5 MESES!

Que tal?! This week I will hit my 5 month mark in the mission! Crazy right??? Just one more month and I will be 1/4 of the way done. Time is really going by fast and can't believe that changes are coming up again in 2 weeks because it seems like just yesterday I just recieved my new companion. Speaking of my companion, he and I are really getting along and we are having a good time. He says that I am one of the best companions he has had in his mission so that makes me happy to hear! We are doing good and working hard to find new people to teach and working with the members. 

This week we are going to have a baptism! Yay! It is of a man named Juanito, he is 73 years old and used to be a Jehovah Witness. I have been teaching him for the past 2-3 months now and he has finally decided that he wants to be baptized. He will be baptized this Saturday and I am really excited for him and making this step in his life! There is nothing more satisfying than to see someone enter into the waters of baptism. For the other investigator named José, we are meeting with him again on Tuesday with him and his friend and they are both really interested and always have a lot of questions for us so I am looking forward to going with them again and seeing them progress in the Gospel. With Elder, or the ex-convict, we taught him again but all he really wants and keeps saying is to go back to the states and says how free we are and keeps saying the same things but he is always willing to meet with us for the most part and he always seems in a rush and he doesn't give us much time to speak because he wants to speak so it is a little difficult with him but we are still trying our hardest with him so we shall see where that will go.

This week we had interviews with our Mission President and they went pretty good but were really fast. They were pretty much about how we are, how is our health, our area, if we have questions. But President Ruiz asked me when I will be ready to be the Senior Companion, I told him maybe in like 3-4 months or so but he looked at me and said that he was thinking more of like 2. So I will be a senior companion in the next change or in the one after. I thought that was kinda cool but kinda caught me off guard! I am actually looking forward to be the senior companion, but hopefully I will have a Latino companion just to help me with my Spanish more! 

Today for p-day we went to Coatepeque and played basketball there with a lot of guys. I am becoming closer friends with all the guys in my zone and in other zones as well. Elder Vences who has been my zone leader for the past 4 months or so, is way cool, we are really good friends and told him that when I am done with my mission I will visit him in Texas. So heads up mom and dad, I am taking a trip to Texas when I get back to go visit him! ;) haha. 

So I mentioned how were were going to get the chance to go to the temple this month and guess what? We get that opportunity tomorrow. Tomorrow at 5am me and my zone are getting on a bus and we are traveling 4 hours to go to the temple! I am so looking forward to it and the temple (Quetzaltenango) where are going to is bigger than the one in the capital so it will be really awesome!

Like I said that this week we have been trying to find a lot of people and to see if we will have more progressing investigators as well. It is really hard to find people who are willing to keep commitments when they are really easy. But I guess that the small commitments that we make with them are preparing them to make bigger ones down the road, because how can someone be baptized and then go to church every week when they have a hard time going to church now and reading the Book of Mormon as well. However that is something that I have definitely noticed for this week and I have noticed as well how great the Book of Mormon is and how it can change a lot of people's lives as well. It is really a great book that everyone should read.

One investigator that we went to go see was chopping coconuts and invited us in and gave us some coconuts to drink. He chopped them for us and the coconut water inside is actually really good and that it tasted different than what I was expecting. Also we are starting to get a lot of mangos because it is becoming mango season here. The mangos grow here for about 2 or 3 months and then that is about it so that is a bummer but got to enjoy it while it lasts! The more time I spend here the better the food is becoming and the more I am getting used to it. 

My spanish is getting better I feel like but it is hard to really progress in my Spanish when I have an American comp and all we speak to each other is English. That is something that we should probably change to where we are only speaking Spanish to help myself progress in the language so we shall see where that will take us.

Everything here is going great though, still working hard, teaching, growing my testimony in the gospel, and helping others when I can. This is truly the Lord’s work and that I am so glad I am here in Guatemala serving Him for 2 years and I know that it will go by fast because the time right now is just flying by but I just need to enjoy it while it lasts and do the best I can while I am here.

Sorry that the email for this week is not the longest but I will try to do better next week and write more about my experiences. I hope that the pictures will make up for it and I just want to say that I love you and miss you all so much. Always trust in the Lord and do His will, we will all be better and happier that way! Stay sweet!

Love,

Elder Kahl

This is me and Elder Ramos today on P day.

This is me and Elder Ramos today on P day.

The name tag picture is when me and another elder named Elder Call, switched one of our name tags! His name is named Elder Call and he is from Colorado, crazy right?

The kids of our investigator made a fort so we took a picture with them and the piece of paper is what they and we made it for.

The tag for the fort says (this translation is coming from Chandler’s mom/dad since he didn’t give us one and it’s the best we can do!): Only to play, eat, rest and be happy. Only for the family don Pedro, Fredy, Marleny, Melissa, Carmen, Calvin, and Chino and Elder Wight and Elder Kahl.

The old man is a member and I put a flower in his ear and took a picture.

Us drinking out of some good coconuts!

An investigator chopping the coconuts we ate.

A picture of the park in Tecun.

Us sitting on a park bench in Tecun eating some pizza.

Me and Elder Wight at someone’s house.

Me and Elder Wight walking down a street in our area.

Me, Elder Wight and Elder Ramos

Walking down another road in an area we work in.

Here I am inside a an investigators house.

MY HOSPITAL PICTURES!!!!! These are from like 3 months ago and I forgot I never sent them to you. These are the only pictures I have when I was in the hospital. Haha! I look so happy don't I? The guy in the pic was the assistant to the president named Elder Barrus.

Me and Elder Tzub