered all the questions that he had with that lesson and the scriptures. I have never felt the spirit so strong before an see it work, he was just beaming so stoked and felt so good, then the best part is when I explained how he can know also for himself, and he was so eager to pray and ask and receive his answer. I explained that really fast but it was probably one of the neatest lessons I’ve been in, and it really humbled me and reminded me of the joy of missionary work, that we really are hero’s to these people and that what we bring them will change their lives. He said the closing prayer kneeling and asked right then and there if it is true, it was awesome. It was just me, and the other kid, but he is not a missionary yet so he just bore his testimony but ah"! The whole thing was truly amazing! We also have another family that is of Gold, he contacted us and said he wants to be baptized, super golden so we are teaching them, but first we have to get them married and also find him another job because he only works Saturdays and Sundays. So it will be a little work with them but they are both willing and really want to change their lives around. This week was hard work but we have seen so many miracles and I love being here as a missionary doing missionary work! It is so amazing to see how many people are truly prepared for this gospel. I have never felt this much joy from my services and seen so many results, I love being out here, and I love what I am doing, this church is so amazing and really blesses families and is AMAZING. I love you all and truly miss you but I also love it here! Elder Call