February 26, 2013

Hello Fambam! And Elder Peña's dad! 

Dear Elder Peña's dad...sometimes we refer to your son as, "Elder Pena" or, "Canche." Me gustaría si usted dijera algo cerca de un callejón  o un conejo a su hijo. El va a entender. Muchas gracias.

First off...I want you all to understand that it is HOOOOOT in this internet cafe place. I'm sacrificing to be able to write to you. I hope you all enjoy this email all that much more, with my suffering in mind.

Well...there is a LOT of big news this week! But, first of all, and MOST importantly...BAPTISMS!!! The District had 5 this weekend!!! My companion and I only baptized one, and Elder Peña and his companion, Elder Cruz went crazy with four! It was awesome! LOVE BAPTISMS!!! So...we were really blessed! This next month we're going to go nuts with 11 baptisms in the District! I've got faith that we're going to do it!

 

 

 

Also, something to clear up from last week...I sent a picture of me hanging out a door looking into the distance with my tie in my face, wearing my suit. I failed to explain it. Well...we were on our way home from Stake conference, taking a bus. To get back to my area, we have to travel on a freeway for about ten minutes. This is how I got there. Hanging out the bus door. Going about 60 miles an hour. Sometimes...you just gotta do what you gotta do. Busses in Guatemala are juuuuust as crazy as everyone says.

I read a quote this last week that I LOVED, and I feel is particularly applicable to MY dad, but I want every dad to pay attention. It is as follows, "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around, but when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in 7 years!" There's really not much more to elaborate. It's perfect.

So, I'm training. Oooooh the stories I have from the week. But, today I only have time to share one. I am officially addicted to these cookies called, "chokis" It's a rare treat, cuz they're kinda expensive. But last Thursday I decided I wanted some! So, I went up to the tienda and made my buy. As I turned around, I looked at my companion who was STARING at this BEAUTIFUL girl sitting on a sidewalk right next to her boyfriend. He looked really nervous. Now, I've been trying to get my kid to contact, so I was almost kinda proud when he looked at me, and said, "Contacto?" I told him, "Of course! I'm never going to tell you not to contact!" So, he went up to the GORGEOUS girl, who was between her other rather attractive friend, and he BF. He stared right at her, and, shaking, began the contact. Now, you have to read this in a really fast, nervous voice in your head to get the full effect. His contact went something like this, "Hello how are you I'm good thanks. We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day (He didn't finish the whole title) we teach about Jesus I know what we share is true when can we come over to teach you about Jesus?" Insert reeeeeally deep breath here. She just sort of gave him a blank stare and said, "huh?" I literally almost choked on my cookie that I was eating at that point from laughing. He just sorta looked at me with a scared, lost look like I was going to save him. NOPE! Sorry, kid! This is YOUR contact! Well...long story short, we got two addresses and a phone number! Succesful contact, if not a liiiiittle bit awkward! I told him after that he has to teach to someone OTHER than the gorgeous girl! He told me that he was!
Suuuuuuuure....

So, this week we got to dig a toilet! That's the picture of me picking a bucket out of a big fat hole. That hole is about...thirty feet deep. Elder Cruz was down there at that time. Elder Peña had already gone down, but we had to drag him out. Blackmail, dad. He couldn't get out on his own. It took about ten minutes to finally drag him out. It was HILARIOUS.

 

 

 

 

 

Ok...the news I know you're all waiting for, even though you've probably already heard it...THE MISSION IS SPLITTING IN JULY!!! It is...well...frightening news. Two zones, the zones Mariscal, and Nimajuyu will be going to the South mission! So, if we are in those two zones in July...well...welcome to South mission! Also, our mission will be receiving the zone Zipicate from the mission Retehuleu! I REALLY don't want to go to the south mission! It is absolutely FAMOUS for being REALLY wicked! And I don't want that! So...we'll see what happens. President told all of the zone leaders of the mission that he was going to send a lot of young leadership to that mission...that's me. So...we'll see what happens. But, he also said that he was going to make 100 percent sure that he sends missionaries there by way of revelation. So, prayers for him would be great to know where to send missionaries. 1 Nephi 3:7 applies perfectly here! Iré y haré! But...I bet even Nephi had personal preferences, and I'm not better than him, so...I WANNA STAY!!!

Well...there is so much to tell, but I'm all out of time. I'm going to get out of this sauna now! Yay!!!

Oh, yeah! I got an American flag! Elder Breinholt didn't want one that he had, so I took advantage of it! It's MIIIIIIIINE!!!!

Also...this picture of the sunrise is what I wake up to every single morning! And the sun rises at like...6:33! Perfect timing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love you all! Hope you all have a great week!!! 

Love,

Elder Hopper

February 20, 2013

Hello family!

Well...this week has been...eventful! I am training again! I have another baby boy! The gestation period on the mission is significantly shorter than in real life, I've noticed. His name is Elder Cceccaña.

Don't even try to pronounce it. I can hardly do so. He's from Peru, and VERY unprepared! But! That's what I'm here for, no? He's only 18 years old, too! So there's almost a 5 year difference between us. One of the big things in this mission is walking fast. A good missionary is equated with how fast he walks. Not really, but...it is STRONGLY encouraged. Rule number ONE in the mission is, "Hay urgencia in TODAS LAS COSAS." Or, roughly translated, "YOU'VE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING FAST AAAAALWAAAAAYS!!!!" I don't know if I'll ever be able to just go on a nice leisurely walk again after the mission. But, as a trainer, you have to do EVERYTHING PERFECT ALWAYS. So, I'm trying to live rule number one with exactness. God has a cruel sense of humor. This poor like Peruvian. He's SO SMALL! He practically has to jog all day to keep up with me! But...he's doing it, so...that's t he part that matters, no? Go him! You go Glen Coco! (I'm interested to see who picks up on THAT reference)

So, update on a story about three weeks ago. Don't know if you remember the familia Monzón, who's mom walked out on them, and left them with mom, and the whole heart wrenching circumstance that followed it. Well...things haven't really gotten better. These people are the DEFINITION of poor, and live in a sheet metal house on a small plot of land. No running water, electricity, nada. But...mom has been living with her mom. And, unfortunately, the land is in her name. So...she's trying to get dad kicked off the land. Fortunately, the legal system isn't quite as efficient here as it is up there, so it hasn't yet taken place. Her idea is that she'll swoop in and live with the kids again, but if he goes, he's taking the kids. It's just a sticky situation. I didn't want to talk about it,cuz we don't like to focus on the bad things, but I figured if you care enough to read my blog, you'd probably like an update of the things that are going with the sad stories that I tell. But...they're still coming to church, so that is REALLY good!

This week we were contacting a door. Out of the corner of my eye, as we were being rejected, I saw these three pre teen kids walking by us. One of them had a paper bag in his hand that he had just drunk out of. Made me a little worried. So, after we said goodbye at the door, I went up to them. I asked the one with the bag in his hand how old he was. He told me that he is 13. I asked him what he was drinking. He told me, "Agua." Now...in spanish,(Well...in Guatemalan spanish) you use the word, "Agua" to describe pretty much any drink. When you ask for an agua in a restaurant they ask you what flavor you would like. Confused the CRUD out of me when i first got here. But, agua can also include beer. So, I said, "Is it the type of agua that makes you drunk?!" He said....uh....no....! So, I grabbed it from him. Lo and behold! It was a light beer! Thankfully they had just opened it. I told him that this garbage is going to kill him! It ruins lives of 30 year olds, much more the life of a 13 year old! So, I dumped it out, and told him, "Come with me. I'll buy you an agua that DOESN'T make you and idiot." They all just sorta hung their heads and slunked along with me to the little tienda there to buy them sodas. It was a funny experience. Hopefully i actually got through to one of them, then it would make it worth the fact that my pants smelled like beer for the rest of the day.

Well...this week Elder Satini and I celebrated one year! All the usual! Burnt shirts, cake, pizza, bunny...Ok...so the bunny isn't so normal, but we climbed up to our roof to burn our shirts, and there was this random bunny jumping around up there!

 It was...very random. And very hilarious. So, we took pictures with it. Naturally. That's the same night the President called me to tell me I was traning. He laughed when I told him that we were celebrating our one year together, and said, "That's a good thing to celebrate. Just be careful when you burn your shirts." He knows us too well. But, it was possibly the funnest night of my entire mission. Also, the cake was AMAZING!! It was red velvet...one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. Ridiculously expensive, though.

I read an AWESOME scripture this week that I LOVED, that really applies to missionaries away from home. I want you all to go and read Philippians 1:27. And then I want to hear of your affairs from my mother, and be able to have joy in that! There is nothing that I LOVE more than hearing of mission calls, and missionaries getting home! It's just the greatest! So...just be good! And do good things! 

Ok...picture explanations.

This is one year worth of agendas! The front, inside cover, and back sides of them! I have decided that I really like to write quotes in block letters in the back, so...I STILL NEED GOOD QUOTES!!!! Not ONE entry! I've got an empty one that I need to fill for next change, so...send me them!

Elder Tays and Elder Lagos both went home yesterday! I don't like it when my friends go home from the mission! Especially the Latinos...it's just really unlikely that I'll see them again! But..:Elder Tays and I already have camping plans for when I get home, so that's good. If I can pry him away from his wife.

 

 

This is the shirt that I burned! With the names of all my areas, and all of my companions! 

Well...all sorts of out of time now, so...have a great week! 

Love you all!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2

February 18, 2013

How fun it was to wake up Saturday morning to find these photos from someone in Guatemala!




 



February 12, 2013

Well Heeeeelllloooo!!!!
Still not sure how to start these out. I bet theyre getting pretty boring.

So. Two things will happen this week. One...has absolutely zero effect on me, but the rest of the world will recognize it, so I should too. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Or, in Spanish, EL DIA DE CARINO!! I like some words in Spanish better than in english. That's one of them.
Also, this week I complete ONE YEAR IN THE MISSION!!!! Well...Kinda. Depends on how you're counting it. Elder Satini and I are counting it because we only have one week left together, we're guessing, and we want to celebrate together! So we're going to! We're going to buy a cake, and pizza, and next week you're going to get all sorts of pictures with burnt shirts and maybe, juuuuust maybe if you're lucky some burnt skin. We'll see what happens.

But, this week has been a great one! We were knocking doors this week when I knocked on a door that has a sheet metal fence around the entire house that was about at my eye level. Well...a little bit above, but I've got tippy toes. So, I knocked, and the lady came to the door and told me that she was the only one in the house with her daughter and that they were eating lunch. So I said fine, we'll come back tomorrow. So, I just went on to another door. While I was knocking on the other door, I heard the lady in her backyard washing dishes, and talking to her husband. They were making fun of the gringo who came to their door wanting to talk about Jesus, and about how religious they already are, and how they don't need an American to come and teach them about religion. All to her husband. Who she said wasn't there. I could hear them perfectly. So, I got on my tippy toes, looked her in the face and said, "Hermana...mentir is pecaaaaaaado!" Or, "Lying is a siiiiiiin!" She shut up pretty quick. Ooooooh Guatemalans. How I love you.

So, another funny experience this week. I'm writing this story because it's funny. Not to make anyone feel bad, or guilty, or anything. So...no one point fingers or be meany heads, ok?

So, last week I got my dear John. Kinda. Loooong story. But...every missionary has to get one! The more you suffer on the mission, the more you're blessed, right? I'm happy to suffer! So...this week I was walking nice and tranquilo on the street on the way back to our house to make a phone call at about 330 in the afternoon. This little kid who was probably about 6 years old who I had NEVER EVER seen before in my life came up to me and said, "I'm sorry about your ex girlfriend and your dear john letter." I was SO confused. I had literally NEVER seen this kid. And here he is, talking about the most intimate details of my personal life on some random street in Guatemala. I was just so dumbfounded that all i could do was laugh. Honestly, it was one of the most funny experiences I've had in my entire mission. But, turns out the other two missionaries in my area that just got here told a bunch of kids like him to make fun of me for my ex girlfriend, and this one took the high road! If I remembered his face, I'd hug him! What a nice little kid!

Ok...explanation of the photos:
Found this guy with iguanas in our colony at about 9 at night. Nice guy! He let us take pictures with them!

This little red vehicle is what took us to our interviews...I swear we almost died. But...made it there! And in time, too! Aaaaaalmost t boned a semi truck, though. Guatemalan adventures! 

 

This is part of our area that is up this huuuuuuuge hill! And the view from it is really cool! So, we had to take pictures! I'm walking away. Uninterested. 

I got a chance to wear my sunglasses. I took it. How I miss my sunglasses. 

Aaaaand this shirt is from an old companion. He left it, and I tried it on...didn't fit at ALL! So, I took a picture being all vain like. Gonna burn it on Friday!

Well...have a happy week everyone! Happy valentines day and all that jazz! Also...HAPPY ONE YEAR MARK!!!!!

Love,

Elder Hopper 2

February 6, 2013

Weeeeeell hello there!
It's been an...interesting week.I don't really feel like writing TOO much today, and not TOO much happened this week, anyways.

Yesterday we had changes, and we opened another area in the ward that I'm in. So, basically it is now 4 missionaries working in the area of two! It's AWESOME! I LOVE it! Our retention of recent converts, and convert baptisms are going to SKYROCKET, and I'm really excited about it! 

On Monday, I got sick again. I don't know what it is about this place. I don't even REMEMBER the last time before the mission that I got sick, and here I'm praising the porcelain gods every other week! Boooooo Guatemala. 

I'm still with Elder Satini, and I LOVE THIS GUY!!! I honestly can't think of a better person that I could be with right now. He's the Tongan that loves dogs. Yesterday, we were teaching a lesson to a guy who has a dog who just had puppies. He paid so the guy sets one apart for him. I still haven't asked his intentions for the poor creature, but I think it will be best that I don't get too attached to it.

Had an interview on Friday for a guy that wanted to get baptized. He showed up REEEEEEKING of alcohol. That's one that I had to say no to. But...I have faith that he'll be baptized soon!

One of the most sad experiences of my entire mission happened this week...well, several. It's been a really crappy week, now that I think about it. One of our recent converts have been trying to have a kid for a looong time now, and they finally found out that they were pregnant! She was about 4 months into the pregnancy, but this Saturday she lost it. I almost cried when I found out. SO sad. 

Also, this week we showed up to a house of the three little girls we baptized last week, right as the mom was leaving. We told her to stick around for awhile, but then we realized that she was LEAVING leaving. Like...for good! I just didn't know how to console all of the six kids that were sitting in the house. The middle one that got baptized last week, Jennifer came and sat down next to me, buried her head into my shoulder, and just sobbed. I put my arm around her and tried to comfort her...but there was nothing I could do. All the while, dad was in the corner literally cursing mom. Gah...it was terrible.
Just been one of those weeks.

BUT! There's no where to go but up from here, right?

Love being a missionary! I would sure love to hear from some of you!
Love,

Elder Hopper

If you'd like to see where Drew is serving, go here: 
https://www.lds.org/rcmaps/#ll=14.856918,-89.752074&z=7&m=google.hybrid&id=mission:2010321&s=mission:2010321

Hey look! It's my mission!

Search: San Jose, Villa Nueva, Guatemala, and Hey look! It's my area!