Remember Cristo!

Straight killing it out here in GUAT!!! No joke when I say that! We killed three dogs this week in the microbuses haha un poco (a little) ugly haha! My new comp is the chilliest and I realized you could have fun on a mish. To all that are getting ready to go on a mission, have fun while you are working! You will have more success!

We have found a ton of people this week. We are praying to baptize and we might baptize this Sunday! We also had our Christmas party this week and that was a blast! I got to see my best friend Elder Gallacher and that was sick! We got to watch a couple videos like that new Christmas music video with piano guys and David Archuleto! That was sweet! Then we played a bunch of games!



I don’t have any crazy stories for you guys this week. I think it is because I am getting use to all the crazy stuff that happens everyday. We are always taking buses and all the bus drivers know us and we are their helpers! We hang off the sides of the bus and yell VILLA CANNALES! VILLA CANALES! Haha just living it up!

We have a bunch of super dope things happening in the next few weeks! We are going to the temple next Tuesday so if I don’t write, that is why. Also, the first week of January we get to train two young men, who are waiting for their calls, how to be missionaries!!! They are going to live with us for 1 week and we are going to teach them what we can! It’s going to be fun!

OK, so it's Christmas time! You should all enjoy it! One thing I love teaching about is the importance of families, ENJOY THIS TIME WITH FAMILY and REMEMBER CRISTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS
ELDER KENDALL

Fireworks All Day

We started the week with the Day of Mary.  This is where all the Catholics walk around following a shrine to the Mother Mary and shoot off fireworks all day!! At one point in the day, we had to walk through a crowd and it was nuts!!! Everyone is just like zombies! But it was sick because they used a strand of firecrackers that was no joke a kilometer long!!!!!!! It was nuts!  Everyone was also drunk so that was super fun as well! It’s a miracle nobody died that day.  I'm good at Spanish now so I just gave chicote to all the drunken people haha!

We had changes!!! I received Elder Falcon from Mexico! He is so sick! He only has 5 months in the mission and he is my trainer!!! We are straight newbies!  We have fun in the lessons and the people actually receive this better.  It's a little stressful because I have to take control of everything, and it's hard getting people from Jocotillo to our church 45 minutes away.  I was just dead so on p day so we took a nap!

This week we found so many people that are super pilas! We just have to find a way to bring them to church.  Pray for me, because my comp and I are still a little lost in Jocotillo!

I love you all and enjoy the snow in Utah...haha there isn't any! Love you all and thanks for the messages!  I can’t wait to see you guys on Christmas!!! It's hard being out here in the mission and just emailing!! I feel like my family is just something that was a dream! When I get to see your faces, it will be such a blessing!! I love you guys a ton!!!

Adios

Elder Kendall

A Jungle Tree

Well I almost have 4 months! How do you like our Christmas tree that I decorated?  I found it in the jungle.   Have you seen the new Christmas church video!!! It is awesome, it would be fun to work in that department when I get home, but we will see!

We had a reunion all of the new missionaries this week, my last one, as a new missionary! It was awesome to see all of my buds from the MTC.  When we returned to our area, we searched in this new section (our area is huge) and we found this crazy poor place in the jungle.  There were a bunch of little kids, who have never seen a white kid.  They were following us around - like in the movies when the white guy goes to Africa and all the kids love him. So sweet!

One day this week we were woken up at 4am because a bunch of crazy Catholics were shooting off fireworks and worshipping Mary.  The people are completely crazy here.  They also had a Day of the Devil, where they take piñatas of the devil and blow them up with fireworks.  It was actually kind of cool because everyone was doing it! 

Our Ward Members - we had great support at this baptism.

Well I love all of you and enjoy the season and the snow! (Lucky punks) 

ELDER KENDALL

Big White Guy

Hello!!!! This week was good! We baptized again, the only thing that is hard is having a comp that is finishing his mish. He just talks about home and it makes me a little jealous.  But I got your package!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best day of my life! Everything is awesome and perfect! Thank you for sending the printed pictures! I loved them!

I have a crazy story, I’m going to share but don’t be scared because I’m always safe and everyone is scared of me because I’m a big white guy hahaha!  Seriously, I’m big here which is actually kind of fun and sucks as well, they only make cars for midgets here.  So we had p day de Zona yesterday and we had to travel a ton to get to the place on time so we woke up at three and walked 40 minutes to where the bus passes!!  We were waiting at the bus stop and a truck rolls up and 4 people get out with bats and ski masks and start making a roadblock and then they started it on fire!  My comp and I were just sitting there wondering what is going on?  I guess they were protesting something.  We were all sad because we weren’t going to be able to leave the city! But we had the idea to go and stop the bus and turn it around before these people took over!  We ran down the street with a group of other people and stopped the bus and turned it around to get out of there! Then someone started shooting at the bus when we were driving out of there!!! I don’t think any of the bullets hit the bus but it was nuts! And I’m not sure if it’s against the rules to share this story but it was so tight, I wanted to share it.  GUAT IS NUTS!!!!! Jocotillo as well! 

We made it to Antigua for P day and it was so awesome! It’s a big tourist town that looks like an old Mexican town at the base of a big volcano! The best part was this crepe place that had the sickest vibe ever! The decorations and everything were awesome...and the FOOD!!!!! It was a blessing! 

We also had Zone conference this week and I got to see Elder Gallacher (my best mission friend) that was awesome.  I wish I could share everything about are investigators but we have too many to tell you about them all! We baptized Hermano Elder .  He is so awesome and will be an awesome member! For Thanksgiving, I bought a ton of food to make stuff and then the power went out... which happens all the time in Jocotillo.  But blessing, Hermana Ana hooked us up with plenty of food. That’s my week, and here I go to have another just like it! 

Thank you for everything you have done for me! Only 3 more weeks and then I get to see you! I love you a ton! Tell the family hi and enjoy the Christmas season, because I miss it!! 

TE AMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love every single one of you!
ELDER KENDALL

Sawed Off Shot Gun

This week was good! We had 2 baptisms!!! Which is awesome. We wanted to have 5 but things always happen. I’m going to try to keep this email sweet and short for you all, just the good stuff. We converted this lady who used to be a mob boss, no joke. When we go to her house, she is always sitting on the couch watching a movie with a sawed off shotgun in hand. So funny but she is the best!

We also got two of our investigators married so they can be baptized! They are awesome but for some reason they keep drinking freaking coffee... so we can't baptize them yet, but we have patience and faith!

We did baptize Jorge and Roxanna!  Always awesome to help people come to Christ. During their interviews I went on divisions with Elder Daybell from Utah and he is a Brand new missionary so guess who was señor comp...Elder Branson Kendall! Man it was awesome!!!! I’m so stoked to get out of training because it was fun.

What wasn’t fun is that I got so sick on Sunday! I was just throwing up, but we still had to work. We would have lessons and I would just walk out to throw up! But I was blessed for pressing forward because now I’m good.

For Pday we went on this five-mile hike to Agua Tivia! It’s this natural spring in this canyon and it was so pretty! The water was so clear and it was warm! We couldn’t get in because of the rules but the member that took us was swimming and he was making fun of us!! If I ever mention Hermano Christian, it’s this hombre that looks like Chris rock and he is hilarious. 

Well keep praying for Jocotillo so we can baptize enough to build a church here...we are close! I love you all and thank you to everyone that writes me!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I love you guys!!!! Enjoy thanksgiving!! I’m probably going to eat a little bit of chicken haha!!! Take some pictures of mashed potatoes so I can be jealous! Love you!
Branson

Closest I’ve got to chilling haha!

McDonalds & French Toast

Hello!

Right after last weeks pday, I went on divisions with the Zone leaders and that was super fun! We ate at McDonalds and the Zone Leader is American so that's always a little better. The next morning we ate a ton of French toast, which was awesome! I like being in different areas with different people. We have to travel a lot and whenever we travel we have to wake up at 3am, that’s always fun!

Not much new this week just the normal crazy Guatemala things. We are planning on baptizing 5 this week so pray for us! We also had divisions with the assistants and they spent the night in our house and that was just crazy! We don’t have electricity right now so pray for us;)

Thank you for everything!!! It's going by fast, I hear it's snowing a ton, I will try and not think about snowboarding! This computer won't let me send pictures so we are going somewhere different next time because I have some sweet pics!!!

I love you and tell the family hi for me and send me some pictures! I’m trying to make a Christmas card but I can’t find a Christmas hat hahaha! I love you a ton!
Love you!
Branson

Tiny Taxi

Did you know you could make pancakes in a microwave? I didn’t.

So funny story to start, we were driving here today to email and we were all in this tiny taxi.  It was just pumping with music! All these people in the taxi with us just started dancing and the driver was honking the beat of the song! I was like what is going on here, so funny. Everyone is just crazy here.  

My comp and I opened this area, so there aren’t very many members.  It’s a little lonely here, but we did baptized this week! We have worked with her for about a month and she is awesome.  Now we are preparing the rest of the family for November 23rd! We might have 8 baptisms that week, which would be cool.

Since last week, I’ve played the guitar 10 times. People just bring their guitars to me. It is so awesome!! We also got to drive around in a Range Rover this week! It was weird being in luxury. We just barely contacted this huge family that basically runs Jocotillo, and they are all so rich.  We just go from one big house to the next! And when I say rich I mean a normal house in the states! It feels like a blessing though.

Remember how I asked you all to pray for the bus; well it didn’t work hahahah the bus broke!  It was nuts trying to get everyone to church this week! We just shoved everyone in trucks and somehow got up there! It's funny, when you don’t have a way to get people to church, all of a sudden they want to go!

For p-day I threw around the football.  Really weird but it was awesome!! Well I love you all and I love the emails!!

PAZ y AMOR

-Elder Kendall

Big Spiders

Hello,

We have one investigator that was supposed to be baptized this week, but she drank coffee!!! Coffee of all things. So we wait.  

This week was awesome. We have a ton of big spiders that live outside of our house, so Friday night I went out and just smashed them with a bat!! No joke when I say these things are the size of your hand. 

Halloween was awesome! We dug a grave...nooo haha!  We dug this big hole for an investigator but it looks like a grave in the pic. 

And then I just bought a ton of candy!!! Like a ton! 

I also got to play the Guitar!!!!! My investigator told me to sing for him in English so I sang ¨We Are Going to be Friends¨  hahah!  It was so tight. 

Saturday was Dia de los Santos and there was a ton of drunk people and I kept telling them to hug my companion and they would! I got a lot of hugs that day too.  

Good news! It’s been really cold here!!! I even sometimes have wear a sweater!!!! Can you believe that, a sweater...in Guatemala!! For P-day we had a Futbul game and invited some of our investigators to play and we had a really good game.... I’m pretty good! 

So I need you all to pray for something, we have a bus that takes our investigators and us from Jocotillo to Our church an hour away. The guy that owns it might sell it and if so we are in trouble. So pray that some other way will come up that we can get these people to church or to bring a church to JOCOTILLO!

PAZ Y AMOR
ELDER KENDALL

3rd Story Window

I’m a completely dedicated missionary.... a couple nights ago I gave the first lesson in my sleep. I woke up because my comp was laughing so hard hahaha! I was sitting up and everything. On Friday we did our first service project and we dug a 5-foot deep hole for this guy! It was hard but fun. We also found some guy cutting wood. We pretended not to know how cut wood and he taught us.  We then cut all this wood for him.

We had stake conference this week so we went to stay with the ZL´s for the night, but they weren’t there. So we just had to climb up this wall and climb in the 3rd story window! People probably thought we were robbing the place. But the ZL´s brought us pizza and we had a little party! Then we had a baptism!!!! Crazy story-That day we had three baptisms and the first little girl that went, her foot came out of the water and she was just balling because she thought she couldn’t be baptized again. Our investigator was kind of scared because he was like ¨why is she crying¨. Then Raul(17) and I went into the font and the first time his hair didn’t go under so we did it again... then his feet came out... so we did it a third time. This time I put my foot on his feet, but he didn’t want to go under... so I made him go under! I seriously probably looked like I was trying to drown him. When he came up we were both laughing- so funny!

For P day we went off roading with this super rich guy and he doesn’t care about his truck so it was nuts! We went up to his property on top of this mountain with an amazing view! Then we ate food and ice cream with him and his family. We might have listened to some real music.... but who knows!

I love you all and thank you for all the b day emails!!!! 

PAZ Y AMOR!

Branson

The Buses

So it rains here.... a lot! We bought all this rain gear but I never use it because you get wet anyway. So I just put my scriptures in a bag and go. On Friday we had a meeting in the capital. We woke up at 4:00am and took buses for 2 hours. On the way home we had to take this bus that was packed!!! I had to hang off the side and we were on the freeway!! The bus was playing this crazy sweet dubstep and I felt like I was in a movie! So tight!! This place is really so beautiful if you can overlook all the trash and dogs haha.

This is our baptism font. The water is so cold and it is raining.

No baptisms this week but we have 3 this Sunday, so boom! These people are awesome out here! So loving!

We have a bus that takes us to church every Sunday that is owned by a member. We drive around and pick of investigators and members. We then drive for an hour and a half to the church along the most beautiful roads!! It’s awesome because I don’t have to contact. I can just rest and hangout with the youngens haha.

Lake Amticlan

We had zone p-day yesterday and we went to this sick park that overlooks Lake Amtitclan!!! So beautiful! Then we got to go to McDonalds!!!!! And it is so much better here!!!!!! It was amazing!

I just pretended yesterday was my birthday. We are working hard and progressing!!! I love you all! Thanks for all your birthday emails.
PAZ Y AMOR
Branson

Zombieland

This field is right in front of our house

Hello Everyone,

Ok so this didn’t happen very much in my first week here, but now all the investigators ask me to sing to them in English haha. Kinda funny. We also got to visit my favorite area this week twice. It’s called the Mercedes!! It’s this big farming area with rolling hills and tall grass and huge mountains. We teach this cute old man there and I just want to hug him. He is awesome and learning super quick. Saturday we were teaching a lesson and the family we were teaching were from out of town, and my companion knew the area they were from. So he asked if they knew one of his friends in that area.... they did. But he had been killed a couple weeks before. My companion was pretty sad about that but he is doing all right now. 

The buses here are insane, we’ve done more gnarl off roading in a bus then I ever did in our RZR! I enjoy it a ton!!!! So fun!!!

Everyone also gives us pineapple because we basically live on a pina plantation!! It’s so humbling here! The families are huge and the houses are so small!! They make it work though and they are amazing and so happy. We teach the family of the little kid I baptized and its awesome! They are all so happy.

Every old person here is absolutely nuts, I don’t get it! I miss normal old people!! Where are my grandparents? hahaha! It’s like an insane asylum every time I walk into one of their houses.

I will also never take running water for granted ever again haha! Bucket showers every morning and its COLD!!! And then sometimes we don’t even have electricity. I also went on an exchange last week! Something new and kinda fun! The people in my area always let us in! It’s nice. 

My companion and I have learned to live by rule number 57 from Zombieland, “Enjoy the Little Things”. We mess with every drunk here! It’s always pretty fun! But bad news, I finally got that Guatemala sickness! 
I love you all!
Branson 

Mission Field

Hello everyone,

I am here!  The first day we loaded everything onto a bus and left to the mission home. We got there and had lunch and all that good stuff. Then we headed to the mission office where we were going to spend the night.  Then we partnered with an office assistant and went out contacting. It was Elder Powell, from the MTC, and I with Elder Roney. I have never seen someone walk so fast in my life. Powell and I were jogging haha.  We got to a bus stop and Roney says, who wants to contact the bus, so I did and I just got on and yelled at everyone haha. Pretty fun. Then the first person I contacted on my mission spoke English!!!!! Pretty cool. We then taught a family and they had every baby animal alive! It was nuts -puppies, kittens, baby chickens! Then we had change meetings! My companion is Elder Tinoco! He is Latino and he is cool -kind of weird sometimes but cool. So we leave the change meeting and head to a public bus. We throw my bags on the public, packed bus and start contacting! I’m bad at Spanish! That first day was super stressful with all the bags but we made it, oh and my companion almost fell out of the bus. We are in this crazy cool area!  It is the farthest from the office! Its called Jocotillo and it’s kind of in the mountains.  There are no stores in my area!! Solo little tiendas (only little shops) with no food!! This area is super super poor! Nobody has a floor but the temperatures are really cool! Thank goodness! Our house is crap but it works. It’s a brand new area so we only have a lady that does laundry!!! I starved for the first week! We basically eat cereal! It will be a miracle if I don’t die from food!! My companion was feeding me some gross stuff and we don’t have running water either so he barely cleans dishes!!!!

Guess what!!!!! I had my first baptism!!!!!! Louis Raton!!!! Such an awesome experience!!! I don’t have time to write so sorry if I don’t respond to all letters!!! I love you guys so much and I miss you!!! General conference was the bomb!

Peace,
Branson

P.S. We have rats in our roof haha...lots!
P.S.S. Our p days are Mondays, but we get to write on Tuesdays!!! Which is really nice actually! A little break on both the days!

The Cool Kids

What is up! Not much to report on this week! My comp and me have been killing it teaching! It is pretty dang fun actually. All the kids in my district are just goofs and it is so fun. My Spanish is progressing so fast and I feel so cool speaking with all the Latinos. I finally got Latinos in my room for the last two weeks!!!!!! I was so pumped because it's good practice!!! They are all going to cuidad central (this is Branson’s mission) as well so I’m just too pumped!!! The Latinos in our room are like the cool kids so all the Latinos flock to my room and they all call me their Latino brother because I’m the only one that understands them hahaha its so awesome! I know I won't understand much when I actually get out there but it is nice for now. It's the last p day here and we went to the temple and I did the endowment is Spanish, dificil (difficult) is all I can say haha but it was awesome. I also bought a custom scripture cases from someone here, i'll have to send you a picture out in the field! I don’t think I get to write next week because I'll miss p day put I’m still alive and I’m ready for the shock of the real world!!! I love you lots!
Paz Y Amor (Peace and Love)
Branson

Independence Week

Ok on to my week, it was interesting! Some kids got in a fight on my floor and one kid just straight flattened his companion! It was crazy but now the kid is going home! He was stupid anyway. Also all this week has been Independence week for Guatemala so a ton of fireworks and gunshots!! It was so cool! Also there was this huge group of people walking down the street in front of the MTC with torches and they were all chanting! It was kind of sick! We went to the market today and they had a bike shop, and it was actually legit! They had some demo 8s and p slopes and it made me want to ride! Not much else - I’m starting to enjoy it more! We are all best friends and the Latinos are hilarious! My Spanish is decent and I can teach pretty well!!!! I’m not sure when I'll write next week but probably Tuesday in the afternoon!!! Two more weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!   And also my scripture Philippians 4:13
Love you

Branson

We Got to Leave the MTC

This week was Amazing! We finally got to leave the MTC!!!!! My entire district was losing it! You guys would have thought it was so funny how pumped we were about everything outside of the gates. We got on a big tour bus and they took us on a tour of Guatemala! It’s the most beautiful place I have ever been. Even in the middle of the city is a jungle, and man do I love the jungle! We went to this super cool 3D map of Guatemala and you go up on this big tower and look down.  We were able to see our mission boundaries!! I’m stoked to get out there.

Then we went to the market that was something else. So many people and little kids running around. I was playing hide and go seek with all the little kids and it was the funniest thing ever. Everyone is just so nice here. We went to the basement of the market and that’s where they sell the meat... so gross. Not refrigerated at all. They just put them out on hooks and people like touch it! So nasty and it smelled bad! Got me super stoked for the food! Then we went to Wendy’s and can I say, the Wendys in Guatemala is ten times better then the Wendy’s in the US! So good!

A bunch of missionaries have flutes from the markets now and we all dance around to their “music”! The Latinos are nuts and have all these funny dances! The nights make the days worth it!

There is this kid here that is a snowboarder too and he plays a bunch of sick songs on the piano like MGMT and Local Natives and we just sing away! It’s awesome!  Other than that nothing really new!   

I love you so much and I miss you guys a ton!

Branson