1 Year in the Mission

Monday-Today we got up  and took a pickup to momos, we got there got changed and went and over to play volleyball, soccer, and basketball! It went really well, it was a lot of fun but so hot!! Well humid. After we went and got haircuts! Then we got changed and went to go write our families, that went well other than the connection was horrible because like 7 other missionaries video chatting their families! After we went back to Santa Ana with two other missionaries. We they went out contacting and we went to a family home evening with some members. It went really well, we then all came back and made food together and watched some joseph smith videos haha, we then stayed a little too late just talking.

Tuesday -This morning we woke up early and had to be in Momos for our interviews with our president, those went really good. He talked about me having a year and how I felt about it. He was happy for me and we talked about some other things too! We then had our district meeting after, I talked about working with less active members and getting references off of them and how we could teach a lesson in little time when time is running short, it went really good! After we all went to Lool{s again and ate lunch, I got lasagna again and ohh it was so good! We then had to go with the Hermanas to go do an interview for their baptism. WE went and I did this interview with this guy named Juan, he was really nice and a cool guy. He has a great testimony of the Book of mormon and wants to do everything he can for his family! But he passed and will be baptized this friday! We then left back to our area, we went with some members for the rest of the night and shared some thoughts with them! That went really good, we helped this one family to invite someone over for a NOche de Hogar so that we could come over a share something!

Wednesday- Today we got up and got ready, we left to go do some tracting, this old kept asking us if we had money and we were sorry we dont or sorry we cant give you any, and we kept asking if could leave a prayer with her, she was like no, no time!! And then started hitting us with her wacking stick haha, we were like hermana we dont have anything and she just kept hitting us and yelling something in kiche haha! We then went to Momos, we had to go pick up some books of mormon and pamphlets, we went and got those and got some lunch down there and then came back, we went to some members and this one member invited us over to go into his tuj, so we went over and that was nice, you literally crawl into this little hole and just lay down and they have some hot rocks in there and they just throw water on it and the steam makes it super hot, but its so relaxing! THen they gave us dinner after and it was so good! He gave us a ride back to our house and we got back and I took all the data from the Hermanas and then we both went to sleep haha. 

Thursday -So we got up, washed our clothes and then had our personal study, after we had our weekly planning, got some good goals planned for next week, and then we had lunch. After we and some contacting, then later in the night went with this family and talked about eternal marriage, it went really good, they were both really interested and they want that for them and their family, there little kids are so cute even though really loud haha, but it went well the lesson. We came back and met with a inactive member, he said he would come to church this Sunday so we will have to see. But later in the night I completed 1 year in the mission!!! The tradition here is to wear your shirt for 12 days straight I only got to like 4 days until it was like black, and I know my mom wouldnt like that, so I just stopped haha, but you burn it after. Anyways I burned that shirt tonight, it was fun and I'm proud of it haha! 

Friday- we got up and got up to tracting or knocking on doors, its kind of funny, because when we tract, no one really has doors, so we just yell ewwuu, which means like “ am here” in Kiche, then we start talking with them if they let us. But today was full of suprises haha. We yelled, and the mom and her daughter ran right into the house and like 6 little kids came running out, as usually asking for things, we asked if we could talk with their mom, they let us pass thru but then they went into a room and closed the door, we were trying to talk but they just kept hiding… so left then this other house we asked if her mom was home to this girl that's like 16 and she said no, then her little brother came out and said she was there, the girl told him something and then he said no shes not here! I told the little kid if he tells the truth that I would give him a sucker, and he said shes home, she's in there!! I gave him a sucker, funny kid. But the mom wouldnt leave so we just left again… but we did find a couple people that seem really interested and that was good. We then ended up going with some members to end the night off and that went really good, we met with some members that we really havent met so that went really good, got to do some service with them so that was great! My stomach was not feeling good all day but its all good. But then…. Started the worst night of my life.

Saturday so last night was rough…. Lots of time in the bathroom or outside doing something else or both, I wont go into details will probably have too much. But I thought I was going to die, I could not sleep at all with a fever all night, so I called the nurse of our mission, cause I called her last night but she said to call in the morning, if the things were still going on, anyways I called and she sent me a message of a medication, and said to go get it and stay inside. Anyways the closest place to a pharmacy is 40 min away in a pick up… I was still running a fever and just felt dead, anyways we left and got to the bus stop practically, we waited like an hour because they dont pass by often on saturdays, I just wanted to lay down haha.. Then one came by we took it, went to momos took out some money and then got the meds then we had to take another one back.. But we waited like half an hour for it to fill up, then we left the whole time I just wanted to puke or die haha, we got back to the house finally and I just went to sleep, I woke up and my comp had made me some soup, which was very thankful for, I then fell back to sleep, I was so mad that I couldnt work but oh well, I had to be better for tomorrow cause it was gonna be a big day, so I was doing everything can, at night I asked for a blessing, my comp gave me a great blessing and then we went to sleep. 

Sunday- Last night I slept great!! We got up, I was feeling okay.. Not the best, but we went to church and a couple of new came which was great, we then had a meeting with ward after and other meetings, we got a little break to go eat a little bit of soup, then went back, after the meeting we left right after to catch a pick up to momos, we met up with the hermanas and took another pick up but like an hour away in the down pouring rain, my comp and I being gentlemen, let the little grandmas sit in the back with the sisters and we hung off the back, it sucked but was grateful that those old ladies didnt have to hold on to the back like we do. We went clear out there and I gave an interview to this little boy, it went well, a lot different than an adult interview but well. He is a great kid and loves the church. After we came back to our area, it was still pouring rain, we left to go find this in active member and walked like an hour out to her house through rain but like crazy rain through a forest with flash flood trails and she wasnt there….. You know I love this work and the mission but when that happens it kind of sucks…..but my comp and I were like there's something more than what we came out here, so we with this member that lived a little close by and they showed us an old investigator and introduced us and we got to meet them and they were really nice, we introduced ourselves and got a appt, we then met back with the members and they gave us hot chocolate and ugh so good.. Then we left and contacted a couple house over there and met some not much, then went back to our house got changed and showered and I feel a lot better, not the best but a lot better! 

But this week was pretty cool, lots of miracles were seen and lots of experiences and things of the mission that happened but Im still loving it and loving what I'm doing, I love just seeing these people happy or just to put a smile on there face! It means so much to me, and hope you guys can do that with anybody that you know or dont know, because we are all children of god and I know that with all my heart and that he loves every single one of us! Love you guys and miss ya!! Until Next week!!

Elder Montoya

Photos 

Burning of the shirt 

bugs