Week 42

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Well, who would have thought? It's time for changes again. I'm going to be leaving and Elder Huish will be receiving a nuevo missionary straight from the CCM. I've really come to love this area and am pretty sad to finally have to leave. When I first got here I was dying in the heat and humidity and thought that the sooner I could get back to the capital, the better. However, as I've done my best to serve diligently, the Lord has really blessed me. This last change especially has been good. I've learned a lot and had a lot of fun with Elder Huish but we haven't had as many baptisms as I was expecting. Nevertheless, we've done all we can and the area is well prepared for next change.

I'm leaving 3 people to be baptized this Sunday and quite a few more who will be baptized in the coming weeks. I'm sad that I won't be here, but the important part is that they start progressing towards eternal life. Despite the challenges we've had with investigators disappearing, having personal problems, not having the desire to follow the answer they've received, we were able to have very good church attendance. In the change (6 weeks), we had a total of 53 investigators attending church. I hope that those who might not have been completely ready to participate in the gospel at this moment in their lives will remember what we've taught them, the spirit they've felt at church and while fulfilling their commitments, and the love we had for them and that someday that seed will bring them back. In all, it was a successful change because we were exactly obedient, diligent, and we did the Lord's will, which was for us to have those three baptisms.

I've included a bunch of pictures of what we did yesterday for P day. We've been wanting to make pan (bread) forever. There are bakeries all over the place and the bread they make is all very standard (i.e. a piece of pan dulce is exactly same wherever you go in Guatemala). We eat lunch with Juan and Gladis. They’re super nice and I really love them. Gladis is a pilas recent convert and Juan has been a member for much longer. He suffered a stroke a few years ago and half of him is paralyzed. He is especially fond of us because we've talked and (mostly) listened to him as we've eaten lunch. It really means a lot to him to feel valued. Anyway, they used to make bread and they have an oven and so they invited us and one of their friends who also knows how to make bread over and it was awesome. Now we just need to spend a P day making tortillas. That'd be even more useful after the mission.

Finally, there's been a firefly invasion here. Maybe it's just firefly season or something, but it's so cool! At night, I can look out from out porch and the field is lit up with hundreds of bright fireflies. The effect they all have together is weird, kind of disco...

A picture of a mango the Alvizures family gave me. I used it to break my fast and it was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. So fresh and so perfectly ripe. That's a blessing of being in the coast.

The Garcia family and then a noche de hogar [family night] that we had yesterday.

Love, Elder Cannon