Email from July 29

 Hey!!!

We will not get bikes here. That's kind of guaranteed! So we just walk or take the public bus system. It's awesome, especially the buses. Walking is hard because we're literally on the side of a mountain. But to be specific about my area, it's El Caminero.

I'll take the picture today or something. Sometime this week for sure!

We get up here at 5:30 to do exercises. Then return home at 9. I never thought I'd sweat so much, it's crazy. But it's a good thing I have these handkerchiefs! (no idea how to spell)

So last week, I went on splits with my District Leader, Elder Hansen. He's awesome. We worked hard, and I impressed him! I impressed him with how hard I work, I'm not afraid to talk to people, and my Spanish impressed him! He says I'll probably be a leader after 2 more changes. Wow. That would literally be crazy! But if the Lord and Mission President see it fit, I'll accept it. But only time will tell!

Thursday mornings are so long. We wake up at 5:30, exercise til 6, prepare til 7, personal study til 8, comp study til 10, language study til 11, weekly planning til 1, then we leave for lunch. That's 5.5 hours in the apartment! Way too long!!!!! I just want to get out and work.

We've had hardcore toilet problems. For a whole day and a half, all 3 of the bathrooms in our Apartment were broken. All three. It was crazy! It was something to do with the pipes being clogged with something. But Aragon made this clever invention. He cut a 3 Liter soda bottle (they don't sell 2 Liters here) in half. Then he kind of used it as you would use a blunger without the wooden handle. It worked like a charm!

We met one day with a less active family. The dad's mom was visiting from Boston. She's not a member, so we decided to give her a lesson. At the end, we got her address in Boston. It was awesome! So we're going to give her address to missionaries in the area that speak Spanish.

We have a recent convert here named Hermana Rosa. She owns a little panaderia that sells American Donuts. She said that every time we visit, she'll give us a free donut! So you better believe we visit pretty often! They are so good, and FREE!

I've started to do a little cooking these days. Just grilled cheese. I'm getting pretty elegant. Grilled cheese is way better than just plain ham and cheese sandwiches.

Yesterday, for Pday, we went to Zona 1! That's the same place that has the huge market. We went there while in the CCM. I had to buy a few things, like a bag and such. Then I bought a couple souvenirs. I hope and pray to visit something like the market right before I leave to come home, so I can load up!!! But we went to Wendy's for lunch! Spent about 72 Qetzals. That's as much as I spend for 5 days of lunch with my cook. But it was so good!!! Got a good ole baconator, fries, sprite, and a chocolate frosty. YUM!

Listen to Army of Helaman in Spanish. It's like 'El Ejercito de Helaman'. It sounds so much cooler than the English one! Just saying.

Mosiah 2:27 (not sure exactly) is one of my favorite scriptures. It's when Rey de Benjamin is giving his discurso a la gente en su reino. El esta hablando sobre el servicio. And how we will always be indebted a Dios, nuestro Creador. In this verse, it says, that God gave us everything and what not. All He asks in return is to keep His commandments. That's it. For all we have, He just asks us to keep the commandments. Simple, really.

Pues, I love you guys. Yall are so good to me. I pray for yall daily and feel the strength of your prayers!!

Se cuida,
--Elder Hunt

Scripture Pictures

Elder Santiago's CCM companion drew these in Santiago's scriptures. They are of the Title of Liberty. 

 Alma 46

2 Nefi 22 (2 Nephi 22)

Email from July 21

Splits with the Zone Leader was good. He's a pretty cool dude, from Spanish Fork, Utah. So we were talking in English and teaching in Spanish. (more of Spanglish really. It has become hard to talk in solo English). AND WE DIDN'T EVEN GET LOST!! YEA! That means I'm getting used to the area and the bus system!

So here's a crazy rule of just this mission. I can't email other missionaries that are in this mission! So like a couple buddies I made in this mission that are serving here in City Central, I can't email them. That's sad, I really wanted to swap stories during this two years about the craziness here.

This P-Day, we went and got haircuts. I am not in America. This definitely was not SportsClips!! This guy was awesome though. He kind of shaved the side of my head with normal clippers. Then he went CRAZY with scissors and a comb on the top of my head. Then he used a straight razor (like the ones in razors for your face or legs except it was just the blade) to line me up around the edges. It was awesome.

I don't know if this word is common for other missions, but there are things called 'Snakes'. These are Hermanas that will accept a message from the missionaries just because we're handsome young men. This mainly happens to us North Americans. It's really funny, but can be really awkward. They never keep commitments, but will always have us back to teach over and over.

We don't have any baptisms this week. That's actually quite sad. I feel like we haven't been working the right way. So the other day, I talked to my comp about needing to work more effectively as opposed to working harder and harder. Sometimes, I feel I have to take the Senior Companion role in this companionship. But I guess I gotta do what I gotta do to get the work done.

Let me talk a little bit about prayers here in Guatemala. I love them. So we asked this one Hermana to pray. It was the end of lesson. We taught her through her window while we stood in the rain. At the end, she prayed. She started by saying 'Buenas noches, Padre.' What?! What's the next question going to be 'Como estas?' It was so hard not to laugh when she said it. It was fantastic.

Then there's Prayer Competitions. There's one lesson especific. We were teaching 3 Hermanas, all above the age of 35. At the end, Elder Aragon asked a joven to pray for us. So he started to pray. Then all three of the Hermanas started praying out loud too. It was like they were competing to see who could pray louder. Literally. They were like yelling and all this stuff. So funny! It went on for like 4-5 minutes.

I love this people!

My cook reminds me of mom. I don't know if I have said that before. But especially yesterday. We went to have lunch. I was biting my nails (like always). Then she got on to me! Telling me to stop (just like mom). Then I started biting my nails again a couple minutes later and she gave me a look (just like mom). It was just like I was dealing with mom again!

Also, I've found great comfort in my Patriarchal Blessing this past week. I read it for the first time since being in the field. I have started using that as scripture for me personally. I invite all to prayerfully read their Patriarchal Blessings. They are so beautiful and are from God for our lives. So read them!!

I pray for you guys always. I love reading your emails and finding out about life in America. I can't believe I have already been in the field for a month! I have more than 2 months on the mission! Wow, time flies. I'll be home in no time. It doesn't even make sense.

Keep praying. Keep reading your scriptures. (I start reading Jacob 5 tomorrow morning. Yes, I've made it past the Isaiah Chapters in Spanish! They were killer. But after those Isaiah chapters, it's almost like smooth sailing.)

I love you guys so much!!!
-God Bless America,
----Elder Hunt