24/11/2014 - Week 5: The Return of the Dragon - "Waldo" Pt. 2

  This last week I got sick again.. but this time it was from eating
in a restaurant.. I'm honestly considering street food to be my safest
bet of surviving in Guatemala.. but here in rabinal I don't think I
could trust even that! I honestly have not gotten sick this many times
in all of my mission until Rabinal! Sick at least once a week! "Waldo"
that double headed dragon came back for round two.. that sneaky little
goat stuck up on me at 3am!! Luckily I had my shield near by and was
able to defend myself with relative ease.. I will have to say these
2-4 day battles are really wearing me down! Luckily I am able to keep
up the will power to keep pushing forward! I haven't lost a single day
to sickness and that dragon will NEVER keep me from working! (Maybe
because I never tell the mission nurse.. She's a friend of mine.. but
if I tell her, she tells Pres and his wife.. and then everyone starts
to call me about how I feel and if I'm doing okay.. and honestly being
sick for a few days, even a fever of 102°F doesn't keep me from
going.. My amazing parents have taught me how to take care of myself,
and cure my own sicknesses just by being smart! (I don't know if
working with a fever is really smart.. but just go with me).
  This week our branch went to the temple! I am so excited for them!!
ALSO a young man brought us back Taco BELL!!!!!! WOHOO!!! Tanto tiempo
sin comer estas casacas!!! but he only brought me back "Hot" sauce
instead of "Fire" :(
  I'm learning so much from this calling as missionary in Rabinal and
also as 2nd Counselor in the branch presidency.. I'm learning how to
extend callings, interview for temple recommends (for the youth) and
just how to be patient.. This next week I'm going to learn a lot about
how to reprove with love because that's the next step here in Rabinal.
this branch hasn't grown in 40 years so we have to whip them into
shape! No more going to church in Jeans, No more using catholic and
Evangelist terms! We don't "Pray for people" we give Priesthood
Blessings! if we're different then the rest we need to know WHY and be
PROUD of the truth we have! if not.. then we're just one more church
in the world.
  I love you all and love all the email's I've received!
Take care! ¡Que se Cuidan!

17/11/2014 - Week 3: Adjusting.

  Well I'm starting to adjust. I'm still a little scared of our
members.. and I have NO idea what I'll do when my companion leaves and
I have to take over the area!
  About two weeks ago I got sick.. It was nice cause I didn't eat for
a few days and with the double-headed dragon helping me I definitelylost a few pounds! (I'm secretly hoping I get sick again about a month
before I go home so I go home looking like a nice fit young missionary
and not looking fat.) I've noticed a pattern in the mission.. Eating
on the street has never ever once made me sick (but I always make sure
the place I eat from is more or less clean and I don't eat food that
sits out) but every time I get sick it's from eating with members.. And
this last time it was the food of a member that got me as well!
  Today I conducted sacrament meeting. I'll have to say, even though I
was really nervous I feel like I did a lot better than I imagined.
Maybe it's just cause I feel like half the 24 people weren't even
paying attention so my mistakes weren't noticed. I'm super excited for
all the stuff I'm going to learn about administering in the church!
the organization of the church is just so legit! Me and my companion
study Manual 2 for church leaders in our companionship studies because
we both need to learn it desperately! it's amazing all the new stuff
you learn in just a matter of a few weeks!
  This week for district activity we brought the girls out to Cubulco
(the city about an hour farther in than Rabinal).. They were troopers
and didn't complain once about having to travel 2 hours for a P-day
activity.. I felt a little bad for them.. but hey, it was once and
luckily they don't have to do it EVERY week like we do! All in all we
had a fun time. We hiked up to the letters on the mountain (down hear
in Baja Verapaz they write their city names on the mountains like they
do heading into Utah, Like "Battle Mountain" The "Y" and such) and
then later we had a BBQ which was really good!
  Our hardest struggle here is getting people to come to church.. I
don't know if anyone remembers when I was in Sayaxchè at the beginning
of my mission.. but it's a lot like back there.. The investigators go
to church just once and then don't want to go back because with the
members that are there they feel uncomfortable.. they just don't feel
the spirit! All the members that are more or less normal are also
inactive because they can't stand the members that are active! We had
a pilas new family move here from the capital and after going to
church twice and mutual a few times they all went inactive.. basically
in the time I've been here more people have gone inactive than active
or baptized!
  I'm loving it here and enjoying my new trials! it's nice to have a
change of scenery and new challenges! I feel like I'm in a new
mission with a whole new boost of energy! And I think a lot of it is
because I feel like I'm actually of use here! O'm doing things and
helping people and I literally CAN'T judge myself by dats cause high
dats here is like snow in Fresno, during the summer.
  Well I love you all and hope things are going wonderful!
Take et EASSYYYY!!!!

10/11/2014 - Week 2.. still alive!

  Well.. Here I am in Rabinal. I'm still alive but I've gone through some CRAZY experiences this last week! We'll start with the Branch..

  In our branch there are a total of 6 normal functioning people.. and 2 are older than 80. about half the ward (Literally) have brain problems and more than once we've feared for our lives from the members. (one of them likes to throw rocks at us.. during sunday school.. in the church) I'm learning a great deal of patience on who to work with mentally handicapped people and really do love them.. when they're not trying to kill me. It surprises me how strong they are too!! I could not get the rock out of his hand!!

  Well.. I actually don't have time.. and this computer deletes everything I don't send so Here you go! Remind me to send pictures and tell you about the llorona, Juan Reyes, and 

03/11/2014 - "Estoy muy embarazada estar aquí enfrente de ustedes!"

  Sometimes you make really bad English/Spanish mistakes.. luckily I've avoided them.. but I've had the pleasure of being present in a few occasions. Gringas mixing up Embarazada with Avergonzada is probably the best I've heard.. but I laugh pretty hard when the Elders say they're embarazada too!

  This week has been a good one! Me and Elder Vera are having a lot of fun together and let me just say Rabinal is probably the scariest and weirdest place I've ever been to, seen, heard of or imagined! Literally some of the weirdest people I know! but you all know me and if it get's weird I just laugh.. I'm ALWAYS laughing here in Rabinal "City of the Drunks".

  So I didn't get to be primary president.. probably because there is no primary.. but I'll probably get to teach the kids sometime before I leave. This week they sustained me as second counselor in the branch presidency and let me just say the organization in this branch.. in the whole district really.. is basura! I have so much work to do but I'm so excited to do it! It'll be like starting up the mission office again!

  I'm learning how to use MLS (the church organization program) it's almost the same as CDS except CDS is ONLY for baptisms.. MLS is for EVERYTHING! I still have to actually add the callings that were made 2 years ago.. that's how bad this branch is! let's just say the last branch president ALMOST got excommunicated.. and there's no other worthy member to take his spot.. THAT's why the missionaries are taking over his spot.

  This week we had a good turn out of 22 members.. I hear that's how it will probably be for a while.. but I have hope that I can find and activate the next branch president before I leave the mission.. that's my 6 month goal! Speaking of which we found a really cool (Crazy) less active that we're hoping to get back in church.. his name is Chepe (José) and he's literally the most animated pilas LOCO less active I've ever met! He contacted us and then gave us like 3 references and said he wants to get the church here in Rabinal back up and awesome again! I hope it's not COMPLETELY fake.. I mean he never showed up at church with his cousin (my future girlfriend according to him.. I've gotten so used to everyone saying I'm such and such's boyfriend or that tal persona is my girlfriend.. it's a frequent occurrence here.. don't worry though.. it's NOT a temptation.)

  Well I'm not sure what else to say.. If you have any questions let me know! I got a letter from the office saying that if anyone's going to send packages for Christmas that they send them now because it's dangerous to send them close to Christmas.. last Christmas over 30 packages got stolen from our mission. So not that I expect packages but if you send them.. send them early or late. Also letters would be nice.. and they don't get stolen!

  I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!