January 29, 2014 David of Santa Barbara

Dear family,

For this week we did a lot of cleaning!  We definitely needed it. It can get really gross when you have two missionaries living together ha ha.

Elder Toma in Santa Barbara

We had our confirmations this week and it was a really good experience.  The girl I baptized said she felt really funny and can't describe the feeling she had and that just put a smile to my face. We have been working hard with some of our investigators and we have the potential during the next six weeks to baptize a lot here in Santa Barbara. I've have gotten the nickname of David of Santa Barbara because they haven't had  a baptism for 4 months here until I came which is ridiculous here so we are just taking on the impossible and watching miracles here.

We have been traveling a lot this week throughout Santa Barbara.  It's huge out here! I haven't been to even half of it. But it is so beautiful here also it's like half coast and half mountains.  It's really cool.

We found a man that was very very sick and the family doesn't know what to do for him.  None of the doctors know what is wrong so we gave him a blessing. I really like when we go out and do stuff like that. There are a lot of things that are like that here where people just have a lot of problems and you just can't do anything about it. 

This is what we drive in a lot they are called TUK TUKS 

Wow it is so weird to me that it is so cold there at home because here it's crazy hot! I eat stuff and just walk it all off. . . and sweat it all off.  Today we are going to be having iguana yummy! I have lost a lot of weight.  Everyone tells me.  I found out I weigh 170 pounds now.

It's really good with my new companion.  He is a little more serious but he is also funny and I'm enjoying it with him.  We hit it off really fast. Douglas [my previous baptism] is doing good.  He blessed the sacrament 2 weeks ago and we are now working with his family to try and baptize them.

Next week we should be having a wedding so wish us luck!!! Hope everything is good at home.

Love Elder Toma 

January 23, 2014 A very special visitor

Dear Family, 

So this week has been a full and crazy one.  We had some baptism this week with two young girls that I have been working with for a while so we were really happy for that. This week we had changes and I got a new companion and am still in Santa Barbara. I guess I have more work to do here.  My new companion's name is Elder Viellos.  He is from Ecuador and it's a bit confusing but he was the companion of my last companion, Elder Breinholt, who dropped down from being a zone leader in Antigua to finish my training and left him and now Elder Viellos dropped from being zone leader in Antigua to be my senior companion.  So it's just a circle right now and my first trainer is the zone leader of my last trainer so it's all weird haha.  

We got a special treat this week. Elder Quentin L. Cook came and talked with us and it was really really good.  We got to shake his hand and other general authorities' hands as well. It was fun I got to see a lot of people I was in the CCM with but are in other missions. His talk was about loving the people and your companion and your president and the Lord and how we should focus on that and how the Twelve and President receive revelation for each missionary and how it works.  It was really good. I also sent off a package so tell me when you get it. And mom I wrote a letter but I have a goal to specifically write to you every week responding to your letters so you can email me everything and I will print it off and then write you back by hand. 

But everything is good.  It's going by so fast.  It's really weird but every day I try to make a fun day.  I'm trying to see this as a privilege more than a sacrifice of my two years because

it really is a privilege and what I am doing is incredible and there's nothing like it.

I love you all have a good week. 

Love Elder Toma 

January 14, 2014

Dear Family, 

This week has been really fun and good We are going to be having two baptisms this week; two girls that I have been working with for awhile.  You might reamer one of them, Karen and the other is her sister, Anai.  So that was a blessing that this is actually going to happen.  I am really excited and happy for them.

It's weird that training for me ends next week and who knows if I will stay or go but I'm positive that something is going to happen.  Two gringos don't last long together here. I think my days are numbered here in Santa Barbara. Changes are this Tuesday.  We will be having a conference next week as well where Elder Quentin L. Cook will be coming to talk with us so I'm excited for that. And because things are going to be crazy I won't be emailing until Thursday of next week. 

Panajachel

So for this week we just worked hard, got two baptismal dates and the one from last week and marrying a old couple next week and baptizing them (IF I'm here).  I don't remember if I said but that one fell through so will see what we do with him and his mom.  The mom has issues and he has to go to school every Sunday because it's cheaper so we will see what we do with him. 

But for P-Day we went to Panajachel!! It was awesome.  That is where the Lake Atitlan is and what they believe is the waters of Mormon.  It was really cold there because it's in the mountains and it's surrounded by volcanoes and is a big tourist attraction so a lot of gringos live there.  It was weird seeing them and funny because most gringos that live outside of the states are kind of weird. But I pretty much bought everyone there souvenirs.  Now I just have to hold on to everything for two years haha, and the rest is for me now. 

But it was really fun doing that and seeing that.  It is my goal to return here very soon after my mission with the rest of the family of course. 

What is going on with everyone in the family?  

The language is coming really well little by little every day.  My testimony just grows everyday too.  But yeah it's weird that I will have a new mission president this year.  I don't really want a new one; I really, really like the one I have now.  

Elder Toma

January 7, 2014

January 7, 2014

Hola Familia! 

Well this week was a bit interesting now; our baptism didn't go through. We had some problems with them so now we just need to love them and work harder.  We do have a couple that we are trying to get married so we can baptize them.  They're like in their 70's.  Other than that nothing else really happened. 

It's really hot here now.   It's their summer time here so we don't have much rain, just sun. 

It's crazy that my training will be done in like 2 weeks. I don't feel like I'm in training right now.  But I hope I don't get transferred just yet ha ha because we have a lot of baptisms that are coming up, specifically the family of my first baptism, Douglas. 

 Wow! Kinzie going to Germany -- that really through me off for sure.   I thought she would go state-side. But the truth is missions aren't easy and I haven't said anything about the hard stuff that has happened (nether will I)  or any of the crazy or scary things so mom won't have a heart attack.   But I  know we have the hard times because the Lord wants us to learn and I know that it is through him that all things are made possible.   When we do all that we can and try to be perfect and exact in all things and work the hardest you can the Lord is obligated to help us and bless us.  Always have that faith and hope that it will be ok and it will get better.   There is always end to the tunnel, that I can definitely testify to.  It seems hard at the time but you look back and you wonder why it seemed not as bad as you thought or felt at that time.   Interesting huh. This mission is crazy though and I love it and the people are crazy too haha  but I love them as well. And if you really want to  help someone you got to understand them and right now I'm trying to become one of them 100% Chapin, which is a nickname for Guatemalan!

 Elder Toma 

December 30, 2013 Elder Toma's First Christmas in Guatemala

Dear Family, 

Man do I miss Asian food and so many others things.  When I get home I will have a list of things I want as soon as I get off the plane. 

But for Christmas this year we spent it with some families and did a Christmas activity and ate tamales and punch.  Punch is like a fruit drink that has all kinds of fruit in it and they put cinnamon in it and drink it hot or cold.  It's pretty good and then Christmas morning we went into the next town to eat lunch with our district at a senior companion's home.  We had turkey and stuffing and everything I dream off every night including, yes. . . home made pumpkin pie!! It was amazing. But then after we ate we just relaxed and then at 5 we worked.

[Pictures]

This is a tamale and this is when a little hispano baby has brownies for the first time in his life (he is a member's kid)

It felt weird talking with you all [on Christmas day] and I noticed that it's getting hard to express myself in English which I guess is a good thing. I heard the voice message thing.  Connor sounds so different, it's weird.

But this week we should be having two baptisms and for this month maybe over 10 so please pray for us because some of them are struggling right now and Satan is being the guy he is and playing hard so were trying to fight it. But we have faith that it will pull through.  My companion said these two baptisms will be the hardest and craziest ones he has ever had so we're hoping.

[Pictures] Some Christmas piñatas and some of the family we eat with every lunch and helping them peel corn for tortillas

Love Elder Toma  

December 23, 2013 Hunter's First Christmas in Guatemala

¡Hola MI Familia! 

Everything has been good down here this week.  I got to go the temple for the temple trip day we get to do twice a year and we got to see the new video in Spanish!! It was good.  I understood a good amount of it (which is just weird).  

Elder Toma and Elder Breinholt @ Guatemala Temple

We also confirmed my good friend Douglas this Sunday and the ward had a fun Christmas activity where they did dear Santa and had food. Down here for Christmas they eat what is called Tamalies and Punch and the punch is like a hot fruit drin.  It's pretty good but I will being eating a lot of that today and tomorrow haha.

For Christmas Eve we will be spending it with a couple of families in the ward and eat food and just hangout, watch a church movie and we get to stay out till 12:30 at night so it should be fun. I helped kill ducks for tamalies yesterday haha.  That was an interesting experience and today we will be eating it with a familie.

My mp3 players is a mess and doesn't really work so if you could send me a new one or less barrato one that would be good haha. . .  with the same music and more! por favor some Christmas music would be nice and also some more socks.  I'm already creating holes in mine that I have from just walking. 

Elder Toma and Elder Osuguera @ Guatemala Temple

So people have lots of fiestas and parties before Christmas and yesterday there was one where there was a hispanoe Santa Claus and a piñata and they did games like potato sack races and all kinds of things the kid inside me wanted to go dance with Santa and hit the piñata but all me and my companero could do was just talk with the people and watch. But apparently tomorrow it will just be a pandemonium of fireworks for over a hour straight so I can't wait for that.  Christmas is the biggest holiday for them here so I am excited.

I hope everyone has a good Christmas I will be sending everyone letters and some things that is my goal right now so be waiting for that I love you all and 

Tieneis un Feliz ¡¡¡¡¡¡Navidad!!!!   

Cone Amor 

Elder Toma

December 17, 2013 New companion

Dear Family, 

Elder Breinholt and Elder Toma

My first week with my [new] companion went really well.  I had to guide him and teach him everything about our area and start all the lessons and talk a lot more.   I felt like a trainer.  It was really weird.  He is a Gringo from Sandy, Utah.  His name is Elder Breinholt.   He has just dropped down from being zone leader for 8 months in Antigua which is a really really cool city in a crevice surrounded by mountains and volcanoes and is a really really old Catholic city.  It's really cool there.  But he dropped down to be my "step dad" and continue my training.  My first companion left me and became zone leader for Villa Hermosa which is in (the capital).  haha So I have pretty interesting "dads" it seems.

Elder Breinholt is really nice and he loves the people and knows how to show it and be funny and outgoing with them and gain their trust really fast so it's really interesting.  My two trainers are very very different and it seems that there are specific things that I am supposed to learn that I am noticing. But yes my baptism went through.  Hallelujah!! I have one down now.  His name is Douglas Mendez and he is 20 (future missionary).  

It went really well and we should be having three more this month so far and trying to get more. I should be getting the package this week.  This week should be fun we get to go to the temple and do and see Christmas activities.  

Elder Toma, Douglas Mendez and Elder Breinholt

Me and my companion went to the beach this week. It was really cool.  The waves are huge here! And it's crazy hot! And the sand is black because of the volcano ash.

Elder Toma and Mendez family

But yeah it's like 100 degrees here right now plus humidity so we are sweating here.  My companion just baptized a really cool interesting guy that is Jewish from Antigua and is actually part of the tribe of Levi and Judah.  He has lived just about everywhere and speaks a bunch of languages. 

We teach about 60 to 70 lessons a week.  It's a lot on the coast. I can actually understand a lot now and I talk a lot more so that has made me happier. I personally like teaching the Book of Mormon just because of how important and awesome it is and it's just my favorite.

If you could tell me how to teach and what makes a good teacher and things to do that makes it effective and gain the trust of those you teach so they understand and like to hear and listen to you and have their attention that would be nice.  I'm always continuing to adapt and change. 

Love,

Elder Toma

December 10, 2013 First transfers

Dear Family, 

 

I almost forgot my birthday to be honest my companion reminded me but just saying happy birthday and stuff.   I dont really feel 19, I feel way older so its werid right now for me. We didn't do anything special just went out and worked.

We have had zero baptisms. The one we werre supposed to have, had to make it next week so his dad could be there.  So this Sunday it should be happing (I know it will happen he's pillas). We also should be haveing his brother hopefully baptized the 22 of December and 2 other investigators as well that are really good. The one being baptized this week is called Douglas Mendez and his brother is Alex and the other two is a mom and her son Carolina and Dieago Gonzalez so we're hoping for this.  We might be on fire this week. I hope so.

But I have some news...So I guess my DAD (my Trainer) is leaving me tommorrow and I will be staying here in Santa Barbara and receiving a new trainer to finish me off. So we will be having changes. This makes me a little nervous because this is extremely rare.  It doesnt happen when your trainer leaves you in your first area half way from your training and you receive a new one in that area. So that means I am going to have to guide and teach for a while until my trainer gets the hang of it in my area and knows the people. That makes me a bit nervous but I am excited to see who it will be.

So that's what will be happening tommorrow so this week and the next should be intresting. We also saw the Christmas devotional (in Spanish) with English subtitles!!! It was really good I enjoyed it and we had a lot of investigators come and watch it.

So that was most of my week I think. Its hard to remember things because you do so much everyday and it just molds into one event.

Love,
Elder Toma

December 3, 2013

Dear Family, 

Things down here have been great but also tough too, but that's how it seems to go. 
We have a lady that cleans our cloths for us and also irons them.  Most people clean by using a rock thing and soap and then hang drying.    When I say most,  I mean all.   I don't know how she does it but she makes all my cloths look brand new it's crazy!  They are literally perfect.   She somehow restores all of the original creases in my white shirts.  I don't know how she does it but I am impressed that she does all that with a rock and soap.  But everything else down here is great.   Thanks for all of the support it really helps especially when you have those rough days where you just want to sleep.  Which is like every day.  I'm tired constantly ha ha, but I am enjoying it.

No we don't have a maid that cooks for us and no we don't have a stove.  I sent pictures of what our apartment thing looks like.   All we have is a cooker and a fridge.   We have inactive members that live below us.  They are really nice and the own a bakery.   They give us bread all the time and the bread here is amazing definitely the best bread I have had. 

And ha ha no we don't have hot water, absolutely zero.  It's  freezing cold always and it only works at certain times in the day so sometimes I don't get to take a shower.   I have to get a bucket and dump water on myself.   We don't have time to eat a lot we just eat what we can.  I've lost quite a bit of weight nothing  fits and my belts are useless.    It's whatever we walk so much I don't think anything could get me to keep weight on.

 I have seen and have killed a couple of chickens and turkeys myself.  They all do it down here.  You will just see a bunch of random chickens, pigs and cows just walking around in the streets and dogs. In my town they do a huge festival for Christmas.  It's more like a fair.    All they do is light off huge fireworks all day and literally all night.  It gets a little annoying at night because they are super loud and right above your head it's something else. 

I've lost all sense of time its weird that its already been 6 weeks and changes come next week.  I'm already half way through my training now Whoo hoo!!  It's weird that it's my birthday this week.  No one down here believes I am 18.   They think I'm like 30.   I don't feel like I'm 18 either. I'm still losing weight but I think it will level off here soon.   I'm pretty skinny now ha ha.  Even my zone leader noticed I have lost even more weight.   It just means I'm working hard and sweating everything off.  

It is ridiculously humid down here it seems strange that its winter were you are.    Yes the shower and sink and toilet is very rustic and everything else.  

This week though we should be having 3 baptisms!  I'm very excited.  I'm ready for my first baptism.  We have been working very hard with the inactive members and we had a lot of people at church this Sunday so we are excited!  It is hard in my area. 

 This week has been up and down.  We did service for some members that we are reactivating and we went into the jungle and started cutting trees and branches with machetes so they will have fire wood to cook and keep warm. That's how they do it here.   We spent a good amount of time doing that and I cut 3 different huge trees (with a machete).   That's not easy and we had to carry them back, so my companion had one and I had the largest one.   I was with my companion and three kids and their mom.  This jungle has mountains so we blaze through the mountain and through jungle and corn mazes.  They have hills just covered in corn for their tortillas .   The tree I carried weighed almost 200 pounds.  They were not small or light and I had to carry it through mountains and jungles.  It was ridiculous because  it was also very hot that day. 

It was hard work but it is so gorgeous here.   It's hard to describe.   It is like  something out of a movie.  We also had a Zone P-day and that was fun.    We had groups that were from the same country and they had to make  food from their country.    The gringos made hot dogs and brownies which is super rare.   My Zone leader who has been out for 20 months hasn't had brownies since the CCM.  It  was a treat.   We also had a lot of papa fritas (fried bananas)  It was a fun thing and we pigged out so hard.    Overall it has been a  good week.   Santa Barbara will be having there festival this week.  I will tell you how that went next week.    It seems really big with all kinds of things to do.

 

Love Elder Toma

November 26, 2013 Santa Barbara

Hey Family, 

Elder Toma's CCM (MTC) District

Everything down here has been good. I actually feel like my Spanish is improving especially my accent!

Elder Toma and CCM Companion

We had a conference specifically for Central America where Elder Henry B  Eyring and Elder Richard G Scott gave talks.  I didn't understand much because Elder Scott talked in Spanish and they dubbed President Eyring's voice with Spanish but it was good.

We didn't have a baptism last week because Karen was sick the whole week, so we moved it to this week.  Something always happens. We are still working on the investigators we have and some we can tell are really close and should be getting baptized here really soon. The problem we have in our ward is there are not many priesthood holders.  Most members here are women so we are trying to focus on men right now and get the men that are baptized to receive the priesthood.  It's very important.

This P Day we played football (soccer) with some of the members and an investigator we have. I still don't like football and I never will at all, but it was good.  I actually scored and I was actually somehow good at being goalie.

Apartment in Santa Barbara

I won't be able to receive letters or packages until the next change or next zone meeting and I don't know if I'm still losing weight.   I think so. This definitely is the skinniest I think I have ever been. I'm curious to see how much I weigh.

Apartment in Santa Barbara

I can't believe that it's already been almost 6 weeks and we will be having another change next week and I could possibly be somewhere else with a new trainer. Time flies by so fast.  I have definitely seen the faults that I do have and the weaknesses but I have also seen how I have changed and improved in some areas. I still have a lot to change and improve but I am trying to be patient with it and just work hard. 

 Love,

Elder Toma 

Apartment in Santa Barbara

View of volcano from Santa Barbara

November 19, 2013

Dear Family, 

Everything down here is going well. We should be having some baptisms this week! My very first. Hopefully it pulls through. We did not hear about the typhoon; it's almost like we are in a bubble. We don't really know what goes on around us, simply what we are doing and supposed to do. I'll be sending you pictures next week of  my area hopefully some baptisms and just things down here. I didn't realize how big Santa Barbara is until this week we started going to different areas for certain people and things and its huge! And very pretty.  There are some parts where you  just think you are in the middle of the jungle, completely isolated. And I didn't notice probably because we walk so fast and just never stop to look around.  There are 4 volcanoes where I am and one is in my area. I'll try to get a picture of it.  It's huge!

But we have a little girl that should be getting baptized.  Her Mother is a recent convert but she never goes to church.  Her name is Karen Perez she is 10 I believe. We also have another Sister named Sidni Valasques.  She and her sister are scheduled to be baptized this week but they aren't married so we don't know if it is going to happen this week but she is progressing very well and has gone to church with us twice now and she accepts all of our invitations, and just is a very humble person that I can tell wants to be with her family forever and know her Savior. It's just convincing her husband to marry that's the problem right now.  It's just the culture down here not to be married because its just a hassle and they think it's not important.

Everything else is fine.  The Spanish is so so.  It's improving but in a really slow rate at least to me.  My President said that this week and next week is apparently very hard on the new missionaries for just some reason in either feeling they aren't improving or just other reasons so I'm getting ready to get hit by that and I just hope I have hope and faith that I can push through and get on the other side where things will start rolling. But time flies already incredibly fast I felt I just wrote yesterday and I only have 2 more weeks and then I possibly might be somewhere else with a new trainer. It's crazy you really do if you work hard lose a sense of time. 

But I enjoy hearing about what is going on even if it is some bad news like our country. 

Haha I like the photo (cartoon you sent) but here in Guatemala it is not the money they don't want to give up its the Coffee! Turns out Guatemala is the capital of the world for Coffee and its apparently really good here. I also heard the chocolate here is amazing to so I'm trying to find that one out.

But Spanish is coming a little.  I never realized how complicated grammar can be especially when it's in a different language and goes completely against what you were taught. I think that's what is getting me right now.

Haha I never realized how good the CCM treats you until now.  'Im grateful to be able to go to the Guatemala CCM I think it helped me a lot and prepared me more than the MTC could have even though the CCM treats you like your babies and they feed you well they give you everything like Ice cream and cookies and even a snack time for everyone and all that.  It's like the nursery of the Mission  which I think is why it's so hard on new missionaries from the beginning.

I'm really happy I was able to get to my actual mission and start learning the language. I love my mission President.  He expects a lot and is very strict but that's because he wants the most we can give and try to be the best we can be. Turns out our mission the Guatemala Central Mission is #1 in all of Central America and South for exact obedience and being trust worthy and all the missionaries doing what they are supposed to. And we are #2 in all of Central America for baptisms and #1 in Guatemala. It goes to show you what we get for trying our hardest and try and follow all of the rules and the blessings that come. My interview was just the regular 3 month personal interview of just seeing how you are and what's up. My district consists of me, my companion and 2 other Elders and 2 hermanas. But our zone is pretty large. And yes I have met quit a good amount of other missionaries from the mission and they all tell me how it's rough from the beginning and that you just sound stupid from the beginning but your able to handle yourself by the third transfer and understand everything.

I think when you realize why you are here and who called you and has made so many promises to you in the scriptures new and old you really start to change and have faith which I find is never enough but enough for me to act which is all we ever really need to do and the rest comes. When I first started I hated contacting because the language is a hindrance but we are here because our objective is Invitar a las personas a venier a Cristo al aydarlas a que reciban evangelio restaurado mediante la fe en Jesucristo y su expiacion, el arrepentimiento, el bautismo, la recepcion del don del Espiritu Santo y el perseverar hasta el fin. I and everyone else on a mission is here to invite all people to receive Jesus Christ's true gospel and be baptized with the true authority given to Joseph Smith by the Apostles of old. Its hard here because many are Catholic or Evangelic but the people that are ready understand and hear. I have been studying the Bible a lot because of that problem with the other religions and them feeling that they are content and they don't need anymore or the fact they may not believe there religion is right but they don't want to change. And I notice a pattern with all the Prophets and Apostles and all the servants of Christ in the Bible and Book of Mormon they all have more bad days then good. And they all go through more hard situations and things than anybody else has to. Now the question is why is that why would people that follow Christ and doing so much good be the ones that get hurt and go through the most hardships. And it's because they can handle it and we have trials to grow and become more. I notice Paul would actually be happy to go out and have to deal with that and he almost died a couple of times and the reason he was happy is because he knew what he would get out of it here and later on after he is dead 

Love, 

Elder Toma

Week 2 in Santa Barbara November 13, 2013

 I finally received the care package and I'm definitely going to eat it tonight. . . all of it!  I am constantly hungry all the time. And yes I have lost weight.  None of my pants really fit me and I need to make more holes in my belt because they're too big ha ha. The people that feed us feed us well but the thing is everything here is pretty lean and lots of tortillas and vegetables so I just shed it off from simply walking really fast even though a lot of people here are overweight which I don't get.  

They don't really celebrate Christmas down here though so I don't know about that.  (He is referring to sending money for food baskets)  

Some of our investigators are coming along and we should have 3 baptisms next week.  It is difficult out here because of the culture.  People are very relaxed about things.  They care about God as well.  For some of our investigators its hard because they want to be baptized but they have to be married and the husbands don't want to be married too.  It's all a challenge.

It still rains a lot I don't know why?  My shoes are fine I switch them up daily so they all last longer.

And actually my companion is not that small.  He's like 5' 10"  but everyone else is short ha ha.  We go around a lot in these taxi things that are more like three-wheelers with aired backs.  I'll  have to take pics.  I forgot my camera to download the pictures I have so I will be sure to do that next week.   We also rode around on a  van bus, but there was no room inside so my companion and I and three little Guatemalans hung onto these bars on the outside of the bus.  It was really fun but scary too because we almost would hit trees and other things and the roads here are terrible.

It definitely was a shock when I first arrived with everything, but I'm starting to get my footing. I definitely agree with the opening your mouth and simply speaking.  My language has improved and I know it will continue to improve as long as I am diligent even when I feel like it isn't. I teach full lessons with my companion now and it can be intimidating but after awhile you learn what to say and it becomes much easier.

My companion likes to push me though.  He always tries to make me walk faster and say more when we're in lessons and it's my turn and I ask him questions or how to say something he just looks away and doesn't say anything and makes me figure it out. At first I did not like that at all and it would frustrate me, but I found that I would be able to figure it out on my own and I didn't need his permission or approval for certain things.  He helps if I said something wrong grammatically but he really leaves me to it.

But everything else is good we teach and find people every day.   We talked to over 300 people in 1 day this week!  It's crazy that's the most my companion said he has ever done. Tell me how everyone is and what's going on out there? 

I had my first interview with my [Mission] President and he started asking me questions about why I got the companion I did or why I was sent to where I am. And I answered them all and realized how inspired it really is. And he told me part of the reason I got such a good companion is probably because I will have those bad ones that I will have to pick up and help and that I will need to be a good example to others in the future because I am learning how it's supposed to be the whole time. And  how I need to be the whole time on my mission.

But tell me what's going on at home I think about you guys sometimes but I also try not to because I am truly trying not to remember who I am and more on what I am trying to be and do and why I am here.

 

Love,

 Elder Toma

November 5, 2013 First email from the field

November 5, 2013

Hola family, 

It feels like it has been a long time since I have talked or heard from you. I've been incredibly busy these couple of days.  So I have been out in the mission field for about 6 days now.  My first area is a place called Santa Barbara it's about a hour from the coast and its very hot!   It reminds me a lot of like what Hawaii or Tonga would look like.  It's very tropical and pretty.   The houses are. . . interesting. My trainers name is Elder Osegera.  He is from Honduras and he can speak a bit of English, so I've been teaching him. He is very hard working and walks incredibly fast!  All of the people laugh because they see me trying to catch up to him and start running while he is walking.  My Mission President expects us all to move incredibly fast with a purpose and to be perfect in everything we do especially with rules.  I feel very blessed for the trainer I have.   He is very kind and has a sense of humor,  but he is also loyal,  hard working and wants to baptize as much as he can.  My first week here was. . . very hard. People tell you missions are hard at times but they don't really explain why, especially when you have to serve in a foreign country.   It's very hard to adjust and try to adapt to your surroundings.  My first few days were definitely the hardest.   I just felt completely useless and not able to understand or say a thing. I came out of the CCM thinking that my Spanish was pretty good and that I should be able to be fine,  but the first day was definitely a reality check and I won't lie, it's hard.   I was very unsure of myself and I was very depressed because I felt useless and my companion was doing everything.  But that night I talked to him about it and he said some things to me that helped a lot.  I am grateful for my trainer.  The mission president also told me that everyone is like this and that it will get better.   Also my Zone leader talked to me and told me how his first few days were horrible,  but you just have to make a fool out of yourself and talk to everyone.  So, it sounds like everyone has to go through this and that does give me hope.  For the past few days it has been getting better,  though  we have no time for  language study.   Dad if you could help me know how to make my language better and how to study it would help a lot.  We contact here A LOT,  especially my companion and I because he loves to do it.  So we talk to a lot of people out in the streets and everywhere we go and that has helps my Spanish to grow.   The past couple of days have gotten better I actually got some complements on my Spanish saying that its better then the last companion he taught and that it is pretty good for someone that has only been here for 6 weeks.   I am slowly able to pick out what people say,  so that was encouraging. 

Picture of Santa Barbara, Guatemala from Google

We teach a lot of people and we should be having a couple of baptisms in a week or so.  There's about 80 members here.  There's also a lot of Evangelist and CATHOLICS and they all have silly excuse for not wanting us to teach them but that's how it goes. 

The culture is definitely different here. The  food here is okay.   There are no stores where we are so they have little snack bars and small stores that sell some stuff.   If we want certain things we have to go to another town to get them.  We pay some people to feed us or do our laundry.   Our apartment is ..not terrible ha ha,  but it isn't exactly fancy either.  The showers don't get hot, it's only cold, so I hate showers especially in the morning.  

I am beginning  to teach with my companion.  For some reason it feels harder to teach then it did at the CCM but I am trying.  Time goes by fast.  I hope we can find more time to study because I want to be able to actually understand and teach.  I hope that comes,  so I can really start working. 

 Sincerely,  Elder Toma

P.S. Forgot to say I have not received my care package apparently it can take 6 weeks to get here and we only  get our letters and care packages every transfer meeting, which means every 6 weeks.   This is not great but I can email every week and I can send letters.  My President pretty much told us that it is going to be hard and that Guatemala is one of the most successful mission.    We also work the hardest,  with a sense of purpose.   This means we work fast and walk fast and follow all of the rules with exactness.  There are interesting animals here ha ha  and things smell interesting too. . .  People live in hut-like  things or in cement apartments,  but they all have metal roofs so when it rains it is so hard to hear.   A lot of people don't even have electricity so that is interesting.  There are a lot of just random dogs and chickens and cows and all kinds of things that just wander around everywhere.  I also saw my first chicken get its head chopped off. There' s a lot of sugar cane fields and all kinds of fruit trees everywhere.