OH my GOSSHHHHHH GUATEMALA is CRAAAAAAZZZY!!! This week has been so insane and it has finally hit me....I am in GUATEMLALA!!!!! Ok so this week we got to go out into the real world and proselyte and it was the craziest day of my life!! But I loved it so, so much!!
So we split up with the Latina sisters so at least one of us could speak Spanish but there wasn’t enough Latina sisters who were going so guess what? They put me with an American who also doesn’t speak Spanish!!! I wanted to cry! Basically both of us don’t speak but they just sent us out to do missionary work.....GREAT!!!! It was crazy! But we go out and we get on this bus which is pretty much like going to six flags. They are loco!!!! The buses are like 100 years old, but some how are able to go like 150 mph! The only thing I could do was laugh because I seriously thought I was going to die on this thing. They hop curbs run people over, do loops...Everything!! There’s also like hundreds of people who hang off the sides of them because there is no room for them inside!! I have no idea how they hold on, but it’s straight up crazy, but so much fun! On the bus ride, my comp was like LOOK! And there was a lady going poo poo on the middle of the street. Bahhahaha! What the?????? This place is NUTS!!
It’s about a half an hour bus ride to the city. The city is actually BEAUTIFUL!! It is really, really nice it just smells really stink. My comp kept laughing because I have a gagging problem and anytime I would inhale I would start to gag!! Lol! It’s crazy! But some of that stuff that you put under your nose would really be useful!!! haha. It stinks!!! When I got to the city I looked around and I was in shock! There are dogs and wild goats everywhere!!! Poop on the ground....Pee puddles...homeless people galore...Its just insane. It’s also cool because the women all wear these bright traditional clothing with baskets on their heads. I can’t wait to get me some of those dresses. But I can’t even adequately express how scary and crazy I felt especially since none of us spoke Spanish. But we said our prayer, and prestos todos prestos....We went forward!!!!
I HAD THE BEST TIME OF MY LIIIIIFFFFE!!!! Once we started talking to people, it was so much FUN!! Guatemalans are hilarious, and are just so loving! They love to talk to you and help you with your Spanish! They also love to get free things so when you offer them a FREE book they think you are the best thing ever!!! The free DVD not so much because most people we talked to didn’t have DVDS! But it was really cool my comp and I saw this old man sitting by himself across the park so we decided to walk over and talk to him. We plopped ourselves right beside him and were like HOLLAA!!
We started talking to him and asked him what he was doing at the park. Miracle 1: He said he came to just meditate and ponder life and that he was just searching for truth and meaning in his life. Miracle 2: we were actually able to understand him!!!!!! My comp and I looked at each other and did silent screams with our eyes!! Miracle 3: we just started talking in SPANISH!! I didn’t even know I could do that! We were like Enserio?? Well God is about to answer your prayers....Here it comes and we just started talking and sharing about the church! We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he loved it. He asked us where our church was because he wanted to go! It was the COOLLLEST thing in the whole world! We talked to him for a while and when we left he just told us thank you so much. He couldn’t wait to tell his wife! Mom I was doing cartwheels I was so happy!! It was the coolest feeling. It was funny because after we left him I told my comp, Hermana I feel so inspired I think we need to talk to that guy in the green. She was like ok....we go to talk to him and I didn’t know this but he was bashing the church and was saying all these mean things but I was so happy I was just smiling and said oh yes!! God loves you and the Jesus is our Savior. He looked confused but then my comp just said thank you for your time goodbye!!! I had no idea that he was bashing us but just felt so happy about the other guy that I didn’t even care and was just like we love you bye!!! It was hilarious. My comp was laughing at me but I was like isn’t this a great day? WE talked to so many people we handed out like 15 BOMS and got a bunch of referrals.
AAAAAHHH I just loved it and I LOOOOVE Guatemalans. They have some really big old ladies here who are the funniest. They don’t really want to listen to your message but they just keep saying oh you messengers of Jesus I loooooooove you!!! I loooooove you!! Please sign this book you gave me so I can remember!! Family, I am just LOVING it! I can’t say much, but it seriously is so much fun and the biggest adventure of my life. I go to sleep every night and think did that really just happen! You can’t even make it up!! It is soooo fun and cool! I love this work. I love my Savior! I love this Gospel! I know its true and I can’t wait to get out to the field and do that all day! It is the best!
Ok for the downside there is opposition in all things so this whole week I was constipated! I couldn’t go to the bathroom for a week and it killed. Every morning I’d wake up and my stomach was rock hard and trust me that was not my abs. I’ve been drinking straight fiber, and taking laxatives but the only thing that worked was the Prunes!! haha. Its bad and its hard because I cant just sit in the bathroom because it is really stinky and I start to gag...haha story of my life. So that is just no bueno. Also this week, one of the elders found a WORM crawling in his food and it just grossed me out! The foods not bad, it’s delicious! It really is, but I am starving!!! And it plugs my stomach up....but prestos todos prestos, I am loving it and trying to embrace everything. Also this week, my comps had a blow up on me and just freaked out because I’ve been really annoying with trying to speak Spanish all the time. I just really, really want to learn so I try to speak Spanish all day and pretend I can’t understand English and just study, study and talk to Latins all day which drives my comps crazy! My comp started to cry and was like I can’t handle it! I hate speaking Spanish and you make me not even want to try. I felt so bad it was bad mom. I apologized and tried to explain that I don’t know how to not be intense. It’s just the way I am so we made a deal. It was crazy because I felt guilty because I didn’t think I was trying hard enough. I really want to learn and I’m like everyone let’s speak Spanish all day. I try to say it in a nice way, but no one likes it. They freaked out with me!! I don’t know. But I know I need to be more considerate. Pray for me!!! haaaaaaa. But I love you all so much! I love my mission. I love this gospel. Prestos todos prestos mi familia!!!! I love you with all my heart!!!
Hermana Garcia
ps DEINNNNAAAA I LOOOOVE you so much!! I always think about you and about how Ige Shimai would be the BEST comp ever!!! I tried to write you but did not have your address I love you so much!!!!! Ok times up everyone....CIAO I love you!! LOOOOOOOOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First Companion MTC and CCM, Hermana Williams