September 10, 2012

What’s up? This week was finally pretty normal. My comp and I got back to Yalijux on Tuesday. We really wanted to check out this bridge so we took longer to get back but we got cool bridge pictures. 

After that we made out way back to the house. Then this week was a normal week of work. We visited alot of members so I can learn where thier houses are and we hung out with a lot of cool little kids. I love the little kids here. haha - so there is this one light on my flashlight that when you move in front, you look like you have like ten more of what’s passing thru the light. Well this one little girl got super in to it and focused, and I have really funny videos. 

So Thursday we were supposed to get out to San Antonio Las Puertas to teach the Ch-c family and we were like half there and we saw the member we go to thier house with (the Ch-c family), and they were walking to the city to go get the food the government drops off so that lesson fell. Friday was just a normal day and then Saturday we climbed a mountain to find out changes and neither of us have a change yeeeeeee. Then Sunday was church and then a 5 hour walk to Senahu in the pouring rain haha. It was great, I don’t know if I have ever walked that far in my life hahah. I really don’t have much to say but that’s always how week 6 is. But what I do have are pictures. enjoyssssssss them love you all have a good week!!!

September 3, 2012

Starting off with questions haha

So how many people are you teaching lately? We have a family of 6 out in San Antonio the Ch-c family and this week we found a few news

Are you able to speak enough Kekchi to teach? No

How many people attend in Yalijux? Lowest since I have been here 70 highest 92

Are they using the hymn books? No the new hymn books are different and the have the old songs memorized, my comp and I are learning the new songs to teach them to them

How are your feet doing with all this walking? Perfectly fine

Are the rubber boots comfortable? No but they aren’t bad you get used to it

Is Yalijux hot? No its super cold (55-68ish at night, 70-80 in the day) with no humidity

Where do the Spr-dl-n's live? Are they in your district? Senahu, yes but they work with kids leaving on missions getting them ready

What do you do for p-day besides walk down to Senahu and eat fried chicken? Well today we went to a 200 foot waterfall called Wilix, normally just hang out and chill

So what area did you work in and was it still Kekchi?

Telaman and yes Kekchi but with Spanish, Senahu is a mix also so when I’m down here I’m ok with the language, but I’m learning fast and picking it up

Ok now that that is done first off you should study Spanish cause it won't be super fun coming here and meeting people and not being able to say stuff. So even just a basic knowledge of Spanish would make it alot more fun for you. 

Next, this week was kinda lame I only was in my area a day and a half, I went on divisions with the zone leaders so I was in the zone leaders area for 3 days and then it took me a day to get back to my area. So going back up to my area tomorrow will be good. 

This week the good that happened is we put a fecha with the Ch-c family, but they didn’t come to church so we need to find out why... 1 its far, but I think the other reason is that day is market day in an area close to their house and they might sell at the market. 

Also this week they finished the church in Yalijux and it's really nice, so hopefully it gets dedicated soon cause I’m sick of going to church in a little hut haha. 

That’s all the new info about my area for the week. For p-day we went up to a waterfall, which is actually in my area. Its really big and a cool hangout place. But I left my camera at the house so pictures are coming next week. Also my pictures were just ok that I took.  Tomorrow on the way back up to Yalijux we might get off early and take some pics then walk back to Yalijux. It would only be about a 2 hour walk... the reason we want to do that is cause there is a big bridge we want pictures of and we have to go hike to it.  Tomorrow would be our only chance before this change is over. This change flew by. This Sunday we will get changes and I will let you know what happens. That’s about all I have for now... love you all and have a good week!

August 27, 2012

 Did you feel the earthquake?

Nope didn’t feel the earthquake.

Where are you living during the week if you leave your suitcase in a house and take a few clothes each week up into the mountains? I have two houses one in Senahu and one in Yalijux. I am in Yalijux Tuesday until Sunday and I take a backpack up there with the things I need

 

Do you need some more Doctor Scholls foot supports since you are doing so much walking? Nope I have them in my shoes and they are good

Do you need new shoes? No

Are you starting to be able to speak the Kekchi language? Yes it’s coming along

Where is San Antonio compared to Yalijux? (I ask because you said the Ch-c family is from San Antonio) San Antonio is about an hour and 45ish walk from Yalijux

Well this week was pretty dumb, I was only in my area for like a day and a half and we weren't able to get anything done. We were in Senahu for p-day and then they told us to stay down because there were interviews... but my comp and I had an important lesson on Thursday with the Ch-c family so we went back up all the way to San Antonio just to tell them we can’t come on Thursday. Then in the morning we came back to Senahu and then Thursday we had interviews. So by the time we got back to Yalijux we had no time to do anything... and after church we came back to Senahu. So yeah basically did nothing this week. Kind of annoying but whatever. 

Interviews went well but they are super fast so you don’t really talk about much. And they rushed us cause they wanted us to try to get back to Yalijux, which is basically impossible, but somehow we managed to get there haha. Well the good thing about me having absolutely nothing to talk about I can get some pictures send haha.

The first picture is the chicken and fries I get to eat about once a week

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next is me in our church that isn’t even a church haha, its the shed until our church gets finished

Next is my comp and the cutest little girl ever

Next is my new Kekchi name tag

Then the next two are my comp and I going to the top of a mountain

We had to use two sticks each coming down cause it was so steep haha.

The next is a down hill stream we found one day

and the next is me on top of the mountains

and lastly my comp and I on the water tower by our house

Have a good week love you all

August 20, 2012

helllo

This week was good. We hiked up a river 3 hours and received a new reference of a family of 6 which is awesome. They are excited and want to learn. They are the Ch-c family from San Antonio. Our next lesson is Thursday with them.

The kekchi choir donated clothes to give to people, so this week we went to alot of members’ houses and hooked them up with some clothes. I think I might do that with the pants I don’t use too often so some people can have dress pants to wear to church. We got some cool photos of some happy people getting free clothes haha. 

This week I probably had the spiciest crushed peppers on tortilla I’ve ever had, the branch president even said its the hottest chilli that they have. It was crazy hot haha.

haha so one night we had lesson with the Ch-c family in San Antonio and it was late and we walked back in the pitch black and rain. We had two ok flashlights, so I think its time I ask for a new one. The one dad sent me with was super cool until it got ruined in the flood in Peten. So I would like another one like that... it had green, white, uv light and a laser pointer. I’m pretty sure its from Sport Chalet so that would be nice in a package. I still have my headlamp and it works really well.

I have no pictures this week because I left my camera in the house. But I got some super awesome pictures they just wont be sent till later. That’s about all that’s going on here at the moment so I will end this now. Love you all and have a good week!

August 13, 2012

Elder Martinez and Elder Asdel Yalijux Guatemala

 Wellll... this week flew by, partly because I’m in a new area and partly cause it’s super fun out here. Learning a new language is tough but I’m happy I get to. This week we have walked all over and I have gotten to know my area pretty well. I can’t really tell you much about my investigators yet but I’ll get to now them better soon. 

Right now church is in a little wood shack next to the branch president’s house because they are building a new church. Church is pretty crazy though, its 3 hours in the same room, no breaks or anything. But it will be a little more normal once the church is done. It will be cool to be out here when the new church is being dedicated. 

The food here is crazy spicy... normal dinner is tortilla with ground up chili all over it and you just eat that till your full. And they give you this boiling hot water with ground up corn at the bottom... it's pretty flavorless but at least its a drink haha. The end is just like corn mush and that’s always hard to swallow haha. But if anyone gives you food its super spicy ha. 

It rains alot and we walk around in rubber boots so the mud doesn’t get in to our feet and so we can cross rivers haha. 

I’m grad I’m out here I always wanted to come and I’m lucky that I’m here now. Internet this week is sucky and I don’t think I’ll get any pics out but I got some cool new ones. 

Well lets see what else… I got your package with socks and stuff I’m very happy. I will be taking that up to Yalijux tomorrow with me so I can use that. Also tell Shawn I said thanks for the yoyo. For my birthday I want camera stuff for my g12, I was thinking a fish-eye lens.

Well that’s all I got for now I love you all have a good week.

August 6, 2012

Elder Asdel and his bus to the Chik

 Well you thought I was in Coban... but my new area is Yalijux pronounced Tialeehoosh, in zone polochik!!! yeahhhh!!!! My new area is the farthest and most of it is in the middle of the mountains. I didn’t even get to my area until Friday haha. They speak absolutely no Spanish so I have to learn fast. My new comp is from Arizona and he is 100 percent Navajo Indian, he’s dope. He lives in a place in Arizona called Navajo Nation Reservation in Arizona. He has about 9 months in the mission. 

So this is how it went down more or less, but I’m going to be quick because I want to send pictures. So I go to change conference and I find out I’m going to the chik (Polochik). After the change conference I get on a 4 hour bus to Coban, spend the night in Coban where Elder Gunnel is, so that was fun. The next day I get on a bus to Senahu which goes through the mountains for about 5 hours. Then I got to my house in Senahu, which is not my area but I have a house there, then I stayed the night. The next day I hitched a ride with the kek´chi choir to Yalijux with a weeks worth of clothes and I stay out there until Sunday and after church on Sunday we walk 5 hours back to Senahu for p-day on Monday which is now. 

In Yalijux there is no electricity and we are seriously in the middle of nowhere. I love it. The road from Senahu is super crazy and only certain trucks can make it out there. We got lucky and got a ride with the choir and followed them around while they sang. Changes have been crazyyyyy and perfect. Well I’ve found waterfalls, caves and walked a whole ton. Everybody in the mission says Yalijux is the best area in the mission and I agree! Time to get some pictures sent out love you all have a good week!!

July 30, 2012

 

On To The Next One  (subject line)

Well if you couldn’t tell by my subject I have another change. I said on to the next one cause that jay z song popped to my head haha. Now I will change the subject and answer the questions you asked haha then I'll get back to changes...

How are you feeling about where you are living and the area you are working in?

I like Atlantida but the last 2 weeks I was in llano largo and I didn’t really like Llano Largo.

Are the members feeding you? Are the members helpful with finding people to teach?

Yes, members feed us every once and a while but nothing big normally some rice, beans, and tortillas… something simple

How big is the Primary in your ward?

In this ward the primary is about 10ish kids maybe...idk

What about soccer... are those cleats working out well?

soccer and the cleats are going good almost every week we play

Did you finish painting F-rn-nd- and D-lc-'s rooms?

Yeah we have finished the house

How is Ch-t- doing?

Good, he’s like a pro breakdancer and goes to contests and misses church every once and a while but he’s doing good.

How is Ang-- and her husband doing?

They are doing good, they just moved into their house together

Did you see some old friends in Palencia?

I saw one person in Palencia we just went to district meeting and left.

Ok back on track!.... so yeah I have a change.... it’s very bittersweet. I don’t want to leave here but at the same time I do, but whatever I’m on to go get to know somewhere else. It’s really annoying cause I was in Llano Largo for 2 weeks so I haven’t even been here (I’m back in Atlantida as of today) and now everybody is going to be like ohhh your back!! and I’m gunna be like nooo I’m here to say bye...eh lame but whatever...

So this week for teaching, I wasn’t in my area teaching my people so yeah… but it was a normal week nothing to special. Well there was one odd thing that happened that I can tell you haha. So we were teaching a lesson and the guy had his hand wrapped up like he had cut it really bad or something. Well a little later he tells us what happened... and this is more or less what he said happened...  he was walking home and a gangster asked him for his money and he said no I don’t have any. And then the gangster grabbed his hand and bit his finger off. So right now the guy is looking for a new finger to sew on and he said if there are any killings close by he might go try to get a finger off the dead guy… haha  so yeah that was pretty weird.

Well lets see what else...Elder Somers, my kid, has his first change and he’s leaving Peten. so I will see him at change conference which will be cool. Elder Rowan, my first comp, is going home. Elder Payne and Hopkins, my friends from when I was in Peten, are starting their last change. Today started my 11th change; there are 16 changes in the field in total. 

Well you all are asking me if I have a change so I will end this so you can read it and then maybe talk a lil before I go. Have a good week love you all!

Oh and the pictures… one is me with dark knight pizza since you talked about dark knight. And the others are in central park in Guatemala, and one with Elder Pierce in central park with bird feed!

Enjoying some pizza

Central Park Guatemala

Elder Pierce and Elder Asdel with some bird feed

Elder Asdel flying