Some pictures and Elder McLain's last two group emails!

Hello Everybody! Another week in the field is down. It´s already going by super fast! 

Last week was pretty decent. Tuesday we didnt do much, we ended up just teaching a family of less actives, and they ended up coming to church on Sunday which was awesome! But besides that nobody was home. Wednesday I taught my first actual lesson to Danny, who is still really interested and is progressing very well. He's 22 years old and just an awesome guy. Thursday was Patriot day back in the states which meant that we sung the National anthem here, well just me and Elder Carlson, but it still counts. Also during English class that night the two Latin kids we were teaching kept asking us about the Plane that flew into the towers, which I had no idea how to explain in Spanish. That was fun. We taught two ladies whose dad is basically a pastor in an Evangelical church, and they were really involved in the lesson and were intrigued by the lesson on the Plan of Salvation. We were supposed to meet with one of our recent contacts who was our new investigator for the week but he ended up not being home, same with the next 3 days we tried to get a hold of him. 

Friday I basically scaled a mountain to the house at the very top, only to find out that the investigators weren't actually home. Whoopie. Haha. But after that we walked clear to the other side of our area to our investigating family the Rosales, and they weren't home either. We did end up teaching Danny though and he has been reading the Book of Mormon which is the least we could ask for considering our luck with the other investigators. 

Saturday we had an awesome ward activity planned to start at 5:30. Elder Carlson and I showed up at 4 to set up our part and at 5:30 everyone else showed up to set up their parts. So in reality we began at 6:45, which is funny because the emphasize of this activity was to start on time.... Yup on time in Guatemala is only an hour and 15 minutes late. 

Sunday was an awesome day. I learned that faith is definitely necessary in the mission. Last sunday when none of our investigators showed up at the begining of church, I was pretty bummed and counted them out,  and nobody ended up coming late. But this week, Danny had said he was coming to church, and I was just hoping and praying to see him walk in. 9:00 came and no Danny. But I just kept telling myself he would show, and sure enough after about 20 minutes he walked in. He stayed for the whole 3 hours and after we answered the questions he had. But, what's great is the Ward is going to visit the temple in Xela on Friday, and Danny expressed interest and really wants to go. He's going to go visit the temple grounds with some of the members and we are trying to see if we can get permission to go a long.

Besides all of that, a dead kitten on the street..... :( And Today being Guatemala's independence day, the week was pretty boring. But Elder Carlson and I are going to keep working at it and hopefully get some more people with commited baptism dates and also we are going to work on getting some less actives back to church. We will have to see what next week brings. 

For those of you with some free time, look up the Jeffery R Holland's Testimony of the book of Mormon video on youtube. Its my all time favorite mormon message. Also, my weekly challenge. Read Mathew 25:31-40 in the Bible.

Well I love you all. Hope everything in the states isnt too crazy!

-Elder McLain

He loves the kids there already. 

Picture of part of the town. 

Chasing a goat. We still don't know why. 

Parts of the city. 

Elder McLain's group email from this week:

Well this last week was pretty uneventful....

Monday we played soccer...My first time playing soccer with Latinos, I was totally surprised when I ended up scoring 5 goals... It definitely was a good first for soccer here in Guatemala. Monday was also independence day in Guatemala which meant fireworks. They aren't really the fireworks that you think of back home, every time one goes off stuff shakes. It is basically a bomb. They scare me everytime. After P day all of our appointments fell through. But we had the feeling to go and teach the family Batz, the mom is a member but the dad and kids aren't. We talked on happiness and how we can find happiness through the gospel. The dad and mom were both crying at the end and the dad bore his testimony of how he knows that the church is true and that we are sent from God. What? Why hasnt he been baptized? I dont know. So we have been working with him some more and are going to continue to do that.

Tuesday: Tuesday we had a district meeting in San Cristoball which sucked because it meant we had to ride the bus for an hour and a half. I've learned that there are some really good bus drivers, and other just really should find a simpler occupation. Every time they shift I feel like I am going to die...It's horrible, I also feel bad for the transmission of the bus :( That night we taught Danny a good lesson on baptisms for the dead and answered other questions he had after going to church on Sunday. We also Taught the Taj Cual family who are less actives. They are always extremely nice and seem to be progressing.... Well seemed to be. (read on)

Wednesday: Wednesday we taught the family Tale.... The whole time we were teaching I thought the dad was drunk... But I guess that is just the way he is. I was so confused. Turns out, the whole family wants to be baptized, he is just the only one holding them back. So we are working with him and trying to answer all of his questions. I think that in the end with him it is all going to come down to the Book Of Mormon, if the Book of Mormon is true, our church and its teachings are true as well, and Joseph Smith was a  true prophet. We really just need him to understand that and Boom. Baptism. 

Thursday: We taught Danny and he is still progressing and reading the Book of Mormon. Also, we taught Brenda and challenged her to find an answer for herself before this Thursday and make a decision on Baptism. Every Thursday we teach English Class in the church for whoever wants to come... But nobody showed up. We just taught the Hermanas who are in our Area. Heamana Velasquez and Viera.

Friday:Friday was a bad day...Everything fell through and we didn't teach one lesson. Definitely something I don't want to happen again. 

Saturday: Saturday sessions of stake conference with Ocampo from the seventy. He's an awesome speaker. I can listen to all the talks in Spanish and understand about 80% of what is said as long as I am paying attention. The topic of  Saturday was that every member is a missionary, and we need to act on that. Don't be afraid to share the gospel, in the end it can change someone's life which in turn will change the lives of generations to come.

Sunday: Sunday we had the actual session of Stake Conference and Dayny came! It was great and a wonderful message. We are waiting still to see what questions Danny has but I believe that we can move Danny's baptism date to October 11th. That's our goal so we will have to see where things go. We were supposed to visit the family Taj Cual Sunday night..and when we got to their house the Father was passed out, drunk, laying in the mud. They were progressing and doing so well but I guess we are back to step 1 with them. But everybody makes mistakes, and its nothing that cant be overcome or fixed through the power of the atonement.

Today was awesome. We went up to what is called the Canopy, it's a zip line! It was crazy fun. Im going to try and send a video and some pictures of it for all of you to see. When we were trying to get a bus to come back to toto a pepsi truck was driving by and jokingly we like held up the hitch hiking thumb. They stopped... and 20 Elders and sisters climbed into the back of a pepsi truck and rode down a canyon. That was definietly a once in a lifetime experience...a crazy one. 

Well all, I decided to begin reading the New Testament because as a missionary we are representatives of Jesus Christ, therefore I want to learn more about his life so that I can better myself. I love the new testament and all of the stories in it. It has helped me to have a better outlook on things here and understand a little bit more about who I should try and be and who I am representing.

My challenge to you for this next week is to take the primary song, I'm Trying to be like Jesus, and put it into action in your lives. It can be achieved just by simply loving others, forgiving somebody, or anything that is of good intention and kind.

Love you all. Sure miss back home. Have a great week.

Elder McLain