week 71

Hey! This week went pretty good. My favorite part was getting to do some divisions in my old area Sepamac, it is always fun to go back to an old area where I served when I didn't know Kekchi, and talk in Kekchi. The people there are so nice. I visited one family who are awesome, I feel like they are my family away from my family, they asked me to stay and build my house next to theirs. Then I saw a girl I baptized. She is doing good but I was bummed because I also baptized her older sister and she told me that her older sister went off and is living with some guy. So I guess she didn't get the message about the law of chastity. There are no missionaries in the area she lives in now so that is kind of a bummer. I was serving with a new guy named Elder Garcia. He is from Mexico, his accent is different from any other Mexicans I have heard so it was kind of hard to understand him. He didn't learn Kekchi in the MTC, he got thrown in like the rest of us haha. I think he likes it ok, but he is still getting used to the culture of the qeq´chi´ people so I think it is hard for him to have patience with them.

Another awesome thing that happened this week was Mario got the Priesthood! It is awesome to see him progressing the way he is. Other than that, we got a new reference that we contacted, a guy named Miner who is the boyfriend of a member and we have pretty high hopes for him so we will see what happens this week. Also a guy named Jorge Mario came to church this week and he seems pretty interested, we taught him part of the plan of salvation and he seemed to like it. Other than that nothing too exciting to share. We got somewhere around 15 teaching appointments this week, which was a little lower than normal. We weren't really sure what was up but no one really seemed down to listen to the Gospel this week. When we go to visit a house we stand outside and go "HOoooo!" in a really high pitched voice. That is how people knock doors here haha. Whether it is an already scheduled cita or a contact or anything we do that. The people here will accept you and invite you in, but they don't understand that every church is different. They just like talking about God, which is cool. But when we invite them to church and they say they will go, then they go to their own church thinking that is what we meant. It seems like we are having a hard time finding people to accept a fecha (baptism date.) Some are coming out to church and progressing, but nobody seems to want a fecha. But we will keep trying!

I have some pictures of my area for you, these were taken right above Teleman. We had to hike a bit to find this view.

We are in El Estor with district Chulac for p-day, so I am with  Elder Ibarra and Nielsen. It is a good time. We found a store that sold tres leches cake so no complaints.

Next week is transfers so we will see what happens. I don't really have any predictions or anything. President and the APs say that they don't want people to spend their whole mission in the Polochic, so my time is probably coming to move on. I'm pretty bummed. I wish they would do it soon so I can have enough time for them to send me back into the Polochic to die (in mission speak, to die is to go home) but that doesn't look too likely.

My spiritual thought this week comes on parents! I just realized this week how blessed I was to have parents like you, Mom and Dad. Here a lot of the parents always seem to be yelling or hitting their kids, but you guys are the dopest. And then I think if you guys love me so much, imagine how much Heavenly Father loves all of us! It is pretty awesome. I hope you guys have a good week, I love you!

Love, Elder Toolok