Week 86 - Though the weather outside is frightful, the work is so delightful

Hello everybody,

This week was really cool. (pun intended) I went from a really low valley to up on a mountain. Needless to say, it's a bit colder here. Here in Jerusalem it rains everyday. We're practically in the clouds so after about noon it is either raining or there is a constant mist. While I was still in Sanarate I broke down and bought a rain poncho so we wouldn't be all wet when we entered people's houses. (I like being soaked. I don't know why...) I thought it was a little weird that I had to buy another one (thoughts after the fact) since I had bought one while I was in Milagro (about a year ago...) Then, when I was packing, my suspicions were confirmed. I found my other poncho.... Oh well. Actually, it helps because I can leave one to dry while I take one out to work. It is so humid here it is hard for things to dry (since we don't have dryers, only hang dry. maybe with the fan). 

Elder Hernandez is a pretty cool guy. He's a bit shy. Shyer than I am. So it's kinda forcing me to be outgoing and take the initiative. He's still a bit green but I'm ready to learn from his fresh ideas.

We are teaching a family that their daughter has already gotten baptized and got confirmed this Sunday. The parents haven't gotten baptized yet because they aren't married. They've been together 26 years, they've just never gotten around to formalizing it (a common occurrence here in Guatemala). Gudiel, the husband, is an ex army member and is now working for a security company so he works 6 days then rests 3. That is going to make it hard for him and his wife to get married and baptized since he has to go take out documents of identification to get married.

One day while we were contacting I knocked a door and a little kid came out. He told me his parents had left to run an errand (classic answer) so I told him we'd come back. I then went to go to the next door and I found the rest of his brothers. They were bringing some fruit called jocotes. When I was at the next door I saw a jocote roll by. I kicked it back. Then more came. It turned into an all out jocote war in that alley. Then I stopped and was hiding in another alley and a woman came out and yelled at the kids. It was really funny cuz I was hidden and she didn't see me.

Well. The adventures are just beginning. I'll try to remember to give follow up on the Familia Barrios (the family that needs to get married) next week.

Just in case you heard about the earthquake last week, I didn't even feel it. My mission wasn't affected.

That's all for now. Love y'all

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Jerusalen, Zona San Cristobal, Guatemala Sur

Week 85 - Goodbye Devil's Alley, Hello Jerusalem

Hey guys, like the title says: I'm outta here! (El Callejón del Diablo/Devil's Alley is the street I live on and Jerusalem/Jerusalem is my new area) I'm going back inside of the capital. No more heat but a lot more rain! Changes are always interesting. Always new adventures. My new companion is Elder Hernandez from El Salvador (second Salvadoranian) and he's the District Leader there. The entire zone is made up of 8 missionaries, two districts of two companionships. We are in the Zone Leader's District so we'll probably be doing a lot of divisions.

I'm sad to be going though because I wanted to be here to keep supporting Keily (our investigator who JUST GOT BAPTIZED) Last Sunday she said she wasn't sure she wanted to go through with it so we said "that's fine. Read and pray about it and let us know your answer on Tuesday. We came on Tuesday and her entire countenance was different. We said a prayer, chit chatted for a minute, then asked the question. She smiled and said, almost chuckling, "of course!" We got everything ready, we had the interview on Friday and Elder Gruber (our zone leader) comes out and says "She wants you to baptize her". He hadn't even mentioned that we were an option to baptize and when he asked "who do you want to baptize you? the bishop? a member?" and she asked "Can it be one of my Elders?" I think this baptism went by the smoothest possible. Normally we're running all over town. Ahh we need the keys! Clean the baptismal fount! Clean the church! We don't have baptismal clothing! Where's the bishop! Where's the person who's gonna get baptized? Etc. But this time all went smooth like butter. We started a bit late but that's to be expected with GST (Guatemalan Standard Time, Like MST: Mormon Standard Time). The Spirit is definitely strong with this one! She came out of the water and was crying. When I came out from changing she was still crying in the hallway. I was a little worried.... Was she regretting her decision? I asked her what was wrong and she told me she felt so happy. She's sixteen years old and now has started her path to eternal life. I can't imagine what would've happened had we not found her mom. Or had we listened to our Ward Mission Leader and not gone back with her. God places us in the right places to help His children.

This week we also had a trip to the capital again to have another Multi Mission Conference, this time with Elder Renlund. This time it was The Guatemala South, East, and Central Missions and the CCM (MTC) as well. It's so great to see all my friends from the CCM and even from home. I saw Elder Gorze (East) Sister Montoya (Central) Elders Sweat, Shumway, and Brown (Central) As well as all my companions Elder Langi, Elder Cussi, Elder Campos, Elder Lascarez. It's like a big reunion. I love it because our mission always goes in suits and típica ties (cultural fabric patterns) He called us the Lord's "Atonement Delivery System". We take the Gospel and teach it to God's children so they can accept it and receive a remission of their sins. 

Well... gots to go. I'll be sending pictures of more ward members next week for when I say goodbye.

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Sanarate, Zona Jalapa, Guatemala Sur

Week 75 - Conference and Cocos

Hello everybody!

This week was so awesome! I love it here in Sanarate! The people here are so friendly! Most are catholic but don´t really go to church. After conference, we found an investigator family that has been taught a couple times by the missionaries. He was familiar with the message but had never prayed about it. We invited him to pray about it to receive an answer.

I love General Conference! It´s the best time of the year. Unfortunately, I dont think I enjoyed conference before as I do now. It just fills me with such spiritual energy and want to go out and tell all the world what the apostles and prophets just told me. 

We are teaching a pair of twins. Their names are Fabio and alexander. They´re so cute. They even wear opposite clothes. But we can distinguish between them because weve been meeting with them for a bit. hahaha They´re pilas. It's fun to talk with them because they finish each

other's sentences sometimes. 

Last night, our last appointment gave us coconuts to drink. they were yummy.

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Sanarate, Zona Jalapa, Guatemala Sur

Welcome back to small town living - Week 74

Upe! Hey everbody! Salutations from Sanarate, El Progreso!

Going back outside the cap! Oh it´s such a different feel out here. The rhythm in the work is so different from inside of the capitol. Here, practically everyone answers the door and lets us in! Our area is pretty big in comparison to roosevelt. but there is one main city (Sanarate) and a bunch of aldeas (villages). 

This week we had some pretty cool adventures. We were visiting with one of our recent converts and she told us she had a rat problem. So we, semi jokingly, said we´d take care of it. So we go into the room where she said the rat lived and we went looking around. I got it all on video too! jajaja the guy who grabbed it was another recent convert who was accompanying us.

(WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK)

Well gotta go. More adventures next week!

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Sanarate, Zona Jalapa, Guatemala Sur

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Pictures from this week

Adios Roosevelt, Hello SANARATE! - Week 73

So continuing on from last week.  My next divisions were with Elder Ludwig from the area Monte Maria. That day we were on fire too! We taught a woman who was from here but she had lived in the US for 27 years! She now works as an english teacher here and teaches it as part of a social project to better the futures of the people here. Here is where all the phone calls go when you call tech support or customer service hahaaha. There are even some utah based companies. But if you know english you get payed really well here. She´s super awesome. She rents a room from a member here. The lesson with here was actually really cool! She´s so ready and she even took notes! It´s a shame I won´t be here for her conversion. Which brings me to my next point....

I¨VE GOT CHANGES!!!! I´M GOING TO SANARATE, JALAPA!! My new companions name is Elder Cornejo. He´s salvadoranian and went to Mita just a little bit after I left. Elder Langi was there not too long ago and he said it´s awesome. But I'm going back to the heat. Getting ready to drop some more poundage! jajaja 

This week was really cool too though. We did a lot of service this week. Last week we helped a sister move her stuff to a new apartment. And this week, we helped her move her stuff BACK! jajaja. It's a long story but she ended up decided to stay in her house and buy a new house instead of moving to an apartment. We also painted the room of a the mom of one of our investigators. I swear I'm going to be a pro at painting when I get back. (mom, we´re finally gonna paint my room ;P)

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Roosevelt, Zona Mariscal, Guatemala Sur

Frankie failed to mention something...He had tamales! Thank goodness I caught that! Probably didn't want to make us all jealous Here's some other fun pictures I found from his district and members in Roosevelt.

Roosevelt - Week 56

Hello all,

First, I have a message for Abuelita: Te amo mucho! Espero que tengas un Feliz Cumpleaños! Gracias por aceptar el evangelio para yo poder estar aquí sirviendo mi mission.

This week I started in my new area, Roosevelt. This ward was one of the first wards organized here in Guatemala. Originally it was called just "Ward 6" but now that there are a ton more members it got a name. The ward is a lot bigger than all my previous areas. In membership and size. I feel like our area is the size of my last ZONE! We have to go on bus to get to  some areas. We mostly work in the area closest to the church because the members live there mostly. But we´re trying to expand our horizons. The members are great! They even provide us with dinner every day.

I've been focusing on helping Elder Mori with his District Leader stuff. It helps me have more patience.

I had divisions my second day in the area and guess who is my zone leader? Elder Olson from my CCM District! Soo cool. He´s still the same goof ball I met in the CCM. We had such a great day.

Towards the end of the night we had more appointments than what we could handle and he had to choose. I told him to follow the spirit so we went to a FHE. Turns out, the family had invited all their extended family (who weren´t members). We had an awesome lesson about the Plan of Salvation and Elder Olson had an awesome activity having to do with an invisible string (eternity) and a knot in the middle (mortal life). We left and we didn´t see a bus coming. So we had to run to get home before 9.  Then, while he was doing zone leader stuff, I was going to cook dinner. But when I went to grab a dish from the sink I saw this HUGE SPIDER. I almost had a heart attack. I couldn´t enter the kitchen the rest of the night. 

We learned how to make something called torejas. Super yummy. 

Well, that's all the time for now, but enjoy some picture of my families from Venezuela.

Love you all.

Elder Mattiaccio

Roosevelt, Zona Mariscal, Guatemala Sur