Week 77...1/18/16...changes and tortilla #2000

Alright, this week was full of changes! Remember how I told you all that I would be staying probably another change in Jardin.... well that's not going to happen. On Tuesday I was with Elder Johnson and we were having a great day contacting like crazy because we hadn't found almost anyone new to find. We found this one guy sitting on the street and he said that he didn't really believe in what everyone would tell him about God. He had a ton of questions. We taught him straight up about repentance and told him that he needed to repent. He had the idea that in the Millenium everyone would be able to repent and have a second chance so that everyone could just do whatever they wanted in this life. We explained how only the people that never had the chance in this life would be the ones that will receive the chance to receive the gospel in the next. Then Elder Johnson told him he wanted to talk about the Book of Mormon and the guy was hooked.  He was really interested and he committed to pray about it. Then we set up another appointment with him. Then everything changed...

I got a call from Elder Morataya (one of the assistants) and he told me that my companion was going to have changes as well as a bunch of Elders in our Zone. Including Elder Johnson! And he said the changes were going to be the next day at 9 in the morning! So we ended up the day visiting some converts and then to celebrate the end of Elder Johnson's first area we built a fire upon the roof of our house. It was pretty dope.

Me and Elder Johnson with our bonfire.

The next day all of the Zone went to Reu for a worldwide conference of missionaries! It was incredible! We listened from Elder Bednar, Sister Oscarson, Elder Anderson and a bunch more general authorities talk to us! It was so awesome! We all learned so much! They talked a lot about working with members and with the spirit! Then we ate lunch and started our fast as a mission.

Then we headed home with new companions in the Zone. Elder Mejivar, Elder Bonilla, and Elder Huesca went to Pajapita to be the Zone Leader in our Zone still but just in another area. I HAVE 3 NEW COMPANIONS!!! That's right 3! Elder Mendez is my official companion as he is going to be the new Zone Leader here in Coatepeque next week when I and elder Huesca have changes. Elder Saxton and Elder Villalobos came to help us get things started these last two weeks of the change! So it's been pretty awesome!

But unfortunately, we've all been a little sick after lunch Tuesday. But we've gotten better! 

We got to go see the marriages of 2 couples in Gardenias that I interviewed and they also got baptized which was awesome!

Elder Villalobos, Elder Mendez and Elder Saxton

Sunday lunch . . . hot dogs

My companion, Elder Mendez

We've been working super hard and we've had a ton of miracles. We haven't had lunch too frequently because the members weren't ready to feed 4 missionaries so we've been eating together with what we can cook ourselves. 

Pizza to celebrate Elder Saxton's year in the mission.  Elder Villalobos not pictured.  Like I said some of us have been pretty sick this week

Yesterday we helped some members move.  It was an emergency, and we got a little bit done after a bunch of loads. We were exhausted but this morning we had to take Elder Villalobos to Reu because he had emergency changes AGAIN! Poor guy!  But Elder Saxton and I cleaned the entire house!!!!! It looks just the reigno celestial! (well compared to what it looked like before) Presidente told me I would be having changes next week so this is my last week and a half in Coatepeque probably.

HAY QUE COMER MAS TACOS!!!

OH!!!! I ATE MY 2000 TORTILLA!!!!

Tortilla 2000!

With the Hermana Ana Julia! It was pretty exciting something I've been waiting for all week!

Ana Julia is amazing she's blind but makes bracelets and jewelry to provide for her family and is still an amazing cook.

Me and the tacos of Hna Gabbi!!!!  Somewhat of the best things on earth! Pollo, Salsa, and Avocado

Love you all! EAT MORE TORTILLAS!

Elder Pugmire

Week 76...1/18/16...Beach and divisions

TILAPA! We took a trip to go and take photos by the beach.

So..... Wow. Its Monday. I blinked and it's Monday again. I can't even believe it! Time is going by sooo quickly! Honestly, I don't remember what happened most of this week because I spent most of the time on divisions. I'm sure you want to know about Carlos Humberto. He had a family emergency and had to return to his home before his baptism but is going to seek the missionaries so he can be baptized where he lives which will be awesome! On Tuesday I went with Elder Johnson to Pajapita!

Elder Johnson and jovenes we found doing back-flips off of the bridge they're standing on.

 We ate some awesome cake and we had a miracle pass! A girl just had shown up to church and said she wanted to be baptized and had been talking to the missionaries in the Capital! So that was awesome! She got baptized this Saturday and I got to interview her which was awesome! She's super smart! And knew all of the doctrines of the church.

A typical flower in Guate

 Then we went to talk to some other families that should get baptized next week too! We chopped plastic barrels to be used to burn as wood.

Me and Elder Johnson on division chopping plastic to use as firewood. Probably not too good for the environment.

Then we went and we're going to help a lady totillar her tortillas but Elder Johnson was way too strong and snapped the tortillador right in half! The lady was devastated and we felt so bad so we went and bought her a new one. Probably one of the first times when someone really wasn't too happy to have us helping...

Me and Elder Johnson

Then on Thursday we went to la Blanca and did like 5 interviews as well! We talked with some awesome people that are all preparing to be baptized! We're really excited for them!

Then on Saturday, we went to support the Baptism Gardenias had. A Joven named Harry got baptized and his brother baptized him! It was so awesome! Then I stayed with Elder Thomas to go interview the 3 families they have! All of them getting ready to be baptized!!!!! ONE OF THEM IS A FAMILY OF 7! They're all super pilas and all of them came to church Sunday! So they're all good to go!

The coco tree in barrio Gardenias

Then on Sunday, I ran up to Colomba to help out the Elders up there. They've been having some problems but, Elder Perez and I worked super hard and I think that they should be doing better this week!

I used an America tie today and was feeling really patriotic on MLK Day.

We went to the beach today which is why the email is short.  I'm out of time! But it really was just that quick of a week! I'm sure this one will be just as fast. My comp is really baggy but we're working as best we can!

Love,

Elder Pugmire

Elder Wolffgram and I on the bus to La Blanca

Elder Toala and Sanchez and our zone on the way to Tilapa!

I might look wet but it was just so hot I was drenched in sweat….

We found ways to dig clams. And I found one!

Me and elder Keck

Me Elder Wolfgramm, Elder Johnson and Hna Gunderson

Me and Elder Toala

Me and Elder Retana

Selfie on the Beach

ME and my companion. He's from Mexico

Me and Elder Thomas

Me and Elder Wolfgramm and Elder Johnson

Me and elder Diaz

Me and Elder Johnson High school musical style.

Most of the Zone in high school musical style. The others were too hot and went to look for shade.

Me and Elder Johnson #Backflips

Top row: Elder perez, Thomas, Huesca, Gonzalez, Peralta, Mini Missionary, Diaz, Keck, Toala, Hermana Cabrera, Bustillo,Wolffgram, Johnson, Sanchez. 

Bottom Row: Elder Sanchez, Mini Missionary, Perez, Flores, Vides, Urbina, Retana, Hermana Garcia Hermana Gunderson, 

Week 75...1/11/16...Carlos

Wow. A  lot has gone down this week. Like a lot a lot. To start off, you know how I had said that my comp Elder Huesca had extended and so it was almost certain that I would have changes and someone else would come in to ´´kill him´´ (mission slang for spending the last change with someone that is going home). Ya annnnnyyywayyyys..... That was the plan, including Presidente had told me that he planned to take me out of this change. But guess what!? Salt Lake called and canceled the extension! So now my companion is going home with his group on the 3 of February!!!! That will be my 3rd companion in a row that I will have killed! Everyone has started calling me ''Asesino'' because everyone that's been my companion here in Coatepeque has gone home! So that's been kinda crazy!

Elder Huesca, my third comp to finish his mission headed to cut some hair.

My crazy comp. . .yep. . . He's done!

Also, we've had some miracle happen recently.

We've been teaching a family that lives super far away but we got them as a reference and they told us that they would like to visit the church. They couldn't for the last two weeks but I think that they might come next week. We went and watched the Joseph Smith video with them and I think that it helped them understand the church a lot more.

We also did a bunch of divisions to go and visited Dalmacia. Dalmacia and Jardin are two wards that share the building. There aren't missionaries in Dalmacia right now so my companion and I have been taking over the two areas! It's been crazy especially for 2 zone leaders that are already pressed on time! But it's been awesome! We found 2 families in Dalmacia and one of the ladies came to church so we're going to go challenge them to get baptized this week! We've worked a lot better with members this week which has been something that we have been lacking. So that's been good.

On Tuesday we had a meeting with Presidente Ruiz in Reu with all of the District Leaders, Hermana Leaders, and the Zone Leaders. We talked about ´´changing the culture´´´We have a lot of things that we need to work on as a mission including the overall obedience. But Presidente Ruiz hit it hard, and I was super pumped! I looked back at my Journal of 2014 and saw that one of my goals was '' DO NOT ADAPT TO THE MISSION CULTURE´´ I thought it was a pretty inspired goal. One of my new goals is to '´change the mission culture´´ and it's been going pretty well. 

We´ve also been teaching a guy named Luis. He is a boyfriend of a lady that's a member but lives in San Marcos.  She gave us his number as a reference and we meet with him almost every day in the chapel. He's super positive but his work is a problem with time. But we were able to watch Meet the Mormons with him and he loved it! And now is even more positive than before! 

On Wednesday I went on divisions to La Blanca with Elder Peralta, he's got to be the missionary with the weirdest accent. He sounds like a Norte but he's from Peru, his family is from Spain and he speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and a little bit of English. So that's that. We had a really good day and put some fechas and founds some positive new people to teach!

Elder Sanchez, Elder Vides, and my companion in District Meeting

Me and Elder Peralta on Divisions en la Blanca

I thought I’d try on some Corte for a bit….

The lady buds even look deadly here.

Me and Jose Antonio y Victor on divisions.

Friday we had another reunion in Tecun with Tecun, Malacatan, and us! We talked about the culture again and it was awesome! I'm really hoping that we can make some changes for the better, to start off this new year.

Me and elder Diaz in Tecun on a tricycle

Sunday miracles. So this Sunday I was with Elder Thomas because we had done divisions to do as many interviews as we could to help people accept dates to be baptized. We were in our sacrament meeting when a guy came in and sat on the last bench. I told Elder Thomas that he needed to find out if he was a member because I had a feeling he could be baptized this week. I took care of taking our investigatores to the Principios class while he talked with CARLOS HUMBERTO. He came with a friend to church and has a sister who is a member. But lives far away, he got stranded in Coatepeque without money but his family is going to send it to him. He said he'd been Catholic all his life but really likes the Mormon church and our doctrine and standards. We invited him to join us in the next class and he accepted. HE LOVED IT! We talked a little bit about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church that has the authority of God to baptize and that according to John 3:5 everyone needs to be baptized into this church to live with God again. He just lit up and said (he's kinda older and very proper so just picture how he said it) ´´After hearing all of what has been said, I believe that I will be baptized in a very short time.´´ Then he's started telling us about how he now wanted his whole family that is Catholic to get to know the church. I decided that we needed to interview him right away so after church I interviewed him and challenged him to get baptized this Saturday. He told me that he had previously planned to return to his home but now he said he knew he needed to be baptized and accepted. We finished the interview and Talked with the bishop and everything is good to go.

Such a miracle. I Love this work. No unhallowed hand can stop it. People learn and accept the truth any second of the day because it's TRUE!!!!! This is the true church. It's the only way we can go back to live with our families and our Father in  Heaven.

I love you all. Keep up the great cause and share the gospel with someone new this week!

Love,

Elder Pugmire