Never make a deal with the Devil

 Elder Hopkins with his companion Elder Mejia from Honduras

November 28, 2011

Hey famm.

So first of all I'd like to wish Sam a feliz cumpleaños this week. Have a great one! and i think it was ricky´s birthday this past seek, so a shout out to him too.

Elder Hopkins shared an experience this week, that I am not putting on the blog, as it was quite personal and gave him a testimony of how the spirit can tell you when something or someone is not a follower of God but rather the opposite.   Ask me about it if you want to know.    (his mom) 

On a positive note, this week we found a whole bunch of new investigators, and people that are married!! Don't need a divorce, and don't need to get married! My prayers are answered!! We are trying to get members involved with these people as soon as possible, and we are hoping and praying for some results.
Also there is a big fair in our little town right now, so its super noisy at night, its cool until you have to sleep. There is like 2 feet and a pane of glass in between my head and the street where the fair is when I sleep, but luckily I've been able to sleep through most of it all .

Now I'll try to answer your questions

do you think you are losing weight? I think im mas o menos (more or less) the same as I was when I left. Yes, I only got the tailor to slim the legs of my pants, cuz you know me, I like it like that. He did nothing with the waist.
Do you ever get dinner appointments with members?  No we don't. We have a rule that we can only eat with our leaders aka the bishops, priesthood quorum presidents, ect. The work is urgent so we don't take time to eat haha. besides, most of the people here work until like 8 or 9 anyways.  
What do you cook for Sundays when you are just at home if you don't go to anyone's house? well we usually go to this one families house for lunch on sundays, but we still eat a little at home before going because they don't have tons of food, kinda poor, so we don't want to eat a lot of their food. but this sunday i ate spaghetti with some sausage things.
Did they have a "Thanksgiving" type day there? nope
Do you still go to that restaurant to eat your lunch meal? yes we do.
Do you have a lady there that does your laundry? yea
What time do you have to be in your apartment at night?its the same as every other mission. at 9 at night, unless you are teaching a lesson, then you can get home by 9 30
What's your favorite thing to eat when in your apartment and you are hungry? i like to eat yogurt and granola when i have enough money to buy it, ummm i dont know, whatever else i can find thats cheap and tasty.
Have you seen Elder Moon or Elder Davis since you got into the field?  Are they ever at any of your meetings?  (maybe next week at your special event for all the missionaries)! yeah I've seen them both a few times, but its not that often. and this special even is just going to be two zones at a time, i don't know whose in the other zone that we are having it with, so i don't know who i will see
Have you had much contact with Pres. Brough and his wife besides your weekly email to him? we have either a zone conference or interviews every change, so i see him at those.
Any more sicknesses come upon you? not really. i have a little bit of a cold, but its nothing much.

the photos i sent are of the turkeys, a pday we has as a district where we had a barbeque, and i bought a little tiny bible that i carry around now instead of having to carry around my giant other one. its great. and i just right now took a picture of me and my companion here in this iternet place cuz you wanted to see who he is ha.

oh also the next time I'm going to email you is december 9th. not next monday. and starting later in december i will be emailing every Tuesday, NOT monday. the president changed the days of pday and email and stuff.

Okay, times up.
Love you all so much!
From Guatemala, With Love,
Elder Hopkins

 Elder Hopkins holding baby turkeys - Happy American Thanksgiving!

Our district had a BBQ (love their make shift bbq from an old cement sink)

A tiny bible he bought to carry

CRAZY GUATEMALA

 

I found a Guatemalan Peewee!!  (like Parker's cat I used in my Grad Photos)

a little dog belonging to a family

Hey FAM, hows it going??

Just to let you know i got the letter you sent with your talk in it and picture of my friends. they´re all lookin great. so i never know what to say in these cuz wierd stuff seems normal to me now, and also i never want to say anything that might worry you haha, but I'm fine and safe always. i did have a funny experience this week, while teaching a man. i wrote about it in my journal so i just took photos of my journal that im sending to you so i don't have to repeat it all.

We were contacting the other night and a man passed by, and we were pretty sure he was drunk, like half the Guatemalans at night. he yelled out. you guys are mormons! and kind of lifted up his shirt to show he had a machete, and pulled it half way out. at first I'm kinda like, wow buddy, you have a machete, half the people in this town half a machete strapped to their belt at all times (because they all work in farmers fields basically) and i said what do you want, with my arms out kinda confronting him, but then i thought no thats stupid, lets just go. he followed for a little but we lost him. but i mean he's not gonna do anything, there are people around that would stop him, so don't worry!

also twice now we have been walking to this guys house at night for an appointment, but there has been people shooting in the corn fields we have to walk by, because people steal the corn, so we haven't been able to go over there for a little bit.

I tell you things not so you worry, but because you always want to know what its like down here. but we always feel safe, and always are safe. the Lord protects us.
The other day we were on this street, where they was just a ton of little little kids. Of coarse they always shout out all the english words they know, and ask us to give them something. My companion pulled out a pamphlet and started showing them pictures of Jesus and teaching them a little about baptism. There was like 15 kids all crowded around us, it was really funny. they all wanted pamphlets, so we gave them some, one for each family, and told them to show them to their parents and that we are going to come to their houses and teach them more. There was even some adults that came up after asking for a pamphlet. and now whenever we come to this street the kids come and give us awkward leg hugs cuz theyre all so tiny ha.

Yesterday for church there was a broadcast for all the stakes in Guatemala, where president Uchdorf and Elder Holland spoke. it was really good. Elder Holland said a few sentences in really horrible sounding spanish, it was funny. Also they said something interesting about tithing (because there are so many poor people here so they don't pay their tithes) they said if the situation comes down to either paying your tithing, or being able to feed your family, Pay your tithing, and talk to the bishop for help with feeding your family after. This really shows the importance of this commandment. Dios dice, probadme ahora. y abrire las ventanas de los cielsos y derramare bandiciones sobre vosotros. or something like that. ha.
thats cool that some kids are up north for the week because of thanksgiving. i held some baby turkeys the other day. its so crazy that hardly any of my friends are even in calgary. i guess the world really does keep moving as I'm here in Guatemala. crazyyy. im glad I'm here and don't have to adapt to the changes back home for now ha.
So the photos i sent this week... one with some cute little dog of a family, nothing really to explain ha.  two of a place called cerro de la cruz, or hill of the cross in english, overlooking the city of Antigua, and the big volcano covered by clouds in the back. in one of the photos you gotta search for where i am. its a game called 'Wheres Elder Hopkins.' And in one of the photos i think i found Peewee, the cat of the Steeles that i used for my grad photos. and then there is the photos of my journal so i don't have to write that stuff all over again.
also theres a tailor that lives next door that is taking in some of my pants and shirts. he only charges 10 Quetz. or only like a dollar twenty five to tighten a pair of pants. how sweet is that! so i got a few pairs taken in so they're slimmer.

Well thats all thats new here basically.
love you all so much, have a great week.
from guatemala, with love,
Elder Tanner Hopkins

Story from his Journal:           November 18, 2011

Today we had a real interesting lesson.  Basically it ended up being a guy trying to prove us wrong.  At first the lesson was going well, then we asked him if he had any questions so far.  We hadn't even taught about Joseph Smith yet and he asked us the dumb question that many people ask, "why isn't Joseph Smith in the Bible?".  He ended up having a sheet of paper with questions written down, like do we believe in other scriptures besides the Bible.  I answered, "absolutely yes".  He asked us a really dumb other question too, "do you believe Jesus had a wife and kids?"  of course no one knows, maybe like the Prophet, but us no.  Basically he just kept arguing with us and trying to fight with us.  He said he had read the Book of Mormon, then we asked him if he prayed about it, he kind of hesitated, obvious that he hadn't, but then lied and said he did and that God told him it was false.  He said a lot of other dumb stuff, like God changed, He is really blinded from the truth.  It was funny, he was saying anything that is not written in the Bib is not true, and that he would only believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet if it was written in the Bible.  Then I asked him if he knew what faith was.  HE said things that are hoped for, but are not seen, and was mad that I asked that question.  My companion then asked him "But if you could see it and read it in the Bible, then you would believe it?"  Then he held up his bible and yelled out "This is faith!!, the Bible is faith!".  So the people in ancient times that didn't have the Bible didn't have faith?"  The Bible was put together many years after the lives of Christ and his apostles.  We stumped him on a lot of things, but the time came when we had to go to our next appointment.  We asked if we could leave with a prayer, and he said only if he could offer it. He prayed that God might open our eyes and that we might stop preaching false doctrine and teaching about Joseph Smith amongst other things.  After the prayer, I turned to him, shook his hand and said "Just so you know, I already know that what I teach is true, and I hope that some day you can know it too.

It was a pretty funny little lesson, and this guy did not want to learn at all, it was as if the time between we contacted him and the lesson (a week ago we contacted him) he spent all his efforts to find things he could argue about to us, to try and shake our faith.  But what I know, I know is true, and no one can change that.  He'll be sorry when he finds himself at the  Judgement seat of Christ.  Crazy Guatemala, Feliz Noche!

A place called Cerro De La Cruz, or hill of the Cross overlooking the city of Antigua and the big famous Volcano covered by clouds in the back.

this picture is a game called "Where's Elder Hopkins" ha ha

Up A Mountain, Down A Mountain, Up A Mountain, Down A Mountain / Touched through Prayer

 just how everyone carries their babies here. kinda funny.

November 14, 2011
 hoooooooola. ¿que tal?

Well ill answer your questions first like always.
My companion and I are getting along great. He's actually a really sweet guy. He is obedient. Works hard and there is nothing frustrating about him. And yeah I'm happy too be in this area still. Even though its sometimes real tiring to walk up a mountain, down a mountain, up a mountain, down a mountain to get to an appointment, its good. ill get in shape from it ha.

Have I met nice people you ask? Yes I have. Most of the people are pretty nice. theres a really poor family that can hardly afford a new pair of shoes, (in fact that was his excuse for not coming to church this week, that he's embarrassed about his shoes, and hell wait till next week when he buys a new pair, I offered him a pair of mine to wear, but still no.) but anyways, even though they're poor they insisted on going and buying us some crackers and some juice after we taught them the other day. They are a family that need to get a divorce, and then get married to be able to be baptized, but want to do it. So well have to wait along time for them.
I also found and taught a guy that speaks worse spanish then i do. His first language in Kakchiquel i assume. but as he was telling us a story he was saying stuff like -i believe before- and -i live in the street before- (which is probably another factor of his bad spanish) but i was sitting there thinking, wow, i speak better spanish than this guy. haha.

It was also cool when we taught a guy that is inactive, and his non member family for the first time. After a long mas o menos day we went to their house and taught them for the first time.  After the lesson we asked him to say the closing prayer, and he started to cry while saying it, thanking The Lord for letting him feel the spirit once again in his life, and that he has desperately been wanting to feel it again. his whole family started to cry as well. The thing with him is that his ex wife is also an inactive here, and they kinda still have issues, so they never want to encounter each other in the chapel, so neither of them really go to church anymore. The new wife of this guy though said that she wants to go to church, so hopefully they'll come some day soon.

Also I made a copy of all the photos that i have taken so far, and im gonna send you a memory card with all of them. I dont want to loose them all so i thought id make a copy of them to have safe at home.

Also check this out, on the 8 and 9 of December we're having an activity as a mission for christmas. On the 9th we get to go to the temple, and on the 8th, we are doing service, playing sports and stuff, eating tons, and then President Brough said that in the night we are going to have a really spiritual night, one we will never forget. but he said he was going to keep it a secret. but look at this, 2 days later the Quetzaltenango temple is being dedicated by Pres. Ukedorf (or however you spell it) so could it be that he is going to come and speak to us? I HOPE SO.

Well thats just about all i have to say for this week. the works still moving, and were still workin.

Love you all, con todo mi corazon. (with all my heart)

Elder Hopkins

Planting A Seed, Day of the Dead, Giant Pig

Day of the Dead at the Cemetary, where everyone flies kites. Kites they made that were 3-4 meters in diameter, flying so so high, the myth is that their dead will be able to climb up their string to reach heaven

November 9, 2011 – 2 days later than usual!

Hey Family, yeah sorry that i didn't get to email on monday, there was a meeting some of the missionaries in the mish, so the president moved district meeting and email time to today, so that everyone would be getting their emails on the same day.

So I'm still in the same area, no surprise, but i do have a new companion. Elder Aaron Mejia from Honduras. my third honduran! but hes a pretty cool guy, were getting along great. hes been out for 19 months.

thanks for sending me the address of Zach and Brendon!

bahaha thats so funny that that happened to Kent. I cant believe they actually beat a guy up. yeaa they probably shouldn't have done that, especially over a cell phone. but yeah, its kents companion that decided to do that. I mean, we don't even have cells phones in my mission, only the zone leaders do. but yeah thats pretty sketchy what happened, you never know if a guys got a weapon. but im glad they're okay.

i don't really need anything as of right now, but a pair of shoe inserts, but not like the crappy massage gel ones, real ones that have real support and stuff. the soles of one pair of my shoes are kind of falling out, but i super glued them back in so they're fine for now. you can find super glue absolutely anywhere here, for like 12 cents a little tube. and the rain has stopped so its not as cold anymore, at least for now. don't bother sending me a warm wheatie, i'd just end up leaving it when i get transferred. i don't even use the one i made anymore.

Thats funny what you wrote about me saying pffft are you kiddin me, all the time. i forgot i used to say that so often. i haven't done that for like 6 months! And for our Christmas call, don't be hoping on skype. my mission is rather strict, but thats the way it should be. and we'll talk for 40 minutes, not three hours. the mission book says we get the chance to phone home 2 times a year, christmas, and mothers day, 30 to 40 minutes each time.

Oh yeah, i wanted to tell you. Almost all the investigators i left in villa canales, that were so close to baptism, got baptized!! 3 families! 13 people! in 6 weeks. The man that i contacted in the rain, the one that looks like chris rock, Mario is his name, well they still are working on getting married, but their parents that we were teaching too got baptized! and a family named the familia can, i don't know if i told you too much about them, but there were three families living in the same lot, with sooo many kids, they finally got married and baptized! it was so exciting to hear it.

but as for the people im teaching right now, alot of them need to get a divorce first, then get married to the people their living with before they can be baptized, so I probably wont be here to see it happen, and a couple catholics that have a problem with us not worshiping the virgin Mary. but well just see how things go.

So the pictures that i sent this week... the day of the dead, at the cemetery, where everyone was flying kits. kites they made that we like 3 to 4 meters in diameter, fling so so high. a little member boy that has grills. basically everyone here has grills, its just what the dentists do, a pig that is so so so HUGE, the picture doesn't do justice to how enormous it is. its the pig of a member family here. and a dog that you can hold up by the ears, like a rabbit. its not a dead dog like the picture looks, just real dirty, but the dog is fine with you doing this, its pretty funny.

And dad, you look great in your corte tie.

im doing great and all is well. LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!
from guatemala with love, Elder Tanner Hopkins

Little boy with Grills, its just what the dentists do here, very common

A pig that is so so huge, the picture doesn't do justice to how enormous it is.  It's the pig of a member family here.

A dog you can hold up by the ears like a rabbit, its not a dead dog like the picture looks, he's just real dirty, but the dog is fine with you doing this, its pretty funny

The tie burning ceremony represents the 6 month mark! 

A Baptism and My 6 Month Tie Burning Ceremony

 Heyy Hey fammm.

Yea I really miss Parker too! he is my brother! tell him to send me a letter! i want to talk to him! through writing! ha. and Tyler Johnson too, i don't even know what hes doing with his life. but that's just part of the mission, really i don't know what most people are doing with their life ha. but i was lucky enough to get cards form Jamie Takahashi, Jess Bachynski, and Kent this week. always a pleasure.

But yes, yesterday we had a baptism! Lily "C" is her name. We have had a ton of help from the relief society with her, and i really feel like that was the key of her baptism. She is married, but her husband didn't get baptized, because he is  a bus driver, and is never home! leaves at 5 in the morning, and gets back at 10 30 at night. what a life... that would suck. would suck for her too, to never see her husband. but we'll see, maybe one day we will find him and he will be baptized too.

sounds like an awesome trip that you had, yes hopefully we will go do it as a family one day! ha. i bet you ate lots of macadamia nut chocolates. There is actually a macadamia nut tree outside our chapel, and whenever we are waiting there outside, for the key, we throw rocks up at it to knock the nuts out of the tree, then eat em.
Ya know how Sam would always say to buy him a pair of crocodile boots? well theres a guy here, well in the area of my district leader, that makes crocodile boots! haha, for only like 100 dollars too. im not gonna go ahead and buy some though haha. also he makes iguana skin boots, and normal leather as well. who knows, maybe if you guys come here one day we can pick out a pair.

Oh yeah, so that church did have a huge party this week. its a small little road kinda on the outskirt of the town, which we have to pass to get to our church. we passed by it the day before their party for the baptismal interview of Lily, and there were already people there. We never really went down there again until sunday, 2 days after the party, because we heard it was dangerous kinda. also just lots of alcohol and girls is what we are told. but there were lots of firecrackers, like there always is in guatemala, which are just super annoying, especially at 3 in the morning. but that was it for the party of san simon.

They don't really celebrate halloween here, but i did dress up as harry potter for district meeting but tomorrow is the day of the dead. everyone goes to the cemetery and flies huge kites that they make, so that their dead can climb up the sting of the kite to heaven, is the myth. but tomorrow is pday so we are going to go to the cemetery as well with some of the members and investigators to fly kites and take pictures, it should be super cool. ill try to send some pictures of it.  But I dressed up as harry potter at district meeting, cause I just had to do something for halloween!  I plan on knocking on a lot of doors tonight too, but i probably won't be getting too much candy in return.

also i completed 6 months this week, so yes, i did burn a tie. also i made my own corn nuts, which i was really proud of. boiled the dried corn kernels they use for tortillas, then roasted them in the oven, and they turned out pretty good. also because i turned 6 months old, i bought a nice outfit of typical clothes, really comfortable, just like an outfit that a tourist would buy. but they are nice for wearing at night after a hard days work.

tonight we find out about changes. im kinda sad cuz our district is going to be completely changed, and i love our district right now. Elder Kahaunaele, from Hawaii is the district leader, and a super sweet guy, and also Elder Daily from salt lake city, is super awesome. He skis tons so after the mission I'm gonna go down to utah and ski with him we have it planned ha.

thats all for this week, im gonna try to send some pictures now
love you all so so much! take care.
Love Tanner
Email from and To his Dad this week:

Info from his Dad:                      

We got back from a week in Maui with the Steele’s today and had a real nice time.  One of the highlights was going to the top of the Volcano there and bike riding down.  It is 10,000 feet up which is actually much higher than I realized.  I got to thinking how cold it was and how elevation makes a real impact on temperature and then wondered how that was affecting you.  I looked up Calgary’s elevation and we are only around 3,400 feet.  Then I looked at Lake Louise ski area and the base is 5,400 and the top is 8,600 – not as high as the volcano we went up.  Then I looked at your area and your at around 6,200 feet so the elevation you are living at has a real effect on the cold you probably are dealing with.  Do you notice the elevation with breathing or anything else?  Did you realize how high you actually are?  I was quite surprised at how high you are and at how high the Volcano’s in Hawaii are.  The one on the Big Island is like 13,000 feet. Salt lake is 4,300 and Snowbird 7,800 base and 11,000 top.  Anyway just thought this may interest you. Hope I haven’t bored you to much.  

I just want you to know how proud and grateful I am to have you out serving an honorable mission.  It makes my week to get your emails and pictures to see how you are doing.  I hope the Baptism went through today and that your hard work to increase your teaching and reactivating is being successful.  Mom will fill you in on more of the details of our trip and everything else as she always does.  I love you so much and am so proud of you.  Talk to you soon.

Love always and eternally,

Dad

Hi Dad,
That is actually pretty interesting about elevation. i didn't realize how high i was, and i guess thats why its sometimes pretty cold. the sun has been out this week though, so i haven't been to cold. i haven't noticed anything on the breathing park of it.

love you tons and have a happy halloween!
oh also i was wondering if you ever got the birthday card i sent to you? i sent it like a month ago.. wh knows. i think i forgot to wish you a happy birthday on here also. so if you haven't gotten the card, I'll say happy late birthday on here ha.

Well love you tons!! oh, also i want you to send me your conversion story. in a letter. if you could write out everything you remember and what not, that would be awesome! i was giving a talk in sacrament, unplanned, but i shared how my grandparents and dad were converts, but i realized i don't know a ton about it.

well love ya tons!!
Love your hijo,
Elder Hopkins

Baptism of Lily on October 30, 2011

Dressed up as Harry Potter for District Meeting

Our District!  From left to right. elder Martinez (my comp), Ogden (zone leader), Guzman, Kahaunaele (district leader), Daily, Houston, ME

Week 26: Lucky to get out the door in time

Tanner helping a member pick off the corn kernels so they can make tortillas.

Hey Fam. whats up?
The rain has come to a stop pretty much thank goodness.
I got pretty sick this week, but dont worry, I'm fine now. but the best part is when I got sick...
So Elder Martino, of the 70 came and had a conference with us. we had a nice lunch and then we were sitting in the chapel, in the 2nd row, while he taught us in the aftersoon. I wasn't feeling too good, but I didnt want to get up and leave while a general authority was speaking to me 2 feet away. but then all of I sudden I got really sick and got up and just ran out. lucky I got out the door in time to throw up everywhere, not in the chapel. and luckily everyone gets sick here so it wasnt anything that people were really super surprised by or anything. then I had to take a one hour bus ride home on the windy mountain roads. after a few unplanned stops we made it home, and I had some time to rest and to get better. but I'm fine now, so don't you even worry, cuz I know you are.

Oh and that couch and coffee table are at a member's house, we dont have a couch or anything. but I actually thought and still think their house is a pretty nice house for here.
and the photo that you were wondering about, i think we are just at some member's house eating lunch after church.

So this week we set a baptismal date! for our investigator Lily S. Her baptism is planned for next sunday after church! she super awesome, and receives everything so easily. after she gained a testimony of the book of mormon, and joseph smith, she recieves all the comandments easily. we have had alot of member help with her to make it possible. so if all things go well, next week you should receive a photo of us at her baptism.

We find out if we are getting transfered next Monday in the night, and the actually transfer day is the day Brendon and Zach enter the MTC, and you will found out if I got transfered in 2 weeks then. Kinda funny how basically my 6 month mark, Danny´s one year mark, and Zach and Brendons first day mark are all the same day, at least within a few days. Tyler Parker and Jesse should all be leaving in about 6 months so this 6 month gap trend keeps going. get your papers in boiss! love you all!

That's funny how all those friends of mine went and hung out at grandma and grandpa's. Would have been fun to be there too ha, and wierd and funny I guess that madison went and hung out with a bunch of my friends. She's just growing up so fast.

That's awesome that you guys are in Hawaii, that sounds like you are having a great time, and sounds like a cool bike ride down the volcano. We'll have to do that some day together ha.

Love you all tons! Keep it cool, like it sounds like you guys are,like I know you are is better to say. I tried to talk to a guy in my district about the gospel, in English, for an example of a door contact, but I just couldn't do it. I can not talk about the gospel in English anymore. I just speak about it in Spanish too darn much.
Keep it classy.
-Elder Hopkins

 some random kids that wanted a picture taken of them, cuz a camera is super cool technology

Sitting on some dirt with my area in the back

With Elder Martino of the Seventy



We ate at subway one day and it was super good.



A hat I found in the church. I guess they don't know Pilsner is beer.

Week 25: Rain, Rain, Rain and Cold, Super High Kites, Dogs with Dreadlocks

With my area in the background

 October 17, 2011

Hey guys whats up??

That it some great news you sent me. so crazy.. Jeremy going Chinese speaking in France. Chinese in France. that would be hard ha. I was thinkin yesterday how it was Zach´s farewell. i love that boy so much. hes gonna be so great. same with Brendon, only 6 more days till his big farewell day. Tell them both I love them so much and I say felizidades. or happinesses, which is actually congratulations.

So I will answer the questions first. The weather.... rain, rain, rain, and cold! I sent some photos of some of the paths that we often walk. one in a muddy river, the other is a muddy lake with a waterfall pouring off the side. and it has been so so muddy. I've been wearing my boots basically everyday, and am so glad i have them. I've been wearing my long sleeved shirts with sweaters most of the time. who knew Guatemala could be so cold? I bought a nice cardigan from a pile of used clothes that was on the ground in the park in my town that a guy was selling. only 5 Quetz or about 60 cents. It was a good buy. Also i made a warm wheatie! haha. but there's not really any wheat here, so its just a cloth bag with rice in it that i warm up in the microwave to keep me warm. I'm glad i have it, ha.

No i haven't really been to sick yet on my mission. I mean my bowels and stomach were bothering me for like 3 days a couple weeks ago, but nothing too bad. Right now i kinda have a sore throat cough and cold, but luckily the people here eat halls like they're candy,(and i think a lot of them just think that it is candy) so absolutely everywhere sells them.

 

We don't have a cocinera in this area, or a cook i guess it is, but there's a place that sells good food, a meal, for 17 quetz, only 2 more then a cocinera charges, and the food is better i think, so its pretty good. we eat a lot of chicken. a meal at this place consists of a meat,(chicken or beef) with rice and a salad with a lime for the dressing, with tortillas of coarse and a drink. hmm for breakfasts, I either eat pancakes,(they have flavoured pancake mix here, i prefer banana), cereal, or eggs. i eat a lot of eggs... usually an egg sandwich with ketchup, mayo and hot sauce. and I drink a can of real juice fruit nectar stuff called del frutal. i usually have a small snack during the night and maybe some ramen at night.

OKAY. i think I'm good on the questions now.

Just some random stuff that i wanna mention is the kids here fly kites so so much, and they fly higher then I've ever seen a kite fly, like its incredible, and they're only made of like a few sticks and tissue paper. I'll take some picture of some one day, cuz on November first everyone flies kites in the cemetery, that's what they do for the day of the dead, their version of Hallowe'en.

Also a lot of dogs have actual dreadlocks, its kinda funny. just cuz their so dirty and live on the street, so dreadlocks form.

Well I'm alive and well, workin in the obra.(work) the one lady we are preparing for baptism wasn't home all week cuz she was away in the capital working, so we couldn't really do anything with her, but tonight we plan on setting a baptismal date and everything. Her name is Lily. S. The president set some new standards of excellence, one is to have 50 % of lessons with a member present, I'm glad to say we were able to do so this week, with our 20  lessons.

Well the time flew by and my time is almost up.

P.S. we are not allowed to chat on here anymore, only email. It's a new rule. just to let you know, mind you we never really catch each on the computer at the same time to email/chat back and forth anyhow.

I love you all so much, keep doing what you doing, if what you're doing is good.

LOVE YOU FRIEND, 

ELDER HOPKINS

This is one path that turned into a muddy river.

The path that turned into a river slash lake with a waterfall pouring off it.

Me pretending to make corte (their native dress) women do this for hours and hours, and take like 20 days to finish a top. sells for like 250 quetz, so like 30 dollarsish. one day you and madi are each going to buy a native dress outfit, and wear it for my homecoming talk.

Just some of me and my comp eating

Eating again.