week 94

Hey! We had a better week this week. We were able to find that member and talk to him and he showed up to church and brought everyone from Lomas. So the church attendance was a little higher this week which was nice. The two fechas (people with scheduled baptisms) were the only ones that didn't come. They don't seem super interested now so that is a bummer. 

Our Zone Leaders ended up not coming but that was ok. I don't really miss being a ZL, but I feel like with being Group Leader I have almost more responsibility so I guess in a way I kind of miss it haha. It's nothing crazy, just with coordinating with the hermana (sister/female ward member) who is in charge of limpieza (cleaning and building maintenance), trying to get Lomas to church, and looking for people to give talks, I've realized I would not be a good Bishop.

Zone Conference was good. I kind of had all planned out what I was going to say in my testimony, then I got up there and my mind went blank so I just kind of stumbled through some lines in Spanish and Q'eqchi'. It wasn't quite as memorable as I was hoping but thankfully I still have my last district meeting and Family Home Evening with President and my group to make up for it. 

My interview went well, in the conference we talked about the Atonement so he asked me what I thought of the activity they did. It was the activity where one person has to do push ups so every one else can have a treat that we did a couple months ago in our other zone. I didn't have to do the push ups this time, Elder Castro did. It was worse watching than doing. Next he asked me how my relationship with Christ is, then he told me to think about home a lot over the next two weeks but keep working. My goals are to work hard, and either baptize that couple or get them as prepared as I possibly can so that the next missionaries that come here can do it. Then told me he loved me and that the Lord was happy with me. So I was in there like two minutes and it was good! 

To answer mom's questions about Chisec, the best thing and worst thing is the members. It's like the active ones are super dope and pilas, and then the not-so-active ones are really frustrating because they are like "oh yeah! I will go to church this week" and then don't go. So you visit them again and they say "oh...I couldn't...but next week for sure!" and then don't go again. My best memory here is not really a specific memory, I just have those two families I told you about that I am pretty close to, so I will always remember them. And they are probably going to be the hardest thing to leave behind. What I will be pretty excited to leave behind is the drunk people here, there are ALWAYS drunk people. 

A typical day now is wake up at 5:30 and work out until like 7, Monday is chest and triceps and core, Tuesday is back and bicep and core, Wednesday is shoulders and if I feel adventurous I do a little bit of legs and core. Then study until like 11, which is reading the Bible in Q'eqchi', the Book of Mormon in the three languages, two or three chapters of Jesus the Christ, and then trying to help my companion with the language. Then we go eat lunch with a member and go work till like 8 or 9. Then we get ready for bed, sleep, and repeat. I am just in my area today, I am on splits with Elder Nielsen. I've told you about him before, he started his mission in the Polochic and we did a couple of divisions there, now he is in my district. He is from Utah and has about nine months out. He is my buddy. Our companions wanted to go to Coban and we didn't. I am trying to save money because I think I am starting to run low and there is a tiny chance we might pay for a wedding haha.

Here are some pictures from this week. I am still wearing wide ties! I'm going to wear one home and give the rest out to missionaries. My belt broke!

At Zone Conference with Elder Vega (my companion), Elder Nielsen and Elder Pin (a dope guy in the office who was in the Polochic.)

This is Elder Castro, he came into the mission at the same time as me. 

After conference with Elder Vega and Elder Pin.

My spiritual thought this week comes from another miracle, which is always nice. This week I did a fast for success in the district and for help to keep me working my last couple weeks because after that poopy week last week I didn't really want to do much. Then like two days after my fast ended, I got a call from the ZLs saying that two of their fechas moved in to Chisec, they just need to get married and baptized. I called the fecha and he said we could visit him on Tuesday. So I am super excited for that cita (appointment.) It was just a big testimony to see that the Lord is watching out for me. It isn't super probable that I will be here to see their wedding and baptism because I don't know what their situation is with their papers and how prepared they are, but just the fact that the Lord sent us somebody to teach here these last two weeks is good enough to know that He watches out for us. 

"Jo'kan ut, tento a teetiikisi eerib' chi ub'ej chi xaqxookex junelik rik'in li Kristo, rik'in tz'aqal xlemtz'unkil lib yo'onink, ut rik'in c rahok choq' re li Dios ut reheb' chixjunil li winq. Jo'kan ut, wi teetiikisi eerib' chi ub'ej rik'in xtzekankil xsahil li raatin li Kristo, ut d texkuyuq toj sa' roso'jik, k'ehomaq reetal, jo'ka'in naxye li Yuwa'b'ej: Taawanq eeyu'am chi junelik. ("Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of 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." - 2 Nephi 31:20)

I love you!

Love, Elder Toolson

OH I FORGOT TO TELL YOU! MARIO IS SECOND COUNSELOR IN THE SENAHU RAMA PRESIDENCY! Ah, I was so hyped I forgot to tell you!