Pictures and Videos

 

Eating Paterna January 9, 2017

October 10, 2016 Dogs, Cats and Birds

October 3, 2016 New Apartment -Zona Nimajuyu Barrio Venezuela

Elder Mattiaccio eats pig feet...and likes it.

September 18, 2016 - Look closely for the giant moth. 

August 26, 2016 -- This video brings back memories...All the schools participate in different parades to celebrate Guatemala's Independence Day (September 15). This is probably one of the schools practicing for the big day. Some schools even get to be in the big national parade in the Capital and perform in front of the National Palace and President.

September 2016 - PDay fun - Slip-n-Slide

Video tour of Frankie's Mission Apartment in Zona Nimajuyu

August 19, 2016... Frankie has added kitties and doves to his portfolio.

August 2, 2016 -  We made a "Title of Liberty - Zona Nimajuyu" out of old ties we didn´t want. We wrote the reason we are obedient.

July 10, 2016 - Love the smile on this boy!

June 30, 2016 - More Puppies.

June 21, 2016 - Zone Conference

June 7, 2016 - One thing Frankie misses is grass. This picture of him enjoying a small plot put a big smile on our faces. He seems so content. 

June 3, 2016 - Frankie stops to swing.

June 2, 2016 - Frankie's Birthday Celebration

Discussion during a storm

On a mission your trainer is called your dad and their trainer your grandfather. This is a picture of Frankie's mission dad and mission grandfather.

Week 103 - Going out with a *SPLASH*

Hello everyone!

Well... my stay here in Guatemala has come to a close. But I'm not leaving without one last "hurrah!" This weekend we baptized Hamlet and Keiry. They are so awesome. We have been teaching them for the past month and they are so smart. We would leave a pamphlet and they would read it all. A chapter in the Book of Mormon, same deal. They would even have questions. That's pretty awesome for a 12 and 10 year old. Their parents are members but had become inactive. As part of their baptismal process, they had to go 6 weeks consecutively to church. Because they are kids, we can't expect them to come by themselves, so the parents had to be reactivated. When we asked them to help their children get baptized it was like something woke up inside of them. They started coming to church, the dad got active in the elders quorum activities. Their baptism was so cool. Their family came from Coban to see them get baptized and confirmed. They even brought tamales from Coban, another department here in Guatemala. The Cobaneros (people from Coban) really like hot sauce and peppers (hence the chili cobanero) so I showed them my little bottle of hot sauce and they all wanted to try some. They approved of my sauce hahaha.kjl-iuo

I had the privilege to baptize Hamlet and confirm him on Sunday and Elder Gordon baptized and confirmed Keiry. On Sunday, they got there really early and the dad came in his Army Class A Uniform.

On Saturday, before the baptism, I had a lunch with all of my family members here in Guatemala. I'm sure it has been a long time since they've gathered like that and even longer since they've seen or talked to me. It was great to see them all and talk with them. My cousin, Laura, told me she's going to get married and sealed in two weeks. We were planning on coming back in November anyway but I hope we come to be able to be there for that. I recognized some of them, others had changed a bit since I was little when I saw them last.

Saturday night we had a nice surprise when we were taking the baptismal clothing to get cleaned. We were walking down the road when a car honked and yelled at us. They pulled over and we found that the bishop from Economica, one of our areas we had in common, was at the wheel. He was going home with his family from San Juan. I was really sad because all the people in that area work and are only there at night so I wasn't able to go to that area to say goodbye. But we were able to take a picture and he gave us a ride to go drop off the clothes (They were really heavy because they were wet.

Sunday was also a day of goodbyes. I took a bunch of pictures with all the members I could before they got out the door. I went in the suit I bought for going home. In the mission we call it the "traje de muerto" (Death suit). I got a vest with it and it was all custom made. On the inside, I had the tailor put the Guatemalan flag.

I am now in Venezuela, Zona Nimajuyu where I served a year ago to say goodbye to more people. Last Monday I went to Roosevelt and a lot of people were happy to see me and remembered my name and everything. (that feels nice since a lot of times missionaries just come and go and nobody bothers to remember their names). It was nice to see that I had an impact in their lives. I hope to stay in touch over the years and have those relationships. Many promised that when I return they would open their doors to me, I plan on banking in on that promise.

I'm so grateful I decided to serve a mission. I've changed so much. I hope the changes stick. Now I'm going to start a new phase in my life. Coming home isn't coming back to one's old self; it is continuing on and progressing.

With my final goodbye and as Sister Caffaro always said "Goodbye is not forever, Goodbyes are not the end, it just means I'll miss you, until we meet again"

#TogetherForever

#MissionAccomplished

#Splash

#TheBestTwoYears

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Las Brisas, Zona Florida, Guatemala Sur

Week 102 - Zone Conferences

Hey everyone this week we had our Multi Zone conferences and got to see old friends and companions. We had a super awesome workshops. We had a workshop from the doctor I've been going to for physical therapy about proper posture and how to save your back in the mission (a little late but I was doing most of the things anyway). Things like only carry what you need, divide the weight, etc. We learned about the emergency plans for the mission in case of earthquake, floods, volcanic eruption, etc. hahah. As we already know, that is a real scenario that could happen. Then we facetimed with the Mexico City visitors center and they told us how they receive a ton of references and to refer people to Mormon.org 

Sorry guys. I am going to go say goodbye to one of my areas so I gotta go.

We're going to have baptisms this week though! Look forward to pics next week.

Love ya bye!

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Las Brisas, Zona Florida, Guatemala Sur