Week 79 - The Downpour Begins

Hey everyone! This week I think it is safe to say that the rainy season has begun. I mean, last night, we were teaching/taking refuge in a house when the power went out. I actually love the rain. All of the members think I'm crazy because when it starts raining I almost get giddy. I love going out in the rain. I don't even carry an umbrella. I just put my books in a plastic bag inside my bag so they don't get soaked like I do. hahaha. Last night, when we left the house of that family we were headed to another family's house and we knocked on what we thought was their door. Come to find out, that because of the rain and it being kinda dark where we were we mistook their house. (The houses also look very similar. We found a man who had just moved in that day. When we realized we knocked the wrong door we took advantage. I really felt that we were guided to him. He's catholic, like everyone else here, but he says that there is something to learn from every message. He seemed really willing to read and learn more. Hopefully the spirit touches his heart and testifies that the message is true and that he wants to learn more.

I think I had an experience this week that no other missionary can claim. I went through an entire lesson with a chicken on my head! We were sitting on the patio of a family we were teaching when out of nowhere this chicken jumps on my back and roosts on my head. The kids thought it was funny and it actually helped them pay attention so I let it fly (pun intended).

I have been looking for a place to fix my proselyting bag. I have another one that I've been using but I like the one I brought on the mission better. It wasn't fatally broken or anything. Just a side zipper but I had left it with a man to fix it for two weeks, come to find out he didn't have the piece to fix it. So I took matters into my own hands. I ripped out the zipper and a member donated me a zipper to put on and I sewed it on by had. Good as new ;P

This week we had changes. My companion, Elder Cornejo is leaving and I receive Elder Garza, the new District Leader. I saw him enter the mission while I was in Mita. He's a pretty cool guy. I'll send a pic of us next week.

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Sanarate, Zona Jalapa, Guatemala Sur

p.s. Looks like Frankie had problems loading pictures this week so we'll have to leave it to our imagination until next time.

Week 78 - A Trip To The Dentist

Hey everybody! This week started off with a trip to the dentist. I had broken my filling on my front tooth some time ago and finally got permission from Sister Caffaro to go get it fixed. He did a pretty good job actually. He's a retired dentist from Logan, Utah. Elder Hogh. He also fixed another filling I had that was bothering me. He said it was because my top molar looked "almost like fuego!"(a volcano here in Guatemala) So he rounded my tooth off (ouch) to make it "more like Hill Cumorah". To go to the dentist's office we had to go to a different mission seeing as how there are 3 different missions here in the capital.

Because it was our Pday the assistants said we could explore the capital a little bit. So we got a little bit lost trying to get back to the mission office. But we found a really cool topographical map of Guatemala.

We finally got to the office and started divisions with the financial secretaries and stayed the night at their house. We had a multizone conference the next day so we just stayed in the capital instead of going all the way back and having to return super early the next morning. When we left the conference we had to go with the sisters all in one taxi cuz they didn't know how to get back to our area since they came another way. So we all squished into one taxi. Us, Elder Hazeldine and Elder Perez in the back and Hermana Salgado and Hermana Rivera up front. hahaha It was a tight squeeze and all of our bags were in the trunk. The taxis here are like little clown cars. When we got to the bus terminal we went to get our bags to find out the trunk hadn't shut properly and was open the whole trip! Luckily nothing fell out hahaha.

This week we had divisions with the zone leaders as well as the assistants. I was in Sanarate with Elder Clarke. He's a zone leader and I watched him enter the mission in Nimajuyu! puchica! With him it was awesome. We were able to invite Mari (the investigator that we helped with the pila) to baptism. She didn't accept totally because she still has some doubts but she said she'd be willing to continue meeting with us until she receives an answer!

Then with Elder Alegria, the assistant, came and worked with both of us in Sanarate and showed us a family he taught when he was starting the mission here in Sanarate. He goes home next week. It was pretty cool to see their reaction to him. They stopped visiting with the missionaries a long time ago but things have changed in their lives so we are hoping they will receive the answer they need to get baptized as a family.

Well, gotta go. Have a good week.

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Sanarate, Zona Jalapa, Guatemala Sur

Week 77 - Holy Week 2.0

Hey everybody! HAPPY EASTER!!

It's that time of year again when we all remember the life of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. (it should be Easter all year round!) I love this season because everyone is centered on Christ. I loved that in General Conference there were a bunch of talks about becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ. It's something we're contemplating as a mission. What can we do to be truer disciples of Christ? We're obviously acting as his representatives but how well are we representing him? this goes to all as members as well. Plaque or no plaque, we are representatives of Christ and His Church. That is part of the commitment we make when we are baptized into his true church. We must strive to "be example[s] of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." This week we were sharing the video on Mormon.org #PrinceOfPeace. It's a really good video and, even though Easter is over, I invite everyone to watch it!

Sorry, I have to go to the capital today and don't have to much time... but watch the video by clicking HERE.

#PrinceOfPeace

Elder Mattiaccio

Barrio Sanarate, Zona Jalapa, Guatemala Sur

Week 76 - Pulling water

Hey everyone!

This week was pretty fun. I went to a neighboring are called Sansare on divisions. I was there with Elder Hazeldine from Kaysville, Utah. He's a pretty cool guy and he's a super humble missionary. He's out in a little town and they don't even have a chapel, the members and investigators arrive at his house Sunday in the afternoon and our bishop goes to preside the meetings on the patio. It's pretty cool. We went to go teach a family, and asked if they needed any help. The dad looked like he wanted to say something but was uncomfortable asking so Elder Hazeldine insisted. So what was it that they needed? They needed someone to go draw water from a nearby well where the water literally springs out of the rock! Here, most of the rivers are contaminated to the point of being visibly dirty, so to find clear, potable water is kindof hard. Most people buy jugs of water from a company called agua pura salvavidas. (pure water saves lives) but here in this little town money's a bit short. So we went with four 5 gallon jugs and drew water. It was a pretty cool experience.

On Friday, we were out contacting when we found a new investigator who seemed pretty pilas. I knocked the door and her son and father came out. Basically it was just the son talking cuz the grandpa was a little old and senile... He let us in and the mom came and gave us chairs to sit on. She was doing house chores and "couldn't listen to us". So we came in and sat down and started talking with her dad a little bit when she came and sat down. She felt bad since she was leaving us there alone and she listened rather intently. We finished the lesson and again offered to help her with her chores and she said we could help her empty a huge wash basin that was clogged so her friend could come and fix it. So we grabbed buckets and started emptying it. When it was getting low we had to reach in farther to get the water and one time I was reaching and my agenda fell out of my shirt pocket! AHHHHHH! I almost died and let out a yelp. I dove in to rescue my agenda cuz those are like gold and have priceless memories and almost fell in myself. So I put that out to dry and the very next time my mission manual and my plaque fell in. Double AHHHHHHHH!!! I was so sad that day. And the next time, my pen. I was just done at that point and just helped carry the water but not pull it out :P 

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.