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!

27/10/2014 - Calling and election made sure

Well.. I got a change! i'm pretty stoked about it! I'm going to a little place in Baja Verapaz called Rabinal.. it's a REALLY small branch and my companion is actually the Branch President! His name is Elder Gustavo Vera, He's from Ecuador.. don't remember where exactly. He's been a ZL for a long time and he's a really good friend of mine here in the mission so I'm super excited to be compas with him!

  I'm still going to be District leader.. which I'm super excited about!! but President decided to give me a break and I have a smaller district.. still half Hermanas. I was scared they were going to make me a Zone Leader this change but I lucked out! And if everything goes normal I'll probably stay here in Rabinal until I "Die".. who know's.. I might even be the next Branch President?

  I hear as companion to the branch president I'll also receive callings in the branch (Because there are like 30 active members) and so I'll most likely be 2nd counselor in the branch presidency and also Primery president.. watch out ladies back home.. I might give you a run for your money! I'll be the freaking BEST male primary president you've EVER seen! (I just LOVE working with kids! Thank you Bishop Dunford for making me a Primary teacher before I left.. I bet you never thought It'd come to this! :P ).

  I'm going to miss the Colony and a TON of really good investigators but I have faith that I'll see them again someday.. maybe in this life.. maybe in the next! but I have faith that they'll be my brothers and sisters in the Lord and they'll be just amazing!

  As you might be able to tell I'm REALLY stoked about my new change.. I'll be getting to know a completely different part of the mission, having completely new experiences and I'm totally filled with completely new excitement!!! The only thing is that I'm super sad to be leaving a lot of the sisters here! they're so awesome and such hard workers! It's been a complete honor to work with these amazing women! (does that sound too weird coming from an elder? Just being their leader makes me so proud of them!)

  I'm also going to miss Elder Kumpf who is ending his mission this week.. He's been an amazing leader and a great friend! still a little sad we never got to be companions.. but we had two pretty great divisions and some dope times in the office of the mission Guatemala Cobán.. Shout out to him and his parents! You should be proud of your amazing son!)

  my Companion Elder Lopez is going to be the next District leader here.. He's going to be awesome! I think this is JUST what he needed! He's going to be a district leader AND he's going to train! One of my other old companions Elder Calona is also a District leader and is training.. I've had some AMAZING hondurenio compas! Viva Honduras! (and amazing companions for other places too!)

  We had stake conference yesterday.. my first stake (or district) conference in the whole mission that I can remember.. it seems they always change me right before they have it or i get to a place that JUST had their conference the week before. This time Elder Laboriel (a Seventy from Honduras) came to visit us and I learned a ton from him! He talks so animated and says things in such great ways.. I fell like he got right down into the people and talked to them as if he were one of them.. my favorite lines from him is: "Sus hijos, en su casa, NO TIENEN libre de albedrío! Cuando salgan en la calle o para el colegio, allí sí tienen libre de albedrío pero cuando están viviendo en su casa no lo tienen!" (Or "Your children, in your house, do not have freedom of choice! When they go out in the streets or to school, out there they have freedom of choice but when they're living under your roof they don't!") he continued talking about how parents can't just go to wake up their children and say "it's time to go to church", "awe but I don't want to!", "oh.. okay.. you have your freedom of choice! Keep sleeping." as parents we shouldn't even offer them the choice.. they'll have the chance to decide for themselves later on in life but if we don't guide them while they're young the'll be even worse off later on in life.

  Well I love you all and that's probably the longest letter I've written in a LONG time but I hope you all enjoy it! 

20/10/2014 - "Sahil ch'oolejil cho'q ere!" "Happy Birthday to you!"

Well it seems that this week has been the week of celebrating! about 4 people had birthdays and my companion hit his year mark, I hit one and a half years (The burning of the tie/shirt/pants attached) and today we're celebrating yet one more birthday! 

  We're planning ahead for changes and I've been taking pictures with the members.. the only thing is everyone says I'm not leaving the ward.. just my area. Basically they all say I'm moving up to Zone Leader next week but I find that VERY hard to believe.. After my breakdown and all I think President could find PLENTY of better candidates for ZL.. PLUS they've been telling me I'm going to move up for over 6 Months.. (Don't worry i'm not letting it get to my head cause I know it's not true).

  A few other things that happened this last week.. I found a cool red bowtie for about $0.60.. I can't use it here in the mission but I'll be rockin it at YSA dances when I get back! 

  Also found a corner.. a very interesting corner.. I laughed because I realized that out here you literally have to put signs up if you don't want people to pee (or I guess poo) in the corner of your house. (the foto translated says "Don't pee or Poo")

  We played "Extreme Uno" which is basically Uno with any rules anyone can think of.. I've learned quite a few new rules that are really fun and we literally had to use two decks for my whole district. (P.S. We're not really betting.. all that money in the middle was just extra cash we had on hand).

  Well I can't think of anything funner to write about.. no crazy stories this last week.. oh well.. I guess theres one more.

  Well.. I guess my bad luck hit me again.. Diana didn't get baptized.. her dad was totally against it.. when we first arrived she told us that she didn't care she'd just get baptized anyways.. when we explained that with out the consent of BOTH parents she couldn't be baptized till she turned 18 her face sank and I heard her heart drop to the floor.. She cried during the rest of the lesson after that. We talked to her and tried to keep her animo up! She still came to church this sunday so we feel like she'll do good. She's planning on starting Personal progress when she gets out of school and also want's to dedicate herself more to reading the scriptures.. so we gifted her a bible and a triple. She's completely ready to be baptized.. we told her not to worry.. she can still go to church, mutual, activities and do almost ANYTHING the other YW can do (Except temple baptisms) and as soon as her dad gives the okay she just has to tell us what day she wan't baptized and we'll get her signed up! I think she's ready.. she just has to work hard and pray a lot for her father.. I just couldn't stop thinking about a one of my sister (cassidy's) friends that waited all the way until she was 18 to be baptized because of her fathers decision.. I know if it comes down to that she's willing to make the wait. (oh and Steven's friend Joe too!) Theres still hope!

Love you all!!!

2014-10-13 Fortuacity, That's my byword!

 Well first off I'd like to thank everyone for their love and support.

Diana is still preparing to be baptised this weekend, she's REALLY nervious. I don't know why but I'm afraid we might have to push it back more.. she still doesnt have a yes from her father (he just doesn't say anything and walks away) and there's still SO much to do to prepare her. I'm not sure if it's the Spirit telling me she's not ready or if it's me getting cold feet. I've only had one baptism and if she doesn't get baptised this saturday theres a huge chance I get transfered and wont be able to be there.. so I don't know if I'm just psycing myself out because of my NEVER being able to get a baptism.

  We're trying hard to make changes.. the first presidency told us (all central america) we have to DOUBLE our efforts to baptize and retain.. I'm stressing so much with just getting my dats as they are! But I'm trying to understand that it's not my work.. and I never was doing it in the first place. The Lord can double our dats! (I guess I shouldn't bee that stressed.. doubling the 1 baptism I've had just means getting 2 before I leave! :P ).

  Well I gotta go but i love you all! Keep being Pilas!

2014-10-6 Pioneer Elders Sang as they walked.. and Walked.. and WALKED.. AND WALKED... AAAANND WAAAAALKKE​D!!!

  Well.. This week has been full of it's ups and downs.

  Friday we met with Hector and Blanca.. as I was planning things to prepare for their baptism (That was planned for this Saturday) Hector stopped me and told me he felt rushed.. He said that his goal was to decide on being baptized this weekend (if he received his answer) and NOT that he'd be baptized this weekend.. that kinda threw me back a few steps.. I wasn't there when my companion put the fecha but he told me he was under the same impression that they were planning on being baptized this weekend. it was kinda like a punch in the face.. but we're gonna keep working with them and try to help him see that he's got an answer.. that sometimes God doesn't give huge answers and even less when we demand them.. I hope he's humble enough to take it.

  Saturday we missed half of priesthood session.. but it was worth it.. we had a lesson with a young woman named Diana. She's been coming to church for the last 7 weeks and comes all by herself.. She really feels good there and tells us that she has no shame to tell her friends at school that she's going to the Mormon church. The bishop's wife (Also YW president) gave her a YW medallion to prepare her to earn her personal progress (Something just 3 weeks earlier she told us sounded boring and that she didn't want to do) and she wears that medallion EVERYWHERE and is now excited to earn the Personal Progress medallion. She says she feels proud wearing it.. not proud of the necklace.. but proud that it represents the changes shes made to get where she is. She's learning to pray every night and reminds herself to do so by placing the Book of Mormon on her pillow (I told her about prayer rocks a few weeks ago but she decided the book of Mormon was more appropriate I guess.) She's been telling us that she's been kept up late thinking about being baptised.. and told us she'd like to do it. We decided Friday that we should invite her to be baptised on a specific date.. the 18th of October. When we invited her to be baptised she was really hesitant.. her father goes to another church and is an ex military man who she describes as being "bien duro" y "muy enojado" and she's afraid to tell him. We decided to take a step back and analyze things.. I reminded her about how her father took it when she started going to church. He was angry at first and didn't like the idea but with time he became accustomed to the idea and now has no rejections that she do so. I told her that putting a goal to be baptised would give her that strength to tell her father that she was going to do it.. and that maybe at first he'd oppose but that if she kept praying, specifically for him, and always reminded him (with love) that she was still planning on getting baptised.. he, as well as before, would become accustomed to the idea and would allow her to be baptised. After having told her that I asked her when SHE would like to be baptised so that SHE could have the strength to tell her father that it was her decision.. after a pause she looked up and told us that she would like her goal to be the 18th of October and that she'd try her hardest to make sure her father was okay with the idea (She has the mother's approval already).

  I'm really grateful for that experience I had.. I felt when I was in that lesson that I was a real missionary.. and then it hit me after I thought that, that I should ALWAYS feel that way.. I'm not sure what's been happening to me in these last few months.. Maybe for my companion.. maybe for my lack of spiritual strength or maybe because I'm really not that good of a missionary but I felt really sad after that lesson.. I still wonder WHY is it that even though I'm struggling and pushing and doing everything I can.. That I STILL don't feel like I'm as good as my childhood heroes.. My older Brothers.. Those men in black who I've always looked up to. 

  I'm making this next week count.. I'm going to try with all I've got but I'd like your prayers, love and support as I try my hardest to become who I've been struggling all my life to become.. I can't do this on my own.

I Love you all!

--

Yours fortunately,

   Elder Hyrum Clark

2014/9/29 Chilasco!

Well howdy,

  Just wanted to write everyone and say I'm alive and well.. we had changes but I'm staying the same.. and my district had a bunch of changes but all within the district so we actually only lost one Hna.. and then gained two new ones! (Photos of the district maybe next week)

  Today we went to a waterfall called Chilasco.. It's the biggest waterfall in Central America supposedly.. but it't nothing HUGE.. like a typical awesome waterfall in Yosemite! (Pictures) I'm not exactly sure how much fun everyone had.. I mean it was a blast for a lot of us.. the trail was REALLY muddy and steep.. so it turned into a mud slide.. then fight.. then almost into a mud bath.. but as is always with Hnas.. it's not ALWAYS fun and games when it comes to getting muddy. (Don't worry we didn't get any of the sticklers muddy.. they were already doing a fine job of it themselves) but almost everyone enjoyed the trip!

  This last week we helped one of our, very complicated, investigators who is taking care of someone's house and Coffee plantation.. we ended up helping fertilize hundreds of coffee plants and enjoyed the day.. until I'm pretty sure he made us atol (Corn drink) out of pond water.. I'm still fighting off the effects of that visit.

  I'm definitely trying my hardest to keep my animo up.. I feel so spiritually drained! and I mean that's on TOP of being physically, mentally and emotionally drained.. I've been tired.. lived 8 months working two jobs and waking up at 6 to take my brother to seminary and getting 5 hrs of sleep every night.. but even 8 months of physical tiredness can't compare to being Spiritually tired.. it's something sleep cannot cure. I'm SO TIRED!

  I look forward to a great week! Still working hard with Hector and Blanca our couple fecha! I can't wait to help them get just one step closer to entering the temple! Only problem is that Hector want's a big answer.. He's received a lot of small ones and knows it but he told us he's still waiting.. "I've been doing my part! All I ask is that God give me what He gave Joseph Smith!" I told him I always wanted that too until I realized that that Joseph Smith ended up with a life full of persecution  that ended at the young age of 34 with a horrible death! (Still don't know how well he liked that answer.. but I'm working on my technique still.. Give me a break!)