Sickness

Hey family,

Well, things are good in Coban.  I'm happy and healthy.  Sounds like Mom and Dad had the best 2 weeks ever!  I'm not going to lie, I found it quite funny that you two gringos got put as the witness couple in the middle of all the little Ecuadorians.  I'm jealous you got to go to them temple.  It's been 8 months since I've gone to the temple.  Awesome that you guys got to stay in that hotel looking over the temple as well.  Wow!  You guys have the best luck ever.  Have you ever stayed at a hotel and not gotten an upgrade to your room?  Awesome.  I also really enjoyed the sunsets in Montanita.  It brought back good memories. 

This week started out in the capital with concilio.  That was awesome.  I always enjoy going and being around some of the best Elders in the mission.  Also, President and Hermana Watts always make us feel like a million bucks.  By the way, Hna Watts makes some great food.  I also had my first chocolate chip cookie in a year.  It brought vanilla ice cream and caramel on top too.  MMMMMM!  Those meetings are always really good because we get to talk about the zones of the mission and how they can improve.  Also, President Watts always does a good job and getting us excited to go out and conquer the mission field.  I also like those days because I get to go on the bus rides with Elder Dillworth, the brother of Collin and Andre, two of the guys on the BYU moving crew.  He's an awesome Elder.  He's also been in Polochic his entire mission and is about to finish.  Overall, that was a great time.  Oh ya, I got to give a talk in concilio in front of everyone.  That was a little nerve racking, but it turned out fine.  I talked on how to raise the attendance of sacrament meetings in our zone. 

After we got back, my companion woke up Wednesday morning with "gripe."  Well that gripe made it so that we didn't work the entire week.  I felt bad for Elder Navas.  It was rough because we went another week without doing anything.  But, it did kind of give me some good thinking time.  I really had time to reevaluate how I am doing in the mission and things I can do better with.  I also enjoyed the extra time yesterday to study about Christ and his ministry and atonement.  I really was actually feeling a bit down yesterday after being in the house for 5 days, and I prayed to ask what I could do.  I felt like I should read a Liahona so I went over and grabbed one.  We have a stack of over 100 in the house.  I randomly got one that was the April 2009 copy.  Wow, what a great answer to my prayer.  And what a great Liahona.  I would highly recommend it.  In particular there was a talk by Cecil O Samuelson that talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ.  It was exactly the right talk in exactly the right time for me in my mission.  I know God was listening to me and that he loves me, because he knew exactly how to help me at that time.  But wow, did I study a lot this week.  I read just about the entire New Testament, over 10 Liahonas, a lot of Jesus the Christ, 1 Nephi and a lot of 2 Nephi, and learned a bit of Kekchi.  Oh well, things happen.

My companion started feeling better this morning and was even ready to play soccer with the zone.

Then we were able to go eat McDonalds and shop and use internet.  Oh ya, I also found 5 ties from Nordstrom and other brands for the equivalent of 50 cents each. That was a great find.  Now we are going to go home and see what visits we can make before the evening ends. 

Well, love you guys.  You're in my prayers every day.  Know that the church is true and that Jesus Christ is the very Savior of our souls.  I love Him.  He knows us and offers us all we need and want.  I challenge everyone to take some time to think of exactly what he has done in your life.  I promise that as you do, you'll feel him a bit closer in your life.  Love ya.

Elder Lloyd

Ma kan li tumin

Hey family,

Well, another week and things are crazy.  It's change week and there's a lot of hustle and bustle here in Coban.  Being zone leader makes it pretty rough for change time.  We are in charge of all the Elders that have to go to the capital or out of Coban in the next 3 days and yesterday from here, Polochik, and Baja Verapaz; where they sleep, how they get here, what they eat, who they do divisions with, and buying their bus tickets.  Yesterday we had to send 5 Elders and Sisters to the capital that also have problems with their visas and arrange divisions in the zone for their companions.  Today we had 3 more that are going to train to the capital and are here with their companions.  Tomorrow those that are finishing their mission and those with transfers to the capital, in total about 10 are coming and staying the night with us.  Then Wednesday at 2 AM we get them taxis and they all head off to the bus for the transfer conference in the capital.  Then Wednesday night we will be receiving all the Elders that come in.  And finally, on Thursday morning at 4am, the Polochik Elders head off on their bus to their areas and we show everybody where to go in the zone.  Needless to say, times are exciting por aqui.  

This week was a little interesting.  I think the Lord has really been trying my patience.  It actually all started a couple weeks ago when I didn't receive my reimbursement for my 950 Quet the rent and laundry lady.  I called up the finance Elders and asked why and apparently they didn't receive my fax of my receipts while I was in Peten and couldn't reimburse either of the months' rent.  So I called my old companion in Peten and apparently when he was cleaning the house he threw my rent receipts away.  So, he had to redo them and fax them in to the office.  I still haven't had my reimbursement come in and called the office this morning and they say they still haven't got it cleared.  Plus it's going to be another 4 to 5 days until it gets deposited into my account.  So, maybe by next Monday I'll have my money.  Luckily I have had my emergency fund of 600 Quetz or else I wouldn't have eaten anything these last 2 weeks.  As it is, things have been pretty skimpy.  On top of all that, we came home on Tuesday night and had no electricity.  Apparently the Elders before us forgot to pay the light bill for 3 months and the electric company had come and cut the electricity to our house.  So, we haven't had electricity since then until today.  Plus, all our food was ruined because the refrigerator was off for all that time.  But, oh well.  I guess things happen sometimes.  I've got about 12 dollars to live on this week.  We'll see how it goes.  Don't worry though; the members give us food quite often.  Sorry, don't mean to complain so much. 

Mom asked me about my companion.  He's Elder Navas from Honduras.  Before the mission he was a professional soccer player and modified and raced cars.  He's pretty rich and I'm pretty sure he's going to keep playing soccer after the mission.  He also says he was studying to be a chemical engineer one semester before the mission.  He has 20 months and Mom asked if he is anxious to go home.  Yes.  It's a little rough, but I am really trying to love him and serve him.  I really use divisions the best I can to help work progress in our area.  I've talked to him a few times about it but he doesn't seem to change. I just think that I have had a negative attitude about it and that doesn't change things.  So this next change I'm really going to try to help him.  

Leopoldo and Carmen are not progressing too greatly.  They didn't get married because we haven’t been able to find them much at home.  We'll try again this week.  We are really hoping that they'll turn around a bit.  We did find a couple of good new investigators. Densil, a guy that lived in Houston 8 years, and Carola.  Densil just told us he really needs our help.  But, I really feel like he wants to change.  Well, time is up.  Love you guys.  Sorry my letter was short and a little negative.  I love you lots and hope you have a great time in Ecuador.  

Love,

Elder Lloyd

Busy week and new shoes to "boot"

Hey family,
 
Things are good here in Coban.  This week went by sooo fast.  I have found that time as a zone leader in the mission goes by way faster that just in a normal area.  The zone is doing really well.  Mom had a couple of questions that I'll answer. 

One of them was if I have to do a lot of splits with the missionaries.  I have to do about 1 or 2 a week.  We usually do them with the district leaders but also when we feel an area needs to do a division.  There are 3 districts in the zone, 12 Elders and 6 Sisters.  We also have to go to one of their district meetings on Wednesday.  This Wednesday was horrible because we went to the chapel to a meeting, but there was also another district having their meeting in the same chapel.  Well, when the other district left, they left the door open and took the keys.  Then the bishop left and locked the door to the chapel with us still inside it.  I guess he didnt know.  Well, once the churches in Guatemala are locked, they're like jail cells.  Nobody goes in or out.  We were locked in there for an hour just waiting until somebody came to open the church.  Oh well.  Oh, we also have to go to other areas when a district leader has a baptism and we have to do the interview. 
 
The missionaries in this zone are awesome.  I've never met a group of more hardworking missionaries in my mission.  One thing we struggle with though is putting baptismal dates with the many new investigators we find.  As a mission we are really working on getting more baptisms and not putting off the dates we already have.  We just had a Stake conference with all of Coban.  It was huge.  We had about 400 to 500 people in 2 different sessions.  Thats a huge deal for Guatemala, especially at 8am.  =)  Anyway, President Watts was there and a recently returned mission president was also there from Nicaragua.  He said that they used to have 500 baptisms in Nicaragua EVERY month.  But, the thing is, 400 of those were always kids or youth and always go inactive.  So, Nicaragua as a whole changed to find more families.  They started baptising over 150 families in the mission every month.  That's what we are really trying to do as well as a mission, focus on the families.  After all, exaltation can only happen in the family. 
 
President Watts gave us a new challenge to the mission.  He wants us to find one new family through asking referrels from members and another family through contacting going between appointments.  Well, we found an amazing family.  They are the Paiz Gomez family.  We talked to them on the side of a hill below their house and the wife said she had a question for us.  The question was, with so many churches here in Coban, how can I know which of all of them is right.  WOW.  We then went in and found that they had a Book of Mormon on their bed.  WOW.  Aparently they have been reading it but the friend that gave it to them a long time ago moved and they didn't know from what church it was.  Then after talking for a bit, she asked us, Where do we go after we die.  Amazing.  We just hope they aren't acting interested when they really aren't.  That happens a lot on the mission.  People just like the company and act super interested, but come time to commit, they get cold feet.  We shall see. 
 
Leopoldo and Carmen are hopefully going to be good for this weekend.  We still have to get them married, so realisticly I think it might move to the next weekend.  They are really progressing though.  It's great to see the excitement in an investigator as they realize the difference the gospel is making in their life.  They will definitely be good members. 
 
I did an exchange with an elder in an all q'eqchi area this week.  That was probably one of the coolest days of my mission.  It was so pretty and soooo different.  It was like a different world out there.  We had to take a 2 hour bus ride out there on a dirt road.  Everybody farms cardomum and live in the thick of all of it.  It was soooo muddy and I had to buy some big ol rubber boots.  I got some massive blisters from it and ate some weird food, but it was a fun day.  Also, the elder, Elder Tanner is a really good guy.  He finishes his mission this week. 
 
Well to finish I will tell you the miracle of the day.  I have been worried about my shoes because they are starting to ware down a bit and I already went through my other pair in Peten.  Well, when I woke up in the morning I prayed to ask that I could find some good shoes.  Well, I entered a paca, thrift clothes from the US, and right there, 2 pairs of brand new Ecco shoes, one brown and one black.  Ya, I was stoked.  Each pair was 80 Quetz, or 10 dollars, and fit me perfectly.  They're worth 150 to 200 dollars each pair.  So awesome. Needless to say, God blesses his missionaries.  Miracle. 
 
Well, I have to go to a member baptism.  I hope you have a great week.  Have a great time preparing for Ecuador.  Love you all.
Elder Lloyd
 
 

Semuc Champey

Hey family,

Well, things are going well, and once again I am short on time because of so many letters.  Oh well, I will get typing fast. 

Last p-day was a little rough because we had to take a couple of Elders to the capital. We also had a zone leader council this Tuesday in the capital with Presidente Watts.  We are 18 zone leaders in the mission and it was a great, spiritual meeting.  I learned a lot and we are really going to try to improve our baptismal dates and in finding new investigators in our zone.  The best part though was the food that Hermana Watts made us.  You ready for this.  Drumrollllllllllllllll.  Cafe rio sweet pork salads.  It was the best thing ever!  So rico.  She even had the sauce perfect.  I think she's magic.  That was a big pick-me-up after the whole thing with the recent situation in our zone.  We also were able to hang out with some of the best elders in the entire mission.  It was a great couple of days. 

We have been working, despite all the things we have had to do.  Also, my companion got sick and that ruined a couple of days for us.  It's been rough, but the Lord is blessing us with success.  We are hoping to have a baptism and marriage this weekend with Leopoldo and Carmen on Saturday.  Hope they make it through.  They're still a little bit scared to do it.  We'll work with um.  The other week we found a family of like 14 people.  They're crazy, but 6 went to church.  We are really going to work with them to put some baptismal dates this week.  Other than that we are really trying to find new people.  We went contacting the other day when I was on divisions with a new Elder and every single door we knocked, they opened the door and either let us in or put another appointment.  It was amazing. 

Today we went to Semuc Champey, some waterfalls 3 hours from Coban.  They were amazing.  The only thing was that we went in a tiny microbus as a zone and it was having a really rough time on the dirt roads.  We even had to get out and push a lot of times.  It was awesome though and definitely valered the pena.  I'll send a few pics.  We did get home late though and that's why we are using internet late. 

Well, ya se fue la hora.  Love you guys.  Sorry my letter was short.  Hope you have a great week.  Enjoy life and especially the gospel.  Ponder it ever once in a while.  Sometimes we get too comfortable with the testimony we have always had.  I realized this week that sometimes we just need to sit and think about everything.  I promise, it works.  It's a good boost.  Well, till next time.

Love,

Elder Lloyd

Brrrrr.

Hey fam,
 
Hey, sorry I don't have too much time to write because I had so much mail!  Things are going great here and I am going to really quick tell a little bit about what happened this week and today. 

The change in climate has made me a little sick.  Well, a lot sick with a cold and I think I might have sinus-itis (however you spell that).  But, I think I might be getting better.  It's just a little hard because our water heater on the shower broke and it makes me more sick every morning, but tomorrow we are going to buy a new one. 
 
We were able to put a date for baptism on the tenth of march with a couple and a little nine year old kid this week.  We also are trying to work with the members to be able to get some references and start working with them.  The members here are awesome.  People  have always told me that zone leaders always get the best and biggest areas and wards to work with.  Our ward is about 150 active people and we have a goal to get the attendance up to 200.  This week was a little rough as far as visits though because I was sick and my companion is a little chambón(lazy.)  But, this week is going to be good and we are going to work a lot harder. 
 
We have some awesome elders and sisters in our zone.  12 elders and 6 sisters.  Two of the areas in our zone were able to get over 20 new investigators each just in this week.  That's crazy good. They really know how to work.  As a zone leader it is a little crazy because we are in charge of everybody and out area is huge.  We are in the center and just to get to one of the areas in Tanchi it's 2 hours in a few different buses.  We are also in charge of recieving any of the elders or sisters that come from the capital to go to coban, polochic, or verapaz at the bus station and buy tickets for those going to the capital.  We also have to deal with fighting elders in the zone.  That is the worst part.  But, for the most part it's good. 
 
Tomorrow president watts is coming and doing conferences and interviews.  That should be really great.  We also are going to be doing divisions with the assistents to the president, one of which was just the zone leader here before we came so that will be really good for us.  That way he can show us around a little more. 
Well, times up.  I love you all and hope you are having a great winter.  =)  Weather is absolutely perfect here.  All the time.  Just a little cold at night.  Have a great day and eat some lasagna for me.  The church is true!!!!!!!!!
Love
Elder Lloyd

Coban

Hey guys,

Well, as you read, I am now in Coban.  It is amazing here.  I am the new Zone Leader here with my companion Elder Navas. He has 19 months in the mission and is a great guy.  He is really good with the other missionaries and it seems like it's going to be a great time here with him.  He was in the capital for all 19 months of his mission and this is the first time he has ever left the city so he is really excited.

I'll start from the begining and try to tell everything that has happened in the past week.  Monday night Elder Adams took off on the 10 hour bus ride to the capital and I stayed with Elder Miller and Elder Rodriguez in San Jose.  We spent all Tuesday saying goodbye to our investigators and the members and packing our bags.  Then on Wednesday morning we went to the Zone Leaders' house in Peten to be able to wait for the phone call from the Assistents with changes.  They then informed me of my change to Coban and that I would be Zone Leader and told us to go to the bus stop and get to Coban.

Well, we got to the bus terminal and waited for the 1 o clock bus to Coban but it didn't show up.  So, after stressing a little we figured that we could get there but we would have to go in 3 trips to get there.  So that's what we did.  I was with Elder Miller and a Sister missionary.  Interesting because we first went to Sayaxche, out in the middle of nowhere, and crossed a river in a little boat with all our luggage.   That was probably the coolest part.  Then we got on another microbus with 35 people and crossed through the narrow neck of land right on the border of mexico through the "coconut farms."  Ya, definitely drugs.  Then we got to a small town called Raxhuja, even more in the middle of nowhere.  Well, when we got there we found out that the next bus to Coban had gotten in a wreck the day before and would not be going to Coban that day.  Also, there were no buses headed back to Peten that night.  So it was a little bit sketchy but I was able to get a guy to take us in his microbus all the way.  It cost the mission a pretty penny, but we were able to make it back to Coban on time.  It was a weird ride because there was a french couple that were with us also and the lady kept getting really bothered when the driver turned up the music.  She was screaming a mixture of French, Spanish, and English.  Also, about and hour and a half into the trip they stopped off the side of the road and bathed themselves in a river.  The french lady was livid!  But, we got there ok.

And now I am here.  The area, amazing.  The house, amazing. And the missionaries serving in my zone, really good.  I think more than anything I like the temperature.  During the day when you are in the sun, it is still pretty strong, but there is always a good breeze.  And at night, it gets sooo cold.  =)  It got down below 70 degrees in our house last night.  Sooooo rico.  The house is also a mansion.  It's super big because anytime there are changes in our zone, baja verapaz, or polochik, the Elders come and stay in our house for a night.  The night I got there we had 32 missionaries for the night.  It was pretty fun because we ordered 15 dominos pizzas.  Oh and I have a queen sized bed.  Again, rico.

The members here are really good.  We have a couple of young men that are preparing for their missions that have gone out with us and shown us the area.  It is really a large area and we have everything.  We have city, stick houses, and everything in between.  We were out proselyting the other day and we had an appointment at the church in 10 minutes and I asked one of the kids how far we were away from the church.  He told me, well, here we're about 8 Kilometers from the chapel.  What?!  That was a surprise.

There is one story from this week that I did really want to share.  We were out meeting some of the members in our ward and were walking back the main area when a man came running and shouting after us, Hermanos!  Hermanos!  He was crying and told us he wanted us to come back with him and pray for his son.  We went with him and followed him to his house.  He actually lived on the very top of this really big hill in a stick house.  We went in and his son was horrible.  He was laying on the ground and just shaking and his eyes were all rolled back.  I have never seen anybody that sick.  Well, we gave him a blessing.  Then we gave a quick spiritual thought.  The man said that he knew his son would be healed and he wanted us to come back the next day to see him.  Now, this was after a month of his son already being practically unconcious.  Well, we went the next day and his son wasn't there.  We were surprised because he wasn't there and asked what happened.  Apparently he had healed and walked to the hospital to be able to get help because he was so malnourished.  He was healed!  What a strong testimony to me and the others who were able to participate in that experience that the priesthood is real.  I know it is.  I know it works by faith.  I know that by faith, the Lord can give us all that we ask.  I know this gospel is true and that our Father loves us.

Well, time's up.  Ask me questions in my next letters.  I'll try to answer them all.  It's going to be interesting figuring things out in the next week. By the way, the Doctor over all of Central America is coming to Coban tomorrow and wants my companion and I to give him a tour of the zone.  Haha.  Who knows how we're going to do that.  Oh well, he's buying us McDonalds.  =)  I love you all.  Talk to yous later.
Love,
Elder Lloyd

Transfers

Hey fam,

Well, I have a transfer this Wednesday.  I still don't know exactly where I am going or who my companion is, but I do know I'm not going to the capitol, so I'll be in either Coban, Baja Verapaz, Peten, or Polochik.  Oh ya, my companion is going to be training here in San Andres.  Crazy!

Well, sounds like things are going really well with everybody.  Thanks for the letters.  Now I am going to try and pound out this letter so that maybe I can send some pictures afterward.  

The first thing I wanted to write about was the wedding.  It was great!  You would not believe how ridiculously late people come to weddings here!  The bride and groom were 1 hour late and the lawyer, which does the actual ceremony, was 2 hours late!  I couldn't believe it!  The we had to leave the church and run over to the lawyer's house 15 minutes away to be able to wake him up from a nap and get him there!  Oh well, it happened.  We were able to work with all the branch members to get them fancy clothes and also make food for afterward.  Being so poor they had nothing to wear, but they were looking super nice with the help of the members.  

It was a super good wedding.  I felt a little bad because Amalia speaks Kekchi and only a little Spanish and her parents speak absolutely zero Spanish, so they were a little overwhelmed.  I think she was a little embarrassed being the center of attention.  We got some good pictures.  The funniest one is of the kiss.  Haha.  It was so awkward looking.  I'll attach the picture. The food was also delicious.  My chicken that I bought turned out amazing.  We were able to use a bakery's huge oven to cook it really cheap and deliciously.  After the wedding it started poring down rain so everybody stayed in the church to not get wet.  We had to stay and clean up so not much work other than the wedding got done that day.  But, who cares, they're married and definitely both excited for their baptism this Saturday.  

Another thing that I really wanted to tell about was that I made lasagna for district meeting on Wednesday.  /=^)  That was amazing.  I have gone way to long without it and it was about time since it's the month of my birthday.  I figured it would be a good opportunity to make it in our last meeting together.  It was super tasty and actually not to expensive to make.  It was funny because we used a bunch of little personal packages of spaghetti sauce to do it. 

I think one of the greatest miracles that has happened to me happened this week.  I learned alot about putting goals, fasting and prayer.  I don't know if I told you guys about it, but we put a goal this week of finding somebody new, teaching them and then putting a specific baptismal date for the 10th of March with them.  Well, last Sunday we really fasted and prayed to be able to meet that goal.  I have to admit, sometimes in my mission it has been easy to put goals and then never think about them again, and just not really strive to get them, but this one was different.  I really wanted to see what would happen.  So we went through the week working and trying to find them, but it just wasn't happening.  Honestly, this week has been kinda hard compared to some of the last weeks.  A lot of our appointments were falling through and we weren't having much luck finding new investigators.  Well, we had had a referral for a couple of weeks that we had never been able to contact because the member never was willing to go with us.  But we decided to try and contact it.  Well, when we got there, the lady was there.  She said that she had talked to 4 or 5 sets of missionaries before and had never been too interested, but lately she has been feeling the need to talk again.  Well, within 20 minutes, she had asked us when she could be baptized and we all agreed on the 10th of March.  She came to church yesterday and seems to really be progressing.  She has 3 or 4 kids that are members.  It was a miracle.  

Well, transfers.  My companion is super afligido!  Haha.  You should have seen the size of his eyes when the Zone Leaders called and told me he would be training.  What's even harder is that the 2 other Elders in our district have changes also and Elder Adams will be the only one staying to show the others about the areas.  It's probably my fault, I may have told president in a letter that my companion was fluent in the language, great with the people, and ready for any assignment needed.  Whoops... =)  He'll be great though.  

Now I am just anxiously waiting to here about my change.  Tonight Elder Adams goes to the capital at 9pm and I stay with the other 2 elders in my district.  Tomorrow night Elder Rodriguez goes to the capitol for his change, and Wednesday Elder Miller and I will find out our changes.  I send pictures next week.  I'm super excited!  These last 3 changes have flown by though!

Well, picture time.  Love you all.  Have a great week and stay well and happy.  

Love,

Elder Lloyd