Pictures of some murals of Comalapa

Today is tidbit and question/answer day

I asked Destinee questions today.  Here are the questions and answers:

How was your week?  What new thing did you learn?
My week was good. We did much walking and inviting people to come to church, we traveled all over Comalapa in the pueblo and even to one of the aldeas where I met one of the inactive members. We also met another inactive member that we had thought we had met, but the guy we talked to before was actually a different person so we cleared things up with that this week. We went to the site for the church, where they plan to build the church when there is a high enough attendance and there we prayed to receive help with the mission work. Later in the week I read a conference talk that mentions how Brigham Young declared Utah to be the place to build the church and many didn´t believe. Many in the mountains believe that the people are hardened, and although many are, I believe that one day Comalapa will be like Utah. It will grow. I learned that even though we have faith, sometimes we have to wait for the miracles. They don´t come immediately.

Who are your new contacts?  Anything interesting about them?
Um, well, we made many contacts but only found one new investigator this past week. His name is Ismael and is a 18 year old son of inactive members. We will try to return and talk to him and his family. Nothing really interesting, just like everyone else they speak Kaqchikel.

What did you eat this week?  What was your favorite thing?
This week there were lots of things we ate. Most days we ate pasta or sandwiches, tacos, and the like. We ate at Hermana Curuchiche´s house monday and had rice, broccoli, and steak. I guess my favorite thing really is to eat tortillas with peanut butter. It is a good little meal.

Describe the scenery around where you live.  What do you like about it?  What don't you like about it?
The scenary is kind of like  Utah. The climate is similar but less extreme, but the mountains are filled with the same kind of trees. What I like about it is that I feel at home here. The mountains are wonderful. What I don´t like about it is that it reminds me of home.

What did you do for P-day today?  give details.
Oh, last week? Well, our pday is tuesday and we went to Antigua for 3 hours and then returned to Comalapa for a cita. I´ll give details in another email.

What is your favorite scripture you studied this week?
My favorite scripture I studied this week'? Well, I have been reading in 3 Nephi and I like chapter 7:15- 19, in which I place my own name instead of Nephi.

How was Church?  What is a typical Sunday like for you?
Church was good. Sundays we wake up at 5:30, I eat breakfast, get ready, we leave at about 7 and sometimes meet with the youth at the church or we go and try to wake up everyone and remind them of church. We gather everyone we can and then have church. I lead the music, sister benavides plays the piano. Sometimes we have less than 40 people and other weeks more than 40, but less than 65. After we return home to eat lunch and then leave to work all day long, visiting people.

What did you learn about your companion this week?  If nothing, then learn something!
I did learn something from her, no worries. I just can´t remember exactly, but always she tries to be bold and brave and tries to talk to families.

Any Baptismal prospects?
Heck ya! Jorge Muñoz will be baptized this week.

Who was the most influential person to you this week?
The most influential person... hm... I will get back to you on that.

Now for the tidbits:

here goes my mini summary of this week.
So for pday we went to Antigua and us sisters went to shop for shoes for Hermana B and print photos. The elders went and played pool. The elders played pool in a bar, a member walked in and saw them, called the counselor of the stake president, who then called the stake president, and the stake president called president baldwin. Everything happens in the zone of Chimaltenango. We have a punishment now that we cannot leave our areas, even within the zone, but that's okay because changes are in 2 days and Comalapa has everything Antigua has. (oh oh!  I am sure the Elders were just naive about this being a problem)

Well, as we were leaving from Antigua we met two young men from the states who called out, "hermanas!". They are from Las Vegas but are now living in West Jordan. It was easy to tell that they are members of the church.

We are finding more inactive members. 

And here is a Journal Entry:

January 8, 2011
Imagine this: today on our way back from visiting the family Chacach I saw a tuk turn the corner quickly and it tipped over on its side. I didn't see much else after but I doubt anyone was hurt. Speaking of the Chacach, we finished the lesson with Brother Chacach with him praying. I asked him to pray specifically to know that the church is true. He failed to do so, so I asked him to pray again but the second time to ask specifically. It was a cool experience because after, the spirit was present to testify and as we left everything was silent.

 And Pictures:  "The first is of a church in Antigua... or ruins of it. The second photo is of elders Cese and Black jumping out of Subways, and the third is of our district"

Happy New Year!

Everyone says that it gets colder in January here but so far it´s been really warm, almost too warm. 

Well, for New Years the Guatemalans have bands playing from night to morning or from morning to night, and there are fireworks all night long as well. For us, we spent the day teaching and contacting, and then New Years Eve night we finished off by having dinner with the Family ******, the hermana is active, but her husband and 2 sons are inactive. (the oldest son (21) has come to church recently and often, and the youngest son (18) came sunday). There were snacks like nachos and apple salad and marshmallows, and punch, and for the dinner we ate rice with seafood. Now, about seafood, we cannot eat it here, but the seafood she had was from a bag that was made by a larger company so it was safe to eat. Oh, and in this mixture of seafood there was crab, shrimp, I believe pieces of oyster, squid, and octopus. It wasn´t much but that was the first time I tried octopus. Anyway, after that they had cake for us to eat too. For this day, most of the buisnesses are closed too. 

I have felt better lately without the headaches and without a cold. And I need to take the vitamins more often... I forget. 

Personally I like tamales made from corn instead. The rice outside is more jello like so they aren´t as good. But for the 1st we were invited to eat with the family Sotz and Xocop and they made us paches! Paches are made from potato instead of corn or rice, and there were chiles in the paches also, which made it even better. 

From those I have tried, this would be the order from favorite to less favorite:

Paches

Tamales of corn

Chuchitos

Tamales of rice

Black tamales

As you can see, paches are very good, and black tamales... only if you like food really sugary.

They are already asking!? Weird. (in reference to people asking when Destinee returns) I am not ready to return yet so I plan to stay out here longer... even if my knees begin to hurt more... which they have. I think it is a combination of how I sit and the cold weather that causes them to bother and hurt me, but it isn´t too common and is only for a few minutes. But as long as I am careful I will be all right and won´t come home for nothing, even though I love everyone there at home. 

I know there was a reason I was called here to serve in Comalapa. We have started the move to bring back the inactive members to the church, and have succeeded nearly in bringing 2 of these back, as well as one of the families with joint effort of the branch. There is always a reason why we are called to where we are called.

So how were your experiences from the new year? Did all of you stay up late? 

Well, now I will read dad´s email to me. Thank you ty for the letter and mini-message. I found a post office also so I will try to send some letters soon. I love you all. Have a good week. 

Hug buddy for me and tell him I can´t wait to play with him and tell kiana to be good and watch for something for her in the mail. 

Tell Tyler to drink orange juice although he doesn´t like it and eat soups, and tell dad to not work too hard. Love you mom! 

Oh, and I will send an old letter to grandma and grampa too... old because I wrote it like 2 months ago, just in case I found a post office. Adios!

pan dulce in the shape of a lizard

We had divisions between all the sisters in the mountains so Hermana Rubio came to Comalapa with me

the painting I (Hermana Park) am working on

 

Finally, CCM Group photos

While I am waiting for emails today, I was finally able to capture group photos taken of Destinee's group at the CCM way back in June/July.  Destinee is in the maroon shirt in the first picture and the green one in the second picture.

and a reminder of what a chicken bus is

What is it and why is it called a "chicken bus"?

From Google searches: "They are multi colored, tricked out, old school buses, with beefy springs and powerful diesel engines rule the roads in much of Guatemala. We call them “Chicken Buses and they are transportation for people in the rural areas."

"You've probably guessed where the name comes from. People aren't by far the only thing being transported on these buses. Anything that isn't too big to fit on the roof or in the bus, alive or dead, will do. Since poultry seemed to be Guatemala's most transported product, the name 'chicken bus' stuck and still gets used in everyday life."

Pictures--don't forget to read the email following them

Christmas Jammies!

Wreath that Destinee made for Christmas

Cookies that Destinee made for Christmas

Comalapa

volcano visible from Comalapa

view of the volcano from Comalapa

Hermana Benavides standing in front of the school of tires. The people of Comalapa call it the school of the Gringos because there are a few North Americans that are working on it

Ducks for Dad (a family joke)

most of our last district- Elder Pearson and Elder Knight, Hermanas Garcia and Guaranda, And us (Hermana Benavides and Hermana Park)

Us with Hermano Juanito on Christmas Eve

A parade of Mascots on Christmas

short email--pictures coming.......

Yeah, I am. (Happy--I mentioned how happy she sounded in her phone call) I had bought pb from the office so I still had some, and I made cookies that we could take to give to people while we caroled. I will keep the jar you gave me as back up. 

I had a feeling that Kade would call not too long after me. (Elder Kade called while we were on the phone with Destinee and had to call back later--just like everything else with their missions--she is minutes ahead of him--lol) Ha ha.

I think I am coming down with something too, but I am not sure. It could be that I am just tired. I have had headaches every day for the past 5 days. That is really not fun.

Hey fog... I know that stuff. I see it often here. Luckily there is no rain though. 

Oh yeah, I don´t know if you sent the birthday package yet... more likely yes than no, but if not, I do have 1 request... dried apples. It is funny the things a person can miss. I can´t find dried apples here, or spinach, or cottage cheese. 

Oh, speaking of food I have had many tamales. I ate one while on divisions in Antigua, then last week for Christmas Eve we had tamales with the Xocop, on Christmas we received tamales and gifts from a family that we teach english to the kids... the kids are actually not very young, but we call them the family with the four kids because we recognize who we are talking to, like ¨la familia de los patojos.´´ The oldest is 22, the second 20, the third 17, and the fourth 15. Anyway they gave us tamales. Then we had black tamales with the family Rodriguez... yuck. Black tamales are much sweeter and are made with chocolate, but still have the meat and the same outside. Those are too sweet for me. Then we had red rice tamales last night. I think I don´t want any more tamales for some time... too many. I am sick of them already.

It´s fun to receive all of these mini letters. (I had her siblings write mini messages on the email this week) Thanks all. I am going to send more pictures this week and write less because I already told you basically all that happened the past week. Love you lots. Love Desty

email, and a journal entry--oh and pictures!

Well, this week was interesting. We found more of the inactive members and found out where others live. I think we are going to complete our goal of finding all of the inactive members this month. This past week on one of the days, we were studying and heard a knock at the door of the gate. I opened it and there were the Jehovah Witnesses. They gave us a flyer that I put in my journal. Now we have found their house, and they have found ours. Another day, in the night, Elder Black was telling us some words he had learned of a language called Pokoman or something like that. I said it sounded like Pokemon and this caused Elder Black and his comp Elder Manzano to begin laughing, and they laughed, and laughed and laughed. This morning on the bus we were listening to techno and there was a song that reminded us of Captain Hook and the crocodile. At the end of the song someone said, ´´I´m going to get you´´. This made it even more funny.

These are photos with 2 of the investigators, Katherine and William.

So we also had divisions for training meetings. Hermana Benavides went to the training in Patzicia and I went to San Pedro Antigua. It was so cool there. Here is my journal entry from that day. 

December 17, 2010

We had divisions so I went to a little colony of Antigua named San Pedro. It is a beautiful place, the temperature is nice, the people are friendly, and the house is huge and pretty. The elders were living there up until the last change- Spoiled they were. We went to a ward devotional tonight and I participated by singing in the choir. There was a RM from our mission who came to watch (Elder Aceituna). He said it was strange to go back to a normal lifetyle, to not be able to put on his plaque again.

It is so cool to live so close to the volcanoes. Although some people might think it scary, as I did before the mission, it really isn´t and is actually awesome to see an active volcano blowing smoke or causing huge flashes in the sky at night. 

Oh, so I´m with Hermana Gaitan here in Antigua speaking 100 percent spanish, but it´s okay. I occasionally think of when I have to leave to return back home, and I know I will miss it here. I love Guatemala.

Well, that was it for that. Of course I do miss it a bit to be at home, but I really do like it here. Spanish feels so natural and here feels like home. This week and last week there have and will be posadas, catholic processions in which they carry statues of Mary and Joseph and go from house to house seeking refuge. It is cool. I´ll send pics. Well, I am going to send pics right now, but as for my testimony, though you won´t be able to understand:

Yinwetaman re ri kolonel k´es chuqa xa kayew ta roma roj. Ajaw, katata´, yiruwajo roj. Roj oj rajkual ri ajaw. Joseph Smith e ko ach´el re q´ij, rub´i Thomas S. Monson. Ajaw ritzijoj kin roj. Yinwetaman re ri rochoch ri Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días kitzij. Yinwetaman re ri wuj richin ri mormon kitzij, chuqa ri ach´al´al k´es e tunul katzin. 

Love you all. Adios

This week......

I don´t know the details of the (Christmas) call other than it is usually on the 24 or 25 

Just to think of it, Christ is actually walking with us here! He has helped us contact and teach and protects us from all the creepy people that might want to hurt us. He points out those who need attention from us- like the little kids that only want to say hi. It is so worth it... 

We too are prepping for Christmas.  Sorry I won´t have much to write about this week, well at least in long form. So...

 

There were plenty of funny experiences this week. For example, one day in the church we were about to leave and Hermana Benavides said, ´´Gracias Presidente´´. He replied, ´´Baya, Presid...´´ and then all of us began to laugh. Christian G accompanied us wednesday and was in a good mood and wanted us to walk fast. Well, we took him to meet the family Son Otzoy and the two girls like him, but some events happened that Hermana Benavides doesn´t want me to tell until after the mission so I will have to keep them.

 

Thursday I had to call the branch counsel to repentance because all began talking about how the church building will not be built because no one´s coming to church, there have been no baptisms, and the members aren´t doing anything. All were discouraged. Alma 26:27 entered my mind and I shared it with them and told them not to be discouraged because one day the church will grow in Comalapa. This changed their attitude. And on Sunday we had 59 people and 2 investigators that came to church, a number that has been higher than the last 4 weeks.

 

December 11

Really it is difficult to be on a mission. Not only do we have all the different sufferings, but also each missionary takes upon his or herself the willingness of condemnation. All those we teach have agency to accept or reject the gospel message. If we teach well with the Spirit and do all we can, and they reject it, it is to their condemnation. If we didn´t teach well and they reject it, i is to our condemnation. 

 

Sorry, that was only part of the entry, but got to go. I love you all. Adios

Mission President's tour of the Mission with Elder Martino

Guess which Hermana is Destinee?  Hard to tell, isn't it?

Staying in Comalapa!

Tidbits:

I am writing today because they made yesterday a normal day. Ok, I´ll say. I am staying in Comalapa with Hma Benavides for another change.

Today is warmer here too. For the last few nights and mornings it´s been freezing.  

I still have bites, yeah, but I am getting used to it all.

From Journal entries: 

December 1, 2010

Wow, all that happened today. First was day of cambios but we didn´t have them. Entonces... I played a joke on the family Sotz. We went early about 9, and they let us in- really it was just Hermano Cesar and his mom. I told them we came so I could tell them goodbye, we shared a message, and then left. As we were leaving I gave them a bag of cookies and a note that said, ¨Yo voy a quedar.¨ Much later when we saw Cesar he told me in English, ´´No more lies´´. I said I wouldn´t again. I don´t think I will because I felt really guilty after visiting with the Sotz. 

 

Another experience we had today: We were paused in between, or rather at the cross or intersection of an alley and a street and I told Hna Benavides of a family that lives at the end of the alley. As we were stopped there eating cinnamon rolls, I saw the Jehovah witnesses couple of Comalapa coming up the street contacting doors. As I realized that they were moving toward us I remembered a quote dad sent me that Satan will leave no stone unturned in disrupting the work of the Lord, so I said to Hna Benavides, ´´Maybe we should contact that family before they do.´´ So we stopped eating and hurried to the door where we found the father of a family. 

 

When we visited Blanca Salazar and her children she gave me a deer made of pinewood.

 

Part of December 3, 2010

I´ve been thinking... Many people here put their trust in dreams as revelation. At first I was critical of this and thought to myself ´´there are more common ways of revelation.´´ A few nights ago, Christian Guaran told us that dreams are a form of revelation. I began to change my thinking because I have personally received revelation through dreams so I know it´s possible. It may be that the people here are more open to this form of revelation, while most in other places would esteem a dream as naught.


Well, those are the journal entries.

Also, yesterday we had some cool experiences. We went to find an investigator, she told us she didn´t want to receive us anymore, so with much determination to fight against Satan and defy him, I decided that I would talk to the first adult that came our way. It happened to be a woman pushing a wheelbarrow. I offered to help, she let me, and so we walked with her to the house. When we reached the house I pushed the wheelbarrow to her yard and her husband was outside working. He appeared confused as I greeted him, then I bid them farewell and left. As we were leaving the area, I could see her husband standing in the dirt road just looking, still really confused as if thinking ´´who are these people?´´ It made me laugh and I felt really good. 

 
Also, sunday morning we were walking away from gathering people for church and passed Walter Katu. He asked us why we are always so happy. We didn´t know exactly what to say at first, but then I told him it is because we are living completely the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for these experiences that I have here in the mission. I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ, that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today and can receive revelation for the world. I know that Christ lives and that we have a Father in Heaven that loves us. The Book of Mormon really is true, written by prophets of old. I love you all and wish you well this week to come. Adios. Love Desty