Week 19: Ch Ch Ch Changes...

So not much happened during the week in the last week, we are seeing some good progress with our investigators, which is exciting. On Sunday, we had dinner with this dude we met a few weeks back named Rudy, who worked in the states for a few years (illegally haha). While he was in the states he was living a pretty bad life: drugs, gangs, that kind of stuff. He got caught by immigration and put in jail, where he almost died. He has since quit all of the toxic things in his life, and devoted himself to his family and church. He is super hard core Evangelic. He is really cool, and even though he isn't interested in changing religions, we talked about the similarities and differences between our religions and he was very curious and supported us in what we do for our church, as well as agreed with a lot of things the church teaches. For instance, he doesn't drink coffee, he says it's like a drug and compared it (backed by experiece haha) to cocaine. He also agreee with the way we handle tithing. But yeah, he worked at Cheesecake Factory in Chicago, and told us he would make us dinner the Sunday before changes. He made us fettuccini alfredo and garlic bread... super good! I haven't had that in months, and I don't expect to get it again for a year and few, haha.

So...Changes... Sunday night we were waiting to get a call from the District Leader to tell us if we had changes or not. So the phone rings, and it's President Smith! We both died! Come to find out, Elder Van has shown excellent leadership, so he's been called to be a District Leader in one of the bigger districts in the mission that "needs some help." So yeah, Elder Van is going, which means I'm staying and recieving a new companion. To add to it, long story short, some weird stuff is going on with changes, and he had to leave this morning (Monday) at 10:30, when it would usually be tomorrow (Tuesday). So he didn't really have time to say goodbye to everyone like they usually do on P-days. We were able to visit a few families, and it was really hard for the members here, I didn't expect so much crying haha. But yeah, so he left this morning and I'm now with Elder Abreu, the District Leader here until we go to pick up our new companions tomorrow. I am kind of nervous, potentially no more English for at least the next six weeks if I get a latino comp... But I'm not too worried, I'm pretty confident in my Spanish at this point. I just might have to start pulling my dictionary out every once in a while again. I am really excited about the fact that I'll be staying in Chiantla for another change. So I will be here, in my first area, for at least 4 and 1/2 months; 6 more weeks. But yeah, sad to say 'see ya' to my trainer, he was awesome!

This is the only picture he sent this week...no explanation...trying not to read to much into it!

Week 16: Easter All Week

This week had kind of a slow start. I had a stomach illness on Tuesday, and was starting to get better by Wednesday morning, then by lunch that same day Elder Van was sick with the same thing. He didn't start feeling well until like Friday morning. So we didn't leave the apartment much besides for important visits we had, for short times.

It did give us a good opportunity to clean up a little bit for apartment inspections which we had on Thursday, and we passed, though we didn't have to do much because we are both pretty organized. I did get a lot of time to study, which I enjoyed, and I learned a lot. But no one can study all day straight. Staying home is pretty overrated, there's nothing to do but study. It's kind of hard not to feel a little baggy when you're left to your thoughts for too long. Haha! But, thankfully, we were able to get out of the house and work by Friday.

Here they celebrate Easter all week. The celebration is called semana santa. They decorate the whole town in religious posters and colorful banners and streamers and stuff. Most of the celebrating happens on Friday. They have parades and food all week. One cool thing they do is make cool designs on the streets from colored sawdust called alfumbras, which literally translates to rugs. Here in Chiantla, they also do a really famous reenactment of the crucifixion that people from all over come to see. Elder Van and I were going to steer clear of it, but every member here said we should go see it. So we just stopped by for a second and watched a part of it from the back of the crowd. It's a little crazy, the guy that plays Christ actually has to carry his cross, and gets whipped, and has a real thorn crown and stuff.

We have interviews with President Smith coming up this week to "look forward to." I will also be going on divisions with the district leader sometime soon. Other than that, everything else is pretty much normal. Still hot, still working hard, still eating some variation of chicken and rice almost every day, and I'm still enjoying my time here no matter what.

Thanks for everything! Love you! Talk to you next week!

Week 15: ...and I think we know who that someone is!

Hi Mom. Sorry I haven't taken any pictures in the last week, but I'll make sure to this week.

You asked about where I had to buy a suitcoat for my 6-week meeting. There are stores here called 'paccas.' Basically what happens is the clothes donated to Goodwill get sent here and given to warehouses that sell clothing by the pound in giant bundles, almost like hay bales. Paccas buy them and sell the clothes super, super cheap. There's always nice clothes for the gringos because no one else is big enough to fit in them. I couldn't go to a very big pacca to look for a suitcoat, just a small streetside one with like one room full of clothes, so it wasn't as cheap as most, but it still only cost me like 200Q (30$ I think?) I haven't had an opportunity or need to find an umbrella yet, but there are some members who will pick a good one up for me if they see one.

I don't really feel adjusted at all to this climate. It's super hot, but this is the hottest place in the mission. Yes, its really in the 70s and 80s every day. Most people in other areas of the mission leave with sweaters on in the morning...I'm looking forward to that! I haven't really noticed the humidity, and it has rained a few days in the last couple of weeks, but it's not really the season for that yet.

This area is pretty much all mountain, hiking all day, but usually paved with concrete or something. The stuff you see in the pictures is pretty much our everyday proselyting area. So people here in town build their houses out of concrete and rebar, and when they have kids or whatever, they just build another one on the side or on top. That's pretty much what makes up all of the buildings. Eventually the bottom floor front room gets turned into some sort of store that whoever is home watches, whether they sell tortillas, or work leather, or are tailors, or just like chips and soda or something. The streets are lined with them. Our apartment is like that, on the second floor. Here in Chiantla 3 floors is starting to become not too uncommon.

The soda... There are pretty much all of the same drinks down here, but they're expensive, and there's tons of off-brand alternatives. We're not allowed to drink caffeinated drinks anyway, and I can't find any diet sodas that aren't caffeinated, so I don't really drink soda. Mostly water, sometimes milk. Everybody here has those water dispensers with the giant jugs that go on top for drinking water, and they sell the jugs at most stores for like 15Q. That's how we drink our water.

I feel pretty comfortable teaching now. Sometimes I forget or don't know a word or two, but I can get my messages across and I'm told my grammar's good, I'm just still building vocab. So as far as teaching goes, I have pretty much all of the vocab I need. I haven't had to teach or talk or anything in the ward here. It's pretty big and well established, but my companion does play the piano for sacrament. Before he was here they played cds.

I've been hearing about the celebrations this coming week for awhile now. It's huuuuuuge here. Semana Santa. I'll have to send you pictures. They decorate the entire city, booths set up, all sorts of stuff all week. From what I've heard they eat pan (literally translates to bread, but they don't really have loaf bread here so they are usually referring to pan dulce, sweet bread, which is almost more toward cake.) They also call it torta. We have already been invited to 5 different houses to eat pan in the next week.

So we usually eat lunch with members every day, and take care of ourselves for the rest. And usually a couple of lunches don't happen per week. But one cool thing that has happened this week is every lunch happened, and Elder Van and I got dinner given to us 5 days in a row, not one of them planned. Like Wednesday night was ward council, and they decided to cater it with Pizza. And Thursday night we had a lesson scheduled with an investigator, and we showed up and they had dinner for us. On Friday night, one of the members here told us to come check out their restaurant that they just opened, and they gave us a bunch of food for free. (We did try to pay them.) But my point is, due to a few unforseen events, and poor planning, Elder Van and I are pretty much out of money, and I think someone knows that, and I think we know who that someone is! We definitely witness miracles, we just need to look for them.

Love you guys; hearing from you is also the highlight of my week. Can't wait until the next one.
Elder Lee

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!

Week 12: Double Dragon

Hey everyone,

Nothing too eventful this week at all. Today is 'super lunes limpio', or super clean Monday. Every sixth p-day, for changes we have to to clean the apartment really well.

I also am sick with something they call 'double dragon' around here, so I've been in bed most of the morning studying...not worth it to be sick haha!

We had divisions again last week. The district leader Elder Ramos came and stayed with me this time, things went pretty well.

Thanks for the emails, this is always my favorite part of the week. :) (even though I'm sick haha)

A beautiful sunset around Chiantla.

Week 10: Zaculeu Ruins

Hi! This week's emails were awesome...please keep them up. I love hearing that I'm still a topic of conversation around home. Haha!

I've decided that I want to keep a running list of all the foods I want to have at my homecoming (see sidebar). I want to make a bunch of authentic Guatemalan food that I eat here. It really is awesome.

Today is 4 out of 12 weeks of training down. I only feel like I've been in the field for a couple of days. This training change will end on April 19. I'm almost halfway there, and at that point there will only be another month until Mother's Day when we get to talk again. You guys need to figure out how to use Skype by then, haha! Also...at that point I will already have 6 months!!! <-- Look, I'm starting to apply Spanish grammar to my English now. -_- ...

I had my first division this week. I went with Elder Diaz to his area for two days. He has only been on his mission as long as I have, but he's Latino. I was worried about the language barrier, but everything went really well. I was able to communicate pretty much everything I need to. My Spanish is a lot better than I thought it was. Nobody in Elder Diaz's area would believe that I was new, and Elder Diaz said he would think I was fluent, which gave me a lot of confidence.

Every 6 months the whole mission goes through the temple, which was last week. The Quetzaltenango temple is very beautiful! I had a good time, but it was pretty much just a normal temple session. My companion and I had to ride chicken buses all day to get there and back though, which was kind of a pain...haha!

This week my goal is to speak only Spanish, no English at all, and it's going very well. I'm two days in and haven't run into anything that I couldn't say or had any problems yet, and it's actually really hard for me to write in English right now. I'm forgetting so many words and how to spell so much stuff.

Today we had a Zone activity and we went to the Zaculeu Ruins. They were really cool, but the best part was that afterward we went to McDonald's (never thought I would look forward to that!...) and to a store called Pies, which is like a WalMart with lots of American stuff. And I found protein powder!!

To finish up...I don't know which I hate more, sunblock or sunburns... I think I'll play if safe from now on and avoid the skin cancer down the road haha.

Elder Lee at the Quezaltenango Temple

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Elder Lee and Elder Van Katwyk at the Quetzaltenango Temple 

Elder Lee and Elder Van Katwyk

Hillside Road in Chiantla outside of Huehuetenango

City view Chiantla/Huehuetenango

Elder Lee making dobladas.

Elder Lee, Zaculeu Ruins

Zaculeu Ruins

Elder Lee and Zone, Zaculeu Ruins

Elder Lee, Zaculeu Ruins

Elder Lee, Zaculeu Ruins

Elder Lee, Zaculeu Ruins

Elder Lee and Zone, Zaculeu Ruins

Artifacts, Zaculeu Ruins

Artifacts, Zaculeu Ruins

Artifacts, Zaculeu Ruins

Artifacts, Zaculeu Ruins

Artifacts, Zaculeu Ruins

Illustration, Zaculeu Ruins

Artifacts, Zaculeu Ruins

Elder Lee and missionaries, Chicken Bus

Elder Lee found protein!

Weekly car picture ;)