Rotting mice and words of an Apostle

Date:  August 24, 2015
Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala
Companion:  Elder Torres
Week 87

This week has had some fun events. So, about a couple of weeks ago we were getting really annoyed with the present of some mice, they were making noises and eating our food, you know. Mice stuff. So we decided to get back at the little critters by putting poison out. It worked! They fell for the trap and ate the poison. About a week later an odd smell started arising, I know that smell, I thought to myself, and started looking around. Sure enough we found some rotting mice. Three to be exact. We won the fight yet they were trying to get back at us in a last ditch effort. We won though.

Our other most exciting event of the week was that we got to hear from Elder Russel M Ballard as he visited Honduras and we watched through satellite as he addressed all of the missionaries in Central America. He had some advice on what we can do to help the people as might be expected. He pushed the importance of declaring and sharing the truth of the Restoration and Joseph Smith as the prophet of the Restoration. He also had some advice on marriage, although that was something interesting to hear in a missionary setting. He said something like. ¨I know your not supposed to be thinking about marriage while on your mission, but think about it for a minute.¨ Some good humor from a wonderful servant of God.

For the work this week we got to find some new people and get them going on the wonderful journey of learning the truth, one in mention is Angelina, her husband is working far away which makes it hard to teach him, but we´re able to teach her and her children. They´re doing great, we have only had one lesson with them but I feel like they´re going to progress. We´ll see tomorrow when we really start teaching them. I´m optomistic though. A good attitude is one the keys to conquering the world.... Or your fears. Whichever one you want.

Other things..... Hmmmmm..... Letters, I did get three letters this week. One from Sister Barnson, although she has now returned home and two from Grandma Mary.

I love you all, send me some questions to answer I feel like my weekly report this week was actually really bland.... Sorry about that.

Elder North

jered.north@myldsmail.net

Or write me a real letter

Please do not use nick names on letters or packages. They have to go to the mission home and then be forwarded on. If you have a nick name on the letter it may never make it to him. THANKS

Send mail to:

Elder Jered North
Guatemala Cobán Mission
Apartado Postal #34
3ra Calle 2-02, Zona 3
Cobán AV 16001
Guatemala, Central America

It costs $1.15 to mail a letter to him. You can use regular envelops and stamps just make sure they equal $1.15. If it weights more than a regular letter you should take it to the post office to have it weighed.

Getting it all together

Date:  August 17, 2015
Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala
Companion:  Elder Torres
Week 86

This week was kind of off kilter, we weren´t having as effective teachings and things seemed to just be off for some reason, but hey, the turning point of the week was when I had divisions with Elder Reyes and my District leader went to Tanchi with Elder Torres.

Working in Chicojl seemed to actually take the stress away from me, we had some really powerful lessons and they were in Spanish! I don´t think I´ve had a Spanish lesson for about 3 months, so that was an interesting experience. I got along really well with Elder Reyes and it was just a fun day inviting people to repent and come unto Christ and when I got back to Tanchi I was ready to go. The end of the week still didn´t go too well because we had one of the various political parties visit the village and when that happens everyone goes and sees them and thus no one is in their houses and Sundays are usually very slow around here anyway, but we were able to make awesome plans for the coming week and we´ve been visiting members a bit more and they seem very happy with us which is good because we all want to be on the some side.

Besides that we found some new people to teach and we hope they will be able to progress. One by the name of Juan, I actually havn´t even met him. Elder Pineda and Elder Torres contacted him. Not I. So, We´ll see what happens when I do meet him. From what Elder Pineda told me when they showed him a picture of Joseph Smith he said, Oh, your god. Obviously not, we do not worship the Prophet Joseph Smith, we worship God and Jesus Christ. So after explaining that and a bit about prophets they left and he invited us back to teach more. I´m excited to meet him.

So, that´s about it, I love you all and I hope your all doing well. Mail I got are from Grandma Mary and Julie.

Love,

Elder North

Mice on the shelves.

Our Zone

Date:  August 10, 2015
Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala
Companion:  Elder Torres
Week 85

So with regards to the email this week we have been having quite the mice problem, during the day you don´t see any of them but at night you can hear them getting into things and running on the roof. We try and slay them whenever we can but we´ve been forced to take some extra measures to protect our foodstuffs from the invading forces. Anything within plastic like bread needs to be placed in more secure areas or they fall prey to the fiends, especially the injured bread, they´re the first to go. Not even the harder spaghetti is safe at times.

So yeah.... That´s happening.

In other news this week we had our branch conference, which is like a ward conference but for branches. We had a great turnout on Sunday with an amazing attendence of 145. Our average is about 80 to 90 people. It was really good.

Throughout the weeks we had some activities, like a afternoon for movies and some games and some other stuff, not all of the activities had really good turnouts and for a few we didn´t go, but the efforts of our visits and the visits of the members seems to have paid off and we had a lot of people for Sunday.

Elder Torres playing with Tanchi children

We also got word of some really good news, it has been approved for the church to build a bigger sacrament room for the church in Tanchi, because it is really small and can really only hold about 70 people. and even that is squezing some people in, the construction should begin next month, but this is really awesome and means that the church is indeed growing quite a bit in Tanchi and I can´t help but feel a little pride as I fell like I have truly helped the branch grow here.

As for the work, same old, lots of walking, we had some days where we didn´t plan that well and had to walk distances a lot longer than usual and we returned home with tired feet, but we had a fun week, and we were able to visit plenty of less actives and members to get them excited about the branch conference where they truly heard some great talks about various simple doctrines.

IN terms of investigators this week. We found a bunch of little kids and they were really excited to sing with us, but it didn´t seem like they were very excited about anything else because I didn´t see any of them at any of the activities or on Sunday... Oh well, we´re going to revisit them this week and hopefully be able to teach their parents more.

Beautiful Mountains

I got a lot of letters this week, two from Mom, one from Julie Barnson, one from Rowan and four from Grandma Mary. I love letters.

That´s about it for this week.

Love you all,

Elder Norte

Elder North loves mail so if you can, write him!

Please do not use nick names on letters or packages. They have to go to the mission home and then be forwarded on. If you have a nick name on the letter it may never make it to him. THANKS

Send mail to:

Elder Jered North
Guatemala Cobán Mission
Apartado Postal #34
3ra Calle 2-02, Zona 3
Cobán AV 16001
Guatemala, Central America

It costs $1.15 to mail a letter to him. You can use regular envelops and stamps just make sure they equal $1.15. If it weights more than a regular letter you should take it to the post office to have it weighed.

If you´re praying and you know it clap your hands!

Elder North and a big dog named Kaybil

Date:  August 3, 2015

Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala

Companion:  Elder Torres

Week:  84

Not much to report this week, we´ve been trying to find some new people and without much success, but we have made plans with the branch and the coming week has a lot of activities and stuff and it´s going to be awesome! Some weeks just have to not be that good. If there isn´t bad how can there be good?

We also had many people not be in their houses when we visited them, Rigoberto was an investigator that we were really excited to meet with again because the first visit with him went by really, really well and now we can´t find him and he won´t answer his phone... This makes for sad Elders.

Carcha

Elder Torres was not in a Kekchi speaking area before, he´s doing great though!

Staying within the funds... It requires eating more simply. Rice, beans, cheap cereal or oatmeal and then buying just for a couple meals. Spaghetti is something I like buying because it´s cheap and 

it´s good and really easy to cook, you just have to find some good sauce.

So, an interesting experience we had this week was while we were contacting, we found a lady, Graciela, and after a short introduction I taught her a bit about what the Book of Mormon is and she invited us to the birthday party of her little three year old Elna.  The ´party´ though felt more like a praying service, it´s part of the custom here to have prayers and stuff like that, but they invited the pastor of another church and he led the evening.

We sat and watched as they sang and prayed, I like watching others do their thing but I also find it sad. Their faith and want to adore God is very remarkable and admirable but the way they do it seems really odd to me and those in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prayers are louder and with more people and it was the first time I saw someone clap while they prayed. I don´t want to put down the way they believe but I feel sad because I know that it isn´t the correct way.

 

I love these people though and they are filled with love and are very interesting, their faith is great!  They just believe differently than I do.

Spread the love out there.

Elder North

New week, new change with a cow.

Date:  July 27, 2015
Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala
Companion:  Elder Torres
Week 83

I don´t have much time to write and my keyboard is kind of funky so....

this week went by well. At the start of the week we did changes and I received Elder Torres. I will be finishing his training. It has been a good time with him thus far. He is excited to learn the language and has been picking it up very quickly, and I´ve also been able to teach him a bit of English.

We had a baptism this week! The Baptism of Henri Noe Sub´ Xol. he´s eight years old and the baptism went really well. Although as I was lowering him into the water he slipped and kind of freaked out while he was in the water but I was able to get him under and we didn´t have to do it again. Probably much to his relief.

This week has been fun to see Elder Torres get accustomed to the new things and the new language. But as I said he is doing really well and we get along really well. One of the best things that happened this week was we got a call from an investigator  that left to work in Peten. Rigoberto, we also had a baptismal date for him.

Rigoberto called me and we put up an appointment with him for tomorrow and that was that. I looked at what he needed and I remember we were about to give him a Book of Mormon but he left, so tomorrow we will give him one and talk about it.

The great part is that he called us again and reminded me to bring him one of  those books.... Or, The Book of Mormom! He was really prepared the last time we were teaching him and it seems like he still is. I´m excited. God is preparing people for us to teach.

But remember God can prepare people for the missionaries or to accept the Gospel in general through YOU! Go out and share the gospel in simple ways and with love. Just share your testimony.

Anyway. That about sums up the week, No letters. I´ll give you a better letter next week.

Elder Norths bed.  Through the window is a corridor of some kind

Love you all!

Oh! The thing about the Cow, Elder Torres´ nickname in Kekchi is Wakax. Which means Cow because his name sounds like Toro.

Language board

More house

Changes and trials

Date:  July 20, 2015
Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala

This week came the changes again, this change seemed to have gone pretty darn quickly, although I can say it was a little stressful and sometimes I didn´t quite know what to do.

I´m going to be staying in Tanchi which is a wonderful area but my companion, Elder Medina is going to go to a different area and I will be receiving Elder Torres from Mexico City, Mexico. Unfortunately he doesn´t know any Kekchi and I´m going to be finishing his training so instead of things getting a little easier for me I´m going to have to but on an extra layer of responsibility spray and go at it. I can do it! It all depends on whether Elder Torres wants to learn the language or not, if he does then all is well. If he doesn´t it could turn out to be a long six weeks! But lets not be judging someone else, especially before I´ve even formally met him.

This last week was more of normal things, I didn´t quite know where to go but we were able to get some good lessons in. I´m not very good at describing how lessons go.

But this week I want to reflect back on the early parts of my mission. When I was a little greenie without any knowledge of the language and a little overwhelmed by my calling and the added necessity of language learning. Times 2!  (His call was to speak Spanish and that is what his training was for six weeks at the MTC but his first area they asked him to learn Kekchi and he did so he was working on two languages)

I´ve been able to see Elder Medina grow quite a bit this last change. The first two weeks were really hard because he suddenly couldn´t talk to anyone or participate at all in lessons, those two first weeks are the hardest and the part where one wants to quit, thinking that they are making no progress personally. But you just gotta push through that.

Being in a different culture causes culture shock, this could be something subtle, for me I was quieter and just looked at everything and it´s very common to compare things to back home.  As time goes along one gets used to things and things start to lighten up as everything starts to seem less strange and easier to handle. Certainly with language. I remember and have seen that new missionaries usually have some struggles the first change and a little in the second change of their mission in the field.

Feelings of missing home and wondering if you´re doing well or other such feelings are normal, I certainly felt that, but after that it all gets easier to handle as the routine of the missionary becomes normal, as studies make more sense as love for the people come in and as miracles are seen (Because the question isn´t if miracles are happening but if we see them happening)

Elder Medina had some of that and now that he has a change and he´s going back to Spanish speaking he did not want to leave Kekchi speaking because he got past the struggles and overcame difficulties and loved the people. Love is key, or as the scriptures put it. Charity. If we have love and charity we can do anything.

This also goes with another well known gospel principle called endure to the end. God is always there to help us, he knows our trials and he lifts us up by lightening the load, not taking it away because opposition needs to exist in order for us to grow.

An example of this that I use in many lessons that seems to work is I ask the children if they are in school. (Some say no.) Then I ask them about exams and tests. I get them to realize that exams and tests are necessary, as you pass the tests and exams you get moved up in classes. If you don´t pass you have to do it again. The point being that we need tests in order to improve.

I hope you all find the courage and pray for help from the outstretched hands of our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. They are there for you and WILL help you. Just ask. Put works to your faith.

A few questions from mom that I answered.

For P-day we usually just play soccer, nothing too exciting outside of that.  We did find an awesome store that sells mind puzzles, like rubik's cubes and stuff.

My house is in Tanchi and is about a ten minute walk or less to the church so not that far at all.

I do not sleep under a mosquito net here.

Being closer to the city is nice but I actually kind of like being in the more rough and tumble mountain feel.  This is where I am needed right now though so its ok.

I love you all,

Elder North

P.S. I got letter from Grandma Mary. Mom and from Sister Hibbs

I got the marriage invitation for my brother! (They were married this week) That was amazing and to also see the wonderful pictures this week. Congratulations to my brother Deven and his new wife and my new sister Arley.

Missionaries love mail.  It takes awhile to get to him sometimes but it has been pretty reliable so take a few minutes and send him a real letter.  Missionaries love real mail because they can take their time reading it and they feel special that they go it.  You can put an international stamp on it or if you don't have one like me lately just put three regular stamps on it.

Elder Jered North
Guatemala Cobán Mission
Apartado Postal #34
3ra Calle 2-02, Zona 3
Cobán AV 16001
Guatemala, Central America

Week of the week

Date:  July 13, 2015
Area:  Tanchi, Guatemala
Companion:  Elder Medina
Week 81


This week was pretty standard, nothing too outstanding to say, we did have a high counsel member come to our sacrament meeting and he talked about going to the temple and he got everyone excited to go to the temple this coming week. Unfortunaetly this means that we´re going to be moving our baptism back one more week that we have of little Henry, but I think it´s all right. It´s for a very good cause.

Things have been slowing down here in the work, we´re not finding many people that really want to listen to us so we just keep looking and this week has been a week of finding.

We did find Richard, I´m not sure how well he´s going to progress right now, but I have my hopes, he knows a lot about the Bible and that can sometimes help and hurt the lesson. But we prepared and when he wasn´t accepting what we were teaching we just testified and told him what we know is true and invited him to find out for himself and now it´s up for him to find out. That´s how it works. We invite, they do.

I´ve found myself getting stuck into a sort of routine, I need to find something with my companion to break out of this routine and do something new. So we´ll be doing that soon. Also changes are coming up soon, those generally make new things happen as well, although I´m unsure if either my companion or I will be getting a change. Whatever happens will be just fine with me though. In the mean time I´m going to just keep working hard.

I love you all!

Elder North