September 25, 2012

Hello my dearest friends and family!

Well...we've had a great week! We have been praying harder than I have ever prayed in my entire life to be able to baptize this month, and it looks like some prayers are being answered! This investigator that I explained last week (If you don’t know about her…shame on you! Go read last week’s letter!), Patty, has been really progressing! We have been visiting with her, and she has been reading the BoM, but we were getting really stressed, cuz it’s the last week of the month, and we still haven’t baptized! And if I haven’t made this clear yet…I REALLY WANT TO BAPTIZE THIS MONTH. But, this week at church, her husband came up to us and said, “Well…she wants to get baptized, but she just doesn’t know what the next step to take is!” YEEESSS!!!!!!!! Or…SIIIIIII!!!!! (Doesn’t translate…for the record.) So last night we went over and talked about the baptismal interview questions. She said everything was good, and that she wants to baptize herself (Inside joke for those Spanish speakers out there.). So, we challenged her with a date for this Sunday! The 30^th of September! She kinda got a little closed up, saying that it was really close, and that she didn’t know if she wanted to rush it that fast…so I just told her…” Look at it this way. Don’t think about the baptism on the 30^th of September, think about the fact that on the 30^th of September, 2013, you and your husband can be sealed to your two little daughters (SO cute) for time and all eternity.” That seemed to open her up a little bit, and she said she’d pray and see what answer she gets! So we’re going by tonight, and hopefully we’ll be baptizing her this Sunday! I’M SO EXCITED!!!

I made a new friend this week! His name is Francisco! He’s a drunk! Every time he sees me, he stares at me, walks up really fast to me, and starts poking me, usually in the nametag. Then he starts saying the phrase, “What’s up shorty?” over and over. Him and I have really cultivated a relationship, I feel. Honestly…I haven’t seen him in three or four days, and I’m starting to get a little nervous about him!

Yesterday we went to Antigua, Guatemala as a zone! It was a lot of fun! There is a tradition among missionaries that we have to go to the Mono Loco restaurant to get nachos every time we go to Antigua! So…that’s what we did! They are DELICIOUS! Antigua is a lot of fun, cuz there are always a lot of gringos there and it’s fun to hear their stories! In that picture, I’m sitting in front of Elder Rivas, who is from Belize. He and I talked about Belize all day long. I’ve never wanted to go to another country more than I did yesterday. I don’t know how, but I’m going to Belize before I die. Also, we went to a museum of jade! Like…the mineral! It doesn’t sound like a ton of fun, but the tour guide there really knew his audience! He taught us all about the history of the Book of Mormon and the history of the Mayans and how it lines up PERFECTLY. It was really interesting! We went into this room that was all black lighted (I’m not entirely sure why, but it was.) and all the white shirts were pretty funny. This picture in front of the Mayan god type thing is in that room. The flash was obviously ruining all the black light effect, so I have a video of it. But you gotta wait to get the SD card! HA! The guy I’m with is one of our Zone Leaders, Elder Lagos, from Honduras. Love him.

We were teaching a lesson this week with a youth from our ward named Oscar. He’s getting ready to go on his mission, and he’s a really cool kid. We were teaching the Sabbath day, and how working is a SIN. We had gotten everything smoothed out, and she said that she wasn’t going to work this Sunday, and that she’d come to church! Awesome! But then Oscar opened his mouth. He said, “Look…God knows your heart. If you absolutely have to work, it’s not that big of a deal, because God knows what you want to be doing!” NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Or…in Spanish, NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! (That one translates) Guess what? She didn’t come to church! Cuz God knows her heart! Gah! Someday he’ll go out with a youth from his ward, and he’ll get his just rewards!

Had some funny experiences with people on busses this week. I had gotten done preaching to the bus, and was going around asking people for their addresses so we can go by another day. I asked one guy, and he looked at me, spit on the floor, and started YELLING at me about how much he hates Americans cuz he got deported. How racist we are, and how racist I am for being in his country. So I had a delightful conversation with him, and the very next guy was pretending to be asleep, so I pretended to wake him up and asked for his address. He started yelling at me too! Yay! He asked, “WHO GAVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO BE ASKING FOR NAMES AND ADDRESSES?! WHO!?!?!” I wanted to tell him a living Prophet of God did, but I didn’t think we were going to get anywhere. He then told me about how much of a business this is and asked me how much money I make every week for doing this. I think he was a little put out when I told him missionaries actually have to pay to be missionaries. Poor guy. But…they’re sons of God too! Gotta at least try!

Well…that’s all I got! I love hearing that people enjoy reading these! Thanks for all of your support and prayers! Know that I love all of you!

Pegram-Love you man. Keep fighting the good fight. Also, I want an invitation.

I didn’t want it to come to this, but BRENNA DUNLOP!!! WRITE ME DANGIT!!! *Read with all the love you can muster, but with a strong voice.*

Con demasiado amor,

Elder Hopper

September 18, 2012

VOLCAN DE FUEGO BLEW UP?!?!

That's about how in the loop we are over here. Volcan de Fuego is on the other side of a mountain range. Still in my zone, though! But I didn't see, hear, feel, smell, taste, sense with my spidey senses, nada! This is literally the first thing I'm hearing about it! Too bad I'm not in Excuintla...I heard something about an evacuation, but I had no idea why! I figured it was from waaaaay too much rain, cuz it rains like craziness there! But apparently not!

So...we've had a great week! We are still really searching for that miracle so we can baptize this month, and I think we might have found it! We found a lady about two weeks ago who had been taking the lessons from the missionaries about two months ago, but dropped them because she felt too much pressure. But then she came back to church on her own! Success! Her husband is a member from a long time ago, but couldn't go because she wouldn't let him! So she attended, and we went over the next day, and we were really sensitive and nice, trying not to pressure her too much. I honestly didn't think it would go very far. But we taught the first lesson, and normally after we go straight into their needs (Sabbath day, word of wisdom, law of chastity) and then we talk about baptism, but this time we just decided to just teach the lessons all the way through. So last night we taught the third lesson, which talks about baptism. I was really nervous, and prayed all day long that the lesson would go really well! So we got there, and the lesson went PERFECT! I was so happy! Then, after the lesson she said, "Look...I understand the importance of being baptized, and want to be baptized, but I just want to be 100% sure that I get baptized in the right church!" Well...ok! We can work with that! Then, it turns out that she's not reading the BOM! Well this is just an easy fix then! So we told her to read the BoM, and we will be passing by every day to see if she has questions, or doubts, or whatever! So...I'm pretty excited! We've been working our little tails off to be able to contribute to the goal of 300 baptisms this month, and it looks like we'll be able to! Success!

So, like I told you last week, this last week was Guatemalan independence day. I was...well...very disappointed. The coolest thing that happened was a torch running! A school ran a torch from Amatitlan, my old area, to here. I didn't know about it at all, but we were walking in the street at about 8:30, and this mob just rounded the corner, torches, screaming people, and all. Some members had told us about two weeks ago about riots that happen in the street every once in awhile here, and always leave a few people dead. So, my first though, naturally, was, "Well...here begins the story of how I died in a Guatemalan riot." But, thankfully, it just turned out to be a delightfully peaceful torch run, and I didn't die in a Guatemalan riot. They even had a police escort!

So we're teaching this family, the Valenzuela family. They have two kids that have some sort of mental disease, one is completely paralyzed, and the other isn't much better off. They're both in there mid 20's, and can't do a single thing for themselves. I was having kind of a rough day, kinda down in the dumps cuz all of our citas were falling, and a bunch of other junk that just didn't really matter. So we figured we go and visit them. We got there, and dad had just gotten home from work. He started telling us about his day, and what he does. He works a REALLY hard physical labor job in the capital of Guatemala. He told us that he leaves in the morning at about 4:30, and doesn't get home till around 8. He does that Monday thru Friday, then Saturday he gets home around 3 in the afternoon. Sunday is his only day off. Mom has to get up every day at about 6 in the morning to be ready when the kids wake up, which is pretty early as well. Then she has to clothe them, which takes about an hour. She told us that then she has to feed them breakfast, which takes about TWO HOURS. Right when she gets done with breakfast, she has to do the laundry, cuz the kids can't control when they go to the bathroom. So she's doing laundry all day, every day. Then, when she gets about half the laundry done, she has to feed the kids again. Another TWO HOURS. She just told us all this stuff that she does all day, every day, and dad works SO hard to pay for the medicine that they need, and all the stuff that they need to survive, which is a lot...these kids have a LOT of special needs, which are all expensive. And the crazy thing was that you could just feel the love that these two parents had for these kids that they've never really even met! The whole room was just full of pride from these two parents who do nothing but take care of their kids who are, quite literally, vegetables. It's so sad, but here I was thinking that my life was hard...I was doing hard things, and that that day was a rough one. But these two saints have been taking care of their children for more than TWENTY YEARS. I was very happy to be able to testify to them that some day they would have the opportunity to meet their children! What a blessing the Gospel is! Seriously...if this mission does nothing else, it's gonna make me humble, and grateful. We are just SO ridiculously blessed.

Well...I never know how to segue from that kind of thing into a funny story for the week, so we'll just jump into things!

We were teaching a lesson this week to a mom and a dad...everything was going well, right up until the 17ish year old daughter came home. She walked into the house, looked at me, and had an immediate interest in the Gospel. The seat next to me on the couch was open, so she made herself comfortable. I hugged the armest as fast as I could. But, she kept scooting closer! I WANTED TO DIE!!! By the end of the lesson, I was practically sitting on the armest, looking at my comp like "HELP ME" and he was just laaaaughing. The worst part was, mom and dad were rooting her on practically! They kept making comments like, "Isn't our daughter so beautiful? We're so proud of her! She's so smart too!" It was, possibly, the worst experience of my entire life. I don't think they're going to progress, so I'm considering just not going back...but that might be a sin...I just don't know.

So, we had our most succesful zone activity yesterday, that's what the picture is.

 

We got letters, and I didn't get even one! So this is me with some other missionary's letter, pouting. Elder Peterson got letters. He was happy. Although...it's probably my own fault. I'm HORRIBLE at replying! Anywho...in the activity, we got statistics of missions from around Central America! Turns out we are 5th in baptizing in all of central america, 2nd in retention, and 2nd in attendance at church! I LOVE THE COMPETITION! He told us that between number 5 and number 6 in baptizing, there is a really big gap. WE MUST GET TO NUMBER ONE!!! I felt kind of like I was in DCI again, competing against the other missions! But this is a LOT more important than any drum corps! This month we're moving up! I can just feel it!

Ok! Well...I'm off to get to work again! Pegram, I LOVE YOUR EMAILS!!! DON'T EVER STOP!!!! And tell Durfey and Petersen that they're slackers, but that I love them anyway.

Have a great week everyone!
Muchisimo amor,

Elder Hopper

 

September 11, 2012

Hello dearest family and friendships!

First of all, and most important…HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARMY!!! I love you SO much, and I hope you know, that everything I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel mother! I love you Marm!

Well…this has been yet another boring missionary week! We worked hard, and we’re trying to get our baptism THIS MONTH! The mission has a goal, and has been ramping up towards getting 300 baptisms this month, and I WANT TO BAPTIZE!!! I heard about the goal in June, and ever since then I’ve been praying and working my little tail off to be able to contribute in a major way to this goal. I left my old area with 7 baptisms just waiting to get in the water, and I came here and they have ZERO progressing investigators. My first week here we had ZERO in church. Can’t get baptized if you don’t come to church! So…I’ve been pretty frustrated with it. We thought we had a lady named Monica who was going to get baptized, she’s been pretty positive, and says she’s received an answer that the church is true. We knew we would have to marry her and her husband, but what we found out yesterday is that she was married earlier. Here in Guatemala it is MUCH easier to part the red sea than it is to get divorced. So…we’re really literally asking for a miracle to get her baptized in the month of September. Other than that, we’re pouring over our area book so we can find someone, ANYONE who can get baptized! I WANT TO MEET THIS GOAL MORE THAN ALMOST ANYTHING I’VE EVER DONE. So…prayers in part of me and my companion would be greatly appreciated!

But…we’ve been having a good time here! Elder Luna, I thought, was going to be a rough companion, but things have been getting easier every day. Other than he keeps eating my food. That’s gonna have to change. I think he made some preconceived conceptions about me, and didn’t want to let them go…but then he got to know me! He has a reeeeally hard time loving the people, and there have been several times when, during a lesson, I just have to look at him and tell him to stop talking. He just gets too mad! So, we’re working with that. And as I help him with that, I realized it’s helping me more than him! I find myself thinking to myself fairly frequently, “Well…I’m a representative of Christ here in Sonora. Is this something Christ would do if he were me?” And that is REALLY helpful! Also, I think it’s saved me from doing or saying some dumb things! It’s really a better way to live life!

So…to explain the pictures. Friday, it rained. HARD. REALLY REALLY HARD. Like…INSANELY HARD. Friday, my umbrella broke. IT REALLY REALLY BROKE. So…I got a little bit wet. Just a little bit. And it rained at about 2 in the afternoon, which meant that I got to walk around nice and soggy for the rest of the day. This is the result on my poor feet. They looked like a dead persons feet. It was pretty gross. So, naturally, I figured I’d take a picture to commemorate the experience!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second picture is of my bed! I decided that the Oregon shirt is just too painfully small for me, and so it is now a pillow case! And this is how my bed looks every single day! Mom…I do make my bed every day! Promise! Love me some Oregon! Now…just need to find the better school’s shirt, and it would be even BETTER. But for now, I will deal with the green and yellow on my bed. But understand, I drool on that every single day. U of O gets what it deserves!!!

Found out this week that my comp is DEATHLY afraid of dogs, and it’s HILARIOUS. One of our investigators has a dog named doggy (Which is clever, cuz no one here speaks English. Appreciate that.), and every time you pet it, it growls. But it’s a really nice dog. So, we had just finished a lesson, and I was playing with the dog. The harder you pet it, the more it growls, so I got it growling really good, and basically threw it at my comp. You’ve never heard a grown man scream so loud in your life. Aaaahh…yeah…Christ definitely wouldn’t do that. Woops.

Good news! The Tuesday curse is broken! Last week no one died, and the week before that…well…I only came across a half dead guy. He had just gotten the TAR beaten out of him for who knows what, but I helped load him into the car to get to the hospital. But the curse is broken! Celebrate!

So, this week I got a surprise call from the President of the mission. It was in the morning, and I had just gotten out of MY DEVIL SHOWER when our phone rang! Not too unusual, so I ran over to get it, but it said, “Presidente Brough” on the caller ID…uh oh. What’d we do? It’s a bit unusual to get a call from the president of the mission unless you’re a screw up. Well…he told me, “Elder Hopper…I just want you to know that I am praying for you by name every single day until you baptize this month. Don’t get disanimated. You’re gonna get it.” All morning long I had been just down in the dumps cuz we didn’t have any really progressing investigators or anything! It was just SO cool to see how the Spirit worked through Pres. Brough to help me! It was just a testament to me that the Spirit, and Heavenly Father really works through us to help His children here on earth. So, the next time you have a thought to do something nice or to help someone…DO IT! Whether it’s the Spirit or not, DO IT!! You may never know if it was the Spirit, but it was a good thing, so DO IT!!! That’s the whole reason we’re here on earth, to help other people! Make other people’s lives better. So…DO IT!!!!

Fun fact from Mexico: It is a crime to fly the flag except for the month of September. This week is Guatemala’s independence day…I should have some interesting experiences with drunks next week! I’ll keep you posted!

Today is 9/11. I would just like to say that I LOVE America. Seriously, every day I’m here I love America a little bit more. We are so blessed to have people who were willing to die so we could have all the freedoms we enjoy. Look around you, and realize everything you have wasn’t purchased with YOUR blood. Now, give thanks for the country you have, and do something to make it better. Also…Brad; I love you a ton. You’re my hero. Keep doing what you’re doing and know that I’m praying for your safety and that of your friends every single day.

Well…that’s all I’ve got! Keep praying for it, cuz I need a MIRACLE this week! I love you all! Keep being awesome!
Muchisimo amor,

Elder Hopper

September 4, 2012

Hello family!

This is what I have learned this week in a nutshell:

1) The old man with the machete and the creepy glass eye is MUCH scarier than the 20 year old with the AK47. 

2) Banana peels on the floor are, in fact, very slippery.

Well...I could end my email here, but I guess I'll go ahead and tell you some more fun stories, cuz we all know that's what people come here for...to laugh at my misfortune!

But let me start with the good first...we found this lady this week name Monica. Her husband is SUPER Catholic, but she LOVES the church! We taught her about the Restoration, and I felt like I should challenge her with a baptismal date the first visit, so I did and she accepted right away! Well...that's not THAT uncommon, but normally they will accept and we won't see them for three weeks. But she was there for our next visit, and she went to church! We're pretty excited about her! We're hoping to get her baptized this 22nd! 

Also, this week we had a competition in the zone to see who could do the most contacts for the week. Well...you know me. I wanted to win. Bad. So, Saturday night we talked to the Zone Leaders to see who was winning. We had something like 1,100 contacts for the week. They told us that the companionship closest to us had about  800. We thought we had it in the BAG! So we took it easy on Sunday, and ended up with about 1,300 contacts. But then the Zone Leaders called us on Monday morning. I answered the phone with the question, "So when do we get our prize?" and Elder Lagos told me that there was another companionship that he FORGOT to tell me about on saturday night! They ended up with 1,600 ish! NOOOOOO!!!! So...we lost. I was pretty annoyed. Cuz we totally could have done 500 contacts on Sunday! We just didn't know! Next time....Next time.

 So, on Wednesday I was in the shower. You know, and I've told you about the floating death trap/heater that is in our showers. Well...this one in our new area was smoking a little bit. Nothing too much to worry about, cuz the last shower that I had did that too. Hardly even thought about it. UNTIL IT EXPLODED. LITERALLY EXPLODED. I was just minding my own business, jamming out to some MOTAB and shaving in the shower when IT EXPLODED. Have I gotten the point across that my floating death trap/shower head tried to complete it's mission by EXPLODING!?!?! Something about the wires touching when they shouldn't be doing that. So...that was a fun experience. Everyone in America who is reading this, please...tomorrow when you take your shower, say a prayer of thanks for the heat you are experiencing. I'm resigning myself to the fact that I won't be having a hot shower for two years. Makes a man tough.

IT EXPLODED.

Oh, fun fact about my area. I don't remember if I told you or not, but the area that we work in the most is called the Proyectos. Which, translated, is the Projects. I'm literally working in the Projects of Guatemala. Chilero.

Well...that's all I got! Like I said...not too much exciting stuff going on. We're working hard to get the goal of 300 baptisms this month! Looking, praying, and WORKING for the miracles that we NEED!

Sorry I don't have any pictures this week...it's just been so boring!

Love you all!
Love,

Elder Hopper #2