week 92

Hey! So the big news is I ended up translating a little bit! I sat up front just a few seats away from Elder Renlund talking into a microphone. Whenever anybody talked in Q'eqchi' I changed it to English for Elder Renlund, his wife, Elder Duncan (area 70), his wife, and the Temple President and his wife. Elder Nelson did the translating from English to Q'eqchi', including Elder Renlund's talk. It was a bummer because the microphone we used had static and stuff so I think they were a little frustrated. Also I kept saying words in Spanish and Q'eqchi' so I'm sure they didn't appreciate that. But I got to give him a handshake at the end. It was really cool. Also, you could feel a change in the room when he entered. He told me "good job" so that was pretty dang awesome. To make Senahu a Stake they pretty much just announced that it was a Stake and who the new Presidency was, so it was kind of like a Stake Conference. I knew everyone that was sustained in the new Stake Presidency so that was cool. They also changed two ramas from Senahu, two ramas from Seamay, and two ramas from Yalijux into wards. Elder Renlund did end up leaving an Apostolic blessing which was pretty cool to hear. The only interaction the missionaries had was to shake his hand at the end, he got in and out pretty quick so I think he was pretty busy. I don't have any pictures because they were very strict about that. I know there were quite a few members there from all over the Polochic, and a lot of people came from the capital and stuff, so people traveled pretty far to see him. The building was completely full and that is saying something because it is a massive church and they filled the upstairs and downstairs part of it. I saw all of my buddies from the Polochic and they ran up and gave me a big group hug. It is so weird to think that it is coming to an end, it is pretty sad. Four more p-days. That's what my district tells me every day, how many p-days I have left because p-days come so quick. I'm just doing my best to work hard until the end.

We left for Senahu Friday morning. My companion was with me the whole time so he didn't have to do anything different. The first night in Senahu I stayed at the missionaries house, that was the worst.  We didn't sleep at my old house, we slept with the other missionaries that serve in Se'amay because they are like a five minute walk from Senahu. There was no place to sleep, I put four wooden planks on the floor and curled up on that for the night. Then me and Nelson got a hotel room that was also pretty bad but I had a bed.

It is hard to think what else I did because that was obviously the biggest thing I did this week. Elder Renlund was in interviews all day Saturday so we didn't see him until Sunday but it was good. On Saturday I got to go visit some old members and converts with Elder Nelson so that part was really awesome. It was awesome to be back in my old area. There was one family I surprised visited, Ceasers family that we used to do a noche de hogar with every week, and they started crying when they saw me so it felt good. Other than that I didn't really get to see any other members other than a quick hello, but I was glad they remembered me! I also found out some of my converts, Herylinda and Anjel, are getting ready to get sealed in the Temple toward the end of August so that is awesome as well. I did get to see Gordy and I got my birthday package so thank you very much! It was awesome!  

Other than that it was a pretty normal week. At district conference I just talked about Your Four Minutes by Gary E. Stevenson a bit, and making sure we are working hard and always studying Q'eqchi' because the people here deserve to hear the gospel in their language. My companion is coming along slowly but surely, he is working hard at it though. We get along good. We haven't really had any problems yet, we are both pretty relaxed guys so I don't see us ever having a problem. We put two fechas with some Q'eqchi' speaking investigators in a village we visit once or twice a week, it is a place called Lomas. The people there have to come to church with our group in Chisec, which is maybe an hour or an hour and a half by car, walking it is pretty darn far. One of the members has a pick up to take everyone, but when we go we take a bus to a cruze... I can't remember how to say that in English... and then we start walking and hope we find a pick up. If not, it is like a two hour walk just to the cruze. It is dope because there are members there and so they help us a bit, but they haven't made it out for the last two weeks which is a bummer. I am doing my best, I was excited when we put the fechas because I was worried I wouldn't have anything going for me my last few weeks because I know Chisec hasn't been known to baptize for like a couple months now. But even if I don't see these people baptized I know they will be one day so it is nice to get to work with them. The little girl I told you about, Santa, said no to a baptismal date still, and didn't come to church...so we are still figuring out what to do with her.

It is boiling hot here in the mornings and then around 4 or 5 it starts storming super hard. There is thunder and the rain is crazy, there have been trees that have fallen on houses and stuff. We try to work through it, but normally end up hiding out in whatever house we are in at the time if I am being honest. The storms come and go for maybe two or three hours, so when there is a break we usually run to our next appointment haha. Food here is cereal in the morning and lunch with a member and sometimes no dinner, but if we get too hungry we go to the same member and cook our food there.

This week we need to visit Lomas to figure out why they aren't coming to church, and then I will probably try to firm up the fechas we have. They seem to have a lot of problems understanding doctrine, that's why I'm not sure if I will get to see them baptized. We also have Ward Conference which should be good. So we need to figure out transportation for all the members. Our group in Chisec belongs to a Ward in Coban so we will go there for that. Since we are a group, we can't be our own independent little place, we belong to the Ward in Coban. Every few weeks a member of the Bishopric comes and checks on us. I have yet to see him. 

We traveled back to Coban last night so we will be here for p-day and then tonight go back to our area. I have a few pictures for you this week. The first one is Elder Nelson, who translated with me:

This is my buddy, Elder Zavala:

And a picture of my area...

My spiritual thought this week comes from the power of prayer and fasting. Naq maji xqajaltesi iru li raatin li Apostol, xqakuy li qasa' ut xootijok re xtz'aamankil chiru li yos li qatenq'ankil, ut xooruuk chi reek'ankil li santil musiq'ej, ut xinxtenq'a chi aatinak chi us. (Rough translation, not sure how this matches up: This week Elder Nelson and I did a fast that we would be able to communicate everything we would need to, and a prayer right before the meeting. We could totally feel the Spirit helping us remember the stuff we learned so it was pretty awesome.)

Love, Elder Toolson