Week 47 La Jutsoa

How are you feeling?  I have had stomach pains.  Are you feeling better with the antibiotics?  Well I am not taking anything right now I am still waiting for our mission doctor in Guatemala to tell the nurse what I am going to take.  A nurse Dad works with was a mission nurse in Guatemala and she said it is probably an amoeba. What did the tests show?  The tests say that I have Endolimax nana, a parasite.  Do you still have stomach cramps I was told you should be taking flagil?  No I don’t have stomach cramps but sometimes it hurts when I walk. Are you feeling strong enough, have you lost any more weight?  No I haven’t lost any more weight.  Are you being more careful about the water and using the UV filter? I am just drinking more bags of water. Even the water that we had bought in the big 5-gallon jug had something in it. I just refuse any water that is offered to me now, but sometimes this week I have had a coke with ice that is from bad water, but I will try and get better at not drinking bad water, but it’s everywhere.

How was your week?  My week was good but it was a little long. We had a lot of work but we got to go to Choloma every day Monday through Friday and on Friday afternoon we went to San Pedro because my comp had a doctor’s appointment with a neurologist.   

What your spiritual experience?  The most spiritual experience this week was seeing the fruits of our labors in church. We had 7 investigators in church this week and we really felt good to see them there. It is always hard because here they don’t just have hymn books so we have to share and have members share. We had a family of 5 and 2 other girls who are cousins and they liked the church. I just feel good to see that what we are doing actually has an effect. It was weird because only 17 of the people in church were active members from La Jutosa and the rest were investigators, missionaries, or people from Choloma. The attendance was 35 people in total.  

What did you do for your birthday, happy birthday!!!  Nothing special. Today we played soccer and we ate at pizza hut.  Will you have a cake?  My comp gave me some cup cakes like the hostess ones so that counts.   Did the other elders recognize your birthday?  Yes also one of the other elders had his birthday on Friday.   What about dinner in SPS?  On Saturday we went out to eat for my birthday. We ended up going to the same place that we ate with dad, Garden Bistro. I charged it to my credit card it was like 700 Limps.  Did you have Steak Diane?  Yes that is what I ate.  What did your companion have for dinner at the restaurant?  My comp bought a sandwich. Why didn't he have steak?  I don’t know, he paid for his meal, I tried to pay for it but he wouldn’t let me. 

You probably didn't have time to go to the mountains and cut firewood this week.  No we didn’t go to the mountain to cut firewood but I did get to split some firewood.  Who did you split it for?  Juan de Dios the grandpa of all of our investigators. 

Is next week transfers?  Changes aren’t this week but the next week on Monday we will find out and on Wednesday are the changes.  What are your feelings on transfers?  I think I will stay here.  Yes if you are having success he will keep it going.  We should see success especially next transfer because there are a lot of investigators progressing.   We should see success because there is going to be home teaches here soon and it should go good.  Well any association with the other members is more that there is right now.  Are there any possible priesthood holders to baptize?  There’s like 7 priesthood holders in the branch. Do you have any baptism dates?  We have 4 people with dates.  Are you still looking for a river spot to baptize?  No we are just going to the nearest ward building with a font. 

This is what president said about the dates for return:

 A couple of quick thoughts about your release date: August 18, 2016 is the date when your group of missionaries will go home, and it coordinates with August 16th when the new missionaries arrive. That's why we have set dates, so that missionaries leave when others come, and we don't have to close areas or put people in threesomes, etc. The Brethren give mission presidents the ability to adjust release dates either 30 days before or 30 days after your two-year anniversary date, largely to coordinate the dates of arriving and departing missionaries. Because you arrived at the MTC on September 3, 2014, the Brethren permit me to send you home as early as August 4, 2016 or as late as October 3, 2016. If I try to do anything earlier or later than that window, you and I have to write letters and seek a special exception from the General Authorities. Frankly, since you don't start orientation until August 25th, I hope you will consider the challenges that leaving early causes for your next mission president (I will be gone by then), and go home with the rest of your group on August 18th. However, if it really causes you and your family inconvenience, then go home on August 4th. To ask for a date earlier than that becomes a challenge. What do you think on the date, the 18th is no time to transition for you and us as a family?  We will see what we decide. I don’t know if I need a lot of time but we will see. I will just have to buy a computer and that’s about it. We are the selfish ones because you would never be home to see us.  Yes I would be home because at least I would live reasonably close not airplane distance. 

How are the new mattresses?  The new mattresses are super stiff and hard, it has been really hard to sleep on them. 

We are dying with the humidity here in South Carolina, so we feel for you and the heat.  OH it isn’t even hot there I would have to use a coat if I was there.  It’s really hot here, it burns to walk and there is always sweat on everything.

We went to the Myrtle Beach boardwalk and pier last night, it is sad to see the people have no direction in their life, and think that partying is everything.  You should see that here, there’s so many drunks all of the time, even on Monday and Tuesday that should be impossible.

But thanks for the time you have talked to me but I am out of time now. Love you all and tell everyone hello for me.