Week 7 - First Week in the Field!!

Hey guys, thanks for the emails! It was great to hear from so many people! and yes I knew my room mates were going to Colton's mission, so I wrote Colton a letter and had them give it to him. So Tuesday right before lunch we found out what mission we were going to and who our companion was. So I am in the LA REFORMA 2, ZACAPA MISSION. and my comp is Elder Garcia! he is an amazing hard working missionary. I am his first gringo trainee and he is trying to learn English as I learn Spanish. He works hard with English. So from the "mission home"  which was a stake center. we left to Zacapa and my comp was in Zacapa already waiting for me so I didn't know who he was. all I knew was he was a Latino. so I had a wonderful (not) 4 hour drive to Zacapa on a bus and Elder Dawson was with me for the first 1 before we got on different buses. so then I arrived in Zacapa and we went to our house and then went straight out to tract and visit members and less actives. I was so lost. I didn't understand anything, it was difficult. So then at 9 we went home and had dinner and planned for the next day. I have already learned so much its crazy how fast I am learning. So the first full day we had was hard. my comp had me give three baptismal questions and they are going to get baptized on Nov. 15! if they keep obeying the commandments and attend church. That day was so hard because I didn't understand anything, I felt like crap and felt like I was worthless but that's what the devil wants. So I said a prayer and I was comforted so much. also that day we gave a blessing and that blessing was for a sick elderly woman and she looked bad. I didn't know what was said in the prayer but my comp later told me that the spirit told him to say that she would return to our heavenly father and everything would be okay. I'm so sorry I don't have any more time... there is some pics though and we don't have wifi in Zacapa. I will send more next week. I love you guys and don't send a package yet, send one for Christmas. Just send letters. Love you guys!

Elder Flygare

Week 5

So this week is my last week in the CCM and I cant wait to get out into the field! I know it's going to be a hard first 4 or 5 months but I know that the Lord with help me and the spirit will testify of what I will be teaaching is true. I will leave around tuesday at 7 oclock in the morning and I will get my camera back that Tuesday morning so I will send a pic of me and my new comp, my districto and hopefully some photots of some really good friends that I have made here.

So let's start with last week when we went to the market. I am really speechless. The market has so many stores packed down into this building and I dont know how you know your way through this place because every store sells the same stuff... I got a machete! a jersey, and a tie. In that store things were a little more expensive then what you would find out of the city so you could bargain with them and tell them how much you would want to buy it for, but as I got there and looked at the people who were selling this stuff, my heart was shattered. It was definetly a humbling experience and I just wanted to buy something from everyone. When I actually bought something their face just light up and they were super happy.

Before that we went to Wendys and it was so good. They have your food ready 2 seconds after you order it, haha, so it really was fast food, but I got a baconator, a large coke, large fries, and a large frosty. It was so good to eat some real American food though! Then after Wendys we went to this outside museum thing and they had a 3d map of Guatemala that was built by, who they call, the Guatemalan genuise, and he built this map and its probably a good 40 yards long and 40 yards for the width, (i think thats what its called) but it was built 100 years ago and it is 96 percent correct! This expedition took 53 people 16 years to map and scale all of Guatemala on horses. It was crazy how good it was! Also after the market we got to drive around the city and we saw this "neighborhood" that were houses piled on top of each other and there were a ton of houses. they said that was where the poor people lived and there is an average of 3 families per small room. Later that day our whole district had a meeting and we all had the same feeling of being humbled, and that the super poor people and the ones that will be the most receptive to our lesson and to our messages. I cant wait to be able to teach those people.

Later that week during deportes it was raining super hard and we were all drenched and I had my rain jacket on and during speed someone grabed the back of my jacket and ripped it across the seem. So later the next day I got my sewing kit out and sewed it all back together! It's not a super good sewing job but it's back in working condition! p.s no one likes the kid that ripped my jacket and I didnt want to go off on him or have him get punched twice in the face in the ccm so I just walked back to my room and said that it will be okay and I wouldn't be mean and just fix it. He later offered to help but I already had it fixed so I just said no its all good and then stopped talking to him.

So we had general conference this saturday and sunday and I cant believe how much I got out of it! it was crazy good and one of my favorite talks was when the speaker asked, what manner of men ought ye be? so everyday that quote has popped into my head and I have to remember what manner of man I have to be. I need to be even as Christ our Savior. I need to have the spirit with me at all times that I can have the holy ghost testify of what I say is correct. I also liked Elder Bednar's talk on Sunday afternoon and it really pointed to the people that weren't members of the church and I think that talk was specifically for Herman. That talk will answer any question he has about the missionaries and why me and Colton are on a mission. It will be a huge impact on how he will see our church.

Also I am sending my second letter tomorrow so hopefully you guys will get it shortly. It takes me forever to get mail and i dont know my. I just recieved your last letter two days ago and it was suppose to come in last week! Oh well tell Corbin I say hi back! love and miss you guys!

Elder Flygare