¡Oh Que Rico!

Hey Family,

Everything is still good here. No problems since we last talked. It was way good to talk to you guys. I`m glad you all had a good Christmas Break and Christmas. Well I guess it's still Christmas break there I guess. It's still hot here believe it or not.

Well this week my highlight was......... Receiving your package!!!!! Ha yeah I got it the day after Christmas. It was waayyy awesome. Literally it was everything I needed haha. 

The scriptures are perfect. I'm glad it's a quad so that`s good. I'm probably going to send my old scriptures home because I don't want to lug them both around and I'm using my old case for my new ones. It's not too expensive so whatever. Just put them away with all my stuff. 

Everything was really awesome too. My comp loved his stocking and I kept hearing from the other room ¡Oh Que Rico (Oh, how delicious)! The dog thing is funny (we sent him an ultrasonic whistle that emits a sound to keep dogs away) and actually works pretty well. Yeah so thanks for everything. I also got a bunch of letters so thanks to everyone for those!! Yeah so Mom you can calm down the package was all there with the Drugs...oh I mean Hot Chocolate and everything. (Okay, an explanation about the drug reference. Eric didn't get his package in time for Christmas. Brenda was discouraged about it and wondered if she shouldn't have sent the homemade hot chocolate mix - a powder - as part of the package. She was concerned that authorities could have mistaken it for some kind of drugs initially.)

Other than that this week was kinda slow. Oh well it`s still really good here and we just got a bunch of new investigators from references from members. So we definitively have our work cut out for us. One though I'm not sure is interested cause we came by and he said sorry I don`t have time I'm listening to music haha. So we'll see. 

We also had my baptism! I had to say it twice though. It wan`t my fault though!! I asked his name and he told me. When I used what he told my and finished the whole thing the Bishop stopped me. Apparently on the paper his name was different. So I ended up having to use the name on the paper which was weird...not the name he said was his so whatever. 

Afterwards I got baptized too!! The plug was broken so I had to get in and fix it haha. Oh and I realized we're really spoiled in the states. We have nice warm water in the fonts but here it`s freezing!! Oh well that's not important I guess. Other than that nothing really happened that I can remember. I basically told you everything on the phone.

Thanks again for the awesome package and all the candy. The ties are awesome. I was really excited for that third tie until I opened it and realized it was just service gloves....psh. Ha oh well I'll probably use them and they're really nice. I could have used them awhile ago when we dug fence posts and I got a blister on everyone of my fingers. And who knows I'll probably use them mostly for goalie gloves when we play soccer. Alright thanks everyone.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TODOS!!

Merry Christmas!

It kinda stinks that I didn't get your package but oh well. I got the one from Aunt Angie so thank you soooo much! It`s really weird it`s Christmas Eve already. Tomorrow besides talking to you guys I`m not doing anything. Today though apparently my comp scheduled 4 dinner appointments and so we`re going to try and do that....But yeah it should be fun. I really want that snow!! It`s really hot right now and snow looks way nice. I've never missed snow and cold before but Curtis enjoy it while you can. I also miss all the Christmas food. Here it`s just the same eggs beans and tortillas. But hey we can call them Tortillas de Navidad. 

Well as this week goes it was alright. It was a lot of the same stuff. Just teaching people and contacting. That`s always good though. The other Elder`s had their Christmas Dinner in the ward and they invited us. We found out the only reason they invited us though is so we could sing with them in front of everyone. I've just kinda got used to that now though. We have to sing like everywhere. 

Oh yeah also the kid with a baptismal date had his interview this week and is going to be baptized this Saturday!! And he told our District Leader he wants me to do it!! So it will be my first baptism ever. I'm really excited. Mostly because that means I probably won`t have to confirm him. It's going to be awesome. 

We also got a fecha with a girl who we've been teaching for awhile. She`s going to be baptized the 13th of January and she came to Church this week. She has a friend who is already a member but inactive. I'm thinking we might get them both to come to church but I guess we`ll see. 

I forgot to mention this Sunday an older man came to church with one of our members. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and wants to get baptized! Ha yeah so that`s really cool too. We haven't taught him yet but I'm thinking he`ll be pretty open to the Gospel. I swear we need to contact more to replace all these investigators we're baptizing. Haha ok just kidding but talking about contacting I got dad's letter today about his advice and yeah that's a good idea. We`ll have to try that more. 

Also tell Grandma that I'm getting her letters. Well I think. If dad is still writing me every week I don`t know because I only got one today. I guess the Guatemalan mail system is just really bad. Oh well I'm sure I'll get them eventually. Well that`s pretty much my week. nothing insane happened...Oh well that I can tell you guys hahaha.

Ok well I just want to say thanks to everyone who has sent me a letter and say MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Have fun in the states where Christmas means so much more than just Fireworks at 12 tonight. It actually means something of significance. 

Ok well that's everything. I can`t wait to talk to you guys tomorrow! I hope you like your new area Briana and tell Herrmana. Longoria I say hi from Guatemala. That really is weird she is your companion. (Eric was with Briana's companion while he was in the MTC.) Oh also have fun in Disneyland. Bye everyone and enjoy the holiday`s without me!! :)

The Good Life in Zacapa, Guatemala

Gorgeous night view of Zacapa from Eric's apartment balcony

Hello family. It has been good here in Zacapa. It's a weird feeling it being December and all but still using short sleeves and sweating every day. I definitely kinda miss snow but hey only two winters here so not too bad. It`s weird my first change is already over. I was only a five week one though but still it was fast.

Well this week was a good one I would say. We did divisions (companion exchanges), and me and Elder Tuckfield and survived!! We taught a couple of good lessons to new investigators and they seemed to go really good. We were able to answer all their questions and everything so I`m happy with it. The one thing is I definitely like my area much better than his. It`s far away and even hotter cause there`s no shade anywhere. Oh and none of the streets are paved. Oh well. 

This week was our Christmas devotional too. The President came and we watched a slide show and stuff. It was pretty cool. This week we had our first baptism! It was really good....Well OK, no one showed up for an hour and she forgot extra clothes to change into so she had to run back home, and by run I mean walk really slow cause her leg isn't the best apparently. But it ended up being really good I think. People showed up and it was good. 

Eric's response to mom - she asked why his bed wasn't made in another pic

Later that night was the ward Christmas dinner. The food didn't show up for a really long time and so me, my comp, and two other missionaries had to try to fill the time just by talking about Christmas experiences and stuff. It was interesting but ended up being pretty good. The food finally showed up and we had two new investigators there who seem pretty interested. One that night how he could become a missionary! Pretty cool. 

Alright Sunday was the worst. OK it wasn't terrible but it was interesting. We went up to confirm her and I was told that the Bishop was probably going to do it. But when he asked her who she wanted to do it she looked right at me and said "Èl" (Him). I kinda freaked out but luckily I had kinda practiced the first part before. But it was really hard when I did the blessing part because I've never even done one in English. Now I had to do one in Spanish in front of the entire ward. 

Well all I can say is it was kinda short and wasn't the best probably but all that matters is I did the first part right. That day we had a lesson with one of our other investigators and got another Baptismal date! It`s for the 29th this month and I definitely think he`ll be ready. I`m excited but I`m just hoping I don`t have to confirm again.

The Elders ran into Santa and this off-limits elf

That night me and my comp got a picture with a street Santa which was funny. I`ll send the picture. He wasn't expecting the elf to put her arm around him so his face is kinda funny.

Oh yeah I completely skipped a part. Sunday after church we went to a funeral for someone who had died in another ward. The service was good but after was weird. Everyone went outside and then we all slowly walked down the street behind the car with the casket all the way to the cemetery  I guess that`s normal here cause no one seemed too mad when we completely backed up traffic for really far. I don`t think we could get away with that in the States. The graveyards here are different too. No one is buried but they have all these house looking things that they`re put in. It`s kinda cool but literally looks like a neighborhood that is really really religious. Well that was pretty much my week.

I haven`t gone to the city or anything and no one has brought packages. So I have no idea if it has gotten here. I should get it this week though but we`ll see. I was told we got them at the Christmas devotional but no one got anything cause no one brought them. The easiest way to call is I`ll probably call Christmas eve real quick just to get a time. On Christmas I`ll call again just to let you know I can but then you need to call me back on that number cause it`s really expensive here. Hope that works. Why didn't you do cool gingerbread things when I was at home?!?! psh whatever just save all the fun for Curtis haha. 

Christmas here is definitely different. A lot of people do decorate their houses though which is cool. Even our building has a bunch of lights on it. I haven`t seen a nativity really but I think they`re probably normal. The different thing is a lot of people think Christmas is the 24th because they stay up all night that night and then at midnight they do a ton of fireworks. The fireworks are super cheap her and super big so there`s a lot. Every night we get a show haha. Well that`s about it. I`ll give you some pictures which are pretty cool.    

I'm Mitt Romney and I Approve This Message

Yeah I´m not counting down or anything but I have only ten days left in the MTC until I find out my first area and companion! I can't wait but I do really like it here still. It´s weird cause yesterday we got our ninth week schedule and there is all of our field workshop's on it.

I can't wait to leave and actually start teaching real people! We get to go contacting again on tuesday but this time with no Latino companions. I will just be with my normal companion the whole time and we´ll just have to try to stumble our way through messages. 

I´m not sure what area we'll go to this time. Apparently there´s places here a lot poorer than the last one so maybe we'll go there. 

That´s cool you guys had a good halloween. Here we went pretty much as crazy as you could go as missionaries. I wore a orange tie and Elder Steed wore a black tie. Yeah I know nuts right? 

This week nothing really special happened besides being the AP. The president is really cool. He is from the States and oh yeah haha this is funny he lived in Bend for a long time and knows some people like Max Williams, the Larsons and some others I can't remember. Every interview with him I find out someone new. It´s pretty funny. 

Hmmm what else. I´m glad Briana is doing good. That´s too bad that guy hasn't come to church. I bet that´s pretty hard. But that´s also cool about the lady who stopped you. I can't wait to be in the field and do stuff like that. Also I'm glad Romney is still doing good. 

I heard about the hurricane. That crazy. It hit New York right? I wonder if I'll ever be in a hurricane here. That would be awesome but at the same time terrible. 

But I can't stop thinking about the election! It´s this week! My next letter the first thing better be the winner. Unless it´s Obama then just forget it cause our lives are over anyway. 

Ok I seriously don't have very much to write about because this week was basically all classes. On letters I've started putting the address for my mission home cause they say it takes about 12 days to get here so any sent from this point on should go there. Crazy right? 

(,,,in response to Brenda's letter...) Hmmm for Christmas what do I want? I thought about asking you to send me some new English Scriptures. I really should've got new ones before cause they're pretty old but I don't think so. I doubt you would be able to anyways and hopefully I'll get to the point when I'm mostly reading Spanish anyway. But I just definitely need candy. Hmmm what else, yeah I don't really need anything so it´s hard to think of stuff. Well I guess surprise me because I can't think. That´s weird you have to send it so early. People have gotten packages here in like two weeks or less. 

I'll have a lot to say in my next email probably. I hope your jobs are going well. Is Curtis enjoying High School and Band? He better be. That´s weird he didn't go trick or treating. Oh well as long as he had fun. Oh I just realized what I want for Christmas!! My cell phone! Don't worry I won't tell anyone. Ha ok just kidding but I got to be honest I kinda miss it.

Ok well I got to go. Give Romney my best wishes and all the luck I have haha. He better win or I might stay here after my mission. I actually bet that would help us get in some doors. Hmmmm actually maybe not here people might not know about him. Alright bye