March 14, 2016

Week 14: Students of the Bible

So my companion and I have pretty much done most of what there is to do around here, so nothing new as far as pday adventures. We just played basketball and soccer with some other Elders, and ate lunch at a small place up the street.

The work is going pretty well, but we're still having a hard time finding people that are serious about listening to us. We have tons and tons of friends who love to hear what we have to say, and talk to us, and sometimes give us food, which is nice, but they don't really seem interested in acting on anything we tell them. So we're going to focus harder on finding other people who are more serious.

We did have a wave of people this week out of nowhere just stopping us on the street because they wanted to hear from us, and had questions. One dude was delivering newspapers on his bike, saw us, stopped and turned around. He asked us if we were "students of the Bible," so we said "Yeah, pretty much." He asked us if there was a God, so we talked to him for a minute and set up a visit for the next time he is available, which is in the next week.

I did have the 6 week meeting for new guys this week. I was kind of nervous for it, because our mission president is what they call around here a 'machetero', which means he likes to hand out chastisements, or 'machetes' for nothing, all the time. My zone leader made me go buy a suit, even though it's not a requirement for Central American Missions, President Smith still wants us to wear them to meetings. We had to get up at 4 in the morning to get to the meeting at 9. A 5 hour chicken bus ride is never fun, super cramped, bumpy, windy roads, crazy, fast drivers, in a hot bus... yeah. I can never escape without bruises on my knees from being smashed in the seat in front of me, but I usually can't feel it while its happening, because your legs are usually asleep for the entire way. But I'm just compaining, haha.

The meeting went well, we just discussed a whole bunch of topics out of Preach My Gospel, and I actuallly did very well. People said they were impressed with me, but I do know I still always have lots of room for improvement. I did make it out of the meeting without a 'machete,' a lot of people don't make it this far into the mission without getting one.

We then had lunch in Xela (local's nickname for Quetzaltenango), cooked by Hermana Suli. It was the usual chicken, rice, beans, the difference was rolls instead of tortillas. People were super excited that she was cooking. I guess she always cooks really great food, which she did.

So I do have a lot of crazy weeks behind me. I expect them to be for the most part a lot more tame from here on out, so any questions are welcome, and they always help me have something to talk about. :)

Always glad to hear from you, looking forward to it next week. Love You!

P.S. Almost 100 days!
Corte Shopping
In the Corte Shop
Elder Ramos' Selfie
P-day Lunch
Not P-day lunch
Elder Langsmith, Elder Lee, Elder Mailo, reunited at 6 week meeting.

Chicken Bus

Chicken Bus

And more Chicken Bus

Back to Chiantla

Auto Zone?

Packed on the Chicken Bus

Elder Van Selfie

He'll be sporting new corte ties soon!