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!

SOLOLA

Tuesday we had zone divisions and we FOUND A TON OF PEOPLE!! Literally so many people in just like 5 hours.  And they were all progressing in the second visit!

Thursday and Friday we had meetings as a mission.  As Zone leaders we spent a ton of time traveling.  We learned a ton of stuff, but I don’t like to be out of my area for such a long time because it's hard to help the people that way.

Saturday we had to do a lot of interviews because our zone baptized a Ton of people this week! Then we had a wedding for a family who got baptized on Sunday!

Sunday we talked with our moms and that was the dopest thing ever! But we also had to be there while the rest of the missionaries talked with their families - so we were there ALL DAY and then at 7pm we baptized the family!

MONDAY I HAD CHANGES!!!!  I’m still a zone leader in an area NAMED SOLOLA!!! It's in the mountains.... super cold and everyone is Catholic! It is also HUGE!!! I’m not joking it's like a bunch of random little villages and it's hard to find people who SPEAK SPANISH!!!  I have a new comp who is from Utah as well! His name is Elder Daybell and he is so funny.  We worked all day yesterday and we barely taught anyone.  It is much different from my last area. We just make friends with everyone and then we try to talk about the gospel.  Then they reject us haha but it's all good! It’s just a change for me because I came from an area where everyone listens, but we are still going to find people to baptize!

Well I love you guys and thanks for everything!

Branson

Divisions

This week was dope! On Tuesday we had divisions with the assistants.  It was fun because they are my two best friends in the mission and I seriously learned a ton! Elder Gallacher told me at the beginning of the day ¨we are going to find someone today that will get baptized in three weeks!" So we left and we just started having fun! We literally walked into every house without permission but the Guatemalans were fine with it because we were just two crazy white kids, and we found a ton of people who went to church this week!

The day after divisions, I felt the impression to do divisions with some elders in our zone who have been struggling. I was with Elders Watkins and before we left I told him ¨we are going to find somebody to baptism today."  So we left and did the same thing, two crazy white kids walking into everybody’s house haha. Guess what, we found a lady that is going to get Baptized in a couple of WEEKENDS! It was super fun!

I’ve just been learning a lot about the diligence lately! There isn’t time to waste in this work! I try my best to talk with just about every person and it’s working well! We are going to marry and baptize a family this week!

I know this is true and I’m going to try to enjoy this last 12 weeks.

LOVE YOU GUYS A TON!

Branson