FAAAAAMILY!!!
Well hello there! I have had an AWESOME week! First off, I got Elder Satini on Wednesday, and it is an absolute treat to be able to work with him. We were in the CCM together, and we were already friends when we started off! He's from Tonga, and speaks Tongan and Samoan fluently. Communicating with him is a bit of a challenge...he speaks english like...70 percent, and spanish like...60 percent, so I never know exactly what it is that he understands when we're talking. And a Tongan accent in spanish is a bit difficult to understand, but it is SO much fun to work with someone who works hard, is obedient, AND knows how to have fun in the street as we work! It's been a long time since I've had a companion like that, so this past week has just been a good time for me! Also, he's from Tonga, so his culture is a lot different from American, or Guatemalan. Whenever they have a disagreement, they just fight it out! Like...good ole manly fistucuffs! So...my boxing skills might improve this change. Also, he eats dog. It's actually one of his favorite meals. There are a LOT of stray dogs here in Guatemala, so we're thinking about killing one and having ourselves a good ole fashion Tongan dinner! Last night we were headed back to the house when he decided he wanted to buy something from one of the tiendas. So we stopped, and as he was making his purchase, a stray dog wandered up to us. I like the dogs, so I started to pet it. My comp looked at me, then the dog, then looked back into the tienda. But then he did a double take and made a, "Mmmmmmmmm" sort of sound. I was confused, but then he explained to me that the dog I was petting was the PERFECT age to eat! I have to admit...I aaaaalmost peed myself laughing.
This week we had the awesome privilege of listening to an Apostle of God speak! Elder Christofferson came, and we had a three mission conference on Thursday to listen to him! It. Was. AWESOME!!! Did you guys know that he speaks Spanish?! Cuz I had no idea! But now I do! And his spanish is like...completely perfect! Like...1000 Percent!!! It was a LOT of fun to be able to see all of our friends from the South mission there, and that's the picture with all of the missionaries together. In order it's, Elder Petersen (Central) Elder Kelsey (South) Elder Satini (Compo!) Elder Buckley (South) Me! Elder Earl (South, and my companion from the CCM) And Elder Breinholt (Central). It was SO good to be able to see all of these guys again! We made plans for the get together that we're going to have at Elder Kelsey's wedding, cuz his girlfriend has like...6 months in her mission! So...gonna have to make a trip to Las Vegas in the summer of 2014!
But the conference itself was absolutely AMAZING! Elder Christofferson spoke about how we can know if what we are doing as missionaries is pleasing to God, and is He's happy with our work, which is something that I've been really worried about since I got here in the field! I don't want to work so hard to be able to be a missionary just to come out here and be a chambone! So, he blessed us that we would be able to receive a confirmation if we are doing what the Lord wants us to be doing in the weeks to come if we seek it, and pray for confirmation...so that's what I've been working on. But, the biggest lesson of the day was talking to the missionaries in South mission. That mission has a reputation for being REALLY disobedient. And it shows. The ENTIRE mission in the month of December had 33 baptisms. That is TERRIBLE! That's one zone in this missioN! And it's all because of the obedience! I'm so grateful that I got an obedient mission!
The sister that I took a picture with, with my companion's
name is Hermana Bates. She has had ZERO baptisms in ELEVEN months of being a
missionary! I feel so bad for her! We had a good talk about how important
obedience is, and how alone she feels in being obedient in that mission.
But...everyone has their different trials in the mission, I guess. But I am
REALLY grateful that I've got a good mission!
So...it's that time again that I need another quote for the back of my agenda. So...the best quote will win! Email me directly, and next week I'll choose the winner! I need two this time, so...EMAIL!!! I need quotes!!!
Well hello there! I have had an AWESOME week! First off, I got Elder Satini on Wednesday, and it is an absolute treat to be able to work with him. We were in the CCM together, and we were already friends when we started off! He's from Tonga, and speaks Tongan and Samoan fluently. Communicating with him is a bit of a challenge...he speaks english like...70 percent, and spanish like...60 percent, so I never know exactly what it is that he understands when we're talking. And a Tongan accent in spanish is a bit difficult to understand, but it is SO much fun to work with someone who works hard, is obedient, AND knows how to have fun in the street as we work! It's been a long time since I've had a companion like that, so this past week has just been a good time for me! Also, he's from Tonga, so his culture is a lot different from American, or Guatemalan. Whenever they have a disagreement, they just fight it out! Like...good ole manly fistucuffs! So...my boxing skills might improve this change. Also, he eats dog. It's actually one of his favorite meals. There are a LOT of stray dogs here in Guatemala, so we're thinking about killing one and having ourselves a good ole fashion Tongan dinner! Last night we were headed back to the house when he decided he wanted to buy something from one of the tiendas. So we stopped, and as he was making his purchase, a stray dog wandered up to us. I like the dogs, so I started to pet it. My comp looked at me, then the dog, then looked back into the tienda. But then he did a double take and made a, "Mmmmmmmmm" sort of sound. I was confused, but then he explained to me that the dog I was petting was the PERFECT age to eat! I have to admit...I aaaaalmost peed myself laughing.
This week we had the awesome privilege of listening to an Apostle of God speak! Elder Christofferson came, and we had a three mission conference on Thursday to listen to him! It. Was. AWESOME!!! Did you guys know that he speaks Spanish?! Cuz I had no idea! But now I do! And his spanish is like...completely perfect! Like...1000 Percent!!! It was a LOT of fun to be able to see all of our friends from the South mission there, and that's the picture with all of the missionaries together. In order it's, Elder Petersen (Central) Elder Kelsey (South) Elder Satini (Compo!) Elder Buckley (South) Me! Elder Earl (South, and my companion from the CCM) And Elder Breinholt (Central). It was SO good to be able to see all of these guys again! We made plans for the get together that we're going to have at Elder Kelsey's wedding, cuz his girlfriend has like...6 months in her mission! So...gonna have to make a trip to Las Vegas in the summer of 2014!
But the conference itself was absolutely AMAZING! Elder Christofferson spoke about how we can know if what we are doing as missionaries is pleasing to God, and is He's happy with our work, which is something that I've been really worried about since I got here in the field! I don't want to work so hard to be able to be a missionary just to come out here and be a chambone! So, he blessed us that we would be able to receive a confirmation if we are doing what the Lord wants us to be doing in the weeks to come if we seek it, and pray for confirmation...so that's what I've been working on. But, the biggest lesson of the day was talking to the missionaries in South mission. That mission has a reputation for being REALLY disobedient. And it shows. The ENTIRE mission in the month of December had 33 baptisms. That is TERRIBLE! That's one zone in this missioN! And it's all because of the obedience! I'm so grateful that I got an obedient mission!
The sister that I took a picture with, with my companion's
name is Hermana Bates. She has had ZERO baptisms in ELEVEN months of being a
missionary! I feel so bad for her! We had a good talk about how important
obedience is, and how alone she feels in being obedient in that mission.
But...everyone has their different trials in the mission, I guess. But I am
REALLY grateful that I've got a good mission!So...it's that time again that I need another quote for the back of my agenda. So...the best quote will win! Email me directly, and next week I'll choose the winner! I need two this time, so...EMAIL!!! I need quotes!!!
Ok! I'm all out of time! Oh yeah! The pictures! This one is in KFC before we went to the conference with Elder Christofferson...good old American mac and cheese and Pop music! I heard Nicky Minaj for the first time in 11 months! That was just a delight!
This one is from the house of an investigator that's going to get baptized this weekend! The view was just too cool. We couldn't pass up the picture opportunity!
This one is right after church...my comp likes playing with the filters on his camera, so...this is what we end up with! Funky Elder Hopper!
Love you all! Hope you have a great week! We have HUGE goals this week, so we need your prayers like crazy!
Ofa atu! (Which is I love you in Tongan! HA!)
Elder Hopper 2
The parameters of our faith are defined by the mountains that we move.
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