La Máquina

The classic Mazate deer mascot (but more buff).

Dear Family,

Super fun week despite the first few rain storms of the year. It is not supposed to rain until May! Why does Mother Nature have to tease us like this?

Despite the rain we had a great time this week. The biggest news was that W. and A. who were married last week got baptized this Saturday! It was as huge miracle because their daughter also got baptized and we had thought all along that she was really a member but it turned out that it was a different sister who had been baptized already. When we invited her to be baptized with her parents she was super excited and was so happy on Saturday. This is a really special family. They worked so hard to get everything ready for their marriage and baptism and we can feel a huge difference every time we go to their home, the Sprit is there! They love reading the Book of Mormon and they mark things so that they can share with other people as well!

We also have found some very, very prepared people in this past week by doing small surveys with people. It gets them excited to talk with us and it is easy to tell if they want to really learn more about the church or not. It is also kind of funny sometimes too. I have asked several people ´When I say The Mormon Church, what is the first thing you think of, one lady responded ´pigs´. I was super confused and a little offended but I guess it was because she thought we don´t eat pigs. Another lady told us ´basketball´ which was another sort of strange answer. But it has been fun to use this survey technique and it has helped us so, so much in the center of the city. 

One other really different things about the centero of the city is that there are a ton of bars. At night we always here the bar music playing.  But I´ve found it actually helps a little bit to keep us awake enough to be able to take the daily stats of all the missionaries, so it does have its advantages.

This Saturday we are planning on having 3 more baptisms. J. (22) went to talk to the parents of his girlfriend yesterday and was able to get permission from them to marry their daughter which was a huge miracle! We are going to help them this week to have their legal marriage and they can celebrate with a big wedding later. We are going to work to help him prepare for his baptism this Saturday. He is really cool and has had some very spiritual experiences as he has read the Book of Mormon.

Oh, I am starting to love seafood! I can´t believe that before the mission I didn´t like it! It may just be how the Guatemalans prepare their seafood but it is so delicious. This is why I have just loved being in the coast my whole mission!

Eating some delicious fish with a ton of plátanos in the background.

I am just so excited for another awesome week. Maybe I will get to go and work in some other areas this week. This past week I worked in a place called the La Máquina (the machine) and it was super, super hot and dusty there, but fun to get to help out the missionaries there. I just love Guatemala and am so glad to get to serve among the people here every day!

Love,

Elder Jensen

La Máquina, an area in the zone. I went and did divisions with Elder Peterson there.

Cutting wood in the morning in La Máquina

Elder Peterson and I on our way back from the La Máquina

The dusty road from the La Máquina.