Nov. 23, 2015

     This week was pretty normal to be honest I don't think anything really happened. So right now I'm sitting in the internet cafe right and the kid that runs it is playing the Imagine Dragons album that came out like a year ago.  I've never heard it, so its pretty amazing and I'm super happy. They've got some really good songs. But anyway like I said it was a pretty normal week. Monday we played soccer all day with a bunch of members and all the elders of our district. We had a pretty good night. We've been able to do divisions with the members almost everyday because there's one member who is 20 and doesn't have anything to do so he leaves with us everyday of the week which is great. His name is Jose but everyone calls him Pimpi, I don't know why, but he's awesome and he's leaving to the States this Wednesday.  I'm going to miss him a ton when he goes but it'll be good for him. Tuesday I did divisions with this newbie from Cerinal. He's from Utah and this kid is like six foot five, he's huge. He doesn't talk much but it was all good because we had Jose so I just talked to him all day. We taught a lady Tuesday that talked for an entire hour and we couldn't get her to stop. It was a pure miracle that we left with only an hour. Wendesday we had a meeting with the Assistants where they trained all the new leaders in our zone on how to do their job. It was super good. It was the first time I had been to one which was odd because you're supposed to go whenever you become a new district or zone leader but I wasn't ever invited so I never went. I also went to Taxisco that day but it wasn't too bad because It rained the entire day so I got soaked and didn't die from the heat. Thursday we did divisions again and I was with an Elder From Tonga which was interesting because he doesn't speak English or Spanish so it was a little bit of a challenge to talk to him. It was pretty fun to be with him It reminded me of when I was with Elder Nugnugtau. Friday we were together with my comp and we had a pretty good day. I don't really remember what happened but it was a good day.   Saturday we had a branch council which went well but we started an hour late and so that was a huge waste of time. Sunday, Justin and Stacy got confirmed which was really cool. If I didn't know better I would think that they were members for their whole life, they're so pilas. 

     So first off Kate we are not in the rainy season anymore so I'm not getting soaked. Its actually getting kind of cold here but when I say cold I'm talking like 55 to 60 degrees. Dad, our mission is baptizing about 80 to 90 a month with the goal of 200 every month, so we have a long way to go but were going to do it. I's true that they don't celebrate thanksgiving but a family did invite us over for turkey and a thanksgiving dinner. I hope you guys have a great week and enjoy Thanksgiving. I'l be there for the next one. Love Connor

                                         This was my foot after an entire day of rain and wet shoes. 

Nov 16, 2016

     First off I can't believe it snowed and you didn't send me pictures!!! I haven't seen snow since the beginning of 2014 and you didn't send me a picture of the snow. All that aside, it has been a fantastic week. Monday was pretty crazy because we got almost the entire zone together to go and play here in Barberena,  which was fun but a bad idea at the same time because when you get a lot of missionaries together they tend to do stupid things sometimes, not sure why. Tuesday  went really well.   I had to go into the capital to drop off my comp and pick up my new one. We got there at like 9;30 and they just sent Elder Gudiel off in a taxi and left me alone with the other Elders from the zone. We had to wait for a bus to take us out to our areas and some of the missionaries showed up super late so we didn't leave for a long time. My new comp in Elder Magdaleno from Mexico. He's pretty cool. Wednesday, we had the zone council which was super stressful on my part because I had to plan the entire thing since my comp wasn't in the mission council and is new to the zone.  It went really well. We have a lot of new missionaries because almost every area had changes so we got to know them a little bit and then had a spiritual message and headed out. We did divisions that day. I was with Elder De Leon and we had a really good day. Its gotten kind of hard for me to contact because I've been here for so long but somehow I'm still doing it and we're always finding new people.  Wednesday night a bat got into our house. I have no clue how it got in but it did and it took us like an hour to get the stupid thing out of the bedroom but it was quite the adventure. Friday I was with my comp again and like I said he's pretty pilas. He really likes to joke around which is good and his sense of humor is very similar to mine. Saturday we had the interview of Stacy. She passed and I'll tell you more about her baptism later. That day I was with an Elder from Peru but he was pretty normal which is good because the Elders from Peru are usually really weird. Saturday wasn't a great day. We had a meeting and had to go to Oratorio to help the Elders there fix up a little problem they were having. Sunday was the best day ever. We had a multi-stake conference with Elder Bednar and a couple other speakers and it was really good. I learned a ton. Then in the afteernoon we had the baptism. It was probably one of the best baptisms of my mission, one because I love this family sooooooo much and two because the branch really helped us out. It was Stacy's birthday and they had presents for her and a cake and it was amazing. Stacy and her mom even went out a couple of days ago and bought a super pretty white dress and it was just great. After the baptism I went to a viewing of a little baby who had died. It was super sad but a lot of the branch members showed up to give support to the family and so that was good. Then at night Hna Carolina's, (the mom of the two kids we've baptized these last two weeks) sent me a message saying thank you for everything I had done to help her family return to church which was just the best thing ever.  Made my whole mission.   Love you all a ton and hope you have a great week. Love Connor

            This was the bat that somehow got into our house and the family that we got baptized. 

                              Presidente Bilzam Stacy Carolina Maricielo Analice David Justin

Nov 9, 2015

     Hey so the big news is that I don't have changes. My comp does and you're right mom, I'm really sad about that.  Its going to be super hard to get used to working with another comp this change. I'm also staying in my area which I'm not sure about because I've already been here for quite awhile but I'm also really happy because I'm going to be able to see some more people baptized that I really love.  But ya it was a pretty good week. Monday we went and played soccer again. We ate lunch with a member again which was good but they made us help them pull water out of their well, which was fun but it gave me some blisters that hurt for a couple days straight. After that like I said, we played soccer and it was fun.  We won a lot more this time so that was good. Tuesday we had the last district council with Elder Call and Elder Ortiz.  It was pretty sad. They shared their testimonies and they were fantastic. We also did divisions that day. I was with Elder C which was kind of hard because he's dead so it was a little hard to work with him but we had  a good day. Crazy story from that night is that at like 11 a missionary in the zone called me and he was completely crazy. He was freaking out saying his comp is gay and that he wanted to leave the house and wanted me to go there. He was literally going crazy and I had no clue what to do. We got him calmed down and everything was good the next day but it was interesting. Wednesday we didn't do much. We had a couple meetings and then a ward activity so we lost a lot of time there. Thursday we had house inspections which was fun because we got to drive around with the Dalys all day in their car. It took all day to go to see all the zone and I saw some really nasty things but it was still a good day. Friday we had the mission council which was fantastic. We did divisions that day too and I was in Nueva with Elder Ortiz another muerto.  Saturday  was a pretty good day and then Sunday we baptized Justin. I don't remember if I already told you about Justin and his family but they are easily my favorite family of my entire mission. Hna Carolina is a member but she had been inactive for a long time and her kids aren't members. She has 4, Justin who got baptized, he's 16, then Stacy who is turning 12 on Sunday and being baptized, then Analic who is 5 and is my absolute favorite and then Maricielo who is 3 and super funny. Anyway that was my week love you all a ton and hope you have a good week. Love Connor

                                                 Ya I've already got my Christmas tree up

                                                               Bautismo!!!!! Baptism!!!!!

Elder Gudiel Justin Jairo 

Nov 2, 2015

     This week has had its ups and down but it has been a pretty good week. We had some pretty crazy stuff happen and then it was Halloween and Day of the Dead this weekend so its been a little bit different. 

     On Monday we played soccer all day long with some of the young men of the ward and ate lunch with one of the members. We had to buy all the ingredients to make Pollo con Crema and he cooked it for us.   It was amazing but I have to say I like yours better mom. First off the chicken doesn't have bones and the cream is better. After that is when we went and played soccer. We played for like 3 hours straight and I was dead afterward. It was the first time we had played in like 3 months so it was pretty rough. Tuesday we had our district council and it was super baggy. Two elders in the district are going home in a week.  One of them is super excited. He's working and everything but he's also super baggy. Tuesday we did divisions with Elder Ortiz to do the interviews for Hno Jonny, Jesseni, and their two kids. Jessenia passed but the kids were drinking coffee and Hno jonny didn't pass for a question 4 problem.  President told us if that if he goes to church for like 4 months, he will come interview him and see what needs to be done. Honestly the odds aren't very high that Hno Jonny gets baptized. Wednesday we had divisions again and this time I had to go Guazacapan and feel the heat down there. 

I got to be with Elder Speth, the elder from Wellsville so that was pretty fun. He's an amazing missionary and I love being with him. Plus he had a huge package from home and from his girlfriend so he gave me a lot of candy. Thursday we had divisions yet again. This time I was in Oratorio with Elder Cedeno and let me tell you I've never met an Elder who walks slower than Elder Cedeno. I was just walking normal and left him in the dust. It was a little bit frustrating, but I realized the same thing will probably happen when we go on walks when I get home so you guys better start training now to be able to walk really fast when I get home. Friday, I was finally with my comp and we had a really good day. We've been getting a ton of help from the members so we've been able to do divisions with the members the days we're together in the area. Which is good but I miss working with my comp too. Saturday Hna Jessenia was going to get baptized.  We called her 5 minutes before the baptism was going to start and she told us she changed her mind and was going to wait for Jonny. I'm not going to lie I got really mad. Members were already there and they had made a cake and everything. I gave her some chiclote and now I'm pretty sure she's mad at us and won't get baptized either so ya all the baptisms fell. Saturday was the day of urgency too. President set the goals of 100 contacts 6 lessons and 2 lists and 2 new families.  We lost a lot of time but we were still able to made all the goals. Sunday we took it easy and just visited members all day which was really good. This is week 6 of the change so next week I'll probably be able to tell you I have changes.  Love you all and hope you have a great week. Love Connor

This is me and my comps Halloween costume. We wore each other name tags so he was me and I was him. Then that night I was talking with the dls and he decided to shave me leg, so ya that happened.  

 Elder Gudiel

                                     End result of my leg shaving the lower part is a G for Gudiel