Columbia-Sept 27, 2010

Holy cow have I been dying to write you all this week!!! It's been seriously crazy. As you kinda know a little of it! But it's also been one of the most fortifying weeks I've had my whole mission. I have learned so much of our relationships with our Savior. K, I have a list here of stories I wanna tell you about. Well....it is a 3 hour bus ride to the Capital from Salama... and we had been going about an hour and I got a strong feeling we were going to get in an accident...so I started thinking how I was going to brace myself if we did... 6 minutes later we did haha. and I braced myself perfectly like I imagined and all I did was hit my shin. I was perfect. So the accident was fun. We just hit the back of a diesel. No one got too hurt. Just some bloody noses and stuff. We got on a new bus like 3 minutes after anyways. Made me happy :) So I came to the area Columbia with Elder Vasquez (a different one) (Evan's 3rd Companion was also a Elder Vasquez)and Elder Hatch (he has a change less then me) and Elder Vasquez was like dying of a leg infection so I just stayed home and ran a bunch of errands with for him. While Hatch went on divisions. The house I'm in has 6 Elders and me. Elder Vasquez and Hatch...both studs. So Saturday was going to be another day just doing nothing with Vasquez, but he was like dying of throwing up and stuff...soooo we went to the emergency room at about noon on Saturday...long story short he got his appendix removed! Crazy.... Side story...while he was getting it removed, I was all ALONE!!!! I hated it. I just had to sit in the hospital room all alone with 2 TVs....and my scriptures. You can only guess what I chose. I read in Alma. The story of Ammon from chapter 17 to 33. I felt proud :) Then Hermana Torres walked in!!! She said her and President were waiting for me outside! I about pooped my pants! So I went out there and they had brought me McDonalds!!!!! A Large meal with a yogurt and Apple pie!!! Oh my gosh, they rock! So I just sat there talked with them and ate what they brought me for an hour!!! I felt so blessed. Seriously...no missionaries get that opportunity. I'm so excited. I found out if I have a change tonight. But not where. That's Wednesday! Today we all played pool. I saw some Elders from the very start of my mission! It was kinda like when Ammon saw Alma! Haha It felt good. So this week has been pretty crazy. But I feel the Hand of the Lord in everyday living. I have truly learned for myself the power of prayer and the desire to truly commit to this work all over again. Anyways fam! That's about how my week went! I think I taught 3 lessons. haha Oh! when I left Salama, 4 families cried. It felt so good. Like they cared as much as I did. I was so blessed to have serve there for as long as I did. Anyways, I hope all is well back home for all of you. I'm praying for you daily. And thank you SO much for your prayers. I love you all, Elder Fast

Salama-September 20, 2010

Familia Caal in my area. They're awesome. Just have a lot of struggles. LOOOOVE them!!! I've been wanting to send a picture of these moths but I always forget. I see about two a week here. They're huge. Like thick, too. Kinda ugly. This is a little walkway in my area. I just thought it was cool! Some kids in my ward. The girl hugging me Marraly... is Paisli and Hudsen to me. (Two of Evan's nieces) Soooo cute. She's always hugging me. It's embarrassing though, cuz it's not allowed. SO fun though. Three of the dopest kids in my area. The one next to Elder Anhder, then me-are Orphans. And sooooo awesome. Seriously. The middle one Skylor, is kind of a punk. But that's why he's so cool. haha I am pointing to where I am on the Guatemalan map. I look so Guat. I've got my hat, my camisolla(jersey) and my dirty shorts, with janky shoes. Boom. This is the servis we did. They all wore shirts that said "Manos que ayudan"-Helping hands. We walked up and down a few streets picking up trash. Literally we got about 4 times more then just this. It was ridiculous. and to make it better, about 4 hours later while tracting it was already just as dirty. Awesome. Como estan!?!?!? Estoy bien animado para escribirles esta semana. whoo!!! mi ultimo semana.. .oy... bien dificil pero termino.. ahora puedo respirar y comenzar otra vez! ( for the Spanish speakers in the Fam) I'm way excited to write you guys this week. Whoo!!! My last week...ah.. was way hard but it ended. Now I can breathe and start over again! jeje Bueno! okay... so this week was only 3 days of work after my week in Coban. Because I had P-day Thursday then worked the last three. But it kicked my butt. More emotionally then anything else to be honest. I had some of the most let down things happen this week. And it was rough but, also I know its going to really help me for the future in my mission! So that's good. Well, to start it out we have a family that we are trying to reactivate in this area. But they live really far. Long story short the mom has really been stepping up her game and going to church and doing all she can. Sooo pilas. I've got some members visiting them regularly as well. Awesome. Actually...one of them is Miguel.. He is next to me in the picture of me sitting with 3 patojos.. (street kids or punks) Anyways the mom and daughter went to church yesterday, but the dad said he was going to take the two little boys age 9 and 7 to go get some stuff then they'd meet at the church. But instead thought it'd be best to go out drinking while his two young kids just sat there and watched. Awesome. We went and visited them at about 4 yesterday and the 13 year old daughter is just crying cuz she knows what her dad did. I really didn't even know what to do to be honest. so we gave her and her mom a blessing, sang some hymns. Made them giggle a little. And then left. It really put me on a new plane of what some of these kids have to go through and what they see while growning up. It really gives me more and a new respect to how they are and how they can be so happy all the time. What a blessing we've all had in the ways we grew up, I think. Next thing... well on Saturday night we were able to go to the fairia!!! We have a crazy intense huge fair in our area. Its awesome. Well, a family invited us over (that I've been helping prepare to enter the temple since I've been in Salama) for a noche de Hogar... a family night. And we went and they surprised us by taking us to the fair. Fun. They are so nice to us. We just watched their kids go on rides and played a little foosball. They offered to buy us literally everything in sight. They wouldn't take no for an answer-haha. But we left after about 40 minutes. We felt akward being there in our missionary clothes. And didn't think it was allowed. Turns out the "white handbook" encourages missionaries to go to things like that. So our district might go for about an hour after emailing. Who knows though. Anyways, while we were there, there was a beer stand place and I saw the dad of the family I was just telling you about looking at it. I had something cross my mind to tell him how bad it was. But I dunno what happened. I just didn't. Like an idiot. Long story short...last night we past by their house and he was drunk. Woooow. I couldn't tell you the shock that got sent through me after that either. I was so sad. And the worst part about it, is he was just joking with us, then he stopped...grabbed his Cowboy hat with both hands, and then got really serious. Dropped his hands and looked me square and said "Hoy es Domingo..."-"Today is Sunday" And I just said, "Yeah". He then looked down... took a breath looked back at me and said "Perdoname Elder. Forgive me Elder." Then walked inside his house. His wife told us to come back another night. But, while I was walking away I couldn't help but feel so hurt. How sad that Satan would do that to this family. And sad that the dad would succumb to the temptation. They only had to wait 7 more months to go to the temple. And, now I dunno. They have to talk to President. But, what I learned is why I told this story-I started to almost cry while walking to my other cita. Then I started to get almost mad at him. Then his words "Perdonama" popped back in my head. I realized how often we will make mistakes in this life. Even huge ones. And some people won't even care for what they did. But the people who do, are the ones Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father will forgive. I realized this is just another step he has to go through. And when he does get to go through the Temple, how much more Joyful it will be. My point is, I really got a feeling of how forgiving Heavenly Father really is. I know without hesitation after we sin he is sitting there waiting to forgive us. Feeling the same if not more remorse than we feel. What a blessing it is that Jesus Christ suffered for us. Anyways, it kinda put a damper on my week, but now has given me knew desire to go tell everyone about the expiacion-Atonement. So that's what happened in those few days, or really just yesterday. But I've been so blessed. I dont know why. I'm just some gringo! Anyways Fam! I have changes in a week so we will find out what happens there! Who even knows :) But that's all I got! haha Sorry if it was depressing I tried to make it uplifting! I super love all of you! All your letters rock! Oh! and I have a new nephew!!! Whoo!!! Tell him welcome to the September Bdays :) I've been waiting for one like that. Speaking of him, his birthday is close to Kallee's :) Happy Bday Kal!!!!!! whoo!!!! Take care fam! I love you all TAN mucho! haha Elder Fast Les Amo!!!

Salama-Sept 11, 2010

Hey Familia! Como les Van!? Today is Saturday and yet this is an email from me...yep! Turns out my pday isn't until next Thursday so I was able to come on real quick and let you know that you wont be getting an email this coming Monday just today and next Thursday. Reason being me and my comp are going up to Coban for a Training thing. To be honest I have no clue what it intails.... or is it entails... either one has the word tail in it. So who cares. Kinda lucky we get to go. I feel lucky at least. It's supposed to be just for the Leaders in my Zone. But, somehow we get to go. I guess President called my ZL and asked him for me to go. Coolio. You know what that means?....I get to go on divisions with President Torres!! Craaaaaaazy!!! I'm nervous. But excited. I know I will learn a ton! All the missionaries have been saying that he is an amazing teacher. and I'm excited to see what I can learn. Because as you know we are on a dry spell here in Salama with baptisms. We have a fecha for the 25th of September here though. A lady. She's about 24, newly pregnant and not married or living with a man. She's so Pilas though. And wants to change her life!!! I'm crazy hoping all goes well! I'm a little nervous though. Because this training thing is Sunday through Thursday...and that's a long time to go without visiting your investigators! So....I'm thinking I'll talk to the members in our branch and have them go visit them. we will see. This week was hard but went crazy fast. I've been here forever it feels like. But, it's cool...just means I have something to do here! I just wanted to give you a little update on what I'll be doing the next little while. Hope you guys are all doing well and rocking it! I love and miss you guys a ton. I think about you often. I bet you are all just relaxing, watch movies and eating Sonic. Haha. That's what life is, right? I'll be honest it's gettin foggy. Love you all tons!!! Elder Fastito

Salama Sept. 6, 2010/Evan's Birthday Pictures

This is Me and Elder Anhder...Salama and us. This is because you and his mom wanted ones of us just smilin...so we got one with V8 juice... that stuff was good. Eight different flavours! My Birthday breakfast...I was still tired and I think you can see it in the photo. Haha Elder Mortensen and Elder Tanner and the cake in my house. That was my chicken! We ate that. This meal is the second most common here behind beans and eggs. The pizza from the family!!! They rock! Awesome family! That's 18 plus two on the cake. haha The whole bunny ears thing is still funny here. Dunno why. It's tradition here to do this...then they shove your face in the cake... yep. I didnt get it too bad. And to top it off...this is how I woke up Sunday morning :) Hi fam! This week was good! Real good! First of all cuz it was my bday. I've never liked or been good at receiving presents....but I think I did a good job this week. Hopefully. For my bday my comp took my out to breakfast. We got steak and eggs with beans and bread... nummers (as mother would say) Then we went to our district meeting...Elder Mortenson and Elder Tanner bought me a huge cake. Strawberry. yumm. Then our district went to our house and sang to me. Super nice of them. Then I went out to a member's house Family Pacay and they made me a huge lunch of chicken! (I dont know if you remember. But I bought 2 baby chickens for a family here in this area about 3 months ago, and it grew. Thats what they fed me for lunch! haha) It was really good. Then, guess what I made? Yep...I made rice crispy treats for the whole fam, and they were good. Just not like Dad's. Then we went out and taught a couple of really good lessons to some families.. Family Garcia and Family Chop. We are working on both of them to get baptized. Family Chop is progressing faster though. At 6 we went to a member's house who bought a pizza for me. So we ate pizza with them! super nice of them!!! I love that fam. They have a little boy who reminds me of little Clarke. (for example he's got the tiny body and his head is too big for him...something I've always been jealous of :) Yesterday at church he came and just sat by me :) So cute..) We met our investagator Miguel and walked to Hermana Candida's house and she bought a huge Chocolate cake for me! Suuuuuuper nice again! We all ate that together!! It was so good. Then I came home. It was crazy how many people helped make the day special for me. I was super lucky. The people here are so amazing and loving. I really hope I get to visit these people again one day. So, in our area right now all our feches fell because no one went to church yesterday. Sad...but it's okay. We need to pick them back up this coming week. So we will see how that goes. We also need to look for more families to find. Just people who want to hear this message. Last night I was able to watch the movie The Testaments. And that shot a new desire in me again to go out and pound it here. I really do love it here. Wish I could show you all. Hey random thought: This past week I was thinking about Geneology....what's the story about how Opa and Oma met? I wanna hear that story. Just kinda interested me. Same as when Grandma and Papa met. Can you shoot those at me mother? Another Question I have: When you are on a mission, when do you start thinking or planning on what you're going to do when you get home? Because thus far I have zero clue. And that's kinda scary. So, mail scenerio. Just so you know how it works here. We get what is called pouch. Which has our letters in it, but no packages about once every change here in Salama. So I usually dont get your letters til about a month later. But please don't stop sending them! Then packages. We get once every zone conference. Which used to be every change...but new rules we only have Zone conference once every 2 changes now. But, I guess they are figuring something out to get them to us sooner.....I'm a little impatient about that one. But it's okay... eventually I will get them. So that's about all I could think of to be honest for this week. Today for Pday we are going to go to the church and have a bar b q...trust me I've done it before...It tastes nothing like the states. But it'll be a good, relaxing, deathly hot day. I really don't have any funny stories from this week haha. Just the same ol. At least to me haha. One thing you guys gotta try is, I made mac and cheese with bacon....yumm! You gotta try it. I liked it. (wanna know something weird.... I literally can't think of what normal mac and cheese used to look like....They only use long noodles or spiral noodles here. But im being serious. I cant remember. Also!!! Something thats been bugging the heck out of me! Mother... remember when I sent you that package and that guy talked to you forever or something? He thought I was here on what? What was the name of it? Like social service mission or something? ahhhh! I just want the name. haha. Please shoot that at me. Love you all tons...you guys are awesome examples to me! Elder Fast

A Package!!!

Name Tag, Jellies, and Chicklet DVDS for the nieces and nephews, and Kallee :) A tie for Dad Cookies! Oh, how we love this name tag!! The note in the box said: "Mother y Father! 16th day of August Well hi! So, I don't know if you'll like the stuff, but I just wanted to give you some little things! I hope you like all the stuff and you guys are having a super amazing day! Also, sorry if I sent some duplicate pictures home. I can honestly never remember! I LOVE YOU BOTH!! -Elder Fast P.S. Dad you better wear the tie!" Needless to say-there weren't any pictures in the box. And did you notice the color of the box and the tie? :)

Happy Birthday, Elder Fast!

September 1st, Evan's 20th Birthday. Twenty years ago today, I gave birth to a 7 lb baby boy. Who, from the beginning had a strong spirit. Sometimes a crazy, wild spirit. But a boy that could melt our hearts. On that day, 20 years ago, I prayed that he would grow up to be like father, his brothers and his sisters. That he would look to them as examples. That he would gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and have a desire to serve God with all his heart. Our prayers have been answered. We love that more than anything! There is no where else we would want him to be. So for Evan's 20th Birthday, we are looking at pictures of a handsome young man serving God every minute of everyday. Love you so much Ev. Happy 20th Birthday, Elder Fast!