Week 37

Monday -Today we got up and had our little P day routine in the morning, after we started cleaning in our house, I cleaned the bathroom and shower because none of them wanted to do it, because it hasn't been cleaned in forever and was nasty, but I cleaned that thing way good!! After we went to the church and played some soccer!! It went really good, we then got showered after and went to eat, we had some grilled chicken and fries and a smoothie from this one place, it was pretty good, we then tried writing our families but there's just not a lot of internet places here and they barely have internet, so it was really spotty.. And the internet kept going out! We then went and visited with one of our good friends and had a noche de hogar with them and it went really good.

Tuesday- Today we got up and we left to our district meeting, we had it and we learned a lot and took a pic because it was our last meeting together. Later we went and met some new people really far away, we met this lady that is 78 and she was actually really interested in our message. We then went to Chijiox to help the Hermanas move houses, we helped moved all of their stuff into their new house with a member they had, it was pretty fun, we road in the back of the pickup truck with the member and got it done really quick. Later we went the hermanas again and my comp interviewed someone, and I talked with the Hermanas, we then came back and met with our bishop.

Wednesday- Today we worked hard in the morning and found a lot of new people to teach, after lunch we left to go with our friend Diego, and we did some service for like 2 hours with him with the Elders de Xelarxon and we built a Tu, or like a steam room for his wife, we worked hard and it was really fun!!Later we met with one of our investigators and we taught about our purpose in life and he really enjoyed it and wants to change his life around!

Thursday- today we had our planning for next week and that went really good, we got a lot of challenges we are trying to complete. Then we met with this lady that is 78 but we met her husband too, and he is like 84! But they are really healthy and are living a great life, we then met with our investigator Margarita and we got another lesson with her and the spirit was so strong and her testimony is growing so fast and its great.

Friday Today we got up and went out to work, we found a couple of new people then we went to lunch and had a huge bowl of Rice thats it haha, it was really good though, then we left and met with our investigator Pablo, that went really good we taught the word of wisdom with him and he understood and told us he would keep it, but he has problems with drinking a lot. We then went with some of these youth at night and we visited with them and got some references with them, there has been talk about being another war, because the other people keep trying to steal land, so that's not good..

Saturday- today we got up and went way far to visit some people they weren't there so we met with some others, we brought a member with us to help us translate, we met with Domingo the 84 year old and taught him about our gospel then, I asked if I could take a pic, because they are so awesome and funny. Later after lunch we had divisions and I got to with Elder Lopez, he is from california, we went to his area and worked and we met two people that only speak Quiche we tried speaking with them but didn't really understand us haha, its a lot easier with my comp that kind of speaks it haha. We then visited with some investigators and members he had and it went really good we taught really good together and it was fun to get to know him and work with him, he is a great missionary!! We then came back and talked about our missions and did a evolution of our day.

Sunday-today we got up and got ready we then left to church, and every sunday is day of the market, so the road is like a tunnel, and the path to the church is through the market so every sunday have to push our way through people and little shops to get to the church ahah, but its kind of fun!! We then went to church and took the sacrament and put up announcements in the church for Margaritas Baptism, then we went to lunch and had this amazing soup. So the food here is kind of traditional, it is mostly just Caldro our soup, chicken and rice, or chow mein haha, that's my fav!! And there is always tortillas and lime. But we went to work after and met with this guy in our ward that got stabbed the other week, he is doing good and has a good mind, he is not sad or anything, he is just fine! But we gave him a blessing and then shared a spiritual thought with him, we then went with our investigator Margarita and taught her word of wisdom, it went really good, we then read a little of the BofM with her and that went really good, she had a lot of questions and we answered them for her. We then came back to the house and waited for the call from the assistants with the new changes, we were all freaking out and he only said one Hma in our district had changes and the rest are staying, we freaked haha. We then made ice cream sandwiches haha.

I'm having a blast out here, my quiche, my spanish and my testimony keeps growing everyday and I'm understanding more and more of everything. The spirit has been a big part in my mission, it has helped me guide me, helped me avoid temptations, helped me talk when I didn't even know what to say, but Im just grateful for these experiences I experience everyday, Thank you guys for all the support and love, miss and love every single one of you and hope you have a great week!!

Elder Montoya

Monday- So today we got up and we went to the church to play soccer! We try to get other people to go but they always cant, so it's just us four haha. After we came out, there was a ton of people in the streets, they were saying that the other village Ixhuatacan killed someone from Nahuala, well they weren't happy, we went to try to get our haircuts but the shop was closed, so we went straight to the internet, they only let us write for 5 min because they were going to close, so I just wrote my parents a tiny bit, then all the stores started closing it was crazy, police and ambulances were zooming up and down the streets, we went to our friends tienda, and we bought some eggs and food for two days, then came back to the house and told president, he told us to say a prayer and stay in the house, we stayed in the whole day on our P day…. Not the happiest but it was probably for the best, but was really boring.

Tuesday -We woke up and thought we were going to be in the house all day again, but President called and said we need to get out to Xela as fast as we can, we all got ready. And left, because at 10 they closed off all the roads to leave, anyways we went to Xela, and got to the offices and met all the new missionaries that just came in and saw this sisters parents come and pick her up, that was pretty cool. Later we went with the missionaries in Panorama Xela, and we worked in divisions with them, we were all in three, later came back and ordered pizza and got a lot of gatorade haha, we slept 6 in a house, some of us on cots and others on the floor haha.

Wednesday- Today we got up and it was day of the Millennial, where we contact the whole day. President said we had to stay here Xela… none of us wanted to.. But we worked in Panorama again, we went out and contacted the whole morning. At lunch we went to this place called Temos Steakhouse, and I almost forgot, its my comps birthday today!! Anyways we went there and it was super expensive, so I got some Garnachas that were amazing!! I payed for my comp and after we left to the house for our studies, on our way picked up a cake and split the price with our Zone leaders for my comp. We then had divisions with the Elders from Panorama, I went with Elder Paxtor, he is from Guate, and was pretty good, we contacted a lot the whole night and found a lot of new people, we worked good together. We then came back and sang Happy birthday to my comp and had his cake!!

Thursday- we woke up really early and went got ready and left to go back to our area, we got back to our area and it was so nice to be back!! So we got ready and then went to lunch, the members were telling us what has been happening, and its a lot haha, but we came back and had to go way out far into our area to teach this little girl that is 9 that is going to get baptize next weekend. We taught her and then asked her who wants to baptize her and she chose me! We then came back and had our planning for our next week, that went really good, we got a lot of stuff planned for that and Im ready!! We then came back and were dead tired from today, from traveling and working, it was good day though!

Friday- So today we woke up early again, we got ready and left to Xela again! My comp had a meeting for the leaders, so I went and had divisiones with an Elder that is in Xela, I went with Elder Vega, he is from Austin Texas and only has like 6 weeks in the mission field, so I basically trained him. Anyways we went back to his area and we started working, we did some studies and he was telling how he was going to go home, because he doesn't like it out here and how he hates Guatemala and he was so mad when he got his call to here, he was just really negative and didn't want to work or anything. I told him a lot of stories about my mission and he was like yeah but that's not in Xela, because Xela is kind of like city I guess, but the whole day we worked, I mostly talked the whole time because he didn't want to talk, and anytime I would give him time to talk, he wouldn't talk!!! But I just helped him have fun while we're contacting and he started talking more. I tried helping him turn his perspective around on the mission, he kept saying sorry on our way back to the church and I was like don't worry, like you are a great missionary and you are going to have a lot of fun, and just helped, he was really grateful and when we got to the church to end our divisions, he hugged me and was like thanks, All I said was you better not leave haha, but then I got back with my comp, and left back to Nahuala. We got back and had personal study then went out and visited our investigator Margarita, we taught her the last lesson and she has her interview on sunday!! So excited!!

Saturday- Today we got up and I just had a feeling that I needed to get in the shower as fast as I could, anyways I did and after the water turned off and I didnt have to shower with cold water!!!haha then we left again to a place really close to Xela, we had our district meeting there, it was an emergency one, because the Zone leaders and my comp, just talked about announcements and what happened in the meeting.It was really nice and really spiritual, they drew a line on the floor and said if you pass, you are leaving your old life behind and dedicating your life to the lord for your whole life, even after the mission, I crossed, then we all had to say personal prayers, it was really cool to feel the spirit in the room, what a great meeting! We then came back and my comp and I went and made invitations for Margarita for her Baptism. We then dropped them off and visited another Investigator but he only speaks Quiche and a little of Spanish. It was hard for me, cause I wanted to talk so much but I can't speak Quiche that well!! But it went good and we talked about the first lesson and the restoration of the church, the spirit was there, I know it was. We then visited a convert and shared a scripture with him, then came home and had studies and made dinner together with the Zone Leaders!

Sunday -Today we got up and we walked almost ran to get an investigator to bring to church, he didn't want to come… anyways we went to church and after Margarita had her interview and she passed, so this Friday!! We then worked in the afternoon and found a lot of new and excited people it was really good, and then we ended with our friends Hmo Diego and lucy, it went really good and we got to see their baby again and share a spiritual thought about Faith, it went really good and the spirit was really great! It has been a great 2 weeks, this week was kind of crazy but I will have so many stories to tell my kids!! Im doing great and hope all of you are doing great as well! Miss and love every single one of you guys!!

Elder Montoya