Hey Family,
Well, let’s see if I can write a lot in this letter. This was an amazing week! The baptisms were wonderful. You could really see their testimonies grow through all of the excitement of preparing for and performing the baptism. It was awesome.
Well, Mom had a ton of questions so I am going to try and answer all of them. One was how our member involvement is in the Branch. We are trying to work really hard with referrals rather than doing much contacting. That is a new goal of the mission, to not tract too much but to be involved and using the members. They are pretty good at giving referrals if we make sure and show them we love them and are there to serve. As for going out and visiting with us, they aren't the greatest. Lots of people say they'll go but when it comes time to go, they kind of flake. Oh well, we can walk faster without them. ;) There are a few that work with us every once and awhile. We do really try to take the members with us as we contact the referrals they have given us.
Tracting here definitely does not work. Guatemala is so weird. If you get in on a tract here, you have no idea where the lesson is going to take you. Yesterday we were tracting and got nicely invited in to give a lesson. After singing and introducing ourselves, the man introduced himself and then started screaming at us that we were liars and that we were going to “heck”. Weird. He started calling us angels of Jose Smith and all sorts of other things. The great thing is that I never feel scared in those situations. The Lord always protects us. He gives us the safety to quietly but powerfully bare testimony of the truth and invite the person to listen, and then always allows us to leave unharmed.
Tracting also brings other strange things, such as fleas, scorpions, dogs, pigs, parrots, poisonous caterpillars on your arms, or even witchcraft. That's the weird one here. There are a lot of people in our area that believe in and practice witchcraft. It's just not that great to tract.
We didn't have a ward mission leader here so it was a bit difficult. Our branch president is a little weird and does things his own way instead of following church protocol. I went up to him last Sunday and suggested a person that might be good to be our mission leader and within 30 seconds he had entered quorum meeting and was setting that person apart to be ward mission leader. Definitely not how it should be. Man... Oh well. We are working hard with our ward mission leader now and he really is doing well. He organized everything for the baptism and we didn't have to worry about anything. It was soooooo nice. First time that has happened. He's cool. He's 19 and he's just about got his papers in for his mission. It'll be cool to hear where he goes.
There is one family that I am really getting close to here. They are the Soza Monterroso family. They are the first family that joined the Church here in San Andres. They are really supportive of us and always want to help in the work. We are trying to teach as many of the referrals as they give us and we are seeing some success.
As for my shoes, they are doing ok. I had one pair of rockports that got a hole in the sole that were getting quite uncomfortable, but I had a guy try and find a new sole and resole them for me. Well, that didn't go too well. He got a really tiny sole and the shoes don't fit at all. Not to mention they make me look like Mickey Mouse. Oh well, I have my other pair of Eccos and my Ecco boots. They're slower to wear down, but I think they'll hold through the rest of my mission.
It's almost time for transfers again. I am thinking I might be training again because there are a large amount of new missionaries coming in. We'll see.
The great news of the week is that the young family that lives in the 8' by 8' house has a baptismal date for the 18th of February. They all came to church this last week and are super excited. We just need to marry them and make sure they keep coming to church. We are really excited for them and as long as we stay on top of things, they will definitely be baptized. Also, if they come to church these next two weeks we will be able to move their baptismal date for the 11th before our transfers on the 14th. It's going to be great.
The bad thing about that family is that they fed us on Friday... Oh.... Not good..... The water they used for everything, including the more or less liter and a half of juice we drank, was collected in a bucket from the rain water that falls from their tin roof. Needless to say I have really bad diarrhea. I have never had food affect me so bad in my life. It even gave me a fever that Friday night. I've never had such bad diarrhea in my life. Last night was crazy. It got so bad that I took out the prescribed diarrhea pills from my first aid kit. The only thing is I was reading it and it said, 'May cause some severe side effects, including in some cases death.' Well, no thanks. Not going to die to stop diarrhea. Anyways, if it doesn't stop tonight I'll call the nurse and see what I have to do. It's not been too cool. Oh well, as long as I just drink 7up it seems to be ok. Don't worry, I'll get over it. Good thing is they're getting baptized. I am never eating there again though.
Well, on that note, I have to go. The last question was if kids in Guatemala have Seminary. They do. Here it is at 5am every morning before school. I thought 6:30 was bad! Have a great week. The church is true. Christ lives. He helps me in every moment of my life. Until next week!
Love,
Elder Lloyd
P.S. ¡5 Tarantulas in our house this week!
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