Another Load?.. Lesss GOOO!!!

This is Hermana Edealayda. And here is where her family walks every week to get their water for cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and bathing. A small stagnant pool of old river water. Now what are you going to think every time you turn on the faucet?

Choqui is super super dry in this time of year, so the only source of water these people have is from the small river at the bottoms of all these cliffs.

We went to Hermana Francisca´s house the other day (a less active) and we shared a message, and then offered to help her with something. She told us that her family didn´t have any water, and asked if we could help them get some. "Ya absolutely!" I replied, "where´s the water?"........She said in her high drawn out voice.... "Hasta ABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJO......." (Which basically means, really far far down) So we made our way down the mountain about a half hour, until we reached this small pool of water in the dry river bed. From this pool we hauled tanks of water up the mountain to her house on our backs!

All Guatemalans use a special tool called, I think, a "nicopal" which is a strap of cloth that wraps around your forehead, and your load, so you can carry more weight. Hermana Francisa handed me the biggest Water Tank, ha-ha, and my companion a little water pot.
 

Hermana Francisca is a widow, and provides for her 5 kids, so it felt really nice to be able to help her out. The best kind of happiness can be achieved through genuine service and love.

Fernando helped me fill up my tank of water.

 Like I said last time about the Adobe bricks. GPP Fitness should do a Guatemalteco Themed work out. Adobe Bricks, Water Jugs, Piles of Wood. It would be a good one ;)

                                                                            

There was a homecoming this past week! Of all places, in Choqui! It makes you feel so happy to know that young people from all over the world are accepting "The Call to Serve" It doesn’t matter where you are from, what language you speak, what your capabilities are, We have been preordained to share this Gospel in all corners of the earth.This is the family of Hermana Ixcoy. Being at a homecoming makes you wonder, what it’s going to be like at your own someday, but I´ve still got quite a ways to go ;)

 

Sister Elma, Welcome to your house, with open arms, and all your family, and lots of love. We receive thanks for serving your mission in all of Honduras, your Family



Hermana Ixcoy got back last Monday, from serving her 18 month mission in Teguccigalpa Honduras. Her whole family celebrated her homecoming, along with the entire Branch, with a giant lunch and party.

Hermana Ixcoy is the one in the Blue Shirt. If missionaries from the most isolated mountains in Guatemala are giving up everything to serve for two short years, how can you not say yes to this amazing opportunity!

 
                                                                                                                     February 17, 2014

Thanks for all the great letters! I love hearing from all of you, and all your amazing stories and accomplishments back in the states. Just so you guys know as of today, all the pictures that you have that I´ve sent you are the ONLY COPIES, entonces no los pierdan por favor. (don’t lose them....) My memory got accidently erased, I’m just glad I´ve been sending you pretty much everything that I´ve had.

 We had a really good week this week. We traveled to one of our other villages yesterday, and talked to an old investigator who has been wanted to get baptized, but never wanted to get married first... so it never could have happened. But, this Sunday, we went to the house with two members, who ended up being the perfect people to bring, and Hermana Rosenda accepted the invitation to be married and baptized in the same day!!! Wahoo!!!! So I will be hosting my first wedding, ha-ha. Me and my comp are going to make here a wedding cake, and it should be really great! The wedding and baptism was set for Saturday, but the lawyer can’t do it Saturday, so we hope that won’t be too much of a problem for hermana Rosenda to change the date to Friday! Let´s pray for Hermana Rosenda! There is always that final push that Satan gives to try and stop one of Gods children from entering into his kingdom, but if we have Faith, and do all we can, he has absolutely no power over us.

So... As missionaries, every time when visit a family we always offer to help them out in anything that they need.... In Choqui... they always accept the offer, and you never quite know what to expect when they say yes. This week was definitely a week of lots of Service... Loving Labor ;)

 I climbed a few mountains with lots of heavy things on my back, ha-ha. We went to Hermana Francisca´s house the other day (a less active) and we shared a message, and then offered to help her with something. She told us that her family didn´t have any water, and asked if we could help them get some. "Ya absolutely!" I replied, "where´s the water?"........She said in her high drawn out voice.... "Hasta ABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJO......." (Which basically means, really far far down) So we made our way down the mountain about a half hour, until we reached this small pool of water in the dry river bed. From this pool we hauled tanks of water up the mountain to her house on our backs!

All Guatemalans use a special tool called, in think, a "nicopal" which is a strap of cloth that wraps around your forehead, and your load, so you can carry more weight. Hermana Francisa handed me the biggest Water Tank, ha-ha, and my companion a little water pot.

Choqui is super super dry in this time of year, so the only source of water these people have is from the small river at the bottoms of all these cliffs.

Hermana Francisca is a widow, and provides for her 5 kids, so it felt really nice to be able to help her out. The best kind of happiness can be achieved through genuine service and love.

 

Love ya guys, got to GOOOOO!!!!! PEACE OUT!!!!

Like I Said, in Choqui when you offer service, you never know what you are in for, we asked this lady who speaks hardly any Spanish if she wanted any help with anything, and she struggled to say, sure, you could chop my wood. And we were like, "well that’s great, that’s easy" Then we saw her grab the axes, and she motioned us to follow her. We followed her down the cliff side into a gulley, and she said, "Here´s the wood". Me and my comp looked at each other like she was joking. She had led us into a grove of pine trees.... Like real huge pine trees and she wanted us to chop them down for her, ha-ha. So.... we did ;) It was really fun, and I felt like a real lumber jack.

This morning of Service, just really made my day. To help someone out who really needed it. What a blessing it is to be a missionary and be able to feel this way All the Time! I could be doing nothing better ;)

 

This is my new comp... and wow Mexicanos Hablan muy diferente que otros latinos, haha They talk so different, as they would say in Guatemala, they talk pura jerga. (Pure Slang) So it’s taking a little getting used to, to understand everything he wants to say. He is 19 years old. He has 13 months in the mission, and to describe him, haha, he looks like a latino Don Knots ;)

After we had chopped down the tree, we chopped it into little pieces, and hauled it up to her house with the "Nicopal". She gave us like 20 oranges for helping her, so that was great!

This is me and Elder Jackson riding up on the Flete to Choqui. (They call the little pickup trucks Fletes)

Pictures from the hike to "Pueblo Viejo" one of the other villages that we visit.

When we hike to Pueblo Viejo, thanks to my new paso counter, I found out that it is about 8 miles or more there and back! I also found out that we walk an average of about 35 miles every week! EJERCICIO!!

Choqui is complete mountain desert, but on the path to Pueblo Viejo, there is a hidden oasis with a beautiful waterfall. Even a place like choqui has its hidden gems.

 

Me and Mi compañero! We had to duck through a small trail covered with wild raspberry bushes to reach the bottom of the waterfall. But, the scratches from the Raspberries were definitely worth the trip.

Jungle Swingin Pic!!!

My new comp likes to play that same game that Tanner does, but I forgot what it was called, haha, but when he pulled it out, he started doing some amazing tricks, I have never even seen.

So, My short time of having a gringo companion has come to an end. Elder Jackson had emergancy changes, and now my new comp is from Mexico. His name is Elder Peralta!

 

You can see part of the city of San Fran atras del foto.

Today for P-day we played actual American Football!!! It was soooo great, and one of the best P-days ever. We played in this Giant dirt field in Sandfrancisco. I’m still chillin up in Choqui doin my thing, living the mission dream. 6:30 am Lessss Goooooo!!!!