Elder Erik Dalton's Quetzaltenango Mission : People Work so Hard Here.

In Choqui everyone does the same thing. They all make a substance called Kopal. They sell it in Xela, and people use it for Mayan rituals. You smash up tree bark with a giant wooden sledgehammer, and then they melt it up, and cook it and form little cups and balls that religious Mayan people buy, and throw it in their fire rituals... cool right!

This little kid is 11, and is soooooo strong. The whole family (even the little kids down to the age of 5) goes through the process of making Kopal every week. Smashing, Cooking, Molding, Tying, and Shipping- and they work soooooo hard. They deserve so much, and we are trying to help them out as much as we can.

This little guy, was watching me crush the bark, and calling me a girl in "Kíché" the whole time, ha-ha. I guess I’m not a professional yet. He works hard also, and helps tie up the Kopal, I think he is only 4 or 5.

This is Hermana Carolina (one of our investigators) She is forming the Kopal to its correct shape.

She puts the Kopal into its finished shape, and we tied bundles of three cups together.

And here is the finished product.

They had to finish making 8 boxes of this stuff by the end of the week, and this little portion is only like half of a box, if that.

Mi dulce familia! January 27, 2014

Les Amo Bastante.

You know how you wake up every morning, and you say your prayers, and just kind of role out of bed, go to the bathroom, go work out on the basketball court while watching the sunset, and then cook up the same food you have been eating for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner in the past couple months, eggs, and ketchup, ha-ha... well, this week I tried to do something a little different. I have really been focusing on something Elder Cook of the 12 invited us to do.

"In every one of your morning and night prayers, pray for an opportunity to build up the church, or build up the Faith."

During this week as I was really concentrating on doing this, I have found such wonderful opportunities every day to serve, to help, to invite, and to teach. Even in days when we have maybe only one lesson, I find the opportunity that I prayed for.

Trust me- you recognize it when you come across it. Maybe it’s just a guy carrying a bunch of wood in the street. Maybe its the lady you are sitting next to on the bus. Maybe it’s the pray you said for a small family and their children. When the special moment comes "to build up the Church of the Faith" you will recognize it, you will be happy, and you will feel like you´ve had a successful day.

I´d like to invite everyone to try it. Take a moment when you wake up in the morning to pray for this one opportunity- to simply, "help somebody".

Think of all we can do! I promise you there is so much-

I love you all so much, and wish you the absolute best in everything coming up this week. Stay Strong,. pray always, and be happy!

Love, Elder Dalton

I also wanted to thank Sister Foster for her kind message. Life would not have been the same growing up in the 27th ward without all the wonderful people that we have been surrounded by. We are all very blessed to live where we are, and if you think about it, it’s all for a reason- We can all help each other out day by day with whatever challenge we may be facing, with doubts, or with troubles, and when we do offer our help, everyone is strengthened.

Thank you Wendy, for continuing to be the amazing person that you are. Está en mis oraciones. (you are in my prayers)

Sincerely,

Elder Dalton