DENGUE FEVER

Guatemala

What’s up everyone, long week this week so that means short email haha. So unfortunately I was feeling pretty sick a week ago Sunday into last Monday and usually sicknesses just go away after a bit but this just didn’t.  It was just a really bad fever from Sunday night all week to Saturday. We think it was Dengue fever which is a sickness from mosquitoes which would make a lot of sense. Mosquitoes have always loved my blood. Not that fun, however we still worked everyday nonetheless. Dengue was a lil boy and doesn’t stop the Lord's work. 

We are in the process of trying to baptize these two little girls who are cousins and their families are inactive. I think this can be a great way to reactivate their families too. Two birds with one stone hopefully. The goal for Silvia and Billy to be baptized is in the next 2-3 weeks. Silvia got some cold feet but is staying faithful and keeping her commandments. 

Not much honestly that I can remember and I am not that motivated to write an email haha. Love all you guys and hope you guys are getting and reading the emails. I absolutely love getting emails from home and especially the fellow missionaries. Praying for you all at home and in the field. 

Scripture of the week:

James 5:14 “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the Elders of The Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord”

Santiago 5:14 “¿Está alguno enfermo entre vosotros? Llame a los ancianos de la iglesia, y oren ellos por él, ungiéndole con aceite en el nombre del Señor.”

Tortilla making

Us and a cow in the back

Shout out to Condawg Neal

 TOUGH WEEK BUT WE BALL

Billy with the greatest books ever written

 

What’s uppp everyone! I hit 3 months on the mission wooohooo. I wish I could say time is flying right now haha but it’s good, we getting by. 

Honestly not much happened this week. We were supposed to have our baptisms on Saturday but they decided they needed a little more time to prepare for baptism which is amazing. I am so proud of them for being patient and taking this covenant seriously. My companion really is wanting this baptism because he ends his mission in 6 weeks and baptisms in San Martin just don’t happen. We had some rough couple days not seeing eye to eye on this baptism but I am very glad that Sylvia and Billy were able to make this decision on their own. The baptism should happen within the next couple weeks!! They are awesome and they expressed how tight they are on money but they paid tithing on Sunday. Man seeing that was top 3 best moments on the missions fs. 

Anyway I had a lot of lowlights this week so I will keep this email real short. Sickness never gets better and contacting just doesn’t work. However, a big help for me this week was D&C 18. Check the scripture, it’s really cool. I love it so much because missions and life are so hard. They can be very discouraging or sad but, with all we need to do is have faith and gather Israel. It is what our prophet has told us is the most important work today! Even if it is small, one person, 2 people, a lot, or only a small message. We will have great joy living with our father in heaven.

D&C 18:15 “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father” 

DyC 18:15 “15 Y si acontece que trabajáis todos vuestros días proclamando el arrepentimiento a este pueblo y me traéis aun cuando fuere una sola alma, ¡cuán grande será vuestro gozo con ella en el reino de mi Padre!”

Every bus we take 5 times a week

Geovani

More of San Martin

Me and the Uruguay legend Elder Davis England

I MISS SPORTS

Billy - Elder England

Yo wuddup from Guaties closing my 11th week. This week was good but man imma keep it 100,  I really missed sports this week. Not sure why but all I thought about was Lacrosse and college football. Big FOMO but we good, we’ll make it back to the LAX field

I also found a Classics sweatshirt in a thrift store here! Which if you guys do not know what that is, it is a lacrosse team I played for during high school. Good thing I got my Classics shorts to complete the fit. Chat let me know what you think with an email back!!

This week was crazy in San Martin. Almost everyday this week there was a big event going on. Had to have been some Guatemalan holiday or something. One day there were a lot of fireworks, a big soccer game in front of our house, a fair, parties, etc. On Saturday they literally just cut out the power in San Martin for the fair, and at least that is my theory. So English class didn’t work at all. They came but we ended up just turning on flashlights and making paper airplanes and talking in the dark. Super fun actually. But the fireworks were really cool because they shot out from this guy in a box. I can’t explain it, just head to google photos and check it out, pretty swag.

We are doing great with Sylvia and Billy but Kimberly just went rogue on us. Weird, we haven’t seen her in almost a week and she isn’t answering us on the phone. Her baptismal date along with Sylvia and Billy is this Saturday. But if you guys wouldn’t mind, keeping these 3 in your prayers

Other than that, same old and imma keep this email short. Nothing new here other than my Spanish is improving a little bit. It is still horrible though, but progress is progress

Scripture of the week:

Alma 38:9 “And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness”

Alma 38:9 “Y te he dicho esto, hijo mío, para que aprendas sabiduría, para que aprendas de mí que no hay otro modo o medio por el cual el hombre pueda ser salvo, sino en Cristo y por medio de él. He aquí, él es la vida y la luz del mundo. He aquí, él es la palabra de verdad y de rectitud”

Trip to Antigua

English class

Guaty fairs

La palabras De Dios

Classic fit 

Me and Ralph

    BE PATIENT IN OUR AFFLICTIONS

Familia Coy niños

¿Que onda? Another week down. Time is going very fast and would have gone very fast this week if I wasn't sick. Luckily my sicknesses haven't been too serious. And if you know me very well you know I never stop coughing, sniffling, and breathing weird at my healthiest so when I am sick it is bad lol. But we good, just gotta listen to Alma 26:27 which btw is the scripture of the week. It's funny because this scripture was brought up to me so much this week so I thought it would be fitting. Also it's hilarious when Elder Pérez says it in english. But gotta give credit where credit is due, so shout out my sister Macy who introduced this scripture to me first

This week was full of events but here are a couple. We had a multi-zone conference in Patzicia and it was 2 hours away on a bus but I am pretty sure it's like from draper to Salt Lake distance wise, America on top for the freeways. Maps says 14 miles from San Martin to Patzicia😭🤣 but I got to meet about half of the missionaries here. Got to see the OG too which was lit, shout out Dobby. 

Later, after English class we had a lesson with the Santay Family and we put 3 of them on a date for baptism!! November 18th is the special day. The 4th member of Family Santay is actually a member but has been inactive for the past 5 years and doesn't have the priesthood. It's funny how we met him because it was late at night a couple weeks ago and we were walking back to our house and this guy was walking alone towards us kinda eyeing us down and we were like aight how much money we gonna lose rn, but then he got closer and yelled "Elderes". We were like what is going on. But look at us now, he's my best friend here and it was his birthday this week too. Anyway he has been getting ready to receive the priesthood and baptize his family. God's timing is crazy and perfect. 

Making more progress with a lot of more people and references is the key to San Martin. Contacting in the street I don't want to say is a waste of time because no missionary work is a waste of time and the gospel is meant for everyone on the earth. However, let's just say it is a good way for me to practice Spanish and learn new bad words in spanish. We can just leave it at that.

But to end, I am loving it here and the work is going great. I got my Guatemalan friends and family here who I am having so much fun with. They can't replace you guys at home, but man I am lucky, the people here when they aren't drunk are amazing. Especially the kids!! Makes me miss my best friends at home, who btw are getting huge already. Halloween was sad not to be there with the fam. Last shout out, but Brayd and Soph should get money or something for their costume🤣🤣

Scripture of the week:

Alma 26:27 "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success"

Alma 26:27 "Y cuando nuestros corazones se hallaban desanimados, y estábamos a punto de regresar, he aquí, el Señor nos consoló, y nos dijo: Id entre vuestros hermanos los lamanitas, y sufrid con paciencia vuestras aflicciones, y os daré el éxito"

Feliz cumpleaños Geovani Santay

Élder Pérez es mi mejor amigo

Me and Macy

Brayd and Soph, legends