The Lord is really blessing the Peten Zone!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

LOL . . . I am getting absolutely zero lovin’ again today, but hopefully next year I’ll be gettin’ some . . . Two year sacrifice . . . Hee, hee . . .

Anyway . . . Thanks for the updates, Mom! Good to know all is goin’ well!
I’ll answer all of your questions first . . . The Zone is doing very, very well. We still have 45 baptismal dates set! It isn’t as many as we have had, but it’s still by far the best in the Mission! Fifteen of those Zone baptisms are planned for this weekend! LOL! We didn’t plan the same activity to baptize a lot on one day, but that’s what it’s lookin’ like we’re gonna do! The Peten Zone hasn’t baptized that many people in one month in about a year, so it would be amazing to achieve it. The Zone has really, really kept improving since I got here. It really isn’t bragging . . . I just think it’s really, really cool how my companion and I could turn the Zone around once we got together. I feel like with every change I learn how to better lead my missionaries. It’s really, really cool how I can feel my personal leadership improvement. The Lord has really blessed this Zone. We haven’t had to do too much!

Anyway, of the 15 baptisms we have planned as a Zone for next week, three of them should come from our area. Adelfa should be getting married to Pablo (a member) this weekend and will be baptized the same Saturday along with her son, Manual. Also, Adelfa’s niece, Eimy (daughter of two members) should be getting baptized the same day. All three of the baptisms have relations to the Obando family which is like the equivalent to the Eves families in the Del Rey Park Ward. Soooo . . . This Saturday should be a very exciting day for our area and for the whole zone! Keep ‘em all in your prayers, though, if ya would!!

As far as the Sister missionaries in our Zone, we have one super pilas one. Hermana Urizar is still here in Peten (where she has been for the past eight months). She is in a new area and she is workin’ her bum off like always! She and her companion should be baptizing two this weekend.

Concilio was very, very, very cool this time. Out of the seven I’ve been able to attend, it was by far the best one . . . LOL . . . Anyway, we had to stay in the Capital for a li’l while though. We got there Wednesday morning at 5:30. That day, my companion and I got to go work in the capital wherever we wanted. It was sooooo cool . . . First my companion went to visit some people in one of his old area. Then, I got to visit almost all of my favorite people from the mission! First, we went to the Maya to visit my first converts . . .Woooooooow! How they’ve grown! LOL . . . My first baptism, Carlos, is huuuuuuuge! We also got to visit with Hermana Esperanza! Ahhhhhh . . . It was so cool to have all the memories of my first change with Elder Ireland come back walking through those streets and to be able to eat some of Hermana Esperanza’s cooking again was just icing on the cake. She really is just the sweetest person ever.

So, the day would have been amazing just for visiting the Maya, but after we went there, we went to my second area, Atlantida. There, I got to visit Hermana Ligia and all of her family. Ahhhh . . . Talk about flashbacks again, LOL . . . I was at her house with that family almost every day for three changes. They are such good people and are so fun to be around. I really had missed them a lot a lot.
After that, we went to my third area, Ermita! We visited Hermana Zusi and the whole family. Honestly . .. I was just kinda floatin’ on clouds at that point. It was so cool. I love hanging’ out with Zusi and Fielding. We always have millions of good laughs there. Those three families are just soo, soo special to me and I will never, never, ever forget about ‘em. The only family that compares to them that I didn’t get to visit is the Schoenfeld family, but I couldn’t visit them ‘cause they work in the Temple on Wednesdays . . . Bummer. Great, great day though.

Then, Thrusday, we had a rare late starting Zone Leader Council. We started at 10am and ended with Hermana Torres cooking at about 3pm. The Council was amaaaaaazing, though. Everyone was very, very involved and we made some new standards for the Mission. Elder Martino was suuuuper powerful again and really inspired us all to be better. I really feel like this Zone Leader Council is going to help out this Mission a lot! My companion and I have planned a meeting with all of our District Leaders tomorrow to go over all we learned and to put new goals with each District to improve. I know we will be more successful as a Zone after that meeting . . .

Thank you for the Aaliyah update. I can’t wait to be hugging that girl again . . .

And, Dylan . . . I’m sooo proud of that kid! Really . . . Could there be anyone better than him? He’s amazing and such a good example. I sure stressed leaving him behind when I left on my mission ‘cause I wouldn’t be there to pull him through the stupid temptations of High School, but he’s done such a great job, huh?
Hey . . . Make sure you guys tape the NBA All Star Events . . . I’ll wanna see ‘em in four months . . . Hee, hee!

Hey . . . A couple questions . . . When does school start at Gavilan in the Fall? Also, what can do for work? Also, think Bishop could make me a Seminary teacher? I’d love that early schedule. Maybe you can hint to him that I’d love that calling . . . Please! It’s early and it gives me the whole day to get other things done. I get to teach, I have to study a lot, and I would learn a lot. Just put in the word, Mom . . . Make it happen . . .

Hey, Happy Birthday, Aunt Chris!

Oh! And I just sent a li’l package home today. It has a letter for the family and it has a bunch of pictures that I would like for you guys to pass out if ya could. The instructions are in the envelope . . . Ha, ha!

Well . . . That’s about all I’ve got! I sure love you all! Be safe and smart!

Elder Martino is here!

Hello, family!

So good to hear from you again! I thought that this week was maybe gonna go by a li’l slow, but, noooooo . . . It flew by again! We were very, very busy!

Part of the reason why we were so busy was all of the Zone changes. Ten of the thirteen Zone companionships had changes which was waaaaaay nuts, but it was cool. Ummmm . . . Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we had missionaries staying the night in our house to send ‘em out to Coban and the Capital for their respective changes. They put two more sister missionaries in our Zone, too. Soooo, now we have four sister missionaries in our Zone. They also opened up a new area in our Zone! That was cool ‘cause it shows that we had a good last change and President Torres probably feels like if the Zone was successful with 26 missionaries, it could be even more successful with 28 missionaries! LOL! My companion and I are hoping to be able to get the Zone to 30 missionaries! Wow . . . That’s huge! LOL!

Let’s see here . . . Well, this week we got a li’l surprise! Elder Martino is in Guatemala doing a North Mission tour. Soooooo, on Saturday, my companion and I had a meeting with the District Presidency and all the Presidents and their Counselors of all the organizations in the District. Elder Martino wasn’t there, but President Torres was and he gave a great lesson on working as a team and not as individual organizations. Like the Elders Quorum not just worrying about the Elders and the Relief Society worryin’ about old chicks, but everyone worrying about everyone no matter what calling you have. It was really, really cool.

Anyway, on Sunday, President Torres told us that Elder Martino was gonna visit the Santa Elena and Trebol branches. Well, what a nice surprise when we saw Elder Martino in our Ward when we got to church on Sunday! LOL! My companion and I walked in without investigators (because we ask our members to bring our investigators) and the first thing we heard was, “Elders! Where are your investigators?????????” LOL! It shocked my companion and I a li’l but the investigators came and we got to introduce some of them to Elder Martino. Man . . . He sure was powerful in the way he read our investigators perfectly. It really seemed like I had told him the story of every investigator and that he had gone and talked to them, getting to know a li’l about each of them. It was really, really cool and his words really touched those people.

Then, later that night, Elder Martino did a fireside that we were able to attend with our investigators as well and . . . WOW! He was powerful again! And the same thing when he talked to our investigators afterward! He just looked ‘em bang, bang in the eyes, promised blessings and smiled and just said things that they really needed to hear. It was so, so cool!

Then, yesterday, I didn’t get to write you because it wasn’t our P-Day. Yesterday we had a Zone Conference with Elder Martino, his wife, President Torres and his wife. Wow! Their wives sure gave some amazing talks! While on my mission, I’ve really learned to respect the female leaders of the Church so, so much more. They are smart, smart and powerful people. I know everyone wants to listen to the Apostles in General Conference but, man, I loved Hermana Torres and Hermana Martino’s talks.

Did you know Elder Martino and his wife are converts? Elder Martino was baptized when he was 17 years old and his wife was 21 years old. Pretty cool stuff . . .
Anyway, at Zone Conference, Elder Martino knocked us outta our shoes again! LOL! Soooooooooo powerful! He just keeps us quiet! He starts to get loud and aggressive in his speaking and then he hushes to a whisper . . . We were all on the edge of our seats! It was a really, really amazing Conference!

Now, tonight, my Companion and I head out to the Capital for Zone Conference again and Elder Martino is gonna be there again! Sooooo . . . It will be a few very tiring days, but they will be amazing again!

Well . . . I love you all soooooo, soooooo much! I miss you all! Be smart and safe!!!!!

El Castillo de San Felipe!

Hey, family!

Well . . . I gotta be a li’l short ‘cause we got on internet late today, buuuuuut . . . I’m gonna for sure hit cha up with all the updates!

First off . . . Good thing you finally go all of the pictures! It took forever to send ‘em all and I woulda been so sad if they hadn’t reached you! Hey, question . . . Do I look much different than when I left? When people see my change card, they say I look way different from when I started the mission. True or false? I just know I’ve lost all my muscle and gained fat but, oh well . . . Four months and I’m hoopin’ every day again! Holler!

Soooo . . . The reason why we are writing late today is ‘cause we just got back from Rio Dulce, visiting El Castillo de San Felipe as a Zone for our Zone Change Activity. Soooo, yea, that is around four hours away from our area . . . LOL . . . We left our house at 4am this morning to do the trip. It was a very, very fun trip and it was really, really pretty. I took lots of pictures but I won’t be sending ‘em home just yet. I’ll send home my memory card soon, though!



Ummmm . . . We got the “Changes” call. I don’t have a change and neither does my Companion. Soooo . . . That’s cool! I really feel like we have been getting along well and have been understanding each other better.

As far as the Zone Baptizing Activity, we ended up baptizing only six as a Zone on Saturday. Six is still very good, but President, my Companion and I sure looked forward to a lot more. My Companion and I baptized two and the service was very cool because five were baptized together and the other was baptized far away in a river. But, yea, we have high expectations for our Zone in February. We have sixty fechas! My companion and I are a li’l nervous because many of our strong and pilas missionaries will be moving this Change, but I’m sure the new missionaries will be great and we will figure out how to make it work! The Lord calls who He needs to into what area he needs ‘em, so we will just rely on Him!

Hey . . . Good news! Cristina was baptized! Cristina from my last area . . . Man, I would have done anything to be able to be at the baptism, but it was over eight hours away . . . LOL . . . Anyway, Elder Peterson said it was a very special service and that Cristina bore her testimony and almost fainted. Poor girl . . . LOL . . . She is very excited to enter the Temple and do some work for some of her loved ones who have passed away. Very, very cool. She wanted me to baptize her . . . At least that’s what she said a few weeks ago. LOL . . . Plus Elder Peterson said Cristina’s daughters were buggin’ him ‘cause they kept asking him if I could do it. I would have loved to, but I’m just too far away. I’m very appreciative for Elder Peterson, though, and for coming through big with Cristina. She was such a special investigator for me and is probably my most special baptism ever.

Oh . . . Tell Grandma and Grandpa I don’t know who Paul Hatch is . . . Sorry! But I’ll try to find out.

Well . . . I gotta go! But I sure love you all sooooooo, sooooooo much! Thanks for your long e-mail! I loved it! Talk to ya soon!

Well . . . We have lots of baptismal dates!

Hey, family!

Well . . . I thought I’d hit ya up with some pictures today, so we shall see if I can get ‘em all sent. Hope they load kinda quickly . . .

Yes . . . I went in those caves with Elder Toolson. LOL . . . It was a li’l crazy for sure, but it was soooooo fun to get a li’l lost . . . LOL . . . You know I never stress. Everything will work itself out . . . LOL . . . If we all come back to Guatemala together, we can go in there if you like!

Soooo, yea, my companion was in the capital for like three days . . . He thought maybe his ear problem wasn’t that bad, buuuuut the doctors had different things to say ‘bout that. They said it’s a miracle that he can still hear. Soooo . . . They ran a test and said that he will have to have an operation at some point, but we dunno when or anything yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a change to the capital in a li’l over a week, though, because of his need to maybe be closer to the doctors there. He’s doin’ just fine, though. This ear problem does explain why he talks with a li’l bit of a lisp, though . . .

As far as our Zone goals . . . Well, we have a lot of baptismal dates! We reported 63 yesterday, so we are meeting that goal, but our plans for baptisms next week have just kinda slowly fallen apart. We went from 31 dates planned, to 26, to 18, to 10 . . . It’s really a bummer but it’ll be cool here in this central part of Peten because nine of those baptisms will be comin’ from four of the areas! We are praying that all of the areas in the big, city part of Peten will have baptisms. We have three planned, so we are leading the way as the ZLs should. It feels good because this area hasn’t baptized in a while . . . Soooo, yea . . . The Zone is doing well! I feel like the Zone has really gotten soooooo much better. I guess I couldn’t hope for such a big change of 25 baptisms in the first month, but February is sure looking like it’ll be money now! So, we are very excited to see our Zone’s progress . . .

Well, I’m gonna write another e-mail so I can send you these three pictures . . .

One is of Mauricia, Elder Peterson and me at my last baptism in Sion . . .



Another is the jaguar that they have in Petencito . . . Don’t worry, I had to zoom in to get that picture. There is no way to even get close to the animal.



Annnnnd . . . The other picture is of me out behind the temple from an overpass . . . Kind of a cool picture . . .



Love you, family!

Tell Elder Ballard I said, "Hi!"

Soooo . . . Happy Martin Luther King Day! No one here reminded me that it was that special time of the year again . . . I miss California . . .

As for my traveling, yeeeeeaaaaa . . . We had to do a looooooot more again this week. But, oh well! We are gettin’ through it all! My companion has to go down to the Capital tonight ‘cause he has a bad ear. I’m not goin’ with him ‘cause there is another missionary in the Zone that is also sick. Soooo . . . I will be on divisions for the next few days with Elder Alvarado. He’s a cool kid from Honduras who speaks almost perfect English. I always seem to get along really well with Honduranians . . . I dunno why though!

Aaaannnd . . . To answer your question . . . Yes! Our Zone completed the goal of sixty baptismal dates this week! When I reported ‘em to President, he asked me for the total like three times . . . LOL . . . I don’t think any zone has ever had so many baptismal dates at once! It’s really, really cool. Our goal this week is just to hold those dates more than anything. We also want to find fourteen new investigators in each area. Then, not this Friday but the next, we want to report seventy baptismal dates and have twenty-five baptisms on January 29th. We only have twenty-six fechas for that date now, though, so it’s just all ‘bout holdin’ onto our dates. Even if we don’t complete the goal of twenty-five baptisms for that day, I gotta say it’s gonna be a special day either way. Our Zone has sure worked hard and has improved so much!

Oh . . . And to answer you and Dad . . . I’m sad . . . I spent eighteen months in the Capital and now that I finally left, an Apostle is going to come! LOL! Since I’m eight hours away, I won’t get to be there for the Conference. I will watch it on a live broadcast, though! Oh, and guess what? President Colon (Guatemala’s President) is going to the Conference! President Torres told us that. So, that’s really, really cool! But, yea . . . I can’t go. I asked President Torres to tell Elder Ballard that I say, “Hi!”, though and that he was my Dad’s mission president. He said he would frankly do so . . . Oh, good grammar . . .

Aaaaaand for P-Day, we went to some caves with the District in Trebol. We didn’t have a guide (except two 18-year old members that had entered the caves a time or two before) and we went through backward! LOL! Of course we got a li’l lost a few times because the caves are huuuuuuge, but it was really, really fun! We all got suuuuuuper dirty crawling through the caves and we got nice and scraped up from falling so much. LOL . . . I took one really long, sliding fall, but all I did was scrape up my elbow. LOL . . . I was always leading and when everyone saw how hard I went down, they all just decided it would be better to just leave that part of the cave alone . . . LOL. It was very, very fun and tiring, though!

Happy Birthday, Grandma! That’s all . . .

Sooooo . . . Did Dylan get accepted to BYU-Provo yet?

Can Rookies be All-Stars in the NBA? LOL . . . Isn’t it a li’l ridiculous if Griffin can’t be an All-Star?

Oh . . . This week, I got to do two more divisions . . . LOL . . . It’s tiring. But, anyway, I stayed in my area both times this week because we felt it would be best if I stayed here with our investigators. But, I got to work with Elder Orozco (who actually entered the mission with me, but leaves six weeks after because of my six weeks more in the CCM and MTC) from Costa Rica and with Elder Bravo from Nicaragua. My companion actually trained Elder Bravo . . . Just a fun fact . . . The divisions have been really effective for us in the Zone. During the six days that we have been on divisions with different areas, we have put almost fifteen baptismal dates! Maybe even more than fifteen actually . . . But, anyway . . . They have worked great! We get a chance to learn from the other missionaries and they have a chance to learn how someone with a li’l more experience works and has success . . .

So . . . That’s about all I got. Life is goin’ good. I sure love and miss you all! Soooo, soooooooooooo much!

Thirty-four investigators at District Conference!!!!

Hey, family!

Thanks for all the updates! I know I allllwayyyys say it but, honestly . . . Thank you! I did get Dad’s answers to the three questions, too, so thanks! Well, I will try to answer your questions first!

As for my being sick when I called home on Christmas, it was just a li’l cold. I’m all good now!

We did have to travel a bunch again this week but, as you said, the Lord does always seem to bless us with the necessary health and strength! I’ll explain all the traveling we did again this week in just a li’l . . .

As far as Tikal, it took us about an hour and a half to get there from our city. The guy that took us wasn’t our guide or anything . . . He’s just the big boss of Tikal and lives near us and is a member of the Church so he took us for free and all . . . He took us in his li’l pick up. Then, in Tikal, yes! We were able to hear quite a few of those howler monkeys! We could especially hear them from up top of the ruins. It was really, really cool!

And . . . How cool that Dylan is now playin’ so well this year! I’m really sooo, sooo happy for him! Make sure you tape a game or two for me!

Thank you for always lettin’ me know about Aaliyah. I still always keep the vision that when I get off the plane and get down to the area where I can see you all that Aaliyah will just come running up and jump into my arms! Man . . . I miss that girl! That moment is only five months away, though . . . Weird!!!!!!

Well, as for this week . . . Lemme hit ch’all up . . .

This week we traveled alllooooooooooooooot again . . . LOL . . . Monday night, we headed to the Capital for Zone Leader Concilio (8 hour ride). Concilio was very cool and it was great to see everyone from the Mission and all. It was cool to come in from Peten ‘cause we come in from so far away that when we get there it’s almost like coming from another world and we feel cool . . . LOL! Then, on Wednesday night, we came back to Peten (another 8 hour ride). Then, on Friday, we started a division with San Andres 2. With them, I went to San Andres to be with Elder Housley. We found a family of seven that day and five of them came to Church on Sunday! On Saturday morning, we ended our division and I started another division with San Andres 1. My companion went there while I went back to San Benito (our area) and worked with Elder Marquez. We ended that division on Sunday morning at Church because it was District Conference so all the missionaries had to come (it’s like a Stake Conference). It was really cool at the District Conference ‘cause 605 people showed up and 34 of them were investigators! That’s the highest number of investigators we’ve had in Peten in forever!!!!! Then, yesterday, my companion and I had to take long trips to La Libertad and Sayaxche to make house contracts for those Elders. Ahhhhh . . . It’s been tiring . . . LOL. We had hardly any time to work together this week (Elder Alonso and I), but alli vamos . . .

Our Zone is really, really improving . . . Since we put together our plan, our investigators have gone waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up as a Zone! In just two weeks, we have gone from 26 fechas to 48 (we came up two short of our weekly goal!!!!!) and we have gone from 34 progressing investigators to 64!!!!!! I have no doubt that we will meet our goal of 60 fechas as a Zone this week. President Torres was also very happy with our dats and said that we are the best Zone in the mission right now!!!!!!! I really see that by small and simple plans (and with some old-fashioned elbow grease), miracles can start to happen. Soooo, it’s for sure stressful because President is now watchin’ the Zone so close, but if it ain’t stressful, it ain’t worth it! I dunno if that’s completely true, but it sounds cool . . .

President also gave Zone interviews yesterday. When I received mine, it was very short with almost no conversation again but he said, “I feel a special spirit about the missionaries here in Peten”. He also said, “You need to be sure you make plans to have sufficient baptismal clothing for your Zone on the 29th. That’s something I’ve never had to tell a Zone Leader to do before”. Now we just gotta do all we can to come through! I know the Lord will bless us in our hard work and obedience!

And, today, we went to Petencito. It was cool . . . We played with and fed a monkey that was just roaming around. We took pictures of a jaguar that was there . . . Lots of ponds and lakes . . . It was just a pretty place . . .

Well, I’m gonna get outta here but hit me if ya got questions or comments! I love you all sooooo much! Take it easy!!!!!!

I went to Tikal today! :-)

Heyyyyy!

I gotta be super fast ‘cause our li’l trip made us late . . . But here I go! Thank you for answering all of my questions, too! I sure love you all!

How much do the Doctrines of Salvation books cost? How about The Teachings of the Prophet Smith? I would be super interested in reading those when I get home . . .

Hey . . . Is there a saying about something like Satan rules over the waters or something? Is that a real doctrine or a false one?

Does the Tree of Life mentioned in Genesis have anything at all to do with the Tree of Life mentioned by Lehi and Nephi?

We had a District Leader Meeting this week . . . Soooooo . . . My companion and I met with the four District Leaders and their companions. Ooooooo . . . It was a powerful meeting! In the meeting, we set Zone goals. The first goal was to go from 26 fechas (which we reported last Sunday) to 40 fechas report yesterday and . . . Guess what????!!!! We did it! The Lord really, really helped us! We held a Zone fast as well and we think that really, really helped! Now our next goal is to have 50 fechas reported this Sunday! I know we can do it! We just achieved maybe the toughest goal!

I got to know a li’l more of Peten this week. I went to Poptun, Dolores and La Libertad. Maaaaan . . . All that traveling is tiring! I don’t have much time to explain those places, but they were cool!

New Year was great! I slept all through it!

Hey . . . Another question . . . Tell me if I go this right or if I’m waaaaaay confused. Normally, to be a Bishop, you have to be a Melchizedek Priesthood holder. But, if you are a literal descendant of Aaron, can you be a Bishop while holding the Aaronic Priesthood? I think that might be right ‘cause the Bishop is the President of the Aaronic Priesthood anyway, right? I dunno . . . Lemme know, please!

Oh . . . I just completed 53 straight weeks reporting fechas on Sundays. I have not reported a “0” for over a year! Pretty cool, huh? I think it might be a mission record . . . LOL . . . The Lord has really helped me a lot!

I met the McBrides this week . . . They are the future grandparents-in-law of Elder Fast. By the way, he isn’t in my Zone, but he was “born” in my District. He’s one of my best buddies in the Mission. Anyway . . . The McBrides are a Senior Couple and they were funny! LOL! They talk to each other just like Grandpa and Grandma! LOL . . . It was funny to be around ‘em.

Aaaaaannnddd . . . I went to Tikal today! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It was amazing, family! The ruins are huuuuuuuge! I took sooooo many pictures and we even got to go in some secret tunnels (almost like Nacho Libre ones) that no one gets to go in unless they are an archeologist or pay $1000 because we know the big boss of Tikal! He actually took us all the way there today in his truck! He got us in free and all! We probably saved $1050 today! LOL . . . Pretty cool! Aaaand . . . He says there is a hidden Mayan city that is under ground and completely sealed off from everyone, but he’s gonna try to get it open for us . . . Possibly next week!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh! Needless to say, I’m super excited and I can only imagine how Dad feels right now! I’m sorry you aren’t here with me, Dad! But I’m getting’ all the pictures and necessary info!

Well . . . I gotta be fast, but it was a great week! We were able to put 2 more fechas as well! I love you all sooooooooooo much!