17 months - White Christmas

It was great to talk to Joseph today!

Not the special twice a year thing it was last year, just the same as every week, haha. Not as rare and precious as bi-annual, but I like seeing him every week much better.

There was no snow for him, but he sitll had a white Christmas! Here is his letter.
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  Subject:   Blanca Navidad    

Merry Christmas!!

This was a great first week in Jerusalen! Thats the name of the ward because the chapel is in a colony called Jerusalen but there are 2 pairs of missionaries for the ward and our area doesn't actually have any of Jerusalen. Our area does have a great view though. We can literally see the whole city from some parts of our area. So last night when everyone set off a bunch of fireworks it was incredible. it puts the 4th of july to shame. After a bit there was so much smoke that we couldn't see the whole city anymore but our neighbors but a bunch of fireworks in the street that were really loud and it was actually insane.

Also Evelin got baptized!! It was a white Christmas!

She is doing really well and even though she doenst have any support from her family she is firm and knows that she is doing what she needs to do. She is going great. 

Also in the Christmas multizone yesterday we made gingerbread houses and we decided to make ours the guatemala city temple.

We didnt win first, second, or third place. But we did win the Presidents choice award. The angel Moroni is made out of cardboard and the wrappers of Hersheys kisses.

Also President and Hermana Barney gave us a gift. The new mission logo as a little wooden stand.

I hope you all have a great Christmas and remember the reason why we celebreate it! The best gift you can give to someone (especially if they are not a member of the church yet) is a Book of Mormon!

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17 months - Chimaltenango ---> Jerusalen

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 Subject: Chimaltenango ---> Jerusalen   

Yep you heard right. On Sunday President called me and informed me that I was going to be changing missions! And so I am now in Israel in Jerusalem!! It is very different here and the language is definitely a barrier but I am excited to get to work. Because its so new we weren't allowed to tell anyone until now but I got here early this morning. I am really going to miss Guatemala though.

Nah just kidding. Probably none of you fell for that. I am still in Guatemala but my new area is called Jerusalem! But it's in spanish so its with an n. 

I got here yesterday and I am actually going to miss Chimaltenango a lot. But I am excited for the new area! My new companion is named Elder Saxton and he is actually from my group! He was in a different district in the CCM but we talked a lot and he is a great guy. We actually have a baptism coming up this Saturday!

Here is a picture of us back in our MTC days. 

and now almost 18 months later.

This picture is from lunch where we ate pupusas! They were good but we were all still hungry so we ate Wendys too. The zone has a lot of restaurants and malls and residencials. Actually it's probably the richest zone in the mission. Almost everyone has a car and in most residencials you can't contact so it makes the work a lot different than in most parts of the mission. Our area is actually not as much like the rest of the zone but it is still going to be a bit different working here.

He is from Oregon and did a year at BYU before coming on his mission. I am also going to miss Elder McGraw but I think Elder Saxton and I are going to get along really well here. Elder Saxton is also teaching me some piano so I am hoing to be a pro by the end of this change. 

Funny little story. We live in a residential but on the inside it looks like regular Guatemala. They basically just pay a guy to open and close the gate because almost everyone goes in. But sometimes they ask for identification, even though they know who we are and that we live here. And when you give it to them they scan it by putting it under a camera. We have a copy of our passports as our official identification but what we do is we just give them our name tag and that's what they use as our identification. It's actually really funny.

So on Monday we were just saying bye to people. Well I was, Elder McGraw wasn't saying goodbye because he is staying. I didn't get a picture with everybody but here are some of the super awesome people we have been teaching.

This is Flabio (who is coming up on 90 years) and his great nieces. Flabio got baptized a few yeas ago but Nayeli and Alejandra came to church once and really liked it! They are reading in the Book of Mormon too and are understanding it really really well.

This is Ely. Doesn't he already look like an Elder? Well he kind of is haha 

This is the Patzan family. They are super awesome. We didnt even tell the dad to hold up the Book of Mormon like that but he just did. Also the oldest daughter is reading the Book of Mormon and understands it better than anyone I have met from just their first read. She literally summarized chapter 16 perfectly. The Elders are going to help them cortar frijol on friday so they have time to come to church on Sunday.

The Ruiz family!! They came to the ward christmas activity on Saturday and really liked it! They also said they would come this Sunday to the special sacrament meeting and have been reading the Book of Mormon more. They are awesome.

And I was really sad that I forgot to get a picture with the Curruchich family. I said bye to them but forgot to get a picture. They went through a lot this weekend though. To explain briefly they got their water cut (but it wasnt their fault it got cut) and were without light for a few days and the mom was also sick and they wer just going through a lot of trials. The dad had a date to be baptized and got work off to come to church but then he couldnt come because of all that was happening and the mom was stressed and basically told us not to come back anymore. But then we told a member who knew them at church about what was happening and so she helped us fill up a bunchof 5 gallon tanks of water to take to them and they were so happy. Working with members really works.

Well thats it for this week but I love you all! Try to serve someone this week in a way that they need!

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17 months - Manteca de Cacao

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  Subject: Manteca de Cacao      

Alright so I don't know if many of you know what Cocoa Butter (or as it is said in the native tongue - Manteca de Cacao) is or what it is good for but I love that stuff!!

It has been getting a little colder, especially at night, here and that, combined with the sun during the day and the fact that I should have drank more water, gave me a really bad split lip right in the middle of my lip. So I put chapstick on it and Menthol and it would feel better but my lip would just not heal. And it was like that for a couple weeks!! It got to the point where other missionaries on divisions or members would ask me what happened to my lip and they would tell me I need to put something on it. They probably told me I should have put Cocoa Butter on it and I didn't listen and kept putting chapstick on. It wasn't too noticeable but my lip got to the point where if I smiled too big or sneezed it would open up and start bleeding a bit. I don't want to get too graphic here but the worst part was that sneezes normally come in rounds or two or three. So the first one would open up my lip and it would start bleeding again, and then the second one would spray blood on my sleeve. It was never very much blood and was easy to get out with my Tidestick but still pretty nasty as you can imagine.

So on Sunday there were even more comments about my lip than there normally are and this one lady told me that I needed to get Manteca de Cacao. Its only 2 Quetz in the pharmacy and so on Monday I got some and would like to announce that my lip has been COMPLETELY HEALED!!

It smells really good too and I put in on every couple of hours and it just works miracles! Also I'm pretty sure Manteca de Cacao is what they make white chocolate out of so that's another plus. 

Also my sister reminded me today that as a family we haven't been together here on earth at all! Peter was born after I left and we are hoping that I get home before Melodie and Ethan go on their missions. But the good thing is that Families can be together forever!!

We are in the thick of Ilumina el Mundo, or Light the world and it is so awesome! Last night we were in a Noche de Hogar and we sang Silent Night, which in Spanish is Noche de Luz which being translated is Night of Light. And then we read in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 1 about how the sign of Christs birth in the Americas was a day and a night and a day as if it were one day and as we were reading it it dawned on me that the sign of Christs birth was a Noche de Luz! It was kind of like a mind blowing epiphany. I would encourage you all to study that chapter and live like Chrsit lived.

Also the Book of Mormon is totally true!! I found a video that i really liked that paraphrases a really good talk by Tad R Calister about the Book of Mormon being Gods compelling witness. Here is a link to it so you can check it out. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Chrsit lives and is our Saviour!!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/youth/video/compelling-witness?lang=eng

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Also a little exchange between Hyrum and Joseph - Hyrum's question in an email last week:

One question: I've been trying to read my scriptures every day, specifically the Book of Mormon. But should I be reading the Bible a lot too? I don't think I've ever read the whole thing, but we are studying it in Seminary. I guess I feel like the Book of Mormon has always been more important. And I remember one day our counselor told a story about when his Dad discovered the church through the BoM and I really wanted a testimony. But he didnt get one until he read the whole thing. I've already read it once, but I guess I didnt read it as fully as I couldve since I was like 10, and a lot of it was just mindless reading. Anyway, I just reached Alma yesterday, but lemme know your thoughts. :)

And Joseph's reply today:

Alright so look. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both the Word of God. They are both really important and we need both of them. You should read both of them. I hope you have been able to do Come follow me this year. As a missionary I haven't been able to. we have not received instruction to have it be part of my personal study but sometimes I do and I really love reading it and learning from the New testament. The Book of Mormon is super important though. They both content he words of Christ. The Book of Mormon is KEY however in order to obtain a witness of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel. I will call in a minute and explain more about it but would encourage you to read both, but EVERY DAY without fault you should read from the Book of Mormon. That is great that you are at Alma already. I read the Book of Mormon several times before I received the desired witness, but it did come. I had to read and study it diligently and pray to know with real intent. I had to pray wanting to know if the Book was true more than I wanted anything else in the world and I also had to repent and look at it with the eye of faith and the answer I got, and keep getting, was an undeniable YES! Now I had always felt good when I read it and had received answers to my prayers and direction for my life. When I got the answer I realized that I already knew it was true. I am going to call right now if you are on and we can talk about it. That is a great question though!! Keep them coming!! LOVE YOU!!

17 Months - "Estamos haciendo algo"

Joseph's Christmas package arrived safely, yay! He was wearing one of the ties when we talked to him today and was happy to have some new ones. He has a friend named Victor, who he mentions in this email, that is going to be coming here on the 17th to spend Christmas here in Utah. Victor has a visa and has never left the country, so he needs to use it or it will expire. Something like that. 

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  Subject:  "Haciendo como que estamos haciendo algo pero no hay nada"    

Hey hey!!

So we are working hard here in Chimal and are excited for Ilumina el Mundo. We had a good thanksgiving and ate Wiskiles. Probably not how you spell it but they were good! They look like this.

And you peel it, put some salt on it, and eat it.

It kind of tastes like a potato and it is really good.

Not the best Thanksgiving meal I have had but it was definitely up there.

We are doing some choirs for Christmas combined with some other zones and it is really fun! Remembered the good old days in Madrigals. Good times. 

Ely is progressing still and we are going to visit him with a guy named Victor in our ward who went through the same thing that Ely is going through when he found the church. Actually Victor said "I will join any church except for the Mormon church" and then a little while later he got baptized and went on a mission. The truth will prevail!!

We seem to have good and bad weeks here but are working hard, unlike it sounds like we are doing from the title, and have been finding a lot of joy in talking to everybody. The title comes from this 89 year old member here named Flabio who when we asked how he was said "acting like we are doing something, but there ain't nothing!" and it was hilarious so in tribute to him I put that as my title.

We had a multizone this week and it was so good!! The food and the message. We are working hard to improve as a zone and mission by being more obedient, talking with everyone, and helping people become more converted to Christ, especially in this Christmas season. 

I found this video about requesting a missionary visit that I thought was really funny. Check it out and also please get excited for Ilumina el Mundo. 

Sorry i kinda of ran out of time today and I lent my alphasmart to another missionary. I feel like there are more things I wanted to share but I cant remember now. So the church is true! Read the Book of Mormon ever single day and try to be more like Christ this Christmas season! I love you all!!

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17 months - Thanksgiving Week

Here's a quick pic of our happy missionary.

He loves the work! I can't remember what he was talking about here, but I thought it was an awesome picture that captures how Joseph is doing. He is loving being a missionary. Just taking a breather sharing with us a fun story of missionary work

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  Subject:  Day of action of thanks    
So this week was a week of MILAGROS!!

Thanksgiving quite roll off the tongue in spanish and especially when you translate it from the spanish back to english but it's the same idea! Also they don't really celebrate it here but we will be having a thanksgiving lunch at the multizone on friday.

I have come to know for myself that what is says in Alma 26:22 to be true. That if we repent, exercise faith in Christ, produce good works and pray continually then if will be given us to bring thousands of souls to repentance. So we haven't quite gotten to the thousands part yet like in Acts 2:41 but we have definitely been seeing success and it because we are striving to do these things. I would invite you to study more about Grace this week. It is a very interesting subject and some things that Elder Bednar said, along with things that have come up in conversation with people and other things that have come across my studies this week have really illuminated me on that subject this week. I would encourage you to study a talk by Elder Dale G. Renlund talk from April 2019 called "Abound with Blessings" and talk about Grace and how we qualify for blessings by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is one of the quotes that really hit me.

"The principle of activating blessings that flow from God is eternal. Like those ancient Israelites, we too must act on our faith in Jesus Christ to be blessed. God has revealed that “there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21). That being said, you do not earn a blessing—that notion is false—but you do have to qualify for it. Our salvation comes only through the merits and grace of Jesus Christ (see 2 Nephi 10:4; 25:23).

Some of the blessings that we have received this week are that Ely is really progressing! He keep commitments reading the Book of Mormon and came to church this week! He was even present when we ordained Orlando to be a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. Please keep him in your prayers because he feels like getting baptized would be a change of 360 degrees. Wait a sec. In the lesson he said 360 degrees but I think he meant 180 degrees because if you do a 360 you turn around but end up exactly like you were before. Awkward. Point is that he feels like it would be really hard to because his family all go to a different church and he would feel pressure from them to not be baptized but he is praying for an answer and he are going to go with our ward mission leader who went through the same thing when he was Elys age. He is super great though and we feel strongly that he will receive his answer.

The Osorio family is doing well and we are trying to figure out a time to take them to the temple so they can do baptisms for the dead.

Also this guy we are teaching named Luis accepted a baptismal date in December! We have to work to help him come to church but we are excited for his progress.

Also this week Cristian and two of his cousins Nayeli and Alejandra came to church! They really liked it and have started progressing a lot! We started teaching them with Elder Riffo and it's great to see how people progress over time even if it is a little slower than we might hope.

Also a cool tender mercy was that yesterday we had to approve a new house for some missionaries and had correlation and so there wasn't as much working time as we expected and then the appointments we had set up fell through so we just started contacting people in the street and most people didn't want anything but then the last contact of the night before we had to book it home was this guy named Eduardo. He shared some super cool and personal experiences from his life like how he recently got cancer surgery and when he was diagnosed it gave him a paradigm shift and so he has really been trying to turn his life around but he still doesn't know what is God's purpose for him and he doesn't go to any church! We are visiting him on Saturday and are super excited.

And I would just like to end by thanking you all for your great examples to me to be more like Christ, our perfect example. He is the Son of God and He lives. He is risen. The tomb is empty. This is His Church and His work. I am above all grateful for that He atoned for my sins and yours and if we turn to Him we can live with Him again.

Les amo mucho!!

The picture is a pretty view from another house in the zone. I love the guatemalan mountains!

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16 months - Sopresa

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    Subject:  Sopresa                        

Hey Hey!!

This was a good week. Not an amazing week, but a good week. We were a little disappointed about our turnout for church this week but are really trying to help the people we are teaching resolve their concerns through the Book of Mormon and keep commitments. If you are sad, read the Book of Mormon. If you need answers, read the Book of Mormon. If you want to have a happier family, read the Book of Mormon. And don't just read it, but feast upon it and LIVE what you learn. I can give you a 100% guarantee that things will get better.

This week I got a big surprise! Galilea, who we were teaching in Santa Marta, got baptized this week! She was the girl who was already reading Saints and going to Institute and came to church and already knew that the Book of Mormon is true. But there were some complications and so she did not get baptized in my time there. Buuut she got baptized this past week aaaand I got to baptize her!! That never happens by the way. The area presidency has been very clear that missionaries cannot return to their old areas to visit people for baptisms. But this was a very special case that I could explain but don't really want to take the time to explain it but the point is I got to be there and it was super great!! Her parents are not members but are super great people and I know their time will come.

So that was the highlight of the week!

We are also still working with Ely (who's first name is Elder) and he is doing great! He has a lot of great questions and came again to play soccer with us. He understands really well and has lots of great questions. Keep him in your prayers.

Also the Osorio family is doing great and we are still working with them, and are planning a temple trip soon! This week after the face to face we helped them get started on family history work and found a cool miracle where it suggested a record asking Nicodemo if it was his grandpa and it was! And because of that record he found out who his great grandparents were and it was so cool! Makes me excited to do some family history work in the future. We also started teaching Dinas sister Rosa and her family! But we found them separately and so Dina doesn't know that we are teaching her sister yet but they are very similar.

I'd just like to end with my testimony that this is Christ's Church and that He will direct and guide us in our lives, helping us to be truly happy, if we do what he asks of us. It is my deep conviction that He has called us to help gather Israel, which is the most important work on the whole earth. I challenge you to go and open your mouth to share the gospel with someone! If you do so without fear, the Lord will help you and guide your words so that the Spirit brings it unto the heart of the person, so that they can choose to accept the restored Gospel.

Con mucho amor

Elder Wride

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16 months - Una Buena Semana

I was helping Sophia practice and totally missed Joseph. I got on in time to see him wrapping up his headphones and wave before turning off the webcam. So doh, note to self, don't practice violin right after school on Wednesdays. (Although it would be nice if he called earlier in the day!! And not when I'm in the after school rush?) Oh well. I'm sending him his Christmas package this Saturday, so I guess no last minute things for him. I still need to get the things he asked for two weeks ago. He looked great though, big smile as always, I know he's happy and loving serving the Lord as a missionary.
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   Subject:   Una Buena Semana         

This week was really good!!

We had Elder Bednar come to the mission! And it was SOOO cool! He taught us a lot of stuff and really words cannot describe what was felt and learned. You had to be there.

Elder McGraw and I didn't have changes but they did add another area to our ward! So the area is split in half but it's in the part that we didn't really work much so that is awesome that they will be focusing there now!

And also really great news is that Orlando got baptized!!

It was a day to remember.

I exhort you will all the energy of my heart to feast upon the Book of Mormon every day. Don't just read it but feast upon it. People that don't do that end up falling away but its little by little. Feast doesn't mean just read. It means eat like its a banquet. And we normally do that as a family, so what we learn here is that family scripture is also very important.

I haven't even written the hundredth part but I don't have time. LOVE YOU ALL

Christ lives and This is His Church.

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16 months - Ooooohhhh

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    Subject:   Ooooohhhh         

Hey hey!!

So when there is a place really far away here and you ask someone how far away it is or how long to get there, like for example if I asked how long it would take to get to Jutiapa from Chimaltenango, before saying how long it would take a typical Guatemalan (or missionary here with some time on his belt) would say "Oooooohh". Part of the zone is this pueblo called San Martin Jilotepeque and its about a 45 minute bus ride and costs 7 Quetzales. In the Pueblos there are also these things called Tuk Tuks which are super fun but here in Chimal they are pricey. And so we only take them when we are running late and need to get there fast and there is no bus route to get exactly where we need to go. So the other day jokingly I asked Elder McGraw how much it would cost to take a Tuk Tuk to San Martin and he said "Oooohhh" becuase a Tuk Tuk to San Martín would be crazy expensive and to be honest they wouldn't even be willing to go. But we also have put it to test with a couple native Guatemalans and most of them had the same answer when we asked him how much a Tuk to San Martin would be. It was super funny. I didn't explain it super well and its kind of hard to if you aren't in Guatemala so if you didn't think it was very funny then you had to be here hahah.

But this week was super good!! I actually was in divisions in San Martin yesterday! It's such a pretty drive there! Guatemala has some very scenic drives up and down the mountains here.

Last week after pday ended we found this guy named Cesar and he is SO awesome!! We were walking past him and he said something in English so we started talking to him and he actually had a lot of questions! Also the other cool thing is that he was with a kid named Erick and that is when we figured out that Erick, and his dad Erico, are some recent converts that moved at the same time they stopped coming to church and so we literally lost contact with them. They were baptized like 4 or 5 months ago. So it was a double 2 for 1 miracle because we found those recent converts AND Cesar is very very receptive! He just gets it. He is reading the Book of Mormon now and loves what he is reading and is just such a great guy. We are going to visit him tomorrow and will keep you updated on him!

Also Ely is also progressing a lot! He is in 1 Nephi 17 now and came to church for the second time on Sunday! He is Evangelical and feels like it would be really hard to switch churches if he comes to know that the Book of Mormon is true but he loves what he is learning and feels great about it! He even came to play soccer with us this morning and went out to eat with us. He is super awesome.

Also Nicodemo, from the Osorio family, also had a big trial of faith on Sunday but I dont have time to tell all of it so remind me next week! He is so awesome and has great faith.

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16 months - TorTrix or Treat

We love this kid!

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  Subject:    TorTrix or Treat             
Hey Hey!!

So I guess it's Halloween and stuff back home but its not super big here. I have seen some Halloween stuff but mostly just in American stores and supermercados. But something they do eat a lot here in Guatemala are Tortrix. They are basically just chips and are pretty good. They only cost 1 Quetzal.

This week a couple times we bought Tortrix and tortillas (one Quetzal of tortillas will give you normally 4 tortillas but some of them give you 5!!) and eaten Tortrix tacos. They are kind of dry but actually really good!! And as we were eating them one time the phrase "Tortrix or Treat" came into my head and I thought it would be a funny title to use when Halloween comes around. And then I was like wait a sec Haloween is in like 3 days. So happy Halloween I guess. But remember not to get distracted (which is one of "the 3 D's" of the adversary. See Elder Peter M Johnsons talk from conference.) and keep your life focused on the Savior!!

There is this place where some recent converts live called Xejuyu. Its kind of far away and a lot of people here have never even heard about it. Anyways whenever we go there (and many times when we go to Bola de Oro) our shoes look like this at the end of the day.

Lets just say there is a lot of mud. The Muddy Mission! But I actually really like it outside the city. Even though its far away from stuff and there are dirt roads its a lot more calm and peaceful. Although there are parts of Chimaltenango that are not like that at all and where there is a lot of traffic and it looks like the city. But there is a lot of it that is "puro campo" and the people here are just awesome. Very nice and open. I am also learning a little bit of Kakchiquel.

Xka'ij, utz' a wuch. Nubli' Yi' Elder Wride. Achique' apli'?

If you didn't understand that you can put it in Google Translate.

This week was really good though! The Osorio family got confirmed! And then right after they had their interview with the Bishop for their temple recommends and for the Dad and son to get the priesthood. They are so awesome. Nicodemo still doesn't have a set job but is doing "trabajitos" here and there to sustain the family. Also two of the kids (both of whom are not members yet because they are usually gone working) work. But we are still praying for him that he will be able to get a good job and especially the one where he doesn't have to work on Sundays. The Lord will provide! And as Nephi says in the Book of Mormon videos "How is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to all things unto the children of men in they are to exercise faith in Him". I love Nephi's faith. If you aren't up to date on the Book of Mormon videos please start. Watch them to help with your personal daily study!

We were super happy that Floridalma came to church this week too! She really likes it and got to know lots of sisters from the Soc Soc (Sociedad de Socorro).

Also HUGE miracle this week! So Orlando has still been coming to church. He didn't come for like 2 weeks after he didn't come to his own baptism but then he started coming again and we visited him and left him 1 Nephi 8. Then on Sunday it was the last day of the week which was the last week that would count for October. We had hit all of our month goals but were one away from hitting out goal for people with a baptismal date. So we were thinking that there was someone that the Lord was preparing to accept a baptismal date and we were trying to figure out who it could be and who we could invite that day. We felt like it was a bit of a long shot with almost everybody but we decided to go with Orlando and he read the chapter we left him and explained it really well to us with the fruit of the tree of life and how it was the most desirable above all things and the most joyful to the soul. Then we read from Alma 5:62 "...and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may also be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life." We then invited him to be baptized to partake of the fruit and he said that he had actually wanted to talk to us about that and that he wanted to be baptized. It was such a cool experience! The Spirit really directed the lesson and he was just waiting for us to ask him to be baptized. So he is on for the 9th of November.

Also remember that guy Ely (Elder) who we are teaching? Well he is doing really well and is reading the Book of Mormon and loving what he is learning. This week he said that he thinks if Adam and Eve had not eaten of the fruit we wouldn't exist so it was part of the plan and we were like 2 Nephi 2:22-25. He felt like the Book of Mormon was really just speaking to him in that scripture and in other ones that we shared about how to know its true like Moroni 10:5 and Alma 32:28.

Also my kid Elder Tercero told me (even though they aren't there anymore but his old comp told him) that like 4 people we were teaching are going to get baptized now! And the Mendoza family finally got their papers in and so they are now members of Christs church! But it made me super happy to hear that they FINALLY accepted a baptismal date and are progressing! Galilea, Eneyda, Victoria, and Marleni. It made me really happy.

Also today we had this guy (who has been asking us for a couple weeks if he can cut our lawn) if he could cut the grass in our backyard and so he did it today. it was so long he had to use a lawnmower and a machete.

Sorry for a long email this week. Things are going super well and I am happy here! I know that Christ lives and that THIS is His church on earth today. I invite you all to pray and ask God if all these things are true and I promise that He will answer through the Holy Ghost. I promise that this knowledge and keeping the commandments will bless your life and help you be happy.

Love you all!!

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15 months - Misionando

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    Subject:  Misionando            

So in Spanish all the verbs en in "ar", "er", or "ir" and is preceded by the first part of the verb: to preach is predicar, to write is escribir, to read is leer and so on. And to make a verb ending in -ing you end it with -ando or -iendo. So preaching would be predicando. To mission is not a verb. In english we obviously don't say that we are missioning but here they say it sometimes. People ask us if we are misionando and we are like yeah we are missioning. Cracks me up.

Funny moments this week.

- We started teaching someone named Elder this week! He actually seems really positive and came to church! He is reading the Book of Mormon and has some way good questions.

- Elders brother Jubiel also makes us laugh a lot. He has a big green bus that he named Broccoli. Yep. He named his bus Broccoli and refers to it like a person. His white truck is Paloma which means Dove.

- A family we are teaching also have ducks and pigeons that roam around in the house. They are not pets though. They are "adornos" which means ornaments. Hahah I am totally gonna decorate my house with ducks and pigeons someday too. But they also said that they are to eat. Two in one! Decorations and food storage!

And the best part of the week was when the Osorio family got baptized!!

They were very happy, even though they don't look like it.

When I was younger I too didn't like to smile in pictures. I was self-conscious about my smile so I decided not too. So there are actually some pictures of me in Disneyland and doing other super fun things and I look super serious and sad. So I totally understand where the Guatemalans are coming from because most of them don't smile in pictures even though they are a very happy people.

So they were baptized after church and will be confirmed on Sunday. 

The Bishop baptized the Mom the Dad, and the youngest boy,I baptized the older boy and Elder McGraw baptized the girl. And a little girl in the ward also got baptized the same day and is by the bishop in the photo.

We started teaching another family this week that have some family struggles with their daughter but are doing a lot better now. The Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families! If you want more love at home and more unity in your family read The Family: A Proclamation to the World and apply what it says! It is literally a recipe to have a successful and happy family. It does not mean your life or family will be worry-free but it does mean that you will have a lot less problems than if you didn't keep the commandments AND the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the peace and guidance we need to get through the hard things in life. I am very grateful for my parents who built our family on the teaching in the Family Proclamation. I know that Families can be together FOREVER! Also I exhort you all to do Come, Follow Me every day. Study it in your personal study and do your Home Evenings and you will draw closer to the Savior, have a deeper and more lasting conversion, and strengthen your family.

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15 months - El Gran Diluvio

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    Subject: El Gran Diluvio          

Buenas!!

So this week it has been raining a LOT!! And it has been a lot colder too. And this morning I woke up with a cold which kinda sucks but I took some meds and am doing better. When it rains the streets turn to rivers.

Update on the Osorio family!! They are on track to get baptized on Sunday after church!! They are doing awesome and are reading the Book of Mormon. We also gave them a copy of the "kids version" of the Book of Mormon with pictures to help them and the little kids understand it better.

They are so awesome!! Keep them in your prayers!!

Last week we also found an awesome family and were super excited for their progress but this week the dad called us saying that we shouldn't pass by anymore. They say that they loved what we taught them but that they are going to go back to their old church (which is right next to their house). When they called and told us that it was really disappointing but the Lord blessed us because that was the same day that the whole Osorio family accepted the baptismal invitation. Well except for the oldest daughter who wasnt there but she told us that she wants to read more of the Book of Mormon first.

Also we challenged Walter to finish reading the Book of Mormon before the end of the year! And he said yes! They had some doubts about some Church history stuff but we cleared it up and he is totally willing to finish the Book of Mormon!! And we know that he can receive an answer if he does it. And I think he totally will because he always completes with reading assignments.

Thats pretty much it thats going on here but I would just like to challenge you all to put the most important things first in your life! There are a lot of things we can spend our time on that are good but we cant leave the most important things: reading the scriptures, daily fervent prayer, partaking of the sacrament, keeping the commandments, and attending the temple frequently. When we look back on our lives we will realize that it was the small and simple things that make the most difference and give in lasting and eternal joy. Keep the faith!! Love you all!!

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15 months - Conferencia General

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 Subject:  CONFERENCIA GENERAL    

Heeey who loved General conference?!?!

We for sure did! And God really blessed us in helping people come which is always great because the Prophets and Apostles always have the Spirit with them which means that if people we are teaching listen with a sincere heart they will feel the Spirit and will become more converted.

The Osorio family is doing great! Some came on Saturday and some on Sunday but they all loved it and are progressing to be baptized on the 19th! Picture of them below!

Then we were really happy that the Ruiz family came and from what we could see they loved it but they were a little confused about why they talked about the Book of Mormon so much and said that it is the "most correct of any book on earth". They have a great love for the Bible so we can understand that, but if they would just read the whole Book and ask God if its true with a real intent I believe they will realize the importance of it and the truthfullness of that statement. Keep them in your prayers porfa!!

The Orellana family also came and loved it! They have all accepted a baptismal date for this saturday but dont feel like they are prepared enough so we are working with them more. They are super awesome and we just gave them a kids version of the Book of Mormon for them to use with their little girls.

And we also found another great family this week! Elder Riffo (before he left) would always contact people using futbol by playing it with people in street a little bit, impressing them with his skills and then contacting them. And thats how we found Felipe last week and then this week we taught him and all of his family and the message of the Restoration is exactly what he and his family have been looking for!

Also funny story is that we found a lost sheep this week and then we thought we found its owners but then their real owners came out so the lost sheep we though we found was never lost at all. Awkward.

I love this work and know that it the Church is true!! If you are feeling down, pick up the Book of Mormon, read it, pray, and go minister to someone else and you will feel better. I promise.

LOVE YOU ALL!!

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15 months - Milagros en Chimal!!

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    Subject:  Milagros en Chimal!!        

Sandilla!!

For those of you who are confused Sandilla means watermelon. It is totally NOT what people say here to say hi to each other. They say Buenas or Buen Día to say good morning. But just to make ourselves laugh sometimes we say Sandilla quickly and with an emphasis on the dilla part and nobody can hear the difference!! So we say Sandilla and they respond saying Buen Día and we start chuckling.

This was an AMAZING week!! It was the last week of the transfer and we worked super hard and the Lord really magnified our efforts. One of my favorite scriptures that I have been singing (yes singing) in my mind and out loud from Doctrine and Covenants 112:10 "Be thou humble and the Lord thy god will lead thee by the hand, and give thee answers to thy prayers". And it is SO true. He answered a LOT of our prayers this week. The Osorio family and the Larios family came to church this week! As well as this super awesome guy we met named Abner. But the whole Osorio family didnt come because they live a little farther away and it would have been over 50 Quetzales if they all came for the bus passage there and back. But they LOVED church and are really progressing a lot. I have pictures of them this week but they arent uploading so I might have to send the pic next week. And the Larios family also came! When we first contacted them it was like "they arent that pilas but we'll see what happens" and especially the mom just recieves everything we are teaching with a lot of faith. And they invited us to eat lunch with them on sunday! They are awesome! They invited us to eat lunch to say goodbye to Elder Riffo because we had changes. And now he is opening up a new zone in the mission! So good luck to him and we are super happy with all the miracles we have seen here in Chimaltenango and my new comp Elder McGraw and I are going to be working hard to help these people keep progressing. There are 4 families we are working with, along with some other people that make it the largest and most receptive teaching pool I have ever had. But we gotta be humble and pray a lot. Keep them in your prayers!! Also the Orellana and Osorio family who both accepted baptismal dates for the 12th of this month!!

Here is a pic of me and Elder McGraw

And thats about all I have time for this week but I love you all!! Get pumped for Conference!! If you come with a question in your heart, having prayerfully asked God beforehand, He will answer you through His Spirit and the words of His living Prophets. I know that Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God. Christ has called Him to lead us safely home.

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14 months - Pior

Joseph will have been gone 15 months tomorrow! Just 9 more, looking back from here it feels like it's really gone quickly!
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    Subject: Pior                         

So there is a joke that someone told me before I knew spanish when I told them I was going to Guatemala. He said at least it's not Guatepeor. Now for those of you who don't speak spanish "mala" means bad and "peor" means worse. So the joke is that it's Guatebad but at least it's not Guateworse! Pretty funny. But the thing is the Guatemaltecos here say pior instead of peor. And so its an inside joke between some missionaries that intentionally say pior instead of saying peor and its pretty funny because no one else notices.

But even though the title is Pior/Peor meaning worse this was actually a great week! Of course not perfect and there were challenges but it was great. Downer of the week was that Orlando didn't actually get baptizied. He passed his interview and everything but then something happened and he went to Antigua and not to his baptismal service. So we filled the font for nothing but we have talked to him quickly on Saturday and think he is doing okay. We just need to talk to him a little more to figure it all out. He is doing okay though.

Also I don't think I have mentioned the Osorio family before. Maybe I have. The are awesome! The live in an aldea called Bola de Oro and there people there are golden! We have found a lot of people. And this family is HUGE! They have 10 kids! Who does that? Haha I feel right at home there. But they are super humble and just awesome. And the oldest daughter in the family came to church on Sunday and the rest of the family is going to come this week!

There are some pics of Bola de Oro here below. Its super pretty and the trees remind me of the sacred grove.

Also the Ruiz family is doing well and we have been able to feel the Spirit strongly in lessons with them. Keep them in your prayers still that they will be able to recieve an answer about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.

And the Orellana family is doing well. They are praying to know if they should be baptized this Sunday and we are working on helping them get to know a lot more members and are praying that they will also recieve an answer.

Changes are this next week but I bet I'll stay here. We'll see who my new comp is going to be but it has been an amazing transfer here with Elder Riffo. I have eaten a lot of peanut M&Ms. Those things are good!!

I encourage you all to go take a look at President Nelsons devotional at BYU about "The Love and the Laws of God". Truth is Truth!! Christ is our Savior. He and our Heavenly Father love us. This is His Church on the earth today. Joseph Smith is and was a prophet and the Book of Mormon is true. If you haven't found out for yourself yet, put in the work and ask God. He will answer. LOVE YOU ALL!!

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A Few Emails to Friends

So, I didn't get an email from Joseph yesterday, but I knew they were going to Atitlan, so I thought maybe he'd write today, but after I didn't hear from him today, I checked into his email and saw that he had sent his weekly email, but only sent it to Corey and a neighbor who is on a mission. So I just logged on and sent that to everyone. And I will not be posting that under yesterday, Sept 18th. But while I was on there, I was snooping in his other sent letters, I thought these that he wrote to a few friends were good, like his advice to Brox, so I thought I'd include them for his mission history. Haha, it's like I'm Mormon who gets to be guided to what to include in this sacred record.

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To Brox - neighbor who just arrived on his mission in Bolivia. Brox mentioned how he was going to miss the food at the Provo MTC

From Joseph: I ate two donuts yesterday but haven't drank chocolate milk but they do have it here in Guatemala. Might try it sometime. Before too long you will convert into a bolivian! I am a guatemalan now and like to eat their typical food: eggs, beans, and tortillas. It is what I live for! Seriously though I prefer it over cold cereal.

From Brox: haha thanks man! I'm feeling pretty good about it right now, hanging in there. This will probably lead right into a conversation about patience, but if you have any advice for not thinking about how I literally have two more years of this before I go home I'd appreciate it. I was feeling good this whole week until like yesterday when it just hit that two years is a long time. Probably comes with patience (duh) but I'd love to hear any thoughts you have.

  hope everything is going well for you man. I wish they had tortillas here.

Joseph's reply: Something that has helped me is a paraphrased quote by none other than Jim Dahle (the man himself) said regarding Medical school. The time is going to pass either way. Whether you enjoy it or not in September of 2021 two years will have passed. Nothing you can do about the time.

But what we can do is enjoy the time and make the most of it. And the funny thing is that when you think about the time and think about yourself it goes really slow. When you think about the people you are serving and lose yourself the work the time goes by so fast you would not believe!! And the best part is you love it!! It makes it so that when the time ends you don't even want to go! Kind of like Nanny McFee. Patience is a big part of that. Because it wont be easy and its not supposed to be. But it helps us develop all those Christlike attributes that we need for our eternal progression, including patience. There are some missionaries however that get through their two years, patience, but they don't have any diligence because they don't work how they should. So really they don't benefit at all from their mission. They went on a mission, but they didn't serve a mission. They were not the fourth missionary. Which is a VERY good talk that has helped me a lot. Also one called the consecrated missionary, but I don't have a digital copy of that one. I will add the fourth missionary to this email though. It is by a general authority when he was a mission president. Be the fourth missionary!!

The time will really pass by SO fast it is insane! I go home in less than 9 months and it seems like just yesterday we were hiking though the narrows in Zions. Actually this week I did almost the same thing because the streets flooded and my feet were soaked. Actually all of me was soaked. But we laughed and made it fun. Thats also another thing is to just have fun in the small things. Joke around! Also what we have been doing is I have been teaching my comp funny phrases in english because he is from chile and so he goes around saying "You are a monkey!" to the other missionaries that live in our house haha. Enjoy your mission, but obviously working hard and doing the things you are supposed to. Find joy in the journey and remember come what may and love it.

Also your companion makes a big difference. You have to get along to have success and to enjoy it. My slowest and worst transfer was when my companion and I didnt get along. It made missionary work even harder but gave me lots of opportunities to prove my faith and develop patience. So try to get along with and love lal of your companions as well. It makes it a lot more enjoyable. (PDF of The Fourth Missionary here) I am fully confident that you are an excellent missionary Elder and want to congratulate you for deciding to go. You have had an Eternity to prepare for your mission and you will have an eternity to reflect on it, but you only have two years to LIVE it!! So make the most of it! LOVE YOU

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To Harrison - He's a kid in our ward that is the same age as Joseph but just recently decided to serve a mission. He opened this call this week and is going to Tampa Florida! Joseph asked him why he decided to go on a mission:

From Harrison: Thanks Joseph! That means a lot! About a mission, I always thought a mission was cool but I always said a mission it’s for me, I need to know for myself I need to go on a mission! The about two months ago I kinda hit a ruff patch and wasn’t feeling to well so I start to pray and actually read my scriptures and stuff like that. And then one day it just hit me that I am ready to go on a mission!! So from that day on I felt so good about that and all my worries about a mission pretty much went away! That’s just another sign to me that I’m ready too haha so yeah that’s pretty much it!! It just hit me hard I need to go 

From Joseph: WOW!! That is so awesome!! I think it is really true that if the hard times God can direct us where he wants us to go. The song Savior Redeemer of my soul says "chasten my soul till I shall be, in perfect harmony with Thee" and chasten means hard things. The Lord definitely needs you on a mission and there are people that are waiting for you!! The mission is the best. When you lose yourself and get to work there are so many blessings and you are so happy. Keep me updated!! I felt that many times before my mission, and have felt it many times during my mission, that I might not know everything but I know enough. And there is an indescribable feeling that is the Spirit that has told me and tells me every day that this is exactly where God wants me to be and I know it is the same for you!! Keep up the great work Harrison and you will see SO many blessings in your life! Keep me in the loop por favor!

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To Hannah - I don't know her, but I thinks she's a friend from either Lyceum or from Summerfest. I'm just going to put his past emails to her, funny tidbits in there like the BYU football game, ha.

August 21st

Hey hey!! How long have you been home for?? Back in Portland right?? Yeah that seems like it would be hard because all the people you were with all year arent there anymore. Do a lot of people stay at BYU for the summer?? Thats great that youve been babysitting though because honestly babysitting makes bank. And the best part is the little kids that you get to know. Little kids are the BEST! Haha I am glad I was the oldest so I had lots of younger siblings. And between me and my sister my parents always had a free babysitter.

When does school start again? Look for an Harrison Bludworth there too. He is calidad. And yeah if you help my sister out with the big college shift that would be amazing! And then you and her will both help me when I get back haha

As for me I am really doing GREAT!! There is a great satisfaction that comes from giving everything. I am trying to become the Fourth Missionary. Theres a talk about it that is soooo good that you should definitely look up. The fourth missionary is the only way to go.

i got transfered yesterday from the capital to a place called Chimaltenango that is like an hour away from the capital and my new companion is SUPER PILAS!! Super hard worker and also just the greatest guy. He gets along with everyone he talks to. So I am super excited for our time together.

The mission is hard yeah but I remember once I had a companion that was having a really hard time and the assistants came to talk to him after a district council and after he said how hard it was and why it was so hard they were like "well, welcome to the mission" and it was actually really funny even though my companion didn't think it was funny. But the thing is we can find JOY when we keep the commandments in whatever circumstance. President Nelson has a really good talk about it.

But I really appreciate the prayers, especially that we will be able to find the people that are ready to receive the gospel. Keep praying!! And just keep being a great example to everyone you know.

I will for sure check out Come Follow Me in Romanos 8! We used to have an hour to study Come Follow me on Sundays but since we changed missions now we dont but I am gonna find the time!!

Your the best!!

August 28

Yeah I bet that would be rough taking too much time off from school especially when you are far away from everyone else. Its like a Pday in the mission. The break is nice but when it is 6:00 again you are anxious to get to work. Also everyone has told me that BYU is super hard and I believe it but what would you say has been the hardest part? The workload?

YES! I call my family every week but I don't talk to them all every week haha especially now that school started for them. But it is gonna be really weird seeing them after 2 years. I am pretty sure that Ethan is taller than me now and Daniel can talk now. Also it will be weird to get to know my little brother Peter who was born after I left! Yesterday I hit 14 months though and it is CRAZY how fast the time is passing. Hay que aprovecharlo al maximo!

My sister is gonna stay in heritage though! Are you staying in Heritage again this year? I am honestly not sure what I am gonna do and dont even know what I am gonna major in! I would love to stay in Heritage but I heard that heritage is a good before mission place but that it is different for RMs. What would you recommend?? I did one summerfest off campus and one summerfest on campus (in heritage) and both were amazing but I liked the on campus experience a lot more. But it might be different for college. We'll see!

It is a way good talk. Yeah I know what you mean!! I saw all missionaries as the same before but really they can be very different. But really the way of the fourth missionary is the only way to be happy and actually benefit personally from your mission. Another good one is called "The consecrated missionary" by Ted R. Calister (who also has some awesome Book of Mormon talks).

We found this AMAZINGLY PILAS FAMILY this week!! And all because of a BYU STICKER!! Cougers represent!! I will talk more about that in my email this week.

My favorite food is for sure the breakfast they serve here. It is simple but is the BEST! Plátanos fritos con juevitos y frijolitos. And I didnt like beans before I came here but it is honestly my favorite food. There is also a mexican food restraunt close to our house in my new area that sells good food. Its called El fogón.

Thanks for all your emails, love and support!! You're doing amazing!!

Elder Wride

September 4

Hahaha I know how you feel because I also write as I think and then I get lost and let´s just say it´s a good thing you can go back and edit when you are typing because I can´t do that in my journal and it makes even less sense. But I have been writing every day for like a month now! So i am proud of myself.

Yeah Pday is a good break but it is also pretty full of writing and cleaning and eating haha today we did a deep clean of the house and were proud of ourselves. The only thing is that we dont cook very much in our house because there are cucas (short for cucaracha meaning cockroach) in the kitchen. And they are almost everywhere here haha. One time a family we were teaching in my last area gave us some agua (which you would think means water and it does but here it also means basically any liquid. This agua was soda) and as I was drinking a saw a shadow of something on the other side of the bottom of the cup. Yep it was a baby cuca. I just finished the drink and didnt say anything and they didnt say anything either. So it wasnt in the drink but was on the other side of the cup so who knows how sanitary the cup was. But we have been able to exterminate most of the cucas in the kitchen but every once in a while some show up. You probably dont want to hear about that though so sorry. Cucas are really gross.

Yeah I can imagine! I thought high school for me was pretty packed and like there was always something I had to be doing or a concert I had to play/sing in (that is what happens when you have 4 music classes and 2 outside of school music groups) and most nights I walked home with a few instrument cases in my hands and in a tux. But I am SO STOKED for life at the Y! And am excited for every single part. I heard someone told me that its kind of like you have to choose two of three things between good grades, sleep, and social life but that is is really hard to do all three. You´ll have to help me get through it then because you´ll be a junior when I am a freshman!

PETER IS SO CUTE!! From the pictures and video chats at least. It has been nice for me to talk to the family every week and get advice about companions or people we are teaching. I wasn´t ever really homesick but it is definitely a blessing being able to call every week. I am trying to use it to really motivate my younger siblings to know the importance of missions and help them want to go on a mission as well. Because this is the GREATEST MOST IMPORTANT WORK ON THE ENTIRE EARTH!!! And yes time flies SO fast it is unbelievable. That´s awesome about your sister!! Did she get back recently then?? Where was she serving?

That is actually exactly what I imagined with the on vs. off campus. And that makes me more inclined to live off campus because I really don´t want to deal with a bunch of immature kids who just got out of high school. I am sure there are very mature ones but the mission definitely makes a difference in the way one thinks and acts. I did hear that there were older people that lived in Heritage that were the room checkers though. Is that like a job? Because if it pays or makes living there cheaper it might be worth it but we´ll see! But I can imagine how they would also feel out of place with only 18 year old girls. Although my cousin just got married on Saturday to an RM and she is at least 2 years younger than him so it happens for sure.

Yeah I heard about the game... On Friday I was on divisions for a baptismal interview in a far away area called San Martin (where they rent and remodeled a house for the church building. Also the bus drive there was SOOO PRETTY and SOOO GREEN) and we stopped by the church to talk to the branch president and there was a Greenga there! Greenga means a girl from the US! She is finishing up studying at the U online and got married like a month ago to someone from the states but who is living here teaching in a small school. So now she lives here. They stand out a lot haha. But when i said that I was going to go to BYU she made a U with her hands. I didnt know that BYU had already lost and asked her on Sunday when they came to Chimaltenango for the baptism who won and she just held up the U again and it hurt my soul. I told them that I had been praying that BYU would win and the husband said ¨BYU knows how to pray, but the U knows how to play football¨. 9 years in a row now. Cmon Elder Bywater! Elder Bywater was my first zone leader in the mission and is playing for BYU now. I think he is a linebacker. He told me he would make sure we would win but looks like it didn't turn out too well. Next year for sure!!

Well I remember that you like went to this national championship thing for ballroom in high school so I assume you are pretty good. And you got into BYU so you must be a good student! I think I am definitely going to brush up when I get back. I also think it would be the BEST to sing for Vocal Point.

That Family is progressing a LOT! They came to church on Sunday and we had a great lesson with them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ last night. I think they could totally get baptized this month. They are so pilas!! BYU REPRESENT!!

Yeah platanos and bananas are a little different and platanos are bigger and not quite as sweet but there might be some other differences. They are very similar though. Fried Platanos is where it is at though.

Well hey good luck in your classes!! I am sure you will do great and see a lot of miracles this year studying! Let me know when you find them!!

Guarde la fe!! (Guardar is keep and so if you are talking in Usted it is guarde but in tú it is guarda)

Elder Wride