7/28 "No time (hurry, hurry, hurry, rush about)"

So I don't have time to say much right now.. Let me explain..

  I'm in Santa Elena right now.. kinda been stranded here for 2 days now. I'm trying to head to the capital to sign my visa papers because technically I'm mojado (wetback in Guate) for 5 days now.. but my comp has been out of money for 3 weeks now and I've been paying for the both of us. it costs about 300Q for the both of us to travel ONE way to the cap.. and I have (Well had) 200Q. 

  We got here in Santa Elena and the ZL's in the other zone said they'd help pay for us to get to the Cap but we'd have to talk to someone else when we got there to help us get back cause they have no money either to pay all 600Q.. that is fine cause we know the church isn't going to leave us 10hrs from our mission. 

  we finally had the money and we head to the bus stop at about 8 at night.. well.. the two buses that were supposed to be running.. weren't. so here we are.. in the middle of a different zone in the night with no idea what to do. we walk to an elder's house in the other zone and crash at his place and call the pouch elders (the ones in charge of our travel arrangements). They say there's nothing to do and just to sleep there for the night.

  the next day is.. well it's today and it's P-day.. but neither of us have p-day clothes, or food.. and hardly any money. (right now we have 45Q to head back to Sayaxche miercoles (Wednesday)  and 10Q for the both of us to use 30 mins of internet.. oh and I have 50 centavos  about 7Cents to buy.. well nothing can be bought with that.)

  anyways.. I have no Idea how much time I have now.. but I just wanted to say.. I've never felt so lost in my life (me and my comp wandered around the island of Flores for 3 hrs looking for another pair of elders) but at the same time I've never been this.. I don't know how to say it.. "Fine with that"?

   We've got a bus for the cap tonight at 9pm and I don't know what we'll do for food but I know we'll be fine. I know that the Lord got us in his hands.. and I don't know.. it was kinda fun to say I've been stranded with no money in a different zone for two days.. and over 2 hrs away from my casa.

  What adventures right?!

Yours fortunately,

 

          ---Elder Hyrum Clark

7/21 Tidbits

 I realize I have a bunch of things I've wanted to mention but have never had the time.. here are a few tidbits of info and a few pictures tambien

  

   I'm learning that the directions here are really different.. I remember  Cassidy writing from Argentina about how they use things like "that tree with the dog sleeping underneath" or "the big rock" and it really is just  like that! I'm hoping once I can understand all the discriptory words and words for things like Wall, Rock, dead tree and such I'll do better but right now it's nice to have a comp that understands everything.

  you know that post that went around Facebook a while back about the spiders in the toilet.. I'm more disgusted by the roaches that chill in my toilet paper! not fun!

.. Okay I don't have time.. but.. PICTURES!!!

 

Yours fortunately,

 

          ---Elder Hyrum Clark

7/8 Katsup

So I'm going to try and write a bunch to catch up.. but I doubt I'll be able to!

 



Tikal

   Tikal! It was AWESOME!! It's like an old city.. of stone.. with the buildings still there! I was able to walk inside old stone house things! it was definitely an AWESOME experience and we were able to just chill in this huge city for 4 hours and we hiked (Yes we had to HIKE.. but not really at all) up this giant temple where George Lucas shot a scene from Star Wars episode 6 and It was a REALLY cool view! We also made a pyramid of people in front of one of the pyramid temples.. I'm not sure if I sent this picture or not.. if not my mom can let me know and I'll send it next week.



Caves at Tikal

   The caves.. Also awesome! I got to be head explorer because Latinos are pansies; got scared and wanted to leave after 5 minutes so the ZL's basically said LEAD THE WAY CLARK! well sorta.. I was always in front but they chose what direction and we basically went in circles.. they thought they were lost but really if they just would have taken this ONE passage I showed them.. every time we passed it... they would have been able to see the exit! anyways.. really hot.. really fun.. and also frustrating. but mainly the fun part.

   4th of July! mixed feelings. It was awesome because I got a bunch of ice creams and choco bananas (Which I didn't have to pay for) and I got to wear my tie and have a random kid light off my fire crackers for me (Missionaries can't use fire works.. for good reasons) and fun stuff.. but it was also one of the worst days cause we didn't have a single cita and we couldn't get a member to accompany us (We also can't work past 5:30without a member). so I'm excited for next year.. ANND for thanksgiving.. please someone tell me what day it is this year!

   It's suuuper hot these past few days.. well kinda. Steven told me it is only like 93° or something but it feels hotter than it ever has before! he also told me there's a chance of thunderstorms here soon and that means there's a BIG chance cause it always rains here.

   I don't remember if I told you about my two baptisms I had or if I sent pictures but I hope so.. They were both awesome and basically members.. well one has a hard time attending cause it's a long.. hot walk to the church from his house.. but I did it many times so we're trying to help him and his inactive family understand it's nothing that hard.. only 30 minutes of hot sunny sweaty walking!

   I gotta go I don't have more time but I just want to say I LOVE YOU STEVEN COLE!!! thank you for writing me finally! it was a MAJOR highlight of the week! Also Kymee, and Michaela can expect letters in the next month.. I've written them but I don't know how fast the mail system works in this new mission.. everything is kinda hectic at the office.. and it was already bad before. anyways! gotta go!

Yours fortunately,

---Elder Hyrum Clark

 

7/3 No Time

I don't have much time.. I missed P-day and I don't have time much time today but here are a bunch of pictures of my baptisms and of Tikal and the caves

Yours fortunately,

 

          ---Elder Hyrum Clark

6-20 Pics

My group of people I played ball with today

My comp with a tree we chopped down with machetes

That is my "chapel".. I think it's just a meeting house though.. that's all there is,  that one room for everything

6/23 New Mission

It's Official. I'm in the Guatemala Coban Mission.
Here's my new Address:

Elder Hyrum J Clark

Apartado Postal #34
3ra Calle 2-02 Zona 3
Coban AV 16001

Guatemala, C.A. Mision Coban

6/20 I'm on a mission!

Wow..

   I'm on a mission! I think I realized it when I ran out of money 2 weeks before I am supposed to be reimbursed. Things are interesting. They tell me that I should be fine next month it's only cause the first month you have to pay the rent from your food fund and the next month they reimburse you and you use that for your rent. but yeah.. things are starting to kick in.



People I played ball with today

   I'm doing better at Spanish.. that's about the only thing. My memory still is on the frits and I'm getting blisters on my feet daily. I'm enjoying the change but I wont lie I'm suffering a bit too. I'm just trying to keep my head up and my feet moving. I honestly can't think of all the things I wanted to say.

   I'm in an internet café here that's pretty legit! Like seriously I walked in and its a 20 (or so ) year old guy with a ton of computers and hardware for sale and it's just pretty much like a programmer's oasis in Guatemala. I could see Sean having a store like this.. Gosh I could see myself owning a store like this and LOVING it!



My Comp cutting down a tree with a machete

   I've seen some crazy stuff here! Guatemala is a new adventure every day! Today I played futbol and basket ball with a huge group of members/investigators/random  people off the street that we invited (See Picture).. it was fun!

   I've definitely been working.. I've chopped down trees with machetes and I found out
that's how they cut the grass here too! yup.. I've spent my fair share of time cutting grass with machetes and I fear I have plenty more time left in my mission for more.

   If my English is horrible it's cause it is.. I can't speak it either. my comp  wanted my to pray in English and half ended up being Spanish.. I think in Spanish and I dream in Spanish.. it's all broken bad Spanish but my English is pretty bad as well. It's even harder while I'm typing cause it's a Spanish computer and all the words I type in English are underlined in red so I have NO idea if I'm spelling Anything correctly.

   I'm honestly just rambling now.. I can't think of what to say.. I guess I could tell you that I have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday and another for next.. but I can't think of anything cool that's you'd care to know. I ate French fries again! that was fun! 

   Well I have a headache.. I think I'm done for the day.

 

 That is my "chapel".. I think it's just a meeting house though.. that's all there is,  that one room for everything.

 

 

Yours fortunately,

  ---Elder Hyrum Clark