Week 33: Senahu & My Testimony in Qeqchi

Hi Family!

I got that copy of the video from a missionary here and he got it passed down from the CCM in Guatemala. Don't know if that's allowed but here I use it for the missionary effort-and you can't sell it! haha.

This last week we had a zone conference up in Senahu. That place is waaayy cool! Very mountainous and very rugged. We didnt get to do much- just hung around the hotel and went back and forth from there, the church, and a little restaurant. It's a very cool place though. Very relaxed. Very....chill? haha. I wanna show you guys these places here but the only bad thing is that everyone stares. :) Anyway, we had interviews with president and stuff and apparently my companion told president that my Qeqchi is progressing a ton. It's terrifying to think about that. I dont know if I could handle that after seeing how much stress from a lack of the language brings.

Also in the conference we got mail. Thank you for the deer and elk pictures! Now I can show people here what they're like. I also got a camera in the mail. How random is that? A camera wrapped up in Christmas wrapping with my full name on it minus my middle name! Do you guys have any idea where, and who, it could have come from? It's a great camera! :)

I saw a golden retriever weiner dog. Short long and stocky like a weiner dog but with the hair and color of a golden retriever. I can understand how that happens after seeing many dogs in the streets making puppies.

That's awesome about the mission calls! I am so grateful Michael VanValkenburg is going on his mission. I got chills when I read that. I was worried about that kid. He is a great young man. What part of Peru is he going to? Cuz that's where Elder Leguas family lives. Half of them at least. And yes his sister is cute. She's 18 and about to graduate. Dont worry-were just chatting. But Elder Legua and I are determined to be family :) haha.

What Indian reservation is Grady on? Is he learning to speak that language too? I havent heard from anyone. Not from Grady, or Brenton or anyone haha. I miss them too-especially Brenton. We had so much fun when he was living with us-he's the man.

My companion can't speak English. Just a couple words-like "whats up" and "shut up" and stuff like that. I am trying to learn the Qeqchi language from him. Our knowledge of the language is about the same, the only thing is, he has more time listening to it-which makes a big difference. It seems that he knows more words and has a bigger vocabulary and I know the grammar rules better. So if I knew his vocabulary I'd be owning this language right now! I'm getting there though. No worries :)

Eight months flew by. I haven't felt it. I am coming home next year! :) haha How weird does that sound? And I will come home with all my name tags. I kept the two Spanish ones I have and they gave me one in Qeqchi. That will be cool to frame!

Well were still working with Pablo and his family. We've found Pablo drunk in the street a couple times. We can tell he's drunk cuz he just giggles like crazy. He's a funny guy. Completely dorky when he's drunk though haha.

Irlanda is gonna get baptized the 13th of Feb. Were thinking about setting baptismal dates with Imelda, Esperanza and Tecla and maybe Juan. There is just about no priesthood in this ward. More than half the people that come to church on Sundays are women. We need to find leaders very bad. Maybe we'll talk to President about that tonight. We're going to his house to make American pancakes for family home evening haha. Idk how were gonna do it though. All the people here-to cook-just have a table top of concrete or something hard and they just make fires on top of it with pieces of rebar for supports to put under the pots. The pieces of rebar are then put on top of bricks or logs to get oxygen to the fire. Don't know if you understood that description. It was kinda a hard one haha.

Well I love you and miss you all!!!

Glad you enjoyed the package :)

Oh, and we have an appt. with Pedro the pastor again Wednesday. We're gonna show him the movie of the restoration.

Love you!!!

ELDER TAY

My testimony (briefly) in Qeqchi:

Lain, ninnau nak li iglesia cuankin cui lain, aan tzakal yal. Maaka jun chic iglesia re li jesucristo. Ninnau nak laj Jose Smith quicuan choc xprofet li Dios. Anajwuan cuan jun Profet li Dios sa li ruchichoch. Aan naxnau li raatin li Dios. Naxnau lix naleb. Laj Tomas S. Monson aan jun lix moos li Dios. Jun li prefet tzakal sa li cutan ain. Ut riquin aan cuan li choxahil cuankilal. Lao li ralal li Dios. Li Dios nokoxra. Ninnau ain, sa lix caba li Jesucristo, Amen.