Changes!!!

Masaáchol?

So here is the big news for the week.... I had changes! My last day in Catarina I was saying goodbye to some of the members and that was kinda sad because I was close to a lot of them as I spent 4 months in that area. Although it was sad I was feeling pretty ready to leave and to get to know more of Guatemala and to meet new people as well. I left my first area of Catarina and went to the change meeting in Retalhuleu where we went to figure out our new areas and our new companions as well. It was such a long meeting but... From 2 weeks ago we all took a test that would show President if we are ready to be trainers or the Senior companion in the companionship. At the change meeting it was like half the mission and President Ruiz announced and had the new Senior companions stand up. He starting calling the new ones and a few people stood up who had a little more time than me and then he called my name and I was kind of surprised. I looked and everyone was like what?? And they were all excited and I was excited too because that meant I did well enough on the test to be a Senior companion with only 5 months in my mission! I got to see my trainer, Elder Tzub at change meetings and that was cool and he was so excited for me and he actually guessed it too haha.

I figured out that my new area is in COATEPEQUE and my new companion is ELDER QUIB. My new companion has 20 months in his mission but I am the senior comp. so that is a little weird but he doesn't mind it haha. He is from Guatemala and is from the same area as Elder Tzub, in Coban. Elder Quib knew no Spanish before his mission as he spoke Kechi (not sure how to spell it, but it is a dialect in Spanish and it is so cool). His Spanish is like a gringo but still really good. He is teaching me a few phrases in his native language which is way cool. I am happy to have him as my new companion and we are working well together and having a good time. It is crazy how in just like 5 days I have noticed the difference in my Spanish from not having an American comp! My companion is 24 years old and he can be pretty quiet but he is still pretty funny.

Our new house is really, really Spanish but it I kind of like it. It has 4 rooms that are connected by a small hallway and a door for out back where our pila is to wash things and where the bathroom is as well. We still take showers with freezing cold water but I’m pretty sure that the water here is even colder than Catarina because I am shivering every time... However, I really like my area so far and there is one area that is like the slums where the houses look like they are stacked on top of each other and it is cool to see but humbling at the same time. I will take more pictures to show you all.

We had a baptism on Saturday! It was of a guy who is 18 years old named Pablo. He is way cool and I feel like he is going to be an active member in the church because he loves this gospel so much. Our ward and church building is really small. There are about 70-80 active members in the ward but all the members are really nice and were really welcoming to the ward. They all made me feel at home which was really nice. Although it is really small I like it. We have 2 baptisms planned for the 21st of this month of 2 girls in their 20's and they are progressing a lot and really have the desire to come to church and to be baptized as well.

In my zone we have like 36 missionaries which is a ton and I am finally in the same zone as Elder Heyrend who was my companion in the MTC so that is way cool and I will get to see him more often and I like all the people in my new zone as well but it was sad to say goodbye to the other missionaries in my other zone. I am way happy I will be speaking Spanish all the time though and that it will help my Spanish increase a lot as I will be more and more fluent in it as time goes on.

I will be getting more of a leg workout in this area as there are really steep streets that we need to walk up and man are they tiring! Here comes a better looking lower body! haha jk... but seriously. So ya I saw in one of the members houses that they were using the American flag as a shower curtain and I told the Hermana that I was sad to see that and how could she do that? I was joking though and she thought it was pretty funny though. She is old so I will cut her some slack haha.

The city of Coatepeque seems like it is bigger than Fort Collins but I am not too sure. It is massive compared to Catarina where I was so right now it is a little confusing to know where to go and where things are but with time that will all come to me. There is definitely more to do here in this city though and more local places to eat in!

This morning for P-day we went to a member’s house and did some service chopping firewood and I have not chopped much firewood in my life but I was actually doing pretty good and it is a lot of fun as well! I have some really nice blisters in my hands though that hurt a lot but that comes with the giving service. We then went over to a place called La Trinidad to eat lunch which is like a mini mall that they have here and met up with some other missionaries there.

This week I have learned more about the sacred calling that we as missionaries have. I took more notice in that in the areas where we are, we are the only ones who can give people the opportunity to enter into the Kingdom of God and no one else and do that. That shows me how much we need to work to find those people who are waiting to hear the gospel and waiting to make these covenants with our Heavenly Father. However, if we do not do our part as missionaries then we are the ones at blame and that the sins of the people will fall upon our heads as the scriptures tell us. Alright.... LET’S GET TO WORK THEN!!! That just kinda scares me to make me work harder and to try to give it my all as well. God does 95% of the work, he only asks for us to do 5% of it. In reality that is not much but at the same time it seems like so much. Anyways, I love and miss you all!

Love,

Elder Kahl