August 20, 2012

Elder Monge and I struttin the stuff on the Guatemalan runway

It sounds like things are getting crazy, with it being time to start school! That is so cool that Beth is doing that half marathon! That would be so sweet, especially in Logan!

Until today, I had not received anything from Dad while I have been in the field. However, today I received a few things from Dad. I just wish there was more time to write!

Poor Grandpa. He is such killer all the time! That Eph Hanks movie sounds like the real deal. I'll be very excited to see it in two years!!!! haha. So jealous that you guys got to go to Timp! Man I miss the mountains like we have in Utah! Here they have mountains, but they are covered in green! It is pretty insane! They grow corn everywhere. Anywhere you can imagine, there is corn. Ed Week sounds like another great experience, like it always is. Any important words of wisdom that I should know?

Little Laker has had quite the ride hasn't he? He's a tough kid and he'll make it through. It sounds like Levi is growing up! I can't hardly believe that he got his Patriarchal Blessing! I bet it was such an amazing experience. And now, he is almost finished with his eagle. What a killer kid!!! Haha poor little Kyle. That's so crazy that he is a counselor in the branch and nobody could understand him!!! That is tough, but he'll definitely be able to beat it, I am sure. That's basically how it is here, I can pick out a few words of sacrament meeting. However, now the ward mission leader is teaching me quiche every language study that we have. So, I just need to practice all the time. It is a crazy language! I have also figured out how they make the clicky sounds while they speak! All in all, I am making progress, slowly but surely!

The rain is crazy here sometimes. A couple days ago, we went to a member's house for dinner and it was raining so hard! Luckily, I had my trusty boots on. We trudged through like 3 inches of rain and remained dry! I rotate my shoes, so every 3rd day is boots day. I hope that by doing this I can help them to last the longest!

Elder Monge is a champ, and I am learning everyday how I can better appreciate the things that he does. I wanted to visit this contact that I had, but he did not. However, we still went and found that the contact was not home. He did not have a lot of patience to talk with the people, so he ended the conversation and we left. I got pretty angry because I wanted to do more with the people and really just get them to trust us. I don't think that Elder Monge thinks that this man will go anywhere--maybe with good reason. I thought a lot about that incident, thinking "oh man, he is so impatient!" What I didn't realize right off the bat is how impatient I was with him! So, this week I have been able to love the work more, and love Elder Monge more. He really is a good kid.

Also, I have started to sink my teeth in a little more to the work and the members. I am starting to make real friendships with the members and it is so sweet because hardly ever do I talk english with them! Soon, hopefully, I'll be able to make friends in Quiche!

Our ward mission leader, Tono, is the BOMB! Yesterday, after we had language study, he explained that we are gonna start doing some more activities to friendship non members. Haha I learned that Elder Monge used to do more activities with the members, but now he is kinda turning into a older man that doesn't have the energy to do what he used. Or so the excuse goes! He is a funny guy and loves the work. We wanna do some English lessons, however, Tono wants me to learn more Quiche first. It'll be sweet! He also explained a little more about other activities that he wants to do, but I wasn't really listening... Whoops!

Yesterday, neither of our two investigators attended church. Emiliano had to pack something and Pascual was sick. It is kinda frustrating. So now we'll have to push back their baptism a week so they can come to church one more time. Oh well, the important thing is that they are progressing!

Love you all and thank you for your support! I really do feel it, keep it coming baby!!! Love you mom, dad and family!

Love,

Elder Hilton

P.S. This week's photo is Elder Monge and I struttin the stuff on the Guatemalan runway. This is the typical everyday clothing of every woman in this town!

Monday, August 13, 2012 Nahuala

 

Elder Monge and Elder Hilton in a Tuctuc

It sounds like things are goin real good! They're making an Eph Hanks movie!? That's sweet! Dad should definitely grow the puppy out, however, I am not sure how approving the community would be! That is real good to hear everything, I am glad you have the opportunity to go to Ed Week yet once again! Is Levi feeling better now!? I hope so! Haha it makes me a little sad to hear that Embree and Laker are growing up without me! I'm sure that they are as cute as ever!!! I love you all! Mom, do you have a snapfish account? Or could you give me the password and stuff for the blog? I can go to other sites, so I'd like to upload some pictures and add some info! thanks mom for everything. I do receive the dear elders, I got two my first week in the field. However, I am not quite sure how old they were, one seemed like it was supposed to get to me the first week in the CCM or something! Haha, yes I do receive dear elders.

Okay, time for some more details of the sweet life in Nahualá. Last Monday, we had dinner at a member's house (we have lunch and dinner at a member's house everyday), but we had dinner at Hermano Walter's house. Usually the dinner is just  like rice, black refried beans, and corn tortillas. However, the past week, it hasn't been quite as repetitious, which is extremely nice. While we were at Hermano Walter's house, I asked if they knew of anything that could help me learn Quiche. He told me he was a teacher, so we started some Quiche lessons that night. Haha this quiche business doesn't make much sense to me, especially because Hermano Walter is not a Quiche teacher. I don't think anybody is a Quiche teacher here. It's kinda ridiculous. I have asked many people for help`with learning Quiche and it seems like they all have their one vocabulary or way of saying things. I think that it is easier to learn Quiche if you just grow up speaking it. They can't read Quiche and understand it. It is seriously way different. Everybody speaks Quiche, when they are not talking to the missionaries. It's kinda funny, the Quiche they speak is not pure Quiche, so they don't have a lot of words and have to substitute words in spanish. (Sorry, if this is a repeat of anything I've already said. I feel like I have written this before, so enjoy :)) They make all kinds of clicking noises with their mouth, that my mouth is not accustomed to making. Everytime I practice Quiche, I feel like I'm just trying to hack up a spit or something. Its a little gross. Tuesday, we had another lesson Emiliano and he is so rad! It is so sweet to see the changes that he is making in his life. I really hope that we can baptize him and then teach his family. Right now, they seem pretty against the idea. When we visited him, it was raining. It basically rained all day everyday from Tuesday to Saturday. Word on the street has it that it is a hurricane. No worries, it's not windy at all and my feet are basically always dry. However, my legs, not so much.

Wednesday, we had an appointment with a little boy named Pascual. I can't remember if I wrote about him in the last one, so here goes. He is ten years old and is very shy. Whenever we visit him, we hear about one word from him. And it usually is the answer to the question, how are you? His family is kind of a broken family, his father was sealed in the temple with the mother of the 1st counselor in the ward-Cornelio. However, Manuel-Pascual's and Cornelio's father- left Cornelio's mother and is now living with the mother of Pascual. It is an extremely sad situation. I think that Pascual's mother is not very excited that we are teaching Pascual because she knows the past of Manuel. Sorry, I hope that is clear enough that you understand. Manuel sells homemade ice cream for a living, it is not really as sweet or as flavorful as ice cream in the States. (In fact there is not much that tastes quite like the States!) I swear half of the people that live in Nahualá have the name Manuel, Manuela, Pascual, or Pascuala. It is insane. Many also share the same last names too. Some of the most popular are Guarchaj, Tzep, or Tzoc. All are Mayan. It is pretty sweet, all the culture there is here. All the women wear handmade shirts, with corte skirts. Corte is something way difficult to describe. It is basically the native patterns of the Mayans. I have heard that they used to be slaves to the Spaniards who came, so the Spaniards gave them this corte so they could tell them apart more easily. I don't have any pictures yet, but if you just google Guatemalan corte, you'll find it. Also, many of the old men wear skirt looking things with sweet shirts. I am not sure what they call them, but it really is cool how much culture they have here. Many of the families here live on the same property. I can't believe how they pack everything in and live how they do. They are all happy though. It seriously a HUGE miracle.

Sunday, we ran into a man who is married to a member and has a kid in the church. Elder Monge knew him, but I had never seen him before. So we talked a little bit, and he was a very strong talker. I am not sure if that makes sense. It does in spanish. He has talked with the missionaries before, but doesn't feel the need to convert. He is catholic and kinda just very strong in his beliefs. Hopefully we can help him see why The Church is correct and what blessings, he'll receive if he lives by the precepts that we teach. Man, I love this gospel preaching business. I really hope to see a change in this man. (His ^ name is also Manuel, I'll keep ya posted.) 

I know that this work is ordained of the Lord and I know that everything happens for a reason. I am extremely greatful for this opportunity to be with Elder Monge in Nahualá. A lot of people look at it like a bad thing, however I have had the opportunity to recognize the good things in life. There really is so much good around us, oftentimes we get all caught up in what we are missing, or our faults. Life is so good, we just have to seek out what is good. I love you mom and dad. Love ya family. Love ya friends. All your support keeps me rolling everyday. I love the Lord and hope you realize the joy and happiness that he has given us through His Atonement. Continue living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be blessed! I love you!

Love, Elder Hilton

p.s. mom, this week we had lunch at a member's house and their daughter's name is Marilyn. It made me think of you and the family a little and miss ya a little bit, but not too much! Love ya!

p.s.s. this week's picture is of a Tuk-Tuk. I am driving and Elder Monge is gettin people in!    

¡Hola de Nahualá!‏

          Elder Gibson & Elder Hilton - Central Park, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Okay, time for some details. We arrived at the mission home at about 1 pm on Tuesday. We had a little meeting and our interviews with president! He is an awesome man! I hope that you got the picture! The mission home is beautiful, super jealous that they get to live there. After interviews and such the trainers arrived and we got movin with things. Something crazy happened. Jacolby Griffin, who I went to high school with was-is a trainer! I turned around and saw him, what in the world!!! I thought it could be a possibility, but thought it was a far stretch. He ended up not being my companion, but I still have a pretty rad comp. His name is Elder Monge, and he is from Nicaragua. He is kinda a punk sometimes, I´ve realized that everybody is not as obedient as I thought they were going to be.

We are assigned to work in a little pueblo in the mountains called Nahualá. Everybody here speaks Quiche, and some speak spanish. This was the dream of everybody in the CCM. They all wanted to serve in some town where they got to learn a mayan dialect. How lucky am I! I guess nobody wants to be sent here because the language barrier is huge. Basically all the old people only know Quiche, and even when we find somebody that can speak spanish it isn't the best. However, we did find a man named Diego Emiliano. We were waiting outside the cemetary for a member to help us with some references. We taught him a lesson on saturday and he agreed to be baptized on the 25th of August! Our goal for this month is to have 3 baptisms, I really hope that we can do it. Many missionaries don´t believe that it can be done in Nahualá, but Elder Monge and I are gonna show em whats up.

The first couple days I had some HUGE culture shock. We showed up at the apartment Tuesday night at about 6 pm, and went directly out to the members' houses. Our apartment is pretty dang nice compared to how everybody else is living. Everybody cooks over a little wood burning stove and it is just very different. Haha a typical meal here is black refried beans, rice, and tortillas. We are fed everyday by the members and it is really wonderful. Sometimes they'll switch things up and throw some eggs in there. It is a huge adjustment. They say Nahualá is the coldest spot in the mission. At night times it gets down to about 40 degrees or so. So it's pretty chilly. Liliana said that Guatemala is kinda like Utah. It is the truth. It is a little more humid, but it is like Utah in the early summer everyday. It is actually really nice, til it rains. Then it POURS! I love it though, all of this is pretty rad and I am starting to love Nahualá more and more everyday!

Now, Elder Monge, he once was a hard worker and still is, but there are times when I question what we are doing. I am not completely sure what we are doing all the time. We still are becoming great friends with everyday and we have fun all the time too, so no worries there, I just feel like at times I am training myself.

I am also trying to learn a little quiche, but it is so nuts. There are all kinds of clicking things they do with there mouth and much of the language is said in the back of the mouth and the throat. It is pretty insane though. We went to church this sunday and it is all in quiche. I don´t understand a thing, except sometimes they´ll say some spanish words while they´re talking, so sometime I can pick up. All the members say that they have seen missionaries pick it up pretty quick. Just gonna work my booty off and stay 100% obedient. At times it´s a little harder, but doable.

Tono, our ward mission leader, has organized a little soccer tournament that started on Saturday. He organized it to try and make friendships between the members and others that are not members. Elder Monge and I have the opportunity to play in it too. I have found that many people are even better than the Latins in the CCM! It is so much fun and I love it all so much! Our ward bishopric is the bomb, too.

There is a man named Cornelio, I think he is first counselor in the bishopric. He drives a little Tuk-Tuk for a job, I think, but he really helps with the work. Now, a Tuk-Tuk is basically a Moto-4 four-wheeler with three wheels and a little body of a little car. They are very weak but I think that they are more fuel efficient. I really am starting to love Nahualá and my comp more and more and starting to see how the Lord has prepared those for us. I know that this work is directed by the Lord and I know that everything does happen for a reason. I will continue to work as hard as I do and strive to be 100% obedient. Mom, I hope that this is sufficient. I will try to get some pictures off next week. Sorry! I forgot my cord for the computer. So, expect some pictures soon!

Love you all! I am so blessed to have the support that I do!

Love ya Mom and Dad!

Love, Elder HIlton    

Last Day in Guatamala CCM - July 30th, 2012

Well, I am still here in the wonderful land of the Guatemala CCM. They have given us a little more time to write any last words before we head into the REAL world! Just wanna thank you for all of your support and concern for me, but I promise you--I will keep myself safe and clean from all the crazy things out there. I really am greatful for everybody that supports me and it really does keep me going. I do realize the prayers and I know that I have been helped by them and will continue to be helped by them.

A couple of nights ago, there was a group of Hondureños here and Elder Gibson and I had the opportunity to talk with one. He was a convert of the Church at about 14 years old and served a mission. He told us about how on his mission he worked his little tail off! It was quite inspiring, but I am not sure that everything he told us is completely safe or healthy to do. First he told us that before he would get lazy or slow down the work, he would die. This man has so much dedication to the gospel. He has served as Bishop and in the Stake Presidency. He also told us that on the days of fasting, he would work so hard that his body would stop sweating. This is where things got a little questionable. I love his dedication to this Church because of the joy it has brought him.

Elder Gibson left this morning to El Salvador. He became quite a good friend of mine. There were times, of course, when we had our battles. But, they were nothing terrible. Love him! For today, I have been assigned another companion before we get to the mission home! His name is Elder Barringer, and is from Springville. He is different, but it is extremely refreshing to me. He has a different personality and that is why the world is a good place--because we are different. Thank heavens! There has been another assistant called, Elder Haertel. He is a very good kid. I think that he always is speaking spanish to learn it a little better. He is such a killer kid!

Man, I can't believe this day has finally come! (Well, I guess it hasn't come yet, but it is tomorrow!) There is an Elder here from a branch in Chichicastenango, which is in the Xela mission. He was set apart by President Bautista, so he has a picture of the mission home and Pres. The mission home looks super nice and hopefully I can get some pictures sent home soon!!! I don't have a lot to say, I tried to say everything that I had last time. P-day may be changed to Monday, so I don't know if that means anything to you, haha just thought I should let you know!

I love you all and I love the Lord. Thank you all for your prayers and for your support. It keeps me moving in this work.

Love,

Elder Hilton