Elder Scotty Pugmire's Guatemala Postings: Week 44...6/8/15...Maiz, Zone of the Month

Hey guys wow. Time is really flying by. I never thought it could move so fast! This week was full of craziness!

My birthday package from Hna Ruiz. It's early but I wasn't complaining.

So. . . Wednesday was awesome! We've been teaching this family that speaks Mam (pronounced mom) its a crazy language that has almost nothing to do with Spanish, only the words that they have adopted into the language. Plus it's not very common that it's written down but just a language that's passed down by mouth from parents to children. We're learning a little bit at a time but luckily they all speak Spanish pretty well. Wednesday we decided to go help them with their cornfields. Here that's what everyone has. Now that it has started to rain that's what everyone does! So we decided to go help them out. We thought we were going to help them plant but apparently, everything was all planted. So we went on a long bike ride to get to their fields.

Then we started to help them carry water to their fields from this little hidden pool like half a mile away. We carried the water in little bucket things and then they put them into their sprayers to spray insecticide everywhere. It was pretty great though.

I promise I spent more time serving than taking photos even though there's a lot of photos. This guy next to me is 22 years old.

I really learned a lot about service this week. Why it's so important and how it really differentiates the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from other churches. For instance, here if anyone asked the pastors for help in their field, to help cut wood or any other thing like that they would just be sooo shocked they even asked them. It's just not something they do. That's why the people here are so taken away when we help chop wood, wash dishes or help in their fields. Because we act in the way Jesus would, serving others no matter who they are. So that was Wednesday.

So for the Zone meeting Thursday we needed to have a video made that we are going to put on the website and everything so this is what we did. Yes, that is a table three tables high and it was epic.

On Thursday I went on divisions with Elder Berrios in Reu while Elder Fifita went with my comp. While in El Codo our companions managed to eat 25 chocolate bananas and left the night with a family deciding to be baptized! When I came back to talk to Hna Gloria she said she was sure with her decision so if all goes well we're gonna have another baptism this Saturday! While in Reu I got another taste of what it's like to be a Zone Leader. I don't like it. All we did was run around all day running errands. We ran left and right, to the office to pick up folletos, copies of the Book of Mormon, and popcorn for the Meet the Mormons movie that we are going to be showing in all of our areas. Then we went to help the areas set up the movie and everything and only ended up teaching a few people that day. But I still learned a ton. Elder Berrios is a fantastic Missionary from the capital of Guatemala who goes home this change.

Me and Elder Berrios on divisions

Cooking popcorn and chaos may or may not be the same thing.

Then later, on Friday we finished divisions in El Codo and went to work. The problem in El Codo has been that it's been raining which has been a blessing and a curse. It's been a lot cooler in temperature but let me be the first to testify that dirt roads in a typically dry place mixed with a ton of water is not good for bicycles. We started down roads and ended up just not being able to move with so much mud and nastiness. Also... My bicycle really doesn't well. . .have any brakes left. . . so going down hills and having puddles at the bottom never turns out positive. It's actually kinda a cool magic trick. I start off with a brand new white shirt and tie and all of a sudden on the other side of the puddle it all comes out with brown polka dots. But well. . .that's the mission life here in Reu.

This Monday was awesome! We started off playing basketball in the Stadium here and then we went and had a special dinner with President Ruiz for breaking the record and being Zone of the month. So that was fantastic.

Photos of the special dinner with president Ruiz Today IT WAS SOOOO GOOOOOODDDDD!

Zone of the month, June 2015, Zone Reu
Hermanas: Layton, Mendoza, Lopez, Kantrow, Saenz, Campos, Santos, Estupe, Carcamo, Keltner, Canales,
Elders: Berrios, Amundsen, Arias (cutouts), Hill, Me, Dail, Perez, Lagos, Jimenez, Fifita

The Stadium

The Players. . .Zone Reu

But as of new news, we are still working super hard. We've got a bunch of investigators progressing, reading in the Book of Mormon and praying for answers. We even had 5 investigators come to church. The hard part is helping them make the baptismal commitment. But really with all of the faith and prayers, I know that sometimes they're going to receive all of the answers they need to make that decision.

I hope that all is well at home and everyone is doing fine! I miss you all a ton but I really am happy here and having the time of my life Serving The Lord and Spreading His Gospel.

I love and pray for you all,

Love,

Elder Pugmire