May 17, 2010-Salama

whoo!!! Mother can you forward this to Jim Lang... and tell him to give it to Keegan as well? Pleease... and mother...whats the deal about you and dad coming to pick me up from Guatemala?? You guys are going to do it right!?!?!?! K, good! What a freaking week!!! I'm so excited to write you guys this week! First of all the picture i dont know what its of... so yea.. sorry hopefully its cool!! (It was a baseball picture) This past week i ruined my shoes completely...so destroyed. Impossible to wear again haha. I had a mango fall from a tree and hit me in the head haha. and I put 6 dates for 6 people to be baptized..... :) just about made me cry to type. You have no idea how amazing it is!!! I've had the hardest change. And now we have 2 families with dates and as well 2 little kids. All of them are so pilas!!! (cool) I love it!!! Our week was good! We taught 30 lessons and found a lot of new people. Crazy how much the Lord truly blessed me this week. I know it's because of your prayers. K, so cool things about this week. I went on divisions this past Wednesday with my zone leader and it was such a fun day. (In my area by the way.) We made cake with a less active and choco bananas, and it rocked. I killed a huge poiseness lizard :) and chased a latino with it haha. I realized how much spanish i know this week too! I can teach any lesson on my own now, and talk with anyone almost about whatever I want to say... I can make good jokes now :) Also I have such bad problems with my stomach that I randomly have to bend over and cant move! So cool! I love how i just suffer haha. It literally makes me laugh that it's hard. Because in all honesty when your on a mission it doesn't matter. It's just funny. There is only one week left in the change and then i get a new comp. I love mine. but I bet I'll love my next one in a different way..... But who knows. So yesterday i was feeling really sick. I didnt even wanna go work. But why else am i on a mission? So i went out to work. Also the people here are awesome. Really trusting and loving. So there is a song played here allll the time that i want you guys to look up and listen to! I love it so much! Literally its playing every night...so good. Its called Te Vez Fatal... The Trono de Mexico. Gotta find it! It's so awesome!! Well I cant think of much more and I'm typing as fast as I can... thank you for your love and support! I'm super happy about my area.. Salama is getting better and more and more people's hearts are being opened to the spirit. Its a really big blessing to see. I wish I could film it all and show you guys! Keep your testimonies strong. Elder Fast This is Derek. He lives in the apartments where Elder Fast lives. They live above an Internet School. The view from Elder Fast's apartment in Salama. Written on the back of this picture was-"What can I say-this is Guatemala. Everything you see in this picture surrounds me everyday. I love it." These Baseball (Bisbal) pictures were taken at a District Activity. His team lost, but they had a great time. This is such an Evan picture.

Brief Intermission for a Package!

I got home from being gone at the Temple all morning. When I pulled up to our house, the mailman was standing at our front door. He walked up to my car, and asked, "Are you Meegan Fast?" I said, "Yes!". He responded, "This package is for you from Central America." Wow!! I was so excited! A package! Wow! A Package! My Mother's Day Package!! The mailman said,"Who do you know that lives there?" "Our son is living there for the next 2 years", I said. He asked,"Why, is he in the Peace Crops?". "No, he is a missionary for our church in Guatemala." The mailman was impressed that a young man would take time to serve and teach about God. I felt like I had done a small piece of missionary work that day, as well. And a Package!! Woo! I am not surprised this was the color of the stamps. Orange is Evan's Favorite color :) Aren't they so amazing! I loved this stamp-Salama, the city where Evan is serving as a missionary right now. I love picturing him there. Coban. I liked this, because this is the Zone Evan is serving in at this time. The box :) Isn't this beautiful? It is a Moral. I LOVE it. I love all of it. It is perfect! I want to use it, but I don't want it to be ruined. Any suggestions? Photos!!! Woo! A Missionary Mom's Best Friend! My Mother's Day card! How awesome is this?! Elder Fast and Elder Toolson at a "change conference" (Transfers) They were MTC Companions for 9 weeks. Evan told me on Mother's Day that Elder Toolson will be his friend for eternity. They love each other and watch out for one another. I have become friends with his mom. Such fun and a blessing! Elder Larsen, Elder Fast, and Elder Mays at Zone Conference. These missionaries don't know each other (yet), but the moms do from our Missionary Mom email list. I kept asking Evan if he would get a picture with these Elders. On the back is says-"For you, Mother" :) Love, love, love having a missionary!

Only 7 Minutes

Samala Yes, Elder Fast ate snake April 26, 2010 Mother!!! I only have 7 minutes today! because my real pday is tomorrow because zone conference and such. I'm in a pickle. I need money from my personal account but i can't pull out any money. Thank you mom. Please asap? I'm sorry im always having you do stuff for me. But I love you mom. You're the best. I'll email you and everyone tomorrow. If you could send this info to the fam that'd rock.... as in the info about emailing tomorrow! Haha not the money.... also guess what!? I get to spend my whole pday and the next day with Garrick!!!!! I'm so excited! I love you mom!! (I went right to the bank and got everything squared away. The bank was concerned because Evan's address is here and he keeps pulling money out in Guatemala, they were worried someone had stolen his card. Evan emailed us the next day. He attempted 4 times, and not one came through. Although, we had 2 tender mercies that same day. One of the Missionary Moms received a picture of Evan from their son, and another Missionary Mom heard from her son Evan was doing really well. We are always taken care of, arent we?)

Elder Drach, Elder Fast and the Blanco Family attending church Elder Fast and Brother Blanco The Blanco Familia Sintya Ramirez de Blanco Friend Requested me on Facebook. I was not sure who she was, so I was a little hesitant. She has been so sweet! She posted these pictures on her Facebook. We were excited to be able to see Evan! Sintya said that their family is trying to get active after being less active for awhile. Their children attend most of the time by themselves. The day these pictures were taken, Sintya attended church for the first time in a long time. Her husband was going to go, but ended up being very sick. Sintya and I have chatted several times on Facebook. She has reassured me that Evan was great with his Spanish, and that he would always be taken care of by the members. She also told me of the love thier family has for Evan. They now try to attend church as a family. As you read the letter below, you will see that Evan was transfered the day after these pictures were taken. April 12, 2010 Hello! This is Elder Drach. Elder Fast's companion. Elder Fast is not going to be able to email this week. He got a change up to Coban. So he is taking a 6 hour ride bus up there. His new companion will be Elder Romero, a latino. He will be okay because he has learned a ton of Spanish in the last 6 weeks. He was super nervous when he heard about it. Coban is really pretty though. Its full of waterfalls. He will get to see Elder Garrick (Evan and Garrick attended the same high school, and played on the school volleyball team together for 3 years. They would actually have conversations of the possibility of serving in the same mission!)this change at Zone Conference. Elder Fast wanted me to tell you that he loves you. Well I hope that fills you in until next week. Your son is an amazing missionary. I couldn't have asked for a better companion. We worked really, really, really hard this last week and got the best dats in the whole zone. Im gonna miss him being up in Coban. I gotta go. Keep praying for him and uplifting him with your emails. Elder Drach

Las Victorias, March 22, 2010

District Activity-Evan is #7 See the red spot on Evan's right arm. He just had a cyst removed. We tried to have him get it done before he left. He wanted the adventure of having it done in Guatemala. FYI-It was benine. Elder Drach and Elder Fast Mother! Well hi! So this week has rocked! I've been working hard. I was really sick from Tuesday of last week til yesterday :) but im perfect now! It made me miss home, being sick haha. So DearElders to send here, yes are free. It takes them about a week to get here. I wouldnt suggest writing me hand written because that takes like 3 weeks. also dearelders rock to get. So cool story about this pást week is.... I shouldnt write it :) Mom will freak out. Just know Guatemala freaking rocks. (I later wrote him and thanked him for not telling stories that would freak a mom out. I will gladly hear them when he comes home) ;) So you know the drink Horchata??? HUGE here!! I love it! SO good! and they all make it homemade so there is hairs in it and stuff haha. But it's still really good. I love it. That really poor family from last week fed us again last night. They're so loving. Thats the third time in a row. So the most ghetto part of my area there is ALWAYS tons of little kids running around from about 4 to 12 and they love us. cuz me :) Because everytime i go in that area they yell "DULCE!!!!" which is candy...and I always buy mints and give it to them. but i only give it to them on one condition, and that is if they call me by my "name" haha. I told them all my name was "HOT STUD" haha. So not every time, about twice a week we walk over there all I hear is "Hot Stud, Hot Stud" haha. So awesome. I love it. They are all really dirty though. So I dont let them pick a mint, I hand it to them. Sorry this email is short. I had to set up a new one because the other email was going to expire and that took 30 min. of my time. But everything is still the same i think. Also next week I'll be putting pictures with it :) the language is rocking. All is well. I'm really loving it. Hope all is well with the fam! Take care! Love you tons! Elder Fast! }

Arriving in Guatemala-March 1, 2010

Evan's Missionary Group arriving in Guatemala Evan's 1st Letter from the Mission Field: (Las Victorias) Mother! Well i got on and the ZL let me email you more cuz of what happened to the last huge long email! I sent you deleted right before! Ill type as much as i can the finish the rest next week. SoFirst! My Trainer is Elder Drach! He just turned 23 today! Hes so awesome! Im serving in Las Victorias! The “richest” part of my mission! But its still soooo ghetto! Haha I love it! There are spiders and cockroaches and fleas everywhere! People literally live in tin everywhere haha. Its so great. My first Sunday went really well! It was 60 degrees and people thought that it was soooooo cold haha. So a lot of people didn’t come to church. Haha I love it. I got my first new investagator! Her name was Dulce! Her Boyfriend has been a member for 3 years and shes super stoked about the gospel! I love it here more then anything! I think the people are so cooL! Im sorry again I had no time. Promise next weeks will be good. love you. Elder Fast! Evan's 2nd letter from Las Victorias: K, so i have a lot to say and i dont know how much I'll be repeating and it will be jumbled but yea! Ready? k! So first my trainer! His name is Elder Drach! He is from Oklahoma! About 5 inches shorter then me…and…yes, hes going bald ahha. I love it. Hes so awesome! Really! He's a hard worker and helps me a ton! Hes 23 years old, and hes the man for coming on a mission! Im gonna attach some pictures so you can see in a little! We live in a janky house that’s the RICH part of Guatemala haha….ooohhh but its still gross! Haha So every day…I eat black beans that are sooooo good!!! Eggs! Mmmmm! And tortillas! So good! I seriously love it! And you put this cream on it that’s weird but it taste so dang good!! Yes. I love it. Food here….well dirty and against all my germ problems but im doing good. I even eat onions a lot. Hate it. But I do it! So, I cant remember if I told you, but, I can't play soccer. Not in the street, not on pday, not ever. Shattered all my dreams. But who cares. They play all the time here. Its so cool. I love watching them. Sometimes when walking by will I see them score and run on the court going crazy with them. They just laugh cuz im white and don’t know any Spanish haha. Oh! I get to call Garrick whenever I want! Hes doing really well! Hes out north and speaking kekchi! I don’t know how. That’s hard. Here there are TONS of fleas. I have propably a good 50 flea bites and I use bug spray every night. But I don’t even care. Its Guate. And I love it. Every one here calls me FAST and FURIOUS like the movie. But they all think they're funny so I giggle with them. About this camera scenario I dunno. I am gonna buy one today. I promise. But I wish I could get your opinion mother! Its hard livin alone. Haha. Oh! The markets here! COOLEST ever!!!! They go for streets ans streets! Just kiosk after kiosk! And with the jankiest stuff haha. But the mangos here??? Oh! MY! GOODNESS! SOOOOOOO good! They would blow your mind!! Wow they are good. So sweet. Also im sure you’ve heard about the corte ladies. Theyre the ones who wear all the different colors and stuff. Google them. But they're all over here. They all make tortillas and sell them like 7 for a quetzal. Which is like 7 for a 15 cents. They're really not intelligent though. They cant read. Or hardly talk haha. But theyre sooooooo friendly. I love it. How they sell them though is they just walk through the street with a huge basket on their heads and yell,"TOORTIIILLLLLLAAAASSSS!" in the most high pitched annoying voice ever. haha. Also guys everyday go through the street yelling "Arreegglloooo Zapatos!!!!!" which is I fix shoes. And that’s every day. All day haha. Its awesome. Another weird thing is there is a guy who goes through our area everyday with 15 goats and yells "tengo leche!!!!" Which is I have milk. Hahaha and people just go out with a cup and he milks them right into the cup. So nasty. But I love it- So there are a TON of gross flea ridden ugly stray dogs here. And I hate those more then anything. And a lot of them are kinda mean but its so cool. Here all the dogs are trained by nature if you bend down and act like your picking up a rock they run away! Haha its cool! Sometimes I fake it even if theyre far away just to watch them take off running. Its cool. OH! The other day I heard "The good, The bad, and The ugly" playing in someone's house!!! I was so excited!!!! Made me think of you dad!! Haha I loved it. So we have one person in our area with a date to get baptized. Her name is Lourdes. But she has to go to church 3 times before. And we have this investagator Cristobal who has read the whole Book of Mormon and everything but wont get baptized or anything. Cuz he said he just wants to wait until spirit prison………But he wont listen to our counsel. Sad. The other day I contacted a house all alone and got in all alone and then taught them a lesson all on my own! Well my comp was there but I did it! Its was so cool! I got 3 firsts! I could feel the spirit working really strong with me in my Spanish. So yesterday in church this lady in Gospel principles class was teaching false doctrine about where tithing goes. My comp had to correct her. People here get really offended over dumb stuff. So last story. There was a family who fed us last week and they are very poor. And they gave like all they had. And then my comps bday was last week so they invited us over yesterday too. And theyre electricity was out, because they couldn’t pay their power bill. And we had to bring flashlights to eat. And they made a huge plate of rice and that was it. And they were giving us all they could. And then we were about to go but then they said that they had dessert for us. And my heart dropped. Because i knew they didn’t have money for it but it was his birthday and they wanted to treat him. Anyways they brought out a huge cake, huge. And cakes here are minimum 150 quetzales which could buy food for 2 weeks here. It killed me. I shared a message with them before I left about sacrifices and what blessing come from them. And they already knew though. That’s why they sacrificed for us. Here in Guate, missionaries come first. People here are perfect. I love it so much. It already scares me knowing I have to leave here someday. I love it. I know this work is real. Im so happy to be here. Thank you for your support. You have no idea what and how much it helps me. I love you. Elder Fast