October 3, 2011
Hello!
Well This week was Awesome, I remember hearing that Sam Tuner Absolutely loved conference when he watched it his first time on his mission, after hating to watch it at home. And Basically, I absolutely loved it too! I was sad when it was over. It was a really fun time hanging out with a bunch of gringos too. We almost had to watch it in Spanish, but we ended up being able to travel about an hour to Patzacia to watch it. There were 8 of us from our zone that traveled there, and also 2 were there from the other zone. We watched it in a small room, on the church TV, and the chairs were pretty comfortable actually. We went to many of the fried chicken places here and bought tortillas for lunch on Saturday, and then because everyone always goes out for food after the priesthood session, but we obviously had to travel back asap after, we went out for Ice cream before the priesthood session. It was an awesome time. Its weird to think that 6 months ago I was actually there in Salt Lake for conference, but yes, conference was awesome.
My new area is good, lots of hills to walk up and down in the mountains. We are starting to work differently which is starting to bring us success. We found 15 new people this week, 3 families. There is a reward with the missionaries in this stake, that if we can baptize a family, or 3 people this month, we get to go eat dinner with the stake president, mission president, and all those who reached this goal. So that is what we are working on. It will be hard, because we literally had 0 progressing investigators when I got here, but we are working hard on finding people and getting them to the waters of baptism as soon as possible. So this is our goal. It will be very difficult in this area, but not impossible. With the Lord it can happen.
Well, how transfers did work. we took our heavy bags to a chapel, and we have a meeting. we all find out our new companions, and head to our area. after much walking, and carrying my heavy suitcases up and down many large staircases, we arrived at our bus stop. From there we put my suitcases on the roof of the bus, and traveled for about 2 hours to my area. Got here, unpacked a little bit, and got to work. My house is smaller, but a little nicer. we don't have a backyard or anything, in fact, we live above a libreria, a little office supply store. We have the same electric shower, same desks, same beds as almost all the other mission houses. Its a nice area. i feel safe. In fact when I tell people i was in Villa Canales, they say oh wow, its dangerous over there. so don't worry about me, I'm safe.
I googled the town he is living in and found this information:
San Andres Itzapa is a small town about 6 miles south of Chimaltenango, which is close to Antigua. It is very rare for tourists to visit there. Most have never even heard of it. But it does have some fame among the mayan followers of Ry Laj Man, better known by most as Maximon, the one true god in the Guatemalan Highland villages. The goings on every Sunday is a sight to behold. People lined up for hours around the church which is the permanent home for the awaiting their chance to make offerings and ask for blessings. Offerings are usually rum and cigarettes. The small Mayan ladies dressed in their colorful garb smoke fat cigars as they wait their turn. This is a bit like the Mayan counterpart to an audience with the Pope, except that Maximon is a higher ranking diety.
That's funny that you found some information about that church. We have to pass it to get to our church. It's a big lot fenced in by big cement walls. Outside they sell their little idols of a man wearing a suit with a big cigar. They burn live hens and stuff for offerings. Also there's a church here called the Canadian church. Its a catholic church i think. many years ago a bunch of Canadians came to this town and built a lot of houses is what I'm told. There's even a plaque about it with a maple leaf here.
Yes i did get all your packages that you have told me about, besides this 6 month one from grandma.
Oh, yesterday we did something a little out of the ordinary, well we gave a blessing, which isn't out of the ordinary, but the person who received it was. Its was a super old lady, who was under an avocado tree, and it got hit by lightning, the two people beside her died, but she didn't. When we gave her the blessing, she was lying in bed, she already looked dead, wrinkly skin, coarse messy grey hair, closed eyes, and her breathing was more like gasping. She had been in bed for three days without eating anything hardly. Basically i think she's going to die, if shes not already dead. But we gave her a blessing, and her daughter a blessing of comfort. As a result of this, we have 4 new investigators, because this family are not members, but friends of members.
Well I wanted to ask you to send me some things, maybe just email me some files. two or three good family pictures, specifically some of the train pictures. and the picture of my snowboarding that i had as a profile picture, when I'm going of that jump in snowbird in Utah. dad will know what one.
That's awesome that you already got the Christmas package! I'm glad you like the stuff. Maybe I'll be able to send another before Christmas, since Antigua is close by. but I'm not promising anything, its kinda expensive, well it is. ha. but yeah that jersey I sent, everyone in our zone bought.I'm really not going to wear it here on the mission, cuz I have other shirts, so I decided to send it home so its there when I get there.
Well, I love you all, so so much. Keep being the awesome people you are.
from Guatemala, With Love,
Elder Hopkins
Tanner's Grandma asks him about the native birds
Tanner says:
Quetzals are actually very rare, and hardly seen in the wild. but yes in the Book of Mormon, that picture of Abinadi in front of the king and with Alma, have Quetzals in them. The Book of Mormon was here!
P.S.
Some pics! my area is near Antigua, well like a half hour in bus, but there;s a McDonald's there! yum! the most crazy fancy biggest McDonald's I've ever seen, with a big courtyard and fountains. I'm a fan of classy fast food. Also this man is a recent convert here that sells really cool jewelery in Antigua, and he gave me a wallet for free.(top picture) Also we made invitations to general conference. Here's some pictures of us during General Conference. Hope you loved it as much as I did. Dad now knows how to raise a girl. Love you all!
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