Well this is the last one

I don’t even know what to share with you guys! My emotions are so mixed up and I’m pretty stoked!

These last two years have been some of the hardest years of my life but they have also been the best two years FOR my life! I’ve learned so many things. More than anything I’ve learned to serve and love with all my heart! I’ve come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ and I can say without a doubt that this is the true church. I love this work, I love my friends and family and I love the Lord.

The church is true, God is real, and this work will never end.

Elder Kendall

Preparing the Way

This week was good! We found new people and brought quite a few of them to church! We have already baptized two people this month and I hope we can at least baptize one person my last Sunday. I think God is preparing the way for one lady we found named DEODORA!! She is great and she went to church and just loved it!

We went to the capital again this week to get a check up on my comps foot. It was pretty dope because I like being in the capital. The capital is about an hour and a half from our house and it’s really modern and pretty!

Right now we live in a house with another companionship. This week we moved everything around so all four of us sleep and study in the same room. I feel like we are all in college hahaha!

Well that’s about all for my week. I hope to get a lot of emails this next week because its going to be my last week writing home!! I love you all and thanks for everything!

Love you,

Branson

Hold to the Rod

It was a pretty normal week. We spent our time getting a family ready for baptism - Elena and José! We baptized their brother two weeks ago. They came to church for the first time when their brother was baptized and they loved it! We visited them with several members this week (member missionary work is the best) and they were stoked to be baptized!

Saturday we had a cool activity at the stake center! Somebody in the stake is in charge of special effects for movies, so he turned the stake center into one of the coolest Lehi dream activities ever! The only bad part is all of our investigators and converts let go of the iron rod before they got to the tree of life haha!

Sunday we baptized José and Elena! I baptized Elena and it was a miracle because I only had to do it once! I seriously thought she was going to drown because she’s like 75 years old!

Monday we played soccer! I thought I should take advantage because I’ll probably never play in the states and I’m actually getting pretty good hahaha! 

Well I love you guys and I’ll see ya'll in 3 weeks!

Branson

Dog Bite

This week was pretty interesting! We have been working hard with a lot of people, this area is awesome!!! We have been teaching a family and they have been to church 2 times.  It’s pretty likely we are going to baptize them this week so I’m pretty stoked!

Wednesday we went to the capital because my comp had an infection on his foot. I had to watch for 3 hours while they scrapped it off.  In that moment I realized I really don’t want to be a doctor! The clinic was in zone 15 by the temple so we got Taco Bell after to celebrate haha!

On Thursday we found a lady who is awesome. She has been prepared by angels.  Unfortunately when we left her house, a dog came up from behind me and BITE ME on the leg!!!! So thanks to that dog right after I finish writing today they are going to give me six shots in the stomach. It's all good- the bite didn’t hurt that bad - we will see about the shots. 

Sunday was good, it was weird thinking that it was my last fast Sunday. . .  super weird!

Monday we went to Antigua and ate some donuts, bought some good food and that was about my week!

We had zone training and they asked me to share my last testimony because we aren’t going to get together again formally for the rest of the month!

Well I love you guys and see you soon!

Branson

Focused and Strong

The mission is going good! Sorry no pictures this week because I forgot the cord which is too bad because we baptized and it was dope!!! You'll get to see pictures soon anyway, because I only have 5 weeksssss ;))))))))

I'm getting stoked about coming home, but I need to stay focused and strong to the end.

Thanks for everything!

Branson  

Senior Comp

This week was crazy! We didn't have a baptism all change and I was pretty sad. However during planning on Saturday, the thought came to our minds that we could baptize Julio! We didn’t think it was going to be possible because he was seldom home, but we went there that night and asked him to be baptized. He said he had been waiting for someone to ask him that!!!!!!! We got him ready really quickly because he still didn’t know a lot of things but he had his interview and I baptized him that Sunday!! It was awesome and I love that kid.

They sent me to LA ETERNA PRIMAVERA!!!! I don’t really like the capital but there are a lot of cool people so I’m pumped for these last 6 weeks! My comp is from PERU named Elder APAZA!!! He is super funny and I’m also stoked because I’m not even a district leader anymore!!! I went from being a zone leader to a senior comp! It’s DOPEEEE!!!! I’m the oldest in the mission now and my last change FLLLEWWWWW by so quickly. I’m going to be heading home before I know it.

We are going to baptize this week a guy named Lorenzo and he is a good guy! Super humble! I'll let you guys know how it goes.

I’ve got to go - we only have to write each other 5 more times.
LOVE YOU GUYS!

Better Spanish than the Locals

Exercise on the Beach

I started out the week in a cool area called San Pedro La Laguna! It’s a new area that has 2 members who attend church. There are two elders trying to open the area but it’s been pretty hard for them.  We went over there to help out and found a ton of people and a family of ten! Not to mention it's one of the prettiest places ever! Their house is right on the beach of the lake so we went out to the beach to exercise! I also taught a French lady for the first time in my mission so I felt a little like Josh Beck!

On Wednesday I had to go back to my area which is a long process because the lake is huge and my area is on the other side of it!  We were in a bus for about 3.5 hours just trying to get back!  To take a boat across the lake takes like 20 minutes, but we can't travel by boat.  :(

  

Thursday we went to an area that is know for not knowing any Spanish! It always makes me feel good having better Spanish than all the other locals hahaha!  It was fun trying to commutate with them and we actually had quite a bit of success out there.

Right now we are teaching a kid named Julio. He is twenty and SOOO FUNNYY! He loves the church and he has been reading and praying but the only hard part is that he never has time! We can never find him but we are going to keep working with him!

This is Dragon Fruit - it tastes like kiwi just less sour and it is so good!   

For p day we went down to Pana to play soccer and I’m just going to say that we won ;)  I’ve grown to like soccer a little bit out here!

I love you guys and thanks for everything!!!!

Adios - Branson

Being Cowboys

We started the week out by doing divisions with the assistants. I went with Elder Gallacher who is one of my best buds here in the mission. We decided to try and visit members and find new people! We found a ton of positive people and we helped activate two families! It’s pretty easy to activate families here! We also talked about how to work more effectively in an area the size of American Fork, Highland and Alpine put together!

The next day we had a meeting so we left early with the assistants so we could eat at an all you can eat buffet for breakfast on the way to the meeting hahaha!

The rest of the week we spent working with people and getting to know some new areas in our zone! I would say we probably have the prettiest area in the mission!

Sunday we have to go to all 3 branches so we are at the church from 8am to 5pm - ya it’s a lot so I don’t want to hear anyone complain about 3 hours hahaha! It was a good day and we got a lot of people to church!

Monday we went to the lake and we were hanging out with a couple of elders who are going home this next week! I’m the zone leader of one of my past comps - Elder Fulmer! (He was my comp when I first became a zone leader) Funny kid-he is leaving this next week so we spent time with him and I am trying not to think about going home.

Today we gave a workshop to the zone and we talked a lot about obedience and working with members so we hope to have success this month!

 It's True! Haha!

Thanks for all the letters and I'll see all in two months!

Elder Kendall

Mission Goal Completed

This week was a good one! We have been working like crazy to see some kind of miracle. The good news is we completed our mission goal this month of 200 baptisms! We were all pretty pumped and we are going to be working a lot this month to keep it up!

We had a ton of meetings this week so we were running around! We had to go to an area called Santiago twice this week. To get there we get in the back of a truck and travel for three hours! We had to go there for divisions and for a baptism. It was pretty fun but it was also pretty hard because I don’t like being out of my area for a long time. WE NEED TO WORK AND FIND.

This area has been killing me a little bit! They sent Elder Daybell and I to this area so we could ¨fix it”, but man it is hard! The people are good people but we just need them to be more. They don’t send more missionaries here because it hasn’t baptized here for like 7 months...So they sent my comp and I here to make it better because supposedly we are good missionaries haha. So far it’s not working too well! I’m not discouraged I just don’t know what to do at this point! We are trying to figure something out! This week we went and visited all three of the branch presidents (we are in charge of 3 branches so we go to church from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon). The area is huge and the people are hard of heart. We have been trying to work a lot with the members so we can see some kind of miracle in these upcoming weeks!

We have a couple of people who went to church this week.  We are going to work with them and try to get them baptized the 12th of June! Pray for us because we need some prayer power here!

LOVE YOU GUYS and I would send a picture but this computer doesn’t let me haha!

Solola Living

WOW this place is something else! I’ve never been exposed to something like this before. This little town is just so crazy! They all still wear a type of clothing that is called corte! It’s been the clothing for these people for around 1000 years. They just don’t let go of traditions.

My area IS HUGE and it's been kind of hard lately because the people don’t know much Spanish. I often find myself teaching with my hands more than with words hahaha, but it’s been pretty fun trying to find out how to work with these people!

I also really like this area because I feel like it refining me! We knock doors and talk with people in the street until 9.30pm everyday in hopes that we can see some kind of miracle. We just work and work and work!!! I’ve had so many cool experiences that have been testimony builders for me.

I’ve got to go and thanks for writing! I LOVE YOU A TON!!!!

ADIOS

Hardest Area

This is the view out my house window.

Right now I’m in the biggest tourist area of our mission and it is crazy! It is an old Mayan town and sometimes I feel like I’m in Italy or something! It’s a completely different world! Going from Tiquisate which is one of the humblest areas in the mission to one of the richest areas has kind of been taking a toll on me. This has definitely been the hardest area of my mish.  They haven’t baptized here for like 7 months............... so I’m kind of scared because this week was kind of rough! It’s just really hard to find men and families here! We have been trying to focus on that, and we have been working as hard as we can so God can bless us with some miracles!  We did have 8 investigators at church this Sunday!!!!

This week was the Semana de la Faimilia!  There were a ton of activities at church and we got to know a ton of people.  We also got a lot of references that we were able to visit during the week!

On Thursday we decided to go to an area that is about 30 minutes away from the main village.  We were contacting there and we found a huge miracle! We were walking in the middle of town, when we found a house and we knocked on the door. A less active member lived there with her husband who isn’t member.  Bonus they were stoked to see us! They went to the activities and then to church on Sunday.  We are going to be working with them this week.  We also have been teaching another sister who has gone to church three times, but  is still a little hesitant about getting baptizing.   We are going to help her so she can take the next step.

I think the hardest part about this area is the language and the huge catholic influence! Everything is SUPER TRADITIONAL! It’s hard to get people out of their routine! They still burn people who commit crimes here!!!!!!!!!!! Straight up Lamanites haha! But it's all good because it's also the safest area in the mission!!

HEY I'VE GOT TO GO!!! Pray a lot for this area and me! We need to see some crazy miracles so we can baptize my last two changes!!!

LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

Branson

I found some ice!

I can hardly wait to go swimming!