Scorpions!

Hey fam,

Well another week in San Andres.  It seems like the weeks are really flying by this transfer.  We are doing well and just still trying to find some new investigators, ones that will progress.  It's getting closer to Christmas and I am super excited to talk to you guys.  I'll make sure that it doesn't make me trunky though.  =)  They say baggy here though, not trunky.  

Anyways, good week.  I'll try to go through some of the highlights.  We went over to our family of 11 people this week and tried to talk to the father about the whole vengeance list thing.  Well, we kind of got on his bad side.  The first time we went over he just got kind of quiet and told us another story of something wierd that happened to him.  But then we came back and started to try and teach their family about baptism.  Well, that didn't work.  It was a little bit scary.  He started condemning us and telling us that if we didn't believe his testimony about the vengeance list, the wrath of God was going to fall on our heads as punishment and we were going to receive it within the next few days.  We left on a good note though and told them that maybe in the next couple of weeks we won't be able to visit them.  So, we're never going back there again.  Good thing is they live really far away and we never pass by except to go teach them.  It was a super bummer to have to stop teaching them though because they are such a great family of so many people, but my companion and I didn't feel like it was a very good situation.  But, there's more people to teach.  

We were teaching a pastor this week in Ixhuacut.  Usually I really don't like teaching other leaders of churches but this guy was different.  He really knew his stuff about the Bible and had a really big interest in our message about the Book of Mormon.  He was hungry to learn everything he possibly could about it so we were pretty excited about him.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and asked if he would read it.  He said sure and we also asked if he would pray about it.  To that question, he refused.  It was hard because he really wanted to know if it was true, but he was too scared to even pray to ask if it is true because he didn't want to change his beliefs.  It really woke me up to the importance of humility and prayer and the very simplicity of the workings of the Holy Ghost.  It says in the scriptures all the time, ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.  But he was unable to knock.  It's sad, but someday he'll come around.

We have a husband and wife that seem to be really interested in our message.  It has been really hard to teach them because he works as a microbus driver from 4am to 8pm every day.  But we did explain to them the Book of Mormon and they are both reading and praying about it.  I really think they are going to be good possibilities.  We passed by last night and the woman said she definitely knows the Book of Mormon is true and thinks she better go to church this coming week so that she can know what's so special about the Church.  We're hoping to get them progressing here soon.

We had a ward service project this week.  We painted and fixed up an old couple's house in San Jose, the other Elders' area.  They really needed the help.  It was kind of scary though because as I was painting, there were GIANT scorpions coming out of the cracks in the wood.  Those pictures of the scorpion I sent were of a small one.  The other ones were WAY bigger!  Oh well, I didn't get stung and I am really glad we don't have those in our house.  The old lady is blind and the man walks an hour and a half to church every single week.  They have nothing but he still goes every week and is a faithful tithe payer.  That was a real testimony builder to me.  He's a great man. 

Man, the time is already gone.  We had the dedication of the temple in Quetzaltenango this Sunday.  It was so great!  We got to go to the session and listen to President Uchdorf.  There are a lot of happy members over there and I have a feeling that there is going to be a huge work going on over in that side of Guatemala.  Too bad it's 14 hours from here.  Haha.  

Well, I have to go.  I'm getting excited to get to talk to all of you. Know that I love you and am praying for you daily.  The Church is true and as long as we keep our covenants, the blessings of an eternal family will be ours.  I'm so grateful for that.  Love you guys. Talk to you next week.

Elder Lloyd