April 24, 2012

Familia and friends!
Well...I greet you from the small town of Amatitlán, Guatemala! Actually...I have no idea if it's a small town or not, but my area is pretty small!
 I left the CCM on Tuesday morning, and had to say goodbye to my great friends that I made there, expecially Elder Earl, my companion...he went to Guatemala City South! We took a bus to the Mission home, which is on the top of a 14 story building, and is BEAUTIFUL. We had a bunch of meetings with the AP's  and got all of our orientation stuff done. We also had interviews with President Brough...he is SO awesome! He's only like...40 years old, but he's got a love for the missionary work like you wouldn't believe! Apparently the mission has a blog, by the way. I'm not sure where it is, but you can search for it!
After all of our orientation stuff was done, we went out and worked! We got assigned to a District/Zone leader, and went to their areas. We taught one lesson, and contacted as many people as we could. It was nuts, as soon as we got on the bus, the companion for the day that I was assigned to got up to the front of the bus and started preaching! It was SO cool! He basically contacted every person on the bus! After that we talked to everyone who was sitting  and asked if they wanted to hear more, and took down their address and phone number if they said yes. That night when we got back from contacting and teaching, we stayed in what they call the bunkhouse, a two story dive with about 40 beds stacked on top of eachother.
 We had to leave the next day AT 6:30! So we all woke up early to get ready, and head to the Chapel where we would have Change Meeting, or the meeting where everyone gets transferred! We sat for about two hours doing our own personal study until all of the other missionaries could arrive. When we finally started the entire chapel was PACKED with missionaries! It was so cool! They shuffled us into the front two rows, and started the meeting. They let all of the departing missionaries bear their testimonies, and I got to see Elder Otuafi and Elder McKell, who I was in the CCM with the first time...they were leaving that day! Kind of puts things  into perspective for you. Or mostly for me. So the meeting went on and I got assigned to Elder Petersen in the Zone Amatitlán, area Amatitlán 1! We live in a little colonia called "Mariposa," Which, for all you Spanish efficionados out there, means butterfly! Also...a pretty derogatory slang word, but we won't get into that. Look it up on Google maps and see if you can find it! All of the houses here are solid cement. Then they go ahead and paint them obscene colors, but that's alright! The culture here is 1000% different. My first night we were teaching a lady named Oldilia (who we're baptizing tonight...SWEET!) and her sister was sitting in and listening, and her baby was crying. So...what does she do? She starts breastfeeding the baby! Just right there! Right in front of us! Without ANY sort of discretion, or care at all! Gah. And apparently that's pretty normal, so that's going to have to be something I get used to.
Anyways...we'se been working really hard. The "Normas de excelencia" for our mission are this: 25 contacts, including testifying, and teaching a principle, every day, 20 lessons, 50% of which need to be with a member a week, and 3 Baptisms, including one man, every month. So Elder Petersen and I have the goal of 250 contacts this week! And yesterday...I contacted my first bus! I felt like Joseph Smith up at the front of the bus testifying to everyone, and all the people were staring at this red headed gringo talking about Jesus like I was a maniac! At least it gets there attention, right?!
So yesterday we had to go back to the main Chapel where the Change Meeting was for a meeting with all of the nuevos and the trainers (Mondays are our P-days, by the way. But we email on Tuesdays...weird, huh?). The Chapel is about 45 minutes away by bus, but about half way there we hit some CRAZY traffic. Nobody was moving anywhere! Apparently some sort of protest was happening in the capital and they were only letting personal cars through, not busses or semis. So we had to walk! On the freeway! This country is nuts. Elder Petersen hopped off the bus, and then it started to drive away! I was sitting on the bus still! I had to yell at the driver that I had to get off, but he just kept going! Finally we hit more traffic and I jumped! Busses here are INSANE. Another fun first I had yesterday was I drifted for the first time in a bus yesterday! Cool, huh?! Anyways...the meeting was FANTASTIC. It kind of stinks leaving the CCM because the people you meet there kind of become family, and when you leave them you are SO isolated. I've never been so lonely in my entire life! This week has seriously been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I got to see all my friends again yesterday! It was like a giant family reunion! But I `pray everyday that I'll be able to forget myself and just get to work. I know it will come! When I'm out hitting the streets I LOVE it, but when I'm at home and I have time to think is the rough time. But I'll be ok!
I appreciate all of your prayers, they mean the world to me! By the way, dad, I dunked a volleyball in the CCM! Ha! Totally random thought for the day. I pray for each of you every single day by name, and I love you guys so much!
Have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Hopper Numero 2 (I can't figure out how to do the number sign on this dumb computer.)
P.S...fun fact: "no parking" signs here are an E with a slash through them instead of a P, because it means "No estacionar" Fun, huh?!