week 62

Hey! It was a pretty good week overall, hopefully we can keep finding new contacts that will progress, that seems like the hardest thing. We find people that let us in but they never progress. We did a lot of contacting and found a kid named Sebastian that seems really interested but he is going to leave to work soon so we will hopefully get to teach him really fast. We have two kids with baptism dates for this Saturday so hopefully that will play out well. Elder Nelson is a hard worker which is nice. At first he seemed super serious but he is warming up and we are joking around and stuff now. We went on divisions with Se´ritk´iche´ this week, I went with the new guy named Elder Hair and he seems like he is doing pretty well which is good. He learned Kekchi in the CCM so he can talk a tiny tiny bit and understand a tiny bit. We hiked up a really really big mountain and it was raining and super muddy and we were really tired. I wish I would have taken pictures, but it was really foggy so I guess you wouldn't have seen much anyways. Consilio went well, we learned about being more obedient as usual. I made it through my talk without crying so that was good. Actually I guess I teared up a bit from the Spirit but I still made it through so that was nice haha. 

Time for fotos!

Elder Nelson and I found a new path so I decided to take advantage of the photo opportunity. Everything you see is in our area. 

These are just some kids we found on the path, and they got excited when I pulled the camera out so I took a picture with them. You can see their little kites like I told you about last week.

Also I wanted to send you a picture of some of the people that go to English class, Kandy, Ceaser, and Abelino. We have some other people come but not frequently.

I'm with Elder Bos in Coban today for p-day. Elder Nelson is with Elder Bos comp in Senahu, or maybe La Tinta, I'm not sure. So far we ate some waffles, printed out pics, and now we are writing our letters. We might take a parasite exam but we realized we forgot to tell the nurse we were sick, and I already know I have them so I don't really want to waste money. We will probably just go find some more food and then catch a bus back to the area. It is good getting to pass some time with him. Here is a picture haha.

Ok, now to answer Mom's questions.

1. Most spiritual moment this week: Ok this is going to take a while and I will count it as my spiritual thought. When I was on divisions with Elder Hair we got down from the mountain and wanted to contact one more house before going home, so we went and found this house and they let us in. There were about fourteen people there and all of them were super Nazereno, so I could tell it wasn't going to be that fun. I think Nazereno is the most stubborn church besides our own. When we walked in I could tell they were already kind of muttering and making fun of us, and since Elder Hair is so new, I knew I was going to kind of have to do it on my own a bit. We taught a quick lesson about the trinity and then invited them to church. After the invite the father of the house went off on this long tangent about how he is happy we are there, but he is in his own church, but it doesn't really matter where we go to church because there is only one God and he doesn't care where we go (a very very common belief here.) At the end he was like (this is going to sound weird because I am translating from Kekchi and it doesn't translate that well) "but who is going to receive the gift from your service?"

Me- "You guys will, we are here for you!

Him- "No, you guys will! You're doing this to make your burden lighter before God!"

Me (getting kind of angry and frustrated) "No, we have no reason to be here for ourselves, we left our families, our studies, and our lives back in the states! And we did it.." (Ok this part is the cool part. So up until now I had been pretty mad and I wanted to fight this guy a little bit. But then when I paused right there - this is going to sound kind of cheesy - I all the sudden just felt a bunch of love for those people. It almost felt like a moment from the Ensign or something. I totally felt the Spirit help me out. Anyways, back to the story) "We did it because we love you guys. I may not know your faces yet, but your are my brothers and sisters and I love you guys and want you to be happy. You don't have to come to church but you are invited."

When I said we loved them it got like dead quiet and they all like zoomed on us. Then they gave us pig intestine caldo, so that made me feel good! Anyways it was really nice that the Spirit helped me there, because I wasn't handling myself very well on my own. It was just awesome to feel such love for those people.

2. Something I learned this week: In my personal studies I have been reading the Book of Mormon in Kekchi. I just finished 2 Nephi. 2 Nephi 31:17 -20 "Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into the strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect hope, and a love of God and all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."  Where it was talking about baptism and enduring to the end it just helped me realize that even though I was baptized at only 8, I made a really serious covenant with the Lord, one that I need to keep for life. I mean I had always known it was serious, but I guess I just didn't realize how serious. One other thing, we normally sing at least two hymns a lesson, and I learned how to harmonize on some songs so that is fun!

3. The happiest thing this week was either my spiritual experience or meeting Sebastian, because he seems really interested in what we have to say.

4. The most exhausting thing was definitely walking up that big mountain in divisions. It was really high and steep and slippery, and I got really tired.

5. The most "Guatemala" thing was probably getting fed pig intestine haha. That was the first time I've been given intestine, it was actually pretty good! It tastes a lot like turtle. I guess that doesn't mean a lot to you, turtle is good, it tastes like any other meat but a lot more rubbery I guess. I ate that in Panzos like six months ago or so.

We have a couple things planned for this next week. We need to visit our fechas that didn't make it to church. Gordy showed up with my package and invited us to dinner so that will be fun! Also, next week I might not be able to write for long at all because of a conference we have. The President of the missions here in Central America is coming if I understand right.

Something I've been thinking of lately is what President Cox said in the CCM: "Be yourself, but be the best version of yourself that you have ever been." I love all of you! 

Love, Elder Toolson