Salama-June 7, 2010

I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY HOW AMAZING THIS WEEK WAS!!! K, mi actually do....but seriously....wow. I, first I got my card stolen. Awesome. Then I talked to my President's wife on the phone about what I need to do to fix my card situation. Then she told us we have to move.... So....then it begins..... So I moved ALLL our stuff Wednesday to our DLs house about 6 kilometers away...and it was TINY literally not enough room to fit four beds. Hahaha and hot as a mug. with one fan....I hated it. but whatever haha. So then Saturday we found an amazing house right next to the church and moved there. All while working a ton with investigators in-between. Cool. We have a baptism for the 17th. A 13 year old girl Kimberly. She is super pilas (cool)!! She asked us to be baptized and is coming from inactive parents who we already activated....and the reason we started going over there is because she sells chocolate-covered frozen bananas....Oh which are EVERYWHERE here..... and she gives them to us free. Then we activated her, then her husband and now the daughter wants to be baptized! This was all over the past month.... I've helped reactivate quite a number of people...I just have never told you. sorry. like the Blanco family.. Lucella... Lorgea.. and Josue.. and that's just my first area... here the Boytos fam.. a kekchi lady...the Caal Family and I'm working with another family Jeronimo... and a man Josue here. So I'm having amazing success. I just don't tell you...sorry. Super lame of me... anyways. About Kimberly! She should be getting baptized by her Dad I hope! That would be amazing!!! Ahh!! That makes me so happy. And we also have 3 families all progressing right now! So the work is going well and there is constant improvement here in Salama. It's amazing to be here serving....k speaking of serving...this is the story I wanted to get to.....it kills me. It is the opposite of me, but i was so happy to do it. And didn't even mind... K, so there is a family in our area... a kekchi family...and when that is said, it means not intelligent...poor...and speak kekchi! :) i LOOOOVE them. Anyways last Thursday we passed by there house and only the wife and kids our there and we're talking to her about her husband's work and she says he has REALLY bad foot infections.... so me, of course am grossed out. And my comp says, "We will come by Sunday at four and I have medicine for exactly that thing"..... so we go back Sunday.. the first thing we see in the house without walls is a man sitting there with his feet up on a chair and he's crying... I knew exactly why..it killed me. And the very first thing that popped into my head was the Savior feeling the same pain as us. We go in and the foot infection has maggots that were eating his foot from the inside out. The visible wound was about 1/8 of an inch deep and the size of a nickel. But the eaten part of the foot inside that was like mush and purple was about the size of a tennis ball. He had that on the top of his left foot, and 1 on each side of his ankles of his right foot...those not as bad...but still terrible. And he cant go to the hospital because he has no money...a man of about 40 years of age was crying because of pain. I didn't know what to do other then pray for him. anyways...my comp pulls out his first aid kit, and tells him first you need to rip off those scab and clean the infection with a rag and soap with water, then after pour hydrogen peroxide on it, then liquid bandage and then ace bandage it up... and yes for a side note you could see the maggots crawling in and out.. gross. so my comp knows this because he had the same problem with that infection earlier in his life and had to do the same thing... My comp sits down, takes out all the stuff....AAAAAAAANNNDDDD then hands it to me and tells me to do it...... i about wet my pants...first of all this man is crying...I hate disgusting feet...i hate germs.... and i don't want to hurt him more....... Anyways....I do it. I took off the scabs...rubbed it with soap and water did the hydrogen...then bandage...then ace bandaged it.... The thing was the whole time all I could think about is the Savior's love for this man and how he felt the same things. The man after I was done, kept crying. And I couldn't understand why. We were sitting around him all his family and everything singing a hymn...(they aren't members) and he was just crying. Then finally after the 15 min. lesson about the Savior's ministry and atonement (obviously appropriate) we stop and ask how we can help. In a broken voice he just said "thank you".... my eyes started to water as i thought of this man's situation.... This family can hardly work. They didn't go to school. They don't have walls. They dont have shoes. Just a few of them have sandals. They don't have food other then the wild fruit and some chickens they have. And they don't have money to take care of health matters. And 5 weeks ago when we first contacted them they didn't even know who the man Jesus was. Because they cant read and they're so out of touch. but I thought of how significant they were to the Savior and how we were able to show them they had significance. They were so grateful they offered to feed us.... they gave me a cold bowl of soup with leaves from a tree. as well as raw chicken..yes raw. with the skin and everything. And 2 tortillas. this sounds disgusting..and in all honesty, it was...but it was the most enjoyable meal I've had my mission. I know the Lord truly watches out for each and everyone of us. I know we have such great significance in his eyes. these people here are in dire need of the truth and I'm so grateful to be here serving them. How cool is that story!?!?!?! I get to experience the coolest things!!! And eat the grossest stuff!! Which is why i didn't want to come here haha...but i love it. The animation i have for this work i don't ever want to leave! Refer everyone you know to hear this message! do it! don't be shy or worried!! If anything, it'll only strengthen your friendship! ahh! I love it! this church is true. My comp is amazing and helps me so much. I'm so grateful to be here. Plus ill send you the prettiest pictures in 2 weeks of the hike I did...I live straight up in jungle :) Keep working hard family! And amigos! i hope my animation can be shared with you as well to share the message about Jesus Christ! i am so grateful for your examples and letters...best ever. i love you all tons!! Elder Fast! P.s. Guat IS amazing! just wanted to throw it out there