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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