A new companion and a priesthood blessing

Hola Familia!

This week has been a great week, I even had 2 p-days this week, one on Monday here in Huehue and the other in Xela the next day! After a lot of playing, we actually had a successful week, as we have been working hard to find new people, and to teach people.

First I will start off with the P-day in Xela. So, we had to be in Xela by 9:00 a.m. for changes, and so I got there,and said goodbye to my companion. Then I went with the other trainers to run around in Xela. Our first stop was at the temple, but we only got there after making a pit stop at Walmart! It felt soooooo good to be home.......haha! I learned one thing, it doesn't matter if you're in Guatemala or in the States, Walmart is the exact same!

Then we made it to the temple. After visiting the temple grounds, I would have to say that the Xela temple is one of the most beatiful temples. They have a lot of architecture and sculptures, that include the ancient Mayan symbols. Also, there was just a great peaceful feeling there, so that was great to go and see.

After that, we found Subway, and yes that is the same too! But after all that fun, it was time to go meet my new companion, and he is awesome! His name is Elder Perry and he is from Pleasent Grove, Utah. He does like BYU, but I think I can work with him haha! But no, he is very spiritual and dedicated to the work, so after this week, I have just noticed a difference and we have been more successful too. So, I am grateful to be companions with him.

Something pretty cool happened this week. As we have been knocking on doors and trying to find some people, we found a family that was in great need. They had come to Huehue for their daughter to have her baby, but they are stuck here, because the baby was in the hospital with Johnson´s disease. We gave them a blessing and what was a miracle, is that the next day, they asked us to come back. When we went back, the baby was there, and they said that overnight the baby got better. So, that definitely strengthened my testimony of the priesthood. With a little bit of faith, anyone can be healed, or blessed by the priesthood. We are now teaching this family, and I hope they can be baptized and take the gospel up into their village and share it with other people.

So that was my week! Pretty fun, we get to go to Xela tomorrow for a trainers meeting, so that means Wendy's tomorrow! I can't believe it's almost Christmas. Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo! Les amo!

Elder Corbett

Tortilla Total 400

Xela

Elder Farley, Elder Corbett and Elder Dickson

Quetzaltenango Templo

Elder Corbett and Elder Vargas

Elder Perry, mi hijo amado

A trip to Xela and getting sick

Hola Familia!!!

This week was has been a very interesting week! Sunday I found out that I was going to be a trainer and that I needed to attend a training meeting in Xela on Tuesday! Also, this week was my first week getting sick, and I just have to say that it was great......not!

So we had a district meeting on Tuesday, before I left for Xela. I went with another missionary from my zone, who will be training. We didn't have time to eat lunch so we were just going to buy some snacks and stuff. But on the bus a delivery man was trying to sell pizza, called pizza real, which I have eaten before. I thought that it would be safe, and not thinking to much I ate it! haha

The meeting in Xela was good, and after I even had the opportunity to eat at Wendys! The part when things turn for the worse, is when we were headed back through the canyon to Huehue. I thought I was just car sick, but right when we got to the terminal, I threw up in a bag. I thought it would be only a one time thing, but when we got to the other elders house, where my companion was, I threw up again!!! I was super weak and couldn't walk or anything! And we couldn't stay the night at their house, and there weren't any buses running late at night, so I would have to walk home.........like 3 miles!!!

Before we left I said a quick prayer, just for the strength to get back to my house. When we walked outside, we saw our ward mission leader and his wife driving up the hill and they stopped and asked if we needed a ride and I was like, uhhh I'm dying yes please! I just thought it was super neat that Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I know that he always listens and answers our prayers, and usually he answers our prayers through the service or help of other people.

I ended up throwing up 9 times, and by that point I wanted to throw up one more time, just to say I threw up 10 times haha! Everyone here was really nice and tried helping me. I probably took like 5 different things, but the thing that really helped, was what Hermana Alejandra cooked up. It tasted disgusting, but I felt better after!

So tomorrow I will be headed to Xela to pick up my son (my new companion)! And this time when the guy is selling pizza, I wont even think about it haha! Maybe this time when I go to Wendys I won't throw up the food on the bus. I'm sure your week has been better than mine haha! Les Amo.

Tortilla Total 389

Elder Corbett and Elder Zambrano with the bishop and his family

I also forgot to talk about December 7th, day of the devil. Everyone does fireworks, even big ones like mortars. So you already know that I was all over that. You also make a stuffed dummy devil and you burn it and throw fireworks at it.

Cuetes or firecrackers!

Elder Corbett with Yan Carlos who is leaving to serve in Colombia on December 18th

The family that did fireworks with Elder Corbett and Elder Zambrano

Thanksgiving Dinner in Guatemala

Hola familia!

This week has been a great week, and we even had a Thanksgiving dinner! The owner of Zumba´s, Enrique, invited all 3 zones of missionaries in Huehue over to his house for Thanksgiving. He has a really americanized house that even has carpet! But it was fun eating dinner with all the zones, and I even saw Elder Dickson and Elder Farley, so that was great talking to them!

This week has been super cold again, it got down to 50 and in Xela 40, so for here that is super cold. And I even rocked a sweater this week haha. When I didn´t wear a sweater, every person asked me tiene frio? (are you cold) and I always said NO, I'm from Utah and it could be worse........You could have snow right now haha! One lady mentioned me and how I liked the cold in her testimony this week, so I think that is pretty funny.

With the cold, It's been a lot easier to work this week. We can walk without melting in the sun! This week we put a baptismal date for the 21st of December with one of the members friends who is 35 years old and lived in the states! He has now attended church two weeks in a row so that's great! Other than that, we have been working hard to find new investigators, and I think it's so cool how powerful prayer is. For the first part of the week we hadn't had any success finding new investigators, but one night I just kneeled down and poured out my feelings and thoughts about finding new investigators, and the next day the very first house we contacted, the lady said pase adelante! Which means come in! So that was cool. I definitely know that this is the Lord´s work, and that he prepares people for the gospel. All we have to do as missionaries is talk with everyone and find these people!

I hope everyone has a great week! I cant belive it's already December! Les Amo!

Tortilla Total 363

Elder Corbett and Elder Zambrano with President and Sister Bautista

Elder Corbett, Elder Dickson and Elder Farley

The Utah State Aggie Missionaries

Elder Corbett and Elder Zambrano eating milk soup

Milk Soup

Fishing and Stake Conference

Hola familia!!!

It's actually getting cold in Huehuetenango! Last night I had to put on another blanket! But other than the night, It's super hot everyday and it doesn't rain anymore either!

This week we visited an awesome familia, familia Deleon. They live in Aguacatan which is about an half hour to an hour away from our house. This was our second visit with them, and this time they told us to come for lunch and to spend the whole day with them........which we were fine with. Once we got there, they took us to their farm, which was a fish farm! They had a lot of large ponds just full of fish! The way we fished was a lot different then the way I was taught. They had this huge net, and you held part of it with your teeth and held other parts of it in your hands, and you swung your body and let go of the net! it was pretty easy to catch fish with, because the pond was full of them! After that, we took a photo shoot with all our fish, as you can tell by the photos. Then we gutted them, which was the same way that I had been taught so that was fun.

After that we took the fish back to the house, and while the mom was cooking them up we went to the Rio Blanco, which is the other huge river in Aguacatan. I really liked this river a lot, because it was more natural, then the Rio San Juan. We actually had to hike to the river, instead of driving up to the river haha.

Then we went back to the house and ate the fish! They were so good, and the way that the lady cooked them was amazing! She put a powdered seasoning all over them, and then just fried them forever.....the head to fin and everything! They actually eat every part too, and I would have to say, that the fins taste a lot like potato chips!

Besides our trip to Aguacatan, we had stake conference. We went to the sessions on Saturday night and then Sunday morning. It was really neat though, because President Eyring and Elder Richard G. Scott came to Guatemala to visit Antigua Guatemala (which is the richest part of Guatemala, that is more Europeon and where the gringos live) so all the stakes were watching via satellite. I thought that It was sweet that Richard G. Scott knew spanish, and he didn't even use a translator to speak. All of the messages where really good, and centered around the family.

What I really liked was a talk from one of the counselors of the stake presidency, President Mendez. He talked about families and futbol and how our family is a team just like a futbol team, and the only way to improve a sports team is by practice. He said that this is the same with our families, if we practice by having famiy home evening, family prayer and scripture study, our family can be strengthened and when temptation comes it's the way we can defeat temptation! it was really good, and that's something that I'm going to use with my investigators!!

Well I hope everyone has a great thanksgiving this week. Have fun eating turkey and mashed potatoes. I will probably be eating tortillas instead... oh well haha! les amo!

Tortilla Total count 345

Rio Blanco

The falls of Rio Blanco

Fishing Trip

Look what I caught

Elder Corbett with his fish

A successful day of fishing!!

Frying up some fish

Fish Dinner

Eating fish with the familia Deleon

A Baptism and Fireworks!

Hola familia!

This week has been crazy! This Friday, the zone leaders called us and told us that President Bautista had talked to President Amado (Counselor in the Central America Area Presidency and Quorum of the Seventy) and he told President Bautista that nobody could baptize next week. This is because everyone has stake conference next Saturday and Sunday, so we couldn't confirm them that Sunday so we would have to change their dates to tomorrow or the week after! If we changed it to the week after, it would have counted for December and not November! They told us this on Friday!! This meant we would have to change our date for the next day!!!

We had an appointment with the family later than night and we prayed a ton that day! We went and talked to them and told them that their daughter was ready, and she really is ready, she even knows President Thomas S. Monson's name, which is huge. They were actually really nice and willing to have the baptism for tomorrow!

So we had the baptism on Saturday! The day after! It actually went perfectly, all of the members showed up, and brought food and we brought food, so there was a grand fiesta after!

Also, after that the city had a huge firework show to start the celebration of Christmas. And if I understood my spanish right, every city does it at the exact same time, so that was pretty cool!

Other than that we went to Aguactan again, it was cool, we rode on top of the van, it reminded me of going through Logan canyon, and these vans go fast! So I thought it was a lot of fun, although I think mom will be worried from now on! We met a sweet family there, and on Wednesday they want to take us fishing! So I guess I can tell you guys all about that next week!

Sounds like a great and cold week in Cache Valley! haha! Everyone have a great next week! Les amo!

Tortilla Total 325

Elder Corbett and Elder Zambrano with Emily

Emily with her family on her baptism day

Fire works to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season

Elder Zambrano, Elder Corbett and Yan Carlos

Riding on top of the van

No Changes and Small Miracles

Hola familia!

This week has been crazy! Elder Zambrano and I have been expecting changes for Elder Zambrano, because I am now done with my training, but last night we found out that he doesn't have changes! So we killed most of our week, saying goodbye to members and investigators!

By doing that, I learned how to make a lot of great food. First we cooked pizza with Hermana Greys, and either I've just been out of the states for too long, or that pizza was amazing!! In her tomato sauce she put ground hamburger, so it was different, but I really liked it! Also, with Alejandra, my Guatemalan grandma, we made tamales from rice. They are so good, but it does take about half the day to make them. After eating 15 tamales in 3 days, I would have to say that it was worth it.

This week the work has been slow, and I have been worried about getting a baptism this month because I have had baptisms 2 months in a row, and If I make it one more month, they will put my picture in the mission newspaper! So I have been praying A TON for a baptism, pretty much just asking for a miracle to happen haha. But this Sunday at church, the dad of one of the families we have been working hard on reactivating (and baptizing their daughter who is almost 10) came up to us and told us that he is ready to baptize his daughter. Not only is this great for me, but this will be great for their family, as this will help activate them. They have now attended church 3 weeks in a row! I am so proud of them, and you can really see how much happier they are with the gospel back in their lives! Also, I'm grateful for the small miracles that the Lord is willing to give us! If we just ask for them, and strive to achieve them, the Lord wants us to be successful just as much as we want to be successful.

Well, it sounds like the Aggies are still pushing forward, too bad for Logan High haha! Oh well, everyone have a great week! Les amo!

Tortilla Total Count 306!

Making tamales with Alejandra

A leaf used to make tamales

Alejandra's family

Making pizza with Hermana Greys

Making pizza dough

Homemade pizza

Visiting my Guatemalan madre at the mercado

Day of the Dead

hola familia!

I can't believe how fast this week has gone by! Next week I will have 4 months in the mish! And this week is my last week with my dad, Elder Zambrano. Que rapido! This week though has been hard to teach the gospel, because nobody has been home. They have all been out partying!

First there was Halloween, and they are pretty laid back when it comes to celebrating this holiday. But they do party. Apparently there is a huge party in the central park with a bunch of electronic music and all the familys go. It starts around 10 at night and they said they don't come back until 2 or 3 in the morning!!! Of course, I didn't get to go out and join them for this one, but I did tell some of the members that I would be joining them in 2 years when I come back to visit! haha

So, that killed our day on Thursday, and then Friday was Day of the Dead! Wow, everyone celebrates this holiday! It was pretty cool. We actually got to go to the cemetary and it reminded me a lot of the Cache Valley fair. There was music and food venders and people were fiestando! haha Also, there was enough beer for everyone including the dead at the cemetary. Including flowers and streamers, they also leave beer and bread at the graves, but of course all the drunks come and steal the beer, and the dogs have the bread haha!

I think that the cemetaries here in Guatemala are cooler than the ones in the states. They don't bury there dead underground, so they have tombs and they are all different colors. It looks like a pack of crayons! But I got pictures so make sure to look at them.

But after all the fiestando we tried working, and if everything goes well, we will have 2 more baptisms next week. The only problem is that their parents are opposed to it, but I know that this will change their lives and they will be blessed for making this decision. So we have been working hard with their parents. That's one important thing that I have learned here in Guatemala, how important it is to have a family in the gospel. The only families that don't have problems here are the ones that are members of the church, the others have so many problems, like their dads are drunks, or they have more than one spouse. So this has definitely strengthened my testimony on familes and eternal families, and I'm so blessed to have so many of my family as members who are a part of this gospel. This is defenitly what I want for my future family!

Well, it sounds like everyone is doing well! Have fun in the snow! And I will be enjoying my 70 degree weather here in Huehuetenango!!

Tortilla Total 285

A day of service

One of the colorful tombs at the cemetary

Day of the Dead

A tomb decorated for the Day of the Dead

The fair at the Day of the Dead

Fiambre, a dish prepared for the Day of the Dead