Hey Family!

This was a good week, really really really really fast.  I can't believe that I'm already emailing again lol.  Let's see.  We were in Xela until Wednesday of last week because we had interviews with president so that kinda knocked out half of the week.  But they were good.  He's trying to "change the mission DNA" as he says.  We're trying to focus more on less actives and working with the members to get referrals more than contacting.  It's a really great idea and we're trying our best to implement it but it's tough just because in our area there's only 40 members in the branch and there's no addresses anywhere in our area so it's really tough to contact old investigators or less actives because on the address bar it says something like "up the mountain, by the river" because that's the best description that can be given.  It's a really tough area but we're trying our best.  I guess in Cunén there have been 4 baptisms in the last 4 years so the odds aren't exactly stacked in our favor but we're doing our best.  We've implemented a plan to try and go with president's new vision.  We're meeting with every family in the ward and giving them a Book of Mormon with Moroni 10:3-5 premarked and our information written in and a space for the member to write their testimony so we're asking them to pray about finding someone to give it to so that the person can call us.  We think it's a good plan and we'll see if it brings results, we're really praying to be able to find people to teach so we'll see how it goes :).  

Another reason the area is really tough is nobody is ever home.  I had my first fallen through appointment this week.  This lady that lives up the mountain (probably a 25 minute hike) just wasn't home for our appointment.  That kind of stuff is hard to deal with but it's not a huge deal.  It just gave us an empty hour which is never good so we ended up contacting all afternoon (which is a very very long time when literally NOBODY will let you in haha)  So that day was kind of a wash.  But whatever, our family that we're teaching in Utspantan, Eliseo and his kids, invited us to this weird evangelical service thing and even invited us to stay the night at their house, how nice of them!  But yeah, we're not going to go to that, we're just going to keep trying to teach them and praying for them and hope that something happens.  It's just tough because Utspantan is an hour from Cunén so it's really hard to get people to come to church (because the only meeting house is in Cunén)  But like I said, we're trying :).  

Also, elections were this week so everybody was pretty focused on that.  They take over this country like something I've never seen before.  We actually weren't allowed to go out proselyting yesterday because it was voting day haha.  It was actually a pretty fun day though and then now today is pday so it's kinda like 2 days off lol.  Kinda sucks because days always go slower when you're not working but it's still a lot of fun.  Plus, we've got to go down to Xela again this week for a conference so we're staying the night in Quiche and heading down tomorrow and we probably won't get back til Wednesday afternoon.  It's all good though :)  Time flies though, it really does.  I can't believe I've been here almost 2 weeks, it feels like a day and a half lol.  But I love it, we're in a tough area but I know that it's prepping me for the rest of my mission in a good way.  Plus, we have the greatest zone.  There's only 12 people in Quiche and they're all gringos (They don't send Latinos here for some reason) so we have gringo zone and it's a whole ton of fun, I love it :) 

Well, I think that's it, Love you all, the gospel is true, keep it up everyone :)

-Elder Westenskow

First Week!!!

SO!  First, MOM, I got the package!  It was postmarked August 19th so I guess thats when it got here.  THANK YOU!!!  There was SO much food but it's so appreciated! We pretty much just have it sitting open in the room and eat it at night. The chapstick was amazing as well!  Make sure to give Russ Johnson a big thanks for me, that was a really cool thing that he sent and I look forward to using it!

 So first off, my week was awesome!  Very hard, pretty long, but I think that the time will pick up as I go.  My zone is called Quiche and my area is Cunen.  It's the biggest zone in the mission and it's the furthest area from the mission home.  It was just opened 6 weeks ago by my comp and his old comp.
                                                                                
                                                                                   

We live in the church in this tiny little room off the chapel (the only other room in the building) and we have a branch of about 40 people.  The members that come are pretty strong but we have a lot of nonmembers.  The area is HUGE!  I'ts the biggest in the mission, we can travel 11 hours and still be in our area.  We have a couple bigger cities around Cunén but they're like an hour or so away by bus.  We're really in the middle of nowhere, one of the pictures that I sent was taken just from where we were contacting. 

It's sometimes tough to find things to do but we're really trying hard to find people.  We work a lot with the members and less actives to try to increase church attendance.  Like I said our branch is pretty small and our branch president has been in for like 15 years so he's kind of lost the fire a bit.  But we're working hard, contacting quite a bit.  We have a few potentials, one guy named Andrés seems really positive.  There's also a bunch of languages in our area, we've been contacting out in the mountains and half the people we run into don't speak Spanish.  But its fun.  Like I said the days are kind of long right now but I think it'll be like the CCM/MTC and pick up as we go.  There's also a whole freaking ton of wild dogs, everywhere you turn there's wild dogs!  But its cool, I like the area I'm just scared because I'm probably going to be there for like 6 months, as time goes on I could see it becoming hard to find things to do but we're taking it one day at a time and just doing all that we can.  We're about 5 hours from Xela by the way and about 2 hours from all the other Elders in our zone (we dont have a district, just a zone). 

 

My comp is Elder Bitner, hes from Glendale, Arizona and he's really cool.  He's been out about 13 months.  (seeing that makes me feel like I'll never get to that point, I'm kind of feeling like 2 years is a really long time again but I'm having fun and I'm working hard and that's what counts, I know the time will go faster as long as I do that.  I really just wanna go to a city where its easier to find people to talk to but we're doing alright right now.  Plus, I think everyone's first area is tough so I'm just praying a LOT! haha).  Speaking of my comp though, yeah, he's really good, he knows the area really well so he knows the places that we can go to see people and talk to people.  People are pretty welcoming but after a first visit I think it gets a little rough.  Especially since the chapel that we live in is the only chapel for the entire area (meaning that we can go contacting an hour away but it's not super likely that people are going to come to church (we have members in these surrounding cities that don't even come very often, they're really good members too, it's just really tough to get them to church).  Yeah, ít's a tough area for sure, President said that they don't send just anybody to Cunén so that made me feel good.  I am having fun, I am enjoying myself, always remember that :).  I'm not sure what else to write, I'm doing the same thing and printing my emails and then writing and then I'll answer the emails from this week next week so yeah!  I love you all!  Have a really really great week and I'll talk to you next week!

-Elder Westenskow

Last Week Before The Field!!!

Hey Family!

So the upside of all of this is that I get to write you all today.  The downside is I really don't have a whole ton to say.  The last few days at the CCM have been pretty standard, class, studying, the normal.  WE DID HAVE ONE REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE!!!  We taught in CRE for the last time (mom, for you, CRE is an off campus house that the church owns that has several living rooms set up and we go in and teach people (sometimes teachers, sometimes volunteers) and they're in street clothes and we just teach in a home setting rather than in a classroom setting).  ANYWAY, we were teaching "less active members" which means people acting as less active members and before we went in, Hmno Vasquez told us that for realzies the people we were teaching (a girl and her boyfriend) that the girl was a return missionary and active but would be pretending to be less active but that he wasn't a member at all.  We figured he was just telling us this as they always do so we didn't thing much of it and we taught and it was really good.  Bore lots of testimony, invited them to attend church and they said they would.  Wimmer committed Erick to read Moroni 10 and pray about it and he prayed and we left.  AFTER: In the classroom, Hmno Vasquez told us "everyone that you all taught were real, active members except for one, and that was yours (then he pointed at Me and Wimmer)" So we taught our first real sit down lesson without even knowing it!  IT was SOOO COOL!!! There was a definite difference and when we came out of there I was actively trying to convince myself that he was a member but I didn't really believe it.  It just felt so cool 1)To teach a real investigator (he had never met with the missionaries but we got his reference [also Hmno Vasquez told us "he's never met with the missionaries before and now he wants to because of you" which felt AMAZING]) and 2)That they trusted Wimmer and Me with that responsibility, it was SOOOOO COOL!!!!  I don't know what else to say about it, it was just amazing. 

Basically, I'm just so incredibly psyched to get out to the field and do this for realzies, teach real people, help real people, show real people this amazing thing that we have.  Tomorrow I meet my mission president and my trainer and I could not be more excited.  I'm going to miss the CCM I've realized that I really like it here, its comfortable, its fun, my district is AMAZING.  Were going to party it up when we get home in St. George (like RIGHT after we get home) and its going to be soooo sick.  However, they've told us that the only thing constant on the mission is change so I guess getting comfortable isn't part of the gig.  I'm going to do my absolute best to dive in completely head first and immerse myself in all of it.  This work is amazing and it will change people (including me).  One of the things we've talked about the last few days a lot is having vision, seeing into the future, planning the person we want to become and then doing the things that are necessary to achieve that. 

I love Guatemala, I love Spanish, I love the gospel and I love all of you.  I greatly appreciate all of the people who continue to write to me and I ask for their patience as I know I'll have very little time to write out in the field, I will still always try to get a note to those who get notes to me.  I love you all, I'm probably not as prepared as I could be for this next step but I am so beyond ready to make it.  Faith and prayer are my new best friends.  I love you all, I can't wait to see you again, but I do not want to be anywhere but here right now.  Take no offense to this, but the last place I want to be right now is home.  I am soooooooo flippin happy all the time and I know it's because I'm doing the things that I'm supposed to.  I have a testimony of that and it grows every day and I know it will continue to grow out in the field.  This is what Ive been waiting for, I feel like I'm actually leaving on my mission tomorrow, I've waited a long time for this moment and now its here, I'm not going to screw it up.  You all rock and I'll talk to you next week :)

-Elder Westenskow

6 Days!!!

FIRST!  Meagan, about the short tie, we were having short tie Tuesday on Monday and we actually got yelled at for it hahaha.  Yes, I know the tie is supposed to go past my nipples ;).  Next, no more Dearelders to the CCM please for anyone!  I won't get them, they'll get thrown away.  Just start sending them to Quetzaltenango and I'll get them eventually!  haha. 

Next, Nicole, I got your comps scripture cases, they're not exact but I tried to get the closest cutest ones and I had to fight a sister in my district for them so savor them.  I'll be sending them with Hermana Parker so keep a look out. 

NOW ON TO THIS WEEK IT WAS SO GOOD OH MY GOSH!!!!!  First, we had a practice with some real members to practice understanding and teaching people we didn't know.  We taught a guy named Antonio, he was probably late 70s and talked super clear so that was pretty rad.  He was converted in the late 80s and his testimony was so crazy strong.  I know I was able to understand everything he said because of the spirit which was crazy just in our little space!  It gave me a lot of hope about missionary work, about the fact that people will change.  We have this message and people are waiting for it and they'll accept it and change for it, and that's amazing!  We didn't really teach what we had prepared but just kinda talked and shared testimony and experiences it was so flippidy dang cool!  NEXT, we were able to go contacting again for a second time!  We weren't going to be able to because of the new schedule but the night before president made some calls and made it so we could go again and it was sooooooo good.  We met a guy in a meat shop that was hanging out and we just kinda waved but he spat some English at us so we went back and started talking to him (in Spanish) and talked about the restoration a bit and we were like "well we can see that you're working so..." and he cut us off and was like "nah, I'm not busy I can talk now!" so we ended up talking a good 15 minutes with him and when we were like "so would you like to learn more?" he was like "how about tomorrow afternoon?!"  we told him we couldn't make an appointment with him but we got his reference stuff so the other missionaries can contact him, it was so freaking cool. 

ALSO! Yesterday I got a thing from Lisa that had a bunch of pictures of the wedding!  MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS THAT I SAID A BIGGGGG HUGEEE THANK YOU!!!!  IT all looks sooooooo good!!!!  Not much else happened this week, mostly just finishing up, teaching a lot of our teachers, studying a lot, getting ready to get out there.  Going tracting got me soooo ready (PS Wimmer and I went, not with a Latin comp) and I'm just so psyched to get out there and so ready.  ALSO, We'll either be writing on Monday or Tuesday next week because were leaving Tuesday so probably Monday so write me before then please!  LOVE YOU ALL!  I'm so excited to read the emails that I got and Meagan and Dad can expect snail mail in the near future. But yeah, that was my week, love you all, the gospel is true and have a good one!

-Elder Westenskow

17 Days Left!!!

 Okay so nothing much happened this week except for that I SAW NICOLE!!!!! AHHHHHH it was so great!  Not anything special to anyone but us probably, we just hung out for an hour.  Nothings changed between us.  She got a bunch of pictures which I'm sure you'll appreciate.  I'm so glad that it could happen, its been far too long since Ive seen my best friend.  I wish there was more to report but we really just chatted for an hour, it was so legit.  I'm sure she'll give you more details than me hahah shes always like that.

Anyway, apart from that, we've just been working hard, the last few days have gone really slow but the first half of the week is always slower than the second.  I'm just SO READY to get out of here!! Total cabin fever lol. Just ready to get out in the field and actually feel like I'm on my mission.  17days away!!  I'm sure it'll be here before I know it and when I get out there I'm going to get thrown down on my butt but I couldn't be more excited for it. 

The Spanish is coming good, I'm pretty much just solidifying everything by talking to Latinos and teaching the grammar to other missionaries in my class.  I'm going to miss this district when I'm done here, they're so awesome!!!  We watched a crazy Jeffery R Holland talk last night that did a lot of things to me one of which was PUMP. ME. UP.  To get out there!  I wish there was more to report on here but there really isn't.  Things are good with Wimmer and me, things are good in my classes, the spirit is REALLY GOOD.  We went to the temple this morning which is always rad!  We still just pretty much do the same thing every day, we haven't been teaching so there's nothing to report on there, just studying a lot and getting ready to get out there in the field for real!

Hard to believe I've been out almost 2 months already but yeah.  I have a feeling my mission is going to whiz by so I'm really trying my hardest just to focus on serving others and helping other people out as much as I possibly can.  Trying to forget myself and everything back at home.  Its tough but the spirit helps a LOT.  I'm so excited to read through the emails that you guys sent and Dearelders tomorrow will be good too I'm sure!  I love you all and thanks to everyone who writes me!  It means more than you all know.  I have the absolute best family and friends that anyone could ask for.  I pray for all of you every day as I know you pray for me.  You're all spectacular and I can't wait to have actual stories to tell all of you. Keep up the good work family, friends, and everyone in between. 
-Elder Westenskow.
PS I think there's a new photo up on guatemalaccm.com if ya'll wanna check that out, if not it'll be there in a few days.  LOVE YOU ALL!!!