"We rocked this week!"

Okkkkkk! Here I am!

We went to use the internet at 4pm, but there weren’t enough computers, so I didn’t get to write! Thank heavens, though, Hermana Ligias is letting me use her computer to write to you guys! We just finished Family Home Evening. This is a really great family here. I’m very excited to have a family I love and who loves me to spend my Christmas with. I need that . . .

I’m very proud of Dylan . . . Like always! And I’m positive that he had a great solo! And, as far as basketball for him, he’s doin’ great! He is really rebounding well! It’ll be fun for you guys to be able to compare our stats on MBay Prep . . . LOL! Good job though, Dylan! You better already have a DearElder sent off to me! If you don’t, you better do it soon!

So . . . The Mom from Utah . . . Is she friends with Melanie? And is her son friends with McKay? Good to hear that Elder Larsen’s Mom wrote to you! The Moms love talkin’ to other Missionary moms, so I’ve heard. I talked to Elder Larsen last night for almost an hour! The time passed sssssuper fast. Good guy, that man . . . And I talked to Legua a few times this week, too. Poor kid. He’s goin’ through a tough time. He’s been a reall good example to me.

I did get your package this past Wednesday! I almost started crying, kinda . . . LOL . . . But, really, it was so thoughtful of you guys to put together a package like that! I got to open nine gifts that first day! After that, I’ve opened them one per day in the correct order. I’ve guessed what each one was before opening it, too. I’ve guessed by the scripture and not by the size or shape of the package. I’ve gotten some right and some wrong and I wrote down my guess and what was in each package each time, so it’s been very, very fun! Thank you sooooooooooo much! Really, really! It means the world to me . . . Something thoughtful like this . . .

As far as talking with you guys on Christmas, I will call you guys. It will just be easier that way ‘cause we don’t have a set time. I do ask one favor, though. Can you guys open the package I sent you before I call you? That way, we can both give thanks for what we have received . . . LOL . . . But, I dunno . . . I just wanted it to be opened already. The niece of Hermana Ligia sent your package today from Miami. She says that it should get to the house on December 21st. Can you do me a favor and send them something for Christmas? They are going to have a baby girl, so you can send her something little for the baby. I bought them a li’l, too, but what they did saved us like $50. So, could you send her a li’l something? Thank you!

Okay . . . So now for my weekly update! And I have quite a good amount!

Well, I’ll start with my new Companion. His name is Elder Flores and he’s from Honduras. He’s been a really good Companion so far. We have had a great time so far and we had a huge, great week of work! I loved it again ‘cause I got to work like a Senior Companion since he doesn’t know the Area yet. And, we rocked this week! We have been happy which is good, too. He got mad at me once, though . . . LOL . . . ‘Cause I gave away our li’l cakes to two li’l kids . . . Hahahahaha .. . It was funny that he got mad, but he apologized later.

I want to give a shout out real quick to Grandma for always writing to me. I haven’t had a chance to write to her by my hand and pen yet, but I really appreciate it!

Oh! I was wondering . . . On one of the CDs you sent, the one with mostly Christmas instrumentals . . . One of the first songs, I think Number four, was kind of a gospel song and has a really good solo on it. When the soloist is in the low range, it sounds like Dylan . . . But that isn’t him, is it? If it is, wow! That’s crazy, crazy!

I’ve carried three things with me every day since I got in the field in Guatemala. One is my oil, the other is two linked chains (which I’ll explain another time) and the third is my first Guatemalan coin. Well, this week, I lost the coin! But someone found it and gave it back to me! LOL . . . I was very happy, though. When I get home, I wanna make it into a necklace. Random story . . . Sorry . . .

We have one investigator progressing a lot, a lot . . . Her name is Vilma . . . She has been awesome! She is a single mother of three children. The sad part is that she has cancer in her stomach. Today, she is supposed to have surgery. I’m scared, she’s scared. I really hope all goes well. It has been a long time comin’ with her. I guess they plan on taking out all of her woman parts as well. Kinda sad and depressing though, huh? Pray for her with me!

This week, I was playin’ with matches. Puttin’ ‘em out on my tongue and all . . . LOL . . . And then I did one trick and the match touched my lips . . . And they got burned! LOL . . . It hurt but I’m all good now . . . Guess I shouldn’t do dumb stuff . . .

Ummmm . . . Here’s my reading update . . . I’m in Jacob again; And in D&C 60, I believe; And in the Bible, in Judges 10 . . . The Old Testament . . . LOL . . . Sometimes very boring but good stuff too, though.

This past Friday, I believe, we had Luces Campero here in Guatemala. Pollo Campero is a good fast food place like KFC or something, almost. But they put on a light show here on December 2nd. It’s kind of like 4th of July in Guatemala. LOL . . . Not really ‘cause it’s not a day of independence, but it’s fireworks! Anyway, it was pretty fun and cool. We watched it from way up high in our area.

I got to give another blessing this week. It was to a woman and I gave it in perfect “tu” form. It’s been really hard for me to bless in “tu” when I only talk in “ust”, but I did it perfectly which was cool! And then her daughter told us that she had been praying to have someone give her a blessing, so they felt like we were sent by God. Pretty cool, huh?

We have a return missionary in our Ward! He just got back. He got here when Elder Martinez left. He’s a really good buy and was Assistant for five changes in El Salvador! All the people say he is way more serious than before his Mission, though. I wonder how I’ll have changed when I get home. LOL . . . I hope I’m not weird . . .

Can you do a search on “laky soup” and tell me what it says about it? How many times I can or should eat it per week?

Anyway . . . That’s all I’ve got for ya! I sure love you and can’t wait to hear your voices! I hate that I’m used to not hearing you guys! Anyway, I love, love, love, love you! Love you ALL!

"It was my Companion's last week . . ."

Hey, hey, hey!

Goooood to hear from you again! Yes . . . My six month mark just passed! Twenty-five percent of the way! It’s not a lot, but it’s a ton at the same time . . . LOL . . . I know you know what I mean. I am proud of myself for accomplishing what I have and I look forward to just pressin’ forward. For sure two years is a huge sacrifice, but I know that this is what I need to be doin’. Livin’ with your family forever, in the presence of God and Jesus, is kind of a big deal, so I’m tryin’ to do my best to be there for that. Can you imagine just one person from our family not making it to the Celestial Kingdom? It would be the saddest thing ever. I hope everyone at home is doin’ well and being good!

Well, I’m sad that Brad isn’t going to be entering the CCM . . . I was really lookin’ forward to seeing him!

Thanks for the Dylan quote . . . LOL . . . That’s a good one . . . For Dallas I got, “C’mon Florida! Come on!” Yellin’ of course . . . LOL . . . And, maybe for Tom, “Thanks for the compliment” when Ashley told him that he was acting like Dallas . . . Hahahaha . . .

That’s very exciting that Dylan had such a good first game! I was very, very, very, very excited to hear that! I don’t think I scored eleven points in my Junior year until about halfway through the season! Make sure Dylan remembers that I didn’t play attttt allllll to start the season my Junior year. Then, by halfway through the season, I was starting and our team played really, really well. Coach Dirks will see in time if Dylan is playin’ good and helpin’ out his unit. Then he will start to play a lot more. Just make sure you make a point every time you’re in the game, Dylan . . . Not a point as in scoring, but as in blasting someone or gettin’ a loose ball or a few huge rebounds. Things like that, yo . . . And just get ready for your Senior year! It’s right around the corner and you’re gonna wanna be the best possible, dude!

I’m very, very excited to have music again, so thank you for thinkin’ ‘bout me on that Choir topic! And good luck, Dylan, with your solo! You’re amazing, dude!

Okkkk . . . I have something sad to say . . . I don’t have my agenda where I take all the notes from the previous week. I brought my new one, dang it, so now I just have to try to remember what happened this week.

Did you guys get to watch the Christmas Devotional by the First Presidency? Pretty cool, huh? And how ‘bout the version of “O Holy Night” that the Tabernacle sang? “Fall on your knees. Oh, hear the angel voices” . . . I think that might be my favorite Christmas song and they did it soo, soo, soo good. SO powerful!

I have a new Companion now. It was really sad havin’ my other Companion, Elder Martinez, go. He is a real good guy and I’m gonna miss him a lot. I got to give him a blessing of comfort this morning before he left and it was a really cool experience. All of my best friends have officially left the Capital now. LOL . . . Kinda frustrating. Legua and Larsen are in Polochiek; Wood and Ireland are in Peten; Goodwin in Coban; and Martinez is in his house . . LOL . . . Kinda frustrating for sure, but oh well I guess! Only three people in our whole Zone had a change, though, so kinda boring. The group that entered the CCM with me is really, really good, but the President still hasn’t made anyone from our group a Senior Companion. My new companion is Elder Flores from Honduras.

I got the hook ups! The niece of Hermana Ligia lies in Florida, but is visiting here right now and leaves in like three days. The great news is that she came to have a baby shower but didin’t receive many presents, so she has a bunch of extra space in her suitcase! So, I already gave her the money and I have to give her my package tomorrow! She will send it from Florida and you guys will get it before Christmas! It will be wwwwwaaayyyyy faster and way cheaper. It couldn’t have worked out better, huh? Oh! And she told me, too, that there is a mail service from the United States that only delivers to Central America. She says it’s way faster and cheaper, too. I don’t know what it is, but it’s just what she told me . . . You could try to find out what it is, I guess!

This week was pretty crazy because it was my Companion’s last week. We had worked soooo, soooo hard for eleven weeks together and then he got sooo, sooo baggy the last week. I found out that it’s really hard to “kill” a Companion ‘cause all they do is talk about goin’ home and thinkin’ ‘bout goin’ home so you do the same with them! It was a li’l tough, but worth it ‘cause I love the kid.

Did you talk to Elder Larsen’s Mom? Or the Mom from Lehi?

If I get the package you sent me this Wednesday, I can open it, right?

Well, I can’t really remember much else about what happened this week. That’s why I always write it down, LOL! So, I’m gonna go write to Dallas. If I think of more stuff to write, I’ll write you again . . . LOL . . .

I love you all billions! Thank you for all of your prayers! Surely the Lord has been answering them! I love you all sooo, sooo much! Be good! Be safe!