September 24, 2013

Guess what we did this week?




Just guess....







WE BAPTIZED!!!







For the third week in a ROW!!!!

My favorite little kids ever. 

We're seriously being blessed here, and I love it. This is supposedly, according to the rest of the missionaries in the mission, the hardest district in the mission to baptize in...LIARS!!! So...we're pretty excited about that!

I have decided why my emails are gradually getting worse and worse...it's because life here is gradually getting more and more normally to me. The things that would have reeeeally weirded me out fifteen months ago are just normal day to day activities now! For example...this Sunday, we were walking down a little tiny narrow alleyway headed to church, when about ten goats round the corner, with a guy behind them with a whip, selling fresh goat milk. Do you want to know what my thoughts were? I had two. One was, "Man...that actually sounds kind of appealing. If I weren't a missionary, I'd totally buy some." And two was, "He really shouldn't be working on Sunday..." Not at any point during this thought process did I realize that HE WAS SELLING MILK DIRECTLY FROM A GOAT. It wasn't till about fifteen minutes later that I realized how incredibly odd the situation would have appeared to me before the mission. I wonder sometimes what will be weird to me about home when I get there...

 



Giant leaf that was always in my way. I killed it. Que descanse in paz.

So, I will tell you about some of the weird things that appeared weird, even to me!

This week we went to one of our Lamanite villages in our area called Santa Catarina. There they speak a language called Cakquichel...it's a really weird one. Maybe you can find some examples of it on YouTube...it's worth a shot. Well, we took an RM from our ward who also speaks the dialect to help us out...only like...50 percent speak Spanish there, and if they do, my Spanish is better than theirs...it's a rough stretch to be able to communicate. So, we started a lesson with a family that spoke NOTHING of Spanish...the dad understands, but can't speak it, and mom...well...I don't think she's ever left Santa Catarina, or Panajachel in her something like 70 years of life. So, we start trying to teach, but we're not getting anywhere...so we turn it over to Juanito, the RM that was with us. He goes off for about twenty minutes, and I'm just in the clouds...but in the end he told us that they want to go to church and be baptized! Wow! So, on Sunday morning we went and picked them up, it's about a twenty minute back of a pickup ride to get to Panajachel..and you have to understand, these people are poor as poor can be. Like...mud house, tin roof, one bed, nothing to cook on, one pair of clothes with no shoes kind of poor, so they told us that they were going to walk the two  miles or so to Pana to go to church...riiiiight. So, we went Sunday morning, and threw down the 6 quets that it takes to get back to Pana...all of about 75 cents. Somewhere along the ride, I realized that dad was a little bit buzzed...he wasn't acting like it, but he sure as heck smelled like it. So, we get to the church and they're already singing the opening hymn. We get them in there, and I'm right in front of them...I walk straight to their seats to sit them down so they can enjoy the service. I get to the seat, and turn around to look for them only to find them kneeling, in the door, with their arms stretched towards the heavens in adoration to God......................................It provided for an awkward moment. But we quickly got them up and seated in their seats. I sat next to them,. and throughout the meeting, I kept hearing muttered, "amen señor, amen." So..we're going to have to teach them a liiiiittle about the church culture, and how it is that we worship...not to mention the word of wisdom. It's going to be an interesting one.

 

Yesterday, we were in a super touristy part of our area, when this gringo, who was getting out of a taxi looked at me and yelled, (His words, not mine.) "HOLY CRAP ELDER!! YOU GUS ARE ALL OVER THE WORLD!!" I just laughed, and told him, "You can't escape us!" It gave me a little laugh.

 

I love you guys! Thanks for all the letters, even though I don't get any...it's just customary to thank, but thank you for the prayers. Those I'm positive I do get...I love you all, and have a wonderful week!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2

September 17, 2013

Siiiiiigh...I'm bored.

 

With that out of the way, it was a pretty good week! We had a baptism! And my district is baptizing like CRAZY!!! The record for this district in one month is ten baptisms...we set it in June. I want to break it this month. We've already got eight, and two more weeks to go! We need to break it! 

 

So, this week was Guatemalan independence day. Holidays are a little bit better here than in the capitol where everyone is scared to leave their houses! All week long there were fireworks going off, and parties being had. It was fun trying to get around the parades and hordes of people. The best part, though, was the parade on Sunday RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH. Trying to get people to church was a mess. The attendance that is normally about 70 or 80 was 55...and 8 of those were investigators. One of the other branches in my district that is normally about 80 attending had all of 20. Only the powerful ones. But, the parade made life interesting! Kind of hard to hear the talks...

 

I did something this week that I had always avoided doing since I got here. I contacted a tourist. I was really quite nervous when I did it, too! I started it in spanish, but when they gave the blank stare at me, I knew it was time to employ the native language. They were from New York, and guess what? They didn't want anything. It wasn't a particularly hard reject, but it was funny because the excuses were EXACTLY the same as any Guatemalan! "I don't have time," and the ever famous, "I already have a church." It was a little different in the sense that he said in the end, "Look...I'm not interested." I don't hear that one very often from the native Chapines, so it made life at least a little bit interesting! But, it is SO HARD to contact in english! I kept wanting to slip into spanish! I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to give a talk in church...it's sincerely going to be incredibly difficult.

 

Well...outta time. Love you guys. I hope you all have a great week!
love,

Elder Hopper 2

 

P.S...only a few more weeks till I can take the coveted position of Elder Hopper number ONE!! HA!!!!

 

September 10, 2013

First and foremost...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Guess what happened this week?

Go ahead. Just guess.

 

Ok...I'll tell you.

WE BAPTIZED!! Two of them! I was so happy to be able to baptize this week. We baptized a guy named Lucio, who is COMPLETELY chosen. He speaks english, which will be a HUGE help to this branch, which is like...25-50% tourist every week, who don't speak spanish at all. I'm super excited about him. I love baptizing future leadership! Also, I have a goal to baptize with every companion in my mission, and I'm right on track for it! I haven't missed a one up until today! Win! It was pretty funny, as we were taking these pictures for the baptism, someone said, "Smile! With your teeth! And that little old grandma right in front said, "But I don't have teeth!!" It might have been one of those you had to be there moments, but it was hilarious to us.

 

So, as many of you may have heard, there was a minor earthquake here on Friday. As many of you may not know, I am TERRIFIED of earthquakes. Well...we were finishing up a lesson (I was on divisions in San Lucas Toliman with my dear friend Elder Watts), and a lady was praying, when I hear the classic bumping of things together that signifies an earthquake. You really hear it before you feel it. Well...we just kept praying, and I started a little prayer in my head, hoping that it would be just a little tremble, and that would be that...but it kept going, and getting stronger. The lady stopped, I said, "En el nombre de Cristo AMEN." and you have never seen anyone bolt out of a room faster than I got OUT of there. But, about fifteen seconds later, it just stopped. I hope I never live through the big one. I just don't like it.

 

Well....por fin some fun stories. Hopefully this has been a little bit more entertaining than my last few emails. Next week I should have changes and know if I'm out or not...Kiiiiind of doubt it. I'll probably stay around here. Only two changes in one area would be waaaay too little. But, I don't really care. I just want to do what the Lord commands! Ire y hare!!

Have a wonderful week, everyone! I love you all a ton!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2

September 3, 2013

Hello dear family!

It has been a good week this week! We have some people who are reeeeeeeeally close to getting baptized, and we're super excited about them. There is a stigma in the mountains, and especially in Panajachel that it's super hard to baptize. I don't believe them. We're getting wet next week, I'm sure of it! I just love baptizing!

Well...yesterday we had plans to go climb a mountain, then come back to my house and eat pizza, and just chill out with a few other missionaries in my zone, but at about 10:28 on Sunday night (I was already asleep) they called me and said, "Sorry, Elder, but...you've got to be in the capitol tomorrow at 11:30 so your companion can sign his visa." So...instead of our epically fun P day, we exchanged it for a four hour bus ride to the capitol, then a four hour bus ride home! What fun! Also, this Friday, we'll be going to the capitol AGAIN for a meeting! Yaaaay!!!! This bus yesterday was INSANE, too. I honestly thought I was going to die several times. I was just sitting there reading my patriarchal blessing thinking about all of the things I have yet to do. The best part, however, were the two drunk guys that got on in Chimaltenango, about half way ish

. Every sharp corner we took, they ate it. It was hilarious. I felt bad for them, but it was hard to keep myself from laughing. The most amazing part was how they didn't spill a single DROP of the beer they had in their hands, though. I was quite amazed. Priorities, right?

 

I don't really know what else to say. My letters have been just getting worse and worse. Sorry about that. But...maybe something fun will happen next week, and I'll be able to tell you about it! I think I'm going on divisions for three days with a really good friend, Elder Watts to be able to go to that meeting the capitol, but we'll see what happens! That should be interesting!

 

Love you all! Have a wonderful week!!!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2