I've Really Felt the Spirit Strongly This Week

Hey! How is my fantastic family doing this week? I hope you all had a great week and that you are having fun being all together again. I wish I was there with you all! But before you know it I'll be home again, so no need to worry. How's the weather up in Kansas? (li helookil ch'och' = flat land= kansas) I heard from another Elder that there were a bunch of tornadoes or something? He asked me if you guys had said anything about that in your emails since I'm from Kansas and I just told him that stuff like that isn't really news for us anymore haha. The weather here has been pretty good. There have been a few storms in Yalijux but mostly it's been pretty sunny and nice. I had heard this morning that supposedly it was announced that Osama had been killed (It's really funny here because everyone confuses the names Osama and Obama and so people were saying that Obama got killed and others were saying Osama.) It reminds me a lot of Teancum too haha. Unforturnately just like in the story there will probably be someone to take his place like Ammoron. But justice and goodness will always come out on top in the end of things.

THIS PAST WEEK was a really good, and tiring week. It was the first time in a while that we had a full week of work so it felt kind of long, but it was really refreshing to work hard and to have a lot of time to work. We started with all of our plans and our ideas and they proved to help. We're teaching seminary at 5 in the morning twice a week, and priesthood and a writing class once a week each at 7. We didn't have a ton of people show up this past week but I'm hoping more will show up this week. We worked quite a bit with the family of Victoriano which is a very big family. We've been trying to teach them a lot and we've had some success with them. The dad of the whole family, Sebastian, is a really neat guy and really friendly. We have been teaching him a lot and we've had some really spiritual lessons with him. The other day he asked us if it is possible to get baptized twice (most everyone asks that because pastors here tell them that once they've been "baptized" (more like taking a bath...) in their church it's a sin to get baptized again in a different church. ) So we explained to him that it's just like a lock. Only one key can open the lock, but if you put a key in the first time that doesn't work, what's to stop you from putting in the right key to open the lock? We talked to him about how you have to be baptized with someone with authority and with power from God because if you don't, there's no liscense to do it and it's not the right "key". He's going to a different church right now, but he says he wants to come to our church sometime and to pray for him to be able to.

We also found another couple of new familes this week. We're especially trying to work hard with getting references from members of the church about their family members that need the Gospel. I've really felt the Spirit strongly this week and I know that the Lord has begun to bless us for working harder. There's still a lot more to do and we need to improve a lot more, but I know the Lord will keep blessing us as we keep trying our best. In other news, there is currently no water in the church for some reason. We've asked around but nobody seems to know. They just say " it died." So we've had to go and bathe ourselves in the river a few minutes away. It's actually a lot better than showering in the shower at Yalijux because it's not quite as cold! Also, they are going to start building a house for us in Yalijux this month! Woo!! It won't be finished until right after this change so we might not even be here to enjoy it, but it will be nice. they are also going to put a solar panel in the church here (they might be remodeling the church I'm not sure...) so it will be really nice.

In other, other news, I'm going to Coban today! Woo!! Rmemeber how I spiked the football a couple weeks ago and it bounced back and smacked me in the face? Well it broke the nose piece off of my glasses. So I tried to just forget about it but the metal keeps scratching my nose and I started getting a big painful scab on the side of my nose. And since we're not supposed to wear contacts for safety issues (and also as a protection against girls I think....When I don't have my glasses on the girls here say "your face is beautiful" a lot more haha.) we got permission to go to Coban to get them fixed. The thing is I don't know if I'll be able to get them fixed or if I'll just have to get new ones. This is Guatemala so they might just tell me I have to buy new ones. We'll see. I'm also going to stock up on supplies to take back up to Yalijux. I don't know what I'm going to do about money. I never usually get to take anything out up here so I might just take out like...150 now. But that will last me for a really long time. I'm not just going to go spending it all or anything. I just never have any of my own money up here. So I hope that's ok with you guys. If not, well you can tell me next week when you call =P.

So about the CALL! I'm actually not exactly sure what is going to happen to be honest. I'm thinking right now that I want to call on Monday since I'll be in Senahu and everything. I'm pretty sure it will be like last time where I'll get to call you guys and set up the time when I'm going to call, so i might call you guys on..Saturday night when we go up to the mountain to get service. I don't know what time will be best for you guys so I'll talk to you guys on Saturday night to figure that out ok? I can't believe that it's time to call again! It's really weird, but really exciting too. I can't wait to talk to you guys!! It should be good. The service will probably be about the same, maybe a little better. I don't think it will get worse, so don't worry. Alrght well I gotta go. Love you guys tons and I'll talk to you soon!!!!

Love,
Elder Norton