Week 41: Actela & Tamales with Bones

Hi Family!

First the Questions....

Any more progress with Imelda and the paperwork?

Well they want to get married, so we got all the paperwork squared away we just gotta find the time and have the mayor from Senahu come and marry them. It also doesnt cost anything really I think. Maybe max like thirty quetz. The only thing is that they say they have to have a party and feed the whole mountainside. It should happen this next week. We'll see cuz of conference and everything. We have to travel to Sacsuha for conference.

New investigators this week? Did you teach and other discussions?

We always have lots of investigators and lots of lessons! This last week we have concentrated our efforts in Actela and surrounding areas. Tt is ready to explode. I feel we have lots of possibilities up there and it can progress alot. The church is also far away. And in Qeqchi it is difficult to tell them that someday a church could be established in Actela. They just have to show their faith first.

We also found inactive members that are going to the adventist church. We tried to explain how we do everything in Christ's name and that the day in which he was ressurected was Sunday and thats His day. We are working with them. What happened is we had visited a long time ago and had given a blessing to his little kid. A couple weeks later we were in a truck with him and he started telling all the people in the truck that we had given his son a blessing and after he was fine. And then he asked why we hadnt visited him again. He was baptized in 2004 and has lots of children that arent members.....yet :)

Where did you go this week?

Actela mostly

Where will you go to listen/watch Conference? Do you have to travel far?

Just to Sacsuha

Did you get your package yet? Was anything missing? How much did it cost?

Didnt cost anything and nothing was missing. They hadnt even opened it yet. Elder Goodwin went to customs and asked for it. Due to the sticker on it and how close we are to Easter they were afraid to open it. When they finally did open it (in front of Elder Goodwin) they had to start at the side and peel the sticker off. Apparently it was hilarious hahaha.

Is the weather changing down there? Are there different seasons?

Ya its changing. It's really hot right now. That's all really. In the winter it was really just rainy. Nothing much. Its really hot right now though. I'm finally putting on sunscreen for the first time in the whole mission.

Do you want to stay in your current area for this next change or go somewhere new?

pretty sure im going somewhere else. :)

How is your health? Nutrition? Body? Mind? Soul?

its all good :) thanks

Did you send another memory card yet? We want pics!! :)

Not yet. I'm waiting till I get the new ones :( Just in case. Sorry.

How do you feel about going up? You sound like you are feeling better about the language....do you?
(PS-we know you can do it!)

Alot of times I have to translate what my companion says so people understand so seeing as he's making it, I think I can.

How is your companionship? Are you doing well together and teaching well together?

We're doing great. We are great friends and can joke around very well. I'm having a blast. This is the companion I'll probably remember the most out of all of em. Menos Elder Legua.

How are things with the Branch President? Is he doing ok?

It's all good. He's doing good. I really do respect him. He is a great example and a very humble man.

Do you know you are loved, prayed for and missed?

Yes as well as you guys.


Well hey everyone! How are you?

First of all- that story really hit me hard. All I can think about is that my little sister is what brought peace to the little boys broken world. And I guarantee that he will ALWAYS remember that. No matter what. Be big bay. Be strong. I love you.

I'm crying.

In my birthday package I want a good hat of mine haha. Like my BYU hat or my baseball caps for service :) Some LA looks gel (yellow) and if you buy ties buy the paisley seventies type ties that are thick and good to wipe sweat off. Dont matter if theys ugly!

I drempt of home the other night. That was strange. Everything was normal like I was expected to be there but in my dream I only had the memories of the time I have in the mission. The whole dream I was saying to myself this isnt right I shouldnt be home yet. It was strange haha. And btw you guys had broken my phone.

Is it the hornbills that make the hanging nests? The black bird with bright yellow beek?

I miss your tamales mom. The tamales are good here but lots of times they have bones and crap. I dont like that. I like good tamales without surprises :)

I have a very perplexing question. Why is it that crickets are always missing one leg? Well the majority of them. Do they jump them off or what?

Well right now I'm in El Estor with my district. We just came to visit today. Its cool. It's a cool place. The lake is gorgeous. We took pictures today. I forgot to bring my camera but Elder Hardisty will foward me the pics probably next week.

I cant wait for General Conference!! Hopefully well find an english channel. I need a good refresher.

I miss and love each and every one of you. Love you dad, mom, Kels, Linds, Zack and Bailey Lizbeth.

time is up ...

love,

ELDER TAY.

Week 40: Amos & Matthew

Well hello people!

First of all I wanna say I had a craving for grandmas mint truffles yesterday. I miss those things cuz they are good.

Secondly I found a tree that smells exactly like red crème soda.

Third I want you guys, for family home evening, to talk about why exactly this is the true church. Using scriptures like Amos 3:7. Matthew 10:1. The kids need to know that. Its very important. Especially if somebody asks about our religion and if the rest of our family is falling into the clutches of the “dark side.” Isaiah has something to say about Jehovah and who he is. Plus I'm not sure many young people born under the covenant know exactly why they are members.

Well this morning we did a district activity in my area. All of our district came and we made half descent pupusas. They weren’t perfect but they were still way good. But that is why I am late writing you guys today. But earlier before the activity the church door was open and a chicken came in the church. Well it went straight to my bed (my companion had just left the shower and was in a towel trying to get it to leave but it didn’t want to) and pooped on it. Stupid chicken! I'm thinking I'll buy a slingshot for it today! Hopefully my aim is better than when I was five with my last slingshot experience. Sorry dad.

Every car here has bumperstickers. Every single one. And the majority talk about religion. Like one that says “God's slow sometimes but never forgets.” Or a favorite “gift from God.” Or they have stickers of Jesus Christ bleeding and suffering on the cross. But every single car truck and tuk tuk has stickers. Even stickers that say "cowboy". I don’t understand it but that’s how it is. They are very funny sometimes. Youll see when you come down here.

This last week was fine. We ran into a couple problems with the paperwork for Imelda and Alfonso. Imelda supposedly only is 13 years old but she was born in 1978. So we may need to fix that. Alfonsos “fiancé” was married before. Well he went up to Peten to work and got squished by a tractor. So we have to find the paper that says that he died so that she can get married again. But the paper that says that is in Peten so we had to send for it. It may take a while to get here.

Zone conference was fine. A few talks were good. We talked about improving our areas and the Atonement. I liked those topics.

Interview went fine. President talked like I was his son. We talked about how special the Polochic is and how great of an author James E Talmage is. That’s about it. It was very relaxed too. His main theme this conferences was that we could all be “fleches” which means arrows. That we could all be incredibly obedient. Straight as an arrow to be exact. Don’t worry- I'm obedient.

Well, nothing else has happened this week. Will keep you posted on the baptisms. Still working on it. But I miss and love each and every one of you. I ll see if I can upload pictures. The internet is slow today.

I love you!

ELDER TAY

Week 39: Tapiscaring Season & Mansions Above

Hey everyone!

So first of all this last week was long and short at the same time. It consisted of lots of service. It is the tapiscaring season-li hoonal re li qolok-or its time to gather corn. So we helped. It's tough stuff. Here's what we do: first we take the corn out of the wrapper and throw it into a pile in the middle of the field. After we get it all out we then load it into big bags and they haul it on their heads. These are the same bags it takes three of them to lift. They weigh at least a hundred pounds. Well I gave it a shot. They are very unstable and being tall doesnt help! It fell within twenty feet haha! Poured out half the corn all over the ground. The people here are made for hauling stuff like that though. It's weird. They are pretty strong peoples! But we did service Wednesday and Saturday.

When we went to Rio Dulce-forgot to tell you this-I saw where all the bananas you guys eat come from. They come from huge plantations with miles and miles of banana trees. I'll see if I can send a pic next week. I forgot my cord today. It was quite a sight though.

This last week we worked with Samuel, Imelda and the local government place thing here to see what we needed to do to get them married. Imelda still is excited and incredibly humble and simple. She deserves a place in a mansion above. The charity of this family and their struggles sure hits me. Everytime we go there they buy us a drink. Usually a soda in a can. I specify in a can because thats Samuels job. He collects cans and sells them so his buying us a can is his hope that we will drink the most expensive part and leave him some leftover to feed his family with the sale of the can. It's very hard to accept food or drinks sometimes. These people, alot of times, have absolutely nothing. A couple skirts. A shirt and a half and some corn. Thats it.

Miguel came to church again. He is now an active member. We are also working to get his son in law married and baptized as well. It's strange how one can see the innocence and humility produced by ignorance and a simple lifestyle. And for that I righteousely covet the people here. Amazing examples on how to live your life. Except for the treatment of women ;) Thats gotta change haha.

But when we were working with the RENAP or the place where everyone gets registered and takes out their registration papers the people working there moved us right to the front and gave us top priority. We are sure receiving lots of help here right now.

Well this week is zone conference again. We'll see how that goes.

Today we met as a zone and played volleyball and talked about our goals as a zone. Our goal is to go to Semuc Champey. If so we'd be going to the place that shows up the most on the internet when someone types in Guatemala. That's the place that's way green with the super clear water. That should be pretty cool.

Found out my package got stuck in customs. I gotta send Elder Goodwin my permission to get it for me. So I probably wont get it for another change or so. It will probably come just in time as do all blessings.

Other than that nothing else has happened. Waiting on the baptisms and still working hard. My companion jumped out of a truck and didnt stick the landing. Which was absolutely hilarious haha. I think he did it cuz there was a girl watching ;) ha ha I sure did laugh and he did too so we had a good time. I love and miss every one of you. Keep me posted on everything. And if you can get a hold of Kelsey Hert let her know I did get her letters.

Love you!!

ELDER TAY