Monday, November 26, 2012

HOLY COW!!!!! This week was super nuts!!!! I will start with last monday and work my way through the week.

I am getting along really well with my comp. and since he is from Guatemala, he speaks in Vos. Dad will have to explain what that is, but I am learning to speak vos. Its like, usted is super formal, and tu is with friends, and vos is even more informal. Like, we speak in vos to investigators and President, but tu to the Mexicans and vos to the Ventro Americanos. In Guatemala to speak in vos to someone of the same gender and age signifies that you´re gay, so we speak in vos. There is also another Elder, Elder Herrera, from Mexico, who is Sorensens new comp, and we get along great too.

Well, we got home from Pday on monday, and I went out to wash clothes. normal pday thing. I got to our pila area, and found a surprise waiting for me. A two foot Guyrobo!!! It´s like an iguana....but doesn´t live in water. It only lives in hot areas. Well, they are fast, and bite, so we were careful not to get to close....but you can´t just leave a live, angry guyrobo in our pila room. So we caught it. but we didn´t really think through what we were going to do when we caught it. We had the help of elders Esparza and Mendoza....So of course, we took it to the guy who makes stuff out of lizard skin in our area. And of course....the four of us thought....wouldn´t it be lovely to have four key chains out of the skin of this beautiful animal that we just happen to have in captivity.? I think the four of us were of agreement in that point. Oh, and then the guy mentions....hey, you know these are great for eating! they taste like chicken, he tells us.

Chicken, huh???

Anybody else wondering what came next???

Yeah, I ate lizard.

It was really good!!!!! and I ate most of it, too.

And yes, this story did end well- we have keychains!!!!!!!

The other elders in our area had their house broken into Monday, so we spent Tuesday helping them move. We live in the same apartment complex, but President won´t let us live in the same house, even though it´s big enough for four of us. Idk why, but whatever. We practically live together.

We also had zone conference on Friday. They announced some new rules, like....

Sisters can no longer knock doors, and that rule will soon extend to elders.

We have to have 25 lessons with members every week- that means teaching investigators with a member helping. our normal is about 6.

We have to walk with Book of Mormon in our hand. Which I would do, except nobody has Books of Mormon. They are harder to find than a ....well, every analogy I came up with was slightly offensive, so just know that they are hard to find...anyway, I will be complying with that rule as soon as I have a Book of Mormon to use. Like, we have none to give to investigators, which makes teaching really!!!!!!! hard. 

Also, Elders can´t baptize anymore!!!! Nope!!! and that is a SUPER good thing, because that means that we will be getting the members to do it, which means that they will be helping us.

We also had stake conference yesterday, and it was way good!! President Hernandez spoke, and sort of shaved the members for not helping us or feeding us. A shaving is like a reprimanding. Bajar la cana. algo asi.

This week, due to all of our conferences, was sort of hard to go to appointments, as all of this left little time to work. But, we did have the chance to visit Carlos and Karla, they called and asked for us to come over. I was going to go over that day anyways, but I knew that it was the spirit that was telling me that when they called. They are starting to see the trials that come, and are sort of worried. I shared some scriptures, and so did Caal, and I feel like they were helped. I definitely could feel the spirit in that house, and it was a very comforting feeling. they definitely needed some help and comfort, especially Karla.

And in respect to the guy who can´t get baptized because he isn´t married....we found a bunch more problems with his marriage. First, he is from a town ten hours from here, and has to go there to take out his paper that says he is single.  He lost is id card when he was drunk months ago, and he has two kids out of his seven that aren´t registered, and to get married, you have to have all the birth certificates of all the kids in common. We are just working to get him close right now.

On another good note, remember Pamela, the girl whose mom wouldn´t give her permission to get baptized?? well, Pamela got baptized, right? guess who we are teaching now????

If you guessed her mother, Juanita, you guessed correctly!!!!

Yeah, I never would have thought that would happen. She has been to church three times, is reading the Book of Mormon, and is praying, and we are praying and fasting that she gets an answer. I know she will, I just hope that she recognizes it and accepts it.

Well, thats about all this week. We have been working with the members a lot more....I hope they open up and it can function. 

I love you guys. I am glad you are all okay, and are safe. I pray for you guys all the time.  

Love you all!!!!!

Elder Zach Glassett

Dinner Before ......

 Dinner Before....

Dinner After ....

Dinner After.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Hey Family!!! This week was good!!! It was sorta sad, but mostly good stuff.

So, we had changes this week!!!! We spent all day tuesday saying goodbye to people for Nava....and then waited in suspense to see where he was going. and who my new comp was going to be. Well, Nava went to UYUCA, which is the most dangerous zone in the mission, and is opening an area. His knee is acting up again, because the city is all hills. huge hills. Also, there are only two areas in that zone where white elders are allowed, so I hope I go there!!! I think it would be fun.

My new comp is Elder Caal, from Guatemala. He is pretty chill, I like working with him. He is really cool. We get along pretty good, so its fun. He has 13 months in the mission.

I went to Teguc Wednesday, and I am glad I did. It was in the 70´s there, and it was FREEZING!!! was so cold. But another Elder that came with me, De Araujo, a Brasileño, is in our zone, and he is chill. Also, Elnicky left.  He is in Teguc as well.

Thursday, we didn´t have many citas, so we contacted. We found some people, and some decently positive ones, but nothing huge. Big announcement of the week is that Pamela, the girl we baptized....her mom is debating the whole baptism thing, but for her...HER MOM MIGHT GET BAPTIZED...Let me rephrase that. her mom will get baptized. maybe she doesn´t know it yet, but she will. Friday, we took Pamela with us to help us in a lesson of one of her classmates, and holy cow!!! that girl spits fire. She told us after that she wants to go on a mission, and I honestly.....holy cow. she will make a fantastic missionary.

Saturday, all of our cita´s fell through, except for Cristino. He is awesome!!!! We found him contacting, taught him the plan of salvation. His son passed away a few years ago, and he felt responsible because his son needed help, but he couldn´t help him because he was bolo. That means drunk. and bolo is like, so drunk you have no clue what is going on. He felt guilty. We taught him the plan, and invited him to come to church, which he did. We invited his wife, but she is Catholic, and Catholics are super stubborn. So much tradition in that church. Well he wants to get baptized he can´t because he isn´t married, and since his wife isn´t getting baptized with him, we can´t help pay for anything. The mission has a fund to help people get married, but only if both are going to do it. So we have to wait till he has money. he also has to get a paper of being single (my English brain struggles these days) but he was born like 12 hours from here, and that´s where you have to sacar it. He used to be bolo like every day, but hasn´t touched alcohol in three weeks. Comes to church every Sunday, reads the Book of Mormon, and prays. Just can´t get baptized.

Saturday night was a YSA activity, and we were invited to come play soccer, so we thought it would be a chill evening.  It was actually a tournament in this side of the stake for ysa´s from different wards, with a 500 lempira prize, and the elders weren´t incleded. We filled in for a more or less friendly game, against a different ward. It was fun, but they didn´t really try. I did have some people tell me that for a gringo, I was really good. People are always so surprised by a gringo that plays soccer here. Makes me laugh.

Yesterday we had to be inside all day. They had national primaries, where they pick the party leaders for elections next year. So we went to a member's house in another Elders' area, and watched church movies. It was okay. we honestly couldn´t do anything outside. No working. Danli, another zone, has been in their houses from Thursday till tomorrow, because they had problems with narcos there and a whole bunch got arrested, and it was super sketchy.  UYUCA has been inside since Saturday til Tuesday. Elections are sketchy here.

Interesting news from here. I met an elder Lawson from Colorado that is related to Mark and Renata. cool stuff. I have been drinking máte everyday with lunch, love it!!!! My favorite thing ever!!!! Makes me think of when I used to drink with dad every day at the office......

Well, that is pretty much it. this week was sort of weird with changes....so we didn´t do much, and combined with yesterday, eh. next week will be better, I promise.

I love you all!!!! I should be sending a package home with some letters for some people and Christmas stuff soon....hopefully. but it might not get there before Christmas so we shall see.

Love you all!!!! be safe

Elder Zach Glassett

Monday, November 12, 2012

Hola fam!!! You should all appreciate the snow, as I get none here. and Cody, the subject is a song line....band from England. Somewhere only we know is another one of their songs. Trivia for the week.

Mason- Hope that the hat business goes well. I am sure that you will make some great hats, and would love to have one, but I would never ever use it here. EVER. are you done with soccer?? how did the season end?? are you playing indoor??? Hope that the boombox is playing good stuff. like fun. or fall out boy. or panic! at the disco. Listen to some music for me, yeah??

Cody-dude, no shirt November?? what is this, jerseyshore?? try no shirt June or July, that might bring better results. Try ¨wear a winter coat November¨, that will bring people to your cause. Hope that the mustache is going well. DUDE, you must be a beast on the drums if you keep up with Mike Fuentes. Have you heard their newest stuff?? is it any good?? save me a copy, yeah?

Erin, you´re right. Basketball....ehh. not really that fun. But yoga Tuesday, whoa now. you might need a few minutes to decompress after so much excitement in your life. Try and keep a lid on it, yeah??

Dad- holy cow, that new line is BURSTING with fruit!! Still sucks to hear about your back. Too bad I am not there to do all the heavy lifting like last time, huh??

Mom.  It is good to hear that the weather is crazy, here it´s more of the same, except dry and hot. By taken care of for my birthday, I mean I have people who are going to cook Melanesa and Tres Leches, so I will be good.

Well, this week was sort of long. Neither Nava nor I really had the ganas to work much, because he is leaving on Wednesday. we visited a whole bunch of members. We played a joke on some other missionaries, and had a baptism, and I had a really cool spiritual experience.

Well, for the joke. Two other elders, Peña and Vasquez, live across the carretera from us, and we had to go get baptismal clothes from them. So we walked over to their house. We passed them at a pulperia, and they didn´t see us. Well, we know that they always leave their door only semi locked, but you can open it from the window, so we did. Hid behind the door. They still hadn´t seen us. They tried to open the door, didn´t work. Peña says, "Why did you lock the door?" and Vasquez says, I didn´t, we left at the same time. Peña tries to open it, and Nava pushes me into it, so it closes. they try to open it again, but Nava pushes me again, and the two of them take off running, ¨There is someone inside!!!¨ Well, we came out, and found out that they were going to call the cops, and then get a knife from a neighbor. it was hysterical to say the least. 

 

We also had a carne asada Friday night!! It was amazing!!! So good. I sent pictures of the food. Love it. Nordeli made it, we paid for the meat, and she cooked.

We also had a baptism, but I don´t have pictures, because my camera died. Nava will send me pictures next week. so I will send them then.  Pamela, our two month investigator, finally got baptized. Hallelujah. I was so happy. I have put so many tears and prayers into this one, so I am glad it finally worked out. her mom is starting to come around too, she has been to church twice now.

So, when we were talking to our converts this week, all of them were talking about how spiritual and strong Nava is, but I was getting nothing. I felt like Nava could have taught them with a mute Elder Glassett, and they still would have gotten baptized. Seriously. Nava defended me a few times, and it helped, but still, I was doubting. ´Do I really not bring the spirit´? So I prayed for a few days straight, and tried to really bring the spirit, and it finally worked. We were talking with Carlos, and I bore my testimony. Santa VACA, the spirit was strong. I shared with him the part from my patriarchal blessing, and we were both in tears at the end of it. I knew in that moment that I had brought some spirit into that house. He should be getting ordained to the office of elder the 24th, and he and his wife are asking about when they can go do baptisms for the dead for his family!!!!! HE is GOLDEN, and so is his family.

Well, I love you guys. I am grateful for you all, and TAKE ADVANTAGE of the SNOW!!! I don´t get that for two years, so GO SKI!!! FETCH!!!!

Love you all !!!!

Zach

I am hoping the bbq grill, but more likely it is the family stove.

Before ......... 

After... :)

 

Monday, November 5, 2012

A huge apology from Paula.  I put all the info on the blog, but forgot to finish by hitting the "publish" button.  Good news.  If you read this in the next few days, you will get double letters.  So sorry!

We were in San Marcos de Colon, which is an hour outside of our zone, but is where Beesley and Martinez are. Super cool!!! We visited an old Spanish fort, and played soccer on a big field. So great!! This week was all sorts of good, I will explain in a second.

Well, my time is short, but here is what happened this last week.

So, remember a few weeks ago, I told you about that lawyer that died, and how his wife was left with their six kids, ...  So the mom, Nancy, left. Nobody knows where. She was one of the strongest people I have ever met in my life, and was the Sunday school teacher. I think the whole ward is reeling.

Also, Carlos, the man who got baptized, is pilas.  ( Note:  I think that means awesome) He bore his testimony to us yesterday. Holy cow, that man is amazing. He said something interesting....

¨You two have been a light in my life.¨ Funny, I think my patriarchal blessing sounds similar.. . . .He and his wife asked when they can go through the temple. and he will be the second counselor in the ym organization. Yeah. He is amazing. I can´t even begin to describe the spirit that you feel in his home...it´s incredible.

To go along with good things, you remember Pamela, the 15 year old who we couldn´t baptize because her mom kept saying no? Well,....she is getting baptized next Saturday!!!! I fasted for it on Sunday, and she was praying a ton.....and her mom gave her permission. Nava´s last baptism in this area, I am so glad she will get baptized before he leaves.

I am sending some pictures from today. Me with Beesley and Martinez, his comp, in the fort. and me with some of the other missionaries on the wall. You should be able to see tags. Elnicky is there, with Sorensen, his comp, the tall red head. He is from draper, went to Draper, knows the Allans.

And, mom, I know how much you love Monet´s water lilies. Well, there was a little pond with water lilies, so I included on of the photos from the pond.

Also, I know how much mom loves Enrique Iglesias. Well, he has a song called, Cuando me enamoró. It´s fantastic. It´s on all the buses, so I hear it a lot. You will like it, even if it is in Spanish. Also, dad, there is a song here called Quédate. I don´t know who it´s by, but it´s on buses too, and i like it.

That´s all I got for today. I am sorry it was shorter than normal, but I don´t have a whole lot of time.

I love you ALL!!!! Thank you so much for everything, and I will talk to you soon. Don´t worry, I have people taking care of me for my birthday, so don´t stress.

Love you

Elder Glassett

 

 

October 29, 2012 

So hey family!!!  Well, to begin the week, we had nobody. No new investigators. Nothing. We contacted like all day Tuesday, all lots of Thursday, and spent Friday helping two elders with their wedding for a family, and then Saturday doing baptism stuff.

We found a lady named Dulcelina Tuesday, taught her the first lesson, and it went well., She seemed enthusiastic. Sort of reminded me of Abinadi, because we started the lesson with four people, and ended with just her. only one, just like Alma. We taught her again Thursday, and she seemed pila, (?? not sure what that means) but didn´t come to church, so we have to go back Tuesday. She honestly seemed super enthusiastic, but that´s everybody´s problem. They won´t go to church. oh, she isn´t married either, which is another problem here.

We also had our wedding and baptism!!! I was so freaking happy. Carlos got the priesthood on Sunday, and stake conference is in November, so hopefully he will receive the Melchizidek priesthood then. There were FIVE weddings this weekend. Three at the same time on Saturday, one later that day, and one Friday. Scratch that. Six. One also in a different building on Saturday. There are two wards that meet in our building, and four sets of missionaries. Three elders, one sister. Me and Nava, Pena and Vasquez, Elnicky and Sorensen, and Chavez and Sanerivi- Hermana´s. Each of us had a wedding and baptisms. SO COOL. That was one of the most spiritual baptismal services I have been to. Carlos... I wish you guys could meet him. He is honestly a different man. He has a light shining out of him that you can see, and more than see you can feel. It´s amazing. They fed us some good food after the baptism, too, and that included tres leches. YES!!!

We also had lunch yesterday with the elders quorum president and his wife, and they fed us a TON!!! I was literally too stuffed to move. It was delicious too!! Beef with a sauce like a gravy, but not. It has carrots and corn and stuff in it, over rice, the meat, and then mashed potatoes, which here contain margarine and mustard. Always.

 

Yesterday, the relief society presidency wasn´t there, neither were the bishops counselors. That means we only had church for two hours. Attendance is dropping. We have gone from 130´s to 100 in two changes. We don´t get referrals. this ward has SO MUCH POTENTIAL.  The temple open house is soon, and the bishop gave second hour, and talked all about the temple, and how we need to bring people to the open house. About how these people need to be non members that the missionaries can meet with to teach them about the temple and God´s plan for families.Yeah, we should be getting a few referrals. Hopefully.

I also had an opportunity to talk with German, who is the father of Nordeli and Glenda, the ladies who used to feed us, the other night. He is a good guy that isn´t a member, and he asked a lot of really good questions.  I kept praying to be able to tie the gospel into the conversation, and it was so easy. I felt like he was lobbing the ball over the plate, and I kept smacking it into the yard where it wouldn´t ever be found, because the dog would keep it forever.  He asked me something really interesting. Asked me, ¨Do you think your parents are proud that they have a son serving God?¨ I prayed really hard for a minute, and then responded. let´s see how close I would get to mom and dad´s answer.

¨I think that my parents are grateful that they have a son who knows what he wants in his life, and that they are good things. A son that knows how to serve and how to love and how to work. A son that focuses on other people, and care´s more about what God thinks of him than what other people think of him. A son that prays and loves his family.¨

How´d I do, mom and dad???

I also almost got to play dentist, a 7 year old girl, Yanoris, the daughter of Glenda, has a loose tooth, and she is going to let me pull it. The mom doesn´t want to, and doesn´t want to take her to a dentist. So I get to. Yeah Buddy!!!

 

Carlos with new wife, Karla