Guatemala City South

Hey there suz,

I am doing great and am really enjoying everything going on. Time is Flying by, I now officially have 20 months in the mission. How crazy is that? Anyway, we had a pretty stressful week. I´ll write you first and then I will answer your questions.

So this past week we had our baptism. It was great. Drei was so happy for her decision that she made and she was just really emotional that day. She usually is really always happy so it was nothing new. In the service us four missionaries sang the hymn, 'How Great Thou Art". We sang the first verse in Spanish and then the next two in English, and the last one in Spanish. She loved it because she understands English too so it was really special for her. I could feel the Spirit really strongly while singing it too. So that was cool. Then she was baptized and we watched a cool video there about the restoration. That night we went to visit her again and it was so fun. We just were joking around with her and having fun and then we gave her some gifts. I gave her a Book of Mormon in English.

Monday we were really busy because we were preparing everything for the house for the new missionaries that came to our house. By the way I have become quite the house man. Elder Jensen, he is a senior missionary, has taught me how to change door handles, a toilet, electricity stuff, and lots of other stuff. I have become quite handy.

Tuesday in the morning we received the new missionaries and we had our orientation. It went really well and I had a blast with the elders that I was able to meet. We did that in the morning and then in the afternoon I left with 2 elders, Elder Earl, and the other is Elder Buckley. They are both excellent missionaries and super. I am so happy to have them here in the mission to help make it better. Sometimes I feel like it is a war where we are trying to convert missionaries to be obedient, the Lord strengthens us by sending us good missionaries too.

Wednesday was our change meeting and my companion conducted. He did a great job. I was able to announce a couple changes. Thursday, my buddy Elder Doran was moving into a new house we had for him so we had to deliver his furniture for him, boy was that interesting. We got pretty creative with how we put things in the back of the truck. We sure were determined to make the move in only 2 trips though, and we did it. I never want to be a mover, that was to stressful.

We received a call from the 1st counselor in the Area Seventy and he is going to have a zone conference with us. We were so excited until he said this: "Elders, please have it all ready for next week, we will start on Monday". Oh boy, ha we sure are running around like a chicken with our heads cut off mode. It is pretty hectic but good thing we have great zone leaders who are taking care of a lot of stuff. We finally just got the majority of it done. We are heading out to Zacapa tomorrow after church, and then we are heading out to Jalapa after that, and then on Wednesday we have our meeting within the city. Should be fun, so that is a little bit about what happened this past week. I am super excited to receive the instructions from Elder Amado. He sounds like a great guy and really put together. You should see the conference rules we have.

Wow that is amazing about Cookie, do you think that maybe if we all would of pitched in a little bit more maybe Cookie could have been a little bit more normal. What is going to happen with Grammy, how is she currently surviving? I hope she is doing alright, and I know that you guys will help her out in anyway.

I love those scriptures (Alma 40:11,12,21,23). By the way, have you set my appointment yet with Nanny and Grammy? One day alone with them. Fried chicken sounds so good, I have really been enjoying that here. It is a classic here in Guatemala and I love it. Something I think is so weird here in Guatemala, but I hope I can still keep that going on when I get home, in almost every single conversation that the people have here, they are always mentioning religion. Now maybe that is because we are religious men, but it is something really interesting here. I want both, I want the Guate food and I want you to make your home made cooking. I definitely want a good ol ham for when I get home. It has been awhile since I have eaten that. Learn some guat food though so that we can eat that too. Ask that one hermana from our ward if she can give you some recipes. Ask her about shukos, they are really simple to make. Yeah, I sent sister Evans a letter, it truly was nice of her to write me. Receiving mail in the mission is about up there with a baptism. Ha, are you saying that there is someone for me in Kate's ward? Do you have a couple girls lined up for me when I get home. I honestly have been thinking about marriage a lot lately, but I honestly just have no idea who I am going to marry. I know that the Lord really has taught me how to listen to the Spirit here so I plan on using that a lot in my decision. Sister Stay tells me that even though it is nice to listen to your parents suggestions, or friends, she says that I should never settle for anyone just because people tell me they are good. She said it is something between me and the Lord and no one else. But don’t worry mom, I will still need your help, ha. Who is this missionary from Africa? I think I would have had a meltdown being able to be with Elder Holland. So in the mission here we have a saying for elders and sisters who start thinking about the house so much and about just being home in general. Believe me I am far from that stage in my life. Maybe my last day, but not yet. Anyway we call those people “Baggy”. Mom, you are really baggy for me to come home, aren’t you? Ha ha. I love you so much and miss you a ton. I will love that day when I get to see you guys. I have learned so much these last couple months and I continue learning so much. I am going to learn a lot these next couple days too. We are having a special meeting with Elder Amado and just us. I am so excited for that too.

Love Always
Elder Shipley