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Sunday, August 28, 2011

August 22, 2011

Week 2! Hello everyone! I love times infinity because I recieved your dear elders! Thank you so much for everything! My companion was jealous because I received so much! :) I really want to write all of you back, but the problem is it would take like 184351387 years for you to get them because they have to go through the mission office and I only go there once every couple weeks. So I'm just going to include all of you in this email! :)

Megan Clements: I am so glad that you found a job! Keep working hard and have a blast at BYU this semester and don't forget to keep me updated on yours and Katies shananigans! :)

McCall Hunt: I yelled when I read that you want to serve a mission! I am SOOOOOOOO happy for you! A mission will strengthen your testimony time a zillion. It has already strengthened mine more than I thought possible. If you are lacking the spirit, praying, reading your scriptures, or my favorite, listen to church music! I always feel the spirit when I listen to church music. I love you and miss you like crazy!!!!

Brother and Sister Beach: tell Tricia I said hi and I miss her!  Thank you so much for the pictures! They are awesome! Tell your primary class thank you for me and that they are awesome!

Kennedy! Mud volleyball sounds fun! lets play when i get back! and dont get too bored ok? unless its because you are missin me! then its ok :) i miss you and love you and cant wait to hear from you again

Aubrey! Please send me a package with you in it!! But if you can't I´ll take whatever you want to send me :) I miss you here in guacemole (speaking of which, I like guacemole now) and I love you like crazy and miss you always. keep writing me!!!!

Ashley! Keep takin pictures! Even if its not for business. I'm sure you'll find a happy medium. Also, thank you for the movie update. Watch the movies with me when i get back mkay? And finally, if a mission isn't in the cards, its not in the cards. Just don't push something that isn't going to happen okay? Miss you and love you!

Wendy! Keep studying girl! you are going to do great things with your life. But dont forget to have fun too. I miss you and love you and can't wait to see you and tell carmen I said hi!

Mary and Derek and Darcy and Sherman (and Pancho)
I love you all and miss you like crazy and appreciate the marathon letter. and please send me a small gnome! I would love that forver! Can't wait to see pictures of you! :)

Michelle and Kasey! Thank you for your letter. It sounds like you are doing great. I am doing great too,. and miss you guys. Can't wait to hear from you again soon! Love you! and tell everyone I said hey! Oh and Kasey is going to be a great nurse!

That is all the time i have :( but I will update everyone with my life next week. just know that I am doing fine and miss everyone! Love you!

Friday, August 19, 2011

August 15, 2011

Greetings from the crazy, crazy world of Guatemala! It is my first week in the field and things are already crazy, but definitely in a good way. So on Tuesday we left the MTC, and there were 18 of us in total who left, 7 gringos and 11 latinos. They took us to the area in the mission where the APs live to stay for the night until the next day when we would receive our first areas and trainers. The area is called Boca del Monte. It was a very poor area but the people were great. We went tracting that first night. I went with a nuevo Laino and an expierenced Latino. So no English for me :) we tracted until about 7 when they asked us to return for dinner and get ready for bed. The APs miscounted how many missionaries were there so they bought to many pizzas. We each ended up getting our own pizza which was good because I was starving. haha. The people at the MTC forgot to tell us to pack an overnight bag so we didnt have shampoo, towels, or toothbrushes. Oh well, we survived somehow.

The next day we woke up and went to this giant stake center where all the missionaries were. I got my trainer and first area! My area is in Villa Hermosa and it is called Ciudad Real. It is in the capital. It is a very, very poor area but the people are crazy and nice, especially to a 6 foot 2 white pellirojo kid, or in meters, thats about 1.95 meters. The only way I can accurately describe this place is like China Town San Francisco, but Guatemalan style. Its nuts. Anyway. My trainers name is Elder Lagos. That´s Spanish for lakes. And yes. He´s a Latino. 18 new missionaries and 3 latino trainers and I got one. Just my luck! But it´s great. He is from Honduras and doesn't speak a word of english. (well he does now because I taught him) so from the minute I wake up, to the minute I go to bed, it´s Spanish, all the time. Spanish. But it´s good, our area is fairly big considering we walk everywhere. The members though are amazing and many of the kids are learning english so they are always trying to speak English with me. But it´s great.

We already have a baptism set up! Crazy huh? Unfortunately I didn't do much of the work. It´s a mother and son and their names are Kony and Dicxon. Her husband passed away. Elder Lagos and Elder Richards (Elder Lagos companion before me) already had the baptsm date set up but I have helped confirm it. It is set for next weekend so hopefully everything goes well. We have a lot of other investigators but none that are progressing at the rate we would like them to. We have met a couple people who could be hopefuls because they are humble and want to learn but I´m still new so we haven't had very many lessons with them. So pray for them! :)

The next thing I want to talk about is the weather. The weather is CrAzY. While in the MTC, it would rain. But I have never, EVER experienced the rain like I have the past couple of days. There are not words in the English dictionary that can accurately describe the thunderstorms the past couple of days. But I will try. The rain comes down so hard that you cant even hear yourself think. The lightning is a constant event that lights up the night sky, all the time. And the thunder, it doesn't thunder, it crashes. I have never heard thunder like that in my life. And when it thunders and I have the urge to scream like a child and run back to the appartment, there are women and children who hardly notice it. In other words. Holy heck. it´s crazy.

My appartment is nice. It is large, especially only for the two of us that live there. There is running water and the shower actually does have hot water. Well thats about it in the shower. 2 options: scalding hot, or freezing. The first day I chose freezing which was a mistake. Now I take scalding hot showers because hot water is hot water right? And we even have a cocinera! She´s the best. Her name is Lety (pronounced Lady) and she is a member. She cooks lunch for us everyday. We are so lucky because I have learned that other missionaries in my district don't have cocineras and there are even a couple missionaries that have to use buckets to shower.  That would be the worst ever.

Now I know what you are thinking, where are the pictures you promised us Elder Yates?! I regret to inform you that I forgot my camera at the appartment. Please accept my apology with a promise that I will definitely send some pics next week. I do apologize. But I would love to here everything that is going on in your lives. Please let me know! Keep those dearelders coming! I love you all more than words can describe and I cant wait to see you beautiful smiling faces in just over 21 months. Stay tuned for my next letter home with pictures! :)

Finally, there is a word here that is hilarious. Everyone here says it. The word is ´puchica´ It means like wow/cool/dangit/oh my heck. So start saying it there! Like "awww puchica" when something doesn't go quite right. :) It's fun. Oh and the word calidad means like cool or sweet. so put that word in your vocab too! Love you all and will write again soon! Love you all!

Elder Yates

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

August 8, 2011

Hello everyone!

This letter unfortuneately isn't going to be very long again because they are only giving us 20 minutes today to write home. But today is August 8th which marks my 2 month mark! AHHHH so crazy. Only 22 quick months to go, or if you want to think about it like this, only 22 more fast sundays left! ;) And tomorrow I go into the mission field! AHHHHHH I´m so scared! It is so weird! Especially since many of my amigos that came into the MTC around the same time as me, David Hymas, Daniel Lynn, Kevin Christeansen, Tyler Hubbard, are either done, or almost done! That is so weird to me! Just know that I am doing great and I am really excited/scared about tomorrrow but I know that it is going to be great. The next email back should be a lot longer as well as contain pictures (hopefully). The CCM here was a great experience and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to come here. Also, know that if you want to send me a dearelder, you have to click on Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission and it should still be for free. I love getting your letters so keep sending them! I love you all and hope to hear from you soon! Keep praying and reading your scriptures!

Love, Elder Yates

Sunday, August 7, 2011

August 3, 2011

 Hello everyone!

So this one is going to be quick cuz I don't have much time but this week I went proselyting! It was great! We unfortunately weren't able to go to the plaza because it was raing really hard so we just went around the MTC and contacted people on the street and knocked on peoples doors! It was great! We talked to like 30 people and even gave out a whole bunch of Books of Mormon to people.  Me and Elder Johansen went together. Two gringos! So crazy. The spirit was very strong. Unfortunately this is all I have time for but next week I will be in the field and will write more next week. I love all of you and know this church is true. Please read 1 Nefi 15: 13 and 14. it is about the work I am doing right now! So crazy! I love you all and will talk to you soon!

Love, Elder Yates