March 4, 2014

Well, family...It has been fun! I have seven more hours of work left. That is what I am focusing on right now. After those seven hours, I'll be able to think about what I'll be doing then. But for now, I have seven more hours to work my tail off and invite people to come unto Christ. 

 

This is what they drew me in district meeting today.

This kid gets set apart to leave for his mission today! We leave together!

I felt kind of bad taking this picture, since I shouldn't really be playing with kids...only two more days till I can hold a baby again!!!!!

Have you ever seen a volcano erupt?  I HAVE!

My Zone's baptisms!

Thank you for being with me through this journey. I remember almost four years ago, sitting in Presidente Steimle's office, him telling me I was going home. He told me, "Keep your goal getting home honorably from a mission. Don't ever forget that." Well..that has been my goal ever since then! I've kind of lost vision every once and awhile, but in the end...I'm here. I'm finishing. I am SO GRATEFUL that I came. I would never ever trade this experience and the knowledge I've gained here for anything. I have worked my tail off, and it has been worth every single second of it. As of Thursday, I will be an RM. 

 

I love you all. Talk to you on Thursday.

Love,

Elder Hopper #1

February 25, 2014

This is my compainon for the week! I entered with him and we go home together!
 

 

 

Look...I'll be honest. I have nothing good to say. This is my last week in the field, and I just want to work like a maniac. I'm in El Lago with one of my dearest friends, Elder Peterson, who also goes home with me. We're working super hard to make sure we don't put ourselves baggy! Next week when I write it will be my very last day in the field. I love you all, and I'll see you very soon.

Love,

Elder Hopper

February 18, 2014

Hello fambam!

Well, it was a good week here in Linda Vista! Things are starting to heat up here as Guatemala gets ready for it's "spring" which is really pretty much all year round, but...it gets hot in April, and then it starts to rain, so as you all enjoy the snow at home, just know that it's 80 degrees here. :) I'll enjoy it while I can. I'm sure I'll be shivering when I get home.

We had some pretty funny experiences this week. We had an appointment with a guy named Rene. It was going to be a second lesson, and the first lesson wasn't anything spectacular. Well, we knocked on the door, and mom came out who has a little preschool in her garage. She said that he wasn't here, so we stepped away and called him on our phone that the whole mission now gets to carry (We've entered into the 21st century!). Well, he answered the phone, and a split second before I heard him say, "Alo" in my earpiece, I heard him say it through his window in his front room. I asked him if he was in his house, and his answer was, "No...I'm not there! Sorry!" Then I told him that yes he was! I could hear him talking through his window! From that point on all I heard was rustling around, and he hung up. How embarasing! But I thought it was pretty funny.

We have a guy that we're teaching named Francisco. He's a really good guy, and we want to baptize him before I go, the only little thing is that he's not married! So, we took a member from the ward, a guy that is very known for being SUPER forward, and somewhat offensive about things. He's a nice guy, but juuuust a little straightforward. Well, we got into the lesson, and he took over like some members tend to do. He told the guy, "Look...we're going to talk man to man here just a little bit. I want to be completely honest. Want to know why you should get married? The reason you should get married is because until you do, your children are BASTARDS." And he said it just like that! Nice and upfront! I was SUPER worried that the guy would get really offended, but he just sort of nodded his head in agreement, and said, "you're right...I need to get married." I was just flabbergasted! I couldn't believe my ears! This guy had just called his childern bastards, and he was agreeing with him! But...I guess you can say some pretty strong things when the spirit is there!

Well, time is runing short. I love you all, and I can't wait to see you in just a few weeks! Keep praying for me that I can baptize one more time before I go home...I definitely need the extra help, and I KNOW that the prayers of you guys can make the difference!

 

Have a great week!
Elder Hopper

February 11, 2014

Hello!

Well, it was a cool week this week. All week long I was working with Elder Robinson in El Lago, the zone leader's area here in Amatitlan. This is a weird change...I'll explain it when I get home. But it was a lot of fun working with him. He is a really good teacher, and really knows how to make sure that his investigators understand what he is teaching. Not to mention it was fun to go work in another area. But the coolest thing was that I got to go back to my birth place, Amatitlán 1. We had divisions with the DL there, and I got to go! It was just an amazing experience to be able to go back and see all of my converts. One family that is super special to me, the Garcia family, was super good to see. Unfortunately, they stopped going to church, but they still gave me a reception like family. Their little four year old ran up and gave my leg a fat hug as soon as she saw me. It was a sweet experience. I talked to them about the BoM, and the importance that it has in their lives. The mom, Yeime was the most converted one in the family, and it was all because of the BoM...so I know that if she starts reading it again, she'll come right back. Then I went and sicked some members that I know are super faithful on them, so I'm hoping that they'll be back in church soon. 

 One of the biggest reasons I wanted to come back to Amatitlan to die was to see how a really strong stake works, and what I can do to help a strong stake, and more than anything, to work with the stake leaders who are here, namely President Pineda. I met him my first change here, and immediately was VERY afraid of him, but since then, I have worked with him, had FHEs in his house, and we have grown to be great friends. Last week he came into our ward counsel meeting, looked at me, and said, "EL TIGRE REGRESO!" Or, "THE TIGER CAME BACK!!!" I hopped up and gave him a big fat hug. Then, this last weekend we had counsel with all of the auxiliary and priesthood leaders. He was there, and was talking about some of the problems that this ward has had. One of them is that it hasn't baptized in over five months. That is WAAAAY too long, especially in Guatemala. He told everyone there, "Look...President Brough didn't send Elder Hopper, who is one of, if not the best missionary I know in the mission, here to NOT baptize. He sent him here to save this ward." It was a nice little kudo for being a good missionary at the very beginning of my mission when I was here. I should learn a lot from him. He's an amazing leader. If he's not a mission president someday, I'd be flabbergasted.

Anyways...Very little time left! Sorry I don't have any pictures, I really haven't taken any since I've been here! There's just nothing going on! So...sorry! Next week we should be going to Antigua, though, so...hopefully next week!!

Love you all!
Love,

Elder Hopper 

February 3, 2014

FAAAAMILY!!

Well...We didn't baptize this week. Waste of a week. Well...not entirely. We did get some people a little closer to being baptized, so...that's a win!

I have to do the shout out to all you Seahawks fans. I'm not so excited for you all as I am for the lack of a win for Denver. I knew that if Denver won, I would never hear the end of it from Dad...now that they lost...well, Dad knows that he'll never hear the end of it from me! So...Good work, Seahawks! Just...don't be as good next year! It's time for the Dolphins to take it again!!! But I've got plenty of time to worry about that in the future!

Well, this week I actually had a funny experience. Well...I had many, but I only remember one. Lately everything that I do as far as keeping a history has gone dramatically downhill. I still write in my journal every night, but normally it's just a few lines and nothing else. I just want to baptize! But...anyways. We were at an investigators house, and she had a question about hell. She doesn't want to be baptized because she says that she's already been baptized twice! Once for the Catholics, and once for the Evangelicals. Well, she wanted to know if hell was actually fire and brimstone with people screaming in agony for the rest of eternity. I can't remember what scripture we read her, but it explained how that that won't actually be the case, it will just be our own guilt and our own shame that will make it like that. She said, "So...there's no fire? No brimstone?" When we answered, "Well...not technically." And she sighed a big old sigh and said, "Ooooookay. I'm good then! I don't need to get baptized!" So...that didn't really serve the purpose we wanted it to!

Well...I'm just out of pertinent things to talk about! I've got...four weeks left! This week I go to El Lago to be with Elder Robinson for a week, and next week I'll be back in Linda Vista for two weeks again! Then I'll come back to El Lago to die with Elder Peterson, one of my best friends who I came into the mission with. Love that guy. Then, I'll be back in Linda Vista for three days until that fateful Wednesday!

Love you all. Have a wonderful week. Remember, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING more important in this life than being a faithful, CONSECRATED servant of the Lord. I want you all to look up the word consecration and learn more about it in the scriptures. It is such an amazing thought, an amazing principle. For those of you who have gone through the temple, go again, and study it in the Celestial room. I promise you will learn things you never knew before. I did that during the last Christmas activity when we went to the temple, and it was an amazing experience for me. I love being a missionary, and I am SO grateful that I have these last four weeks in my mission to become a truly consecrated, converted servant of God before I can really start my life. I wish everyone could have the experience I've had here, see the things I've seen here, and lived the things I've lived here. I guess only returned missionaries really understand the depth of gratitude that I feel for the past two years of my life, and I've got four more weeks to make it all worth it.

Love you all. Have a wonderful week. Take this week to CHANGE something. Don't let life happen to you, be the thing that changes in your life. Please pray for me, pray for my investigators, pray for the Guatemala City Central mission, that we can reach our goal of 400 people being baptized in the month of March, that we can have 800 investigators attending on the 16th of this month. There is really nothing more important in my life right now.

This is a really cheesy email, but honestly...it's what I've got in mind right now. Love you all. Have a wonderful week, and I'll talk to you soon!
Love,

Elder Hopper

January 28, 2014

Man...I just don't have anything good to talk about anymore. I'm sorry!

It's funny...this last week my companion and I were at church talking to some young men and women from our ward. My companion is in good with them, so he was doing the most of the talking, when one of the kids looked at me and asked, "Why are you so serious?" I realized that I really don't care about any of this...cuz all these kids are already members of the church!!!! They don't need to be baptized! All I think about anymore is how I'm going to baptize in my last five weeks that the Lord has given me...the whole phrase of, "It comes to an end faster than you think" is WAAAAY too true. I only have FIVE WEEKS to baptize!!! I wish I didn't have to waste my time writing on internet!!! I just want to baptize, and help the missionaries in my zone baptize!!! So...I really don't have any good stories this week! I'm just kind of boring these days! I think I know why people say that when you get relieved from being a missionary it's like there is a big weight lifted off your shoulders...it's because at the end of the mission the pressure to baptize and make a difference is INTENSE!!!

 

So...that's about my life right now!!

Oh...one cool story. So, I'm in the same building where my second ward meets. I was in this same building for church a year ago when I was in La Sonora 1, my second area. Well, this sunday I walked into the building, and I felt like a rock star. I knew EVERYONE!!! The coolest one was seeing my star convert, Tito Perez. He is now the secretary for the ward, and an amazingly faithful member. It was such a good feeling to think, "If I hadn't gone on my mission, it's possible that he wouldn't be here." A missionary pay day for sure.

 

Well...I'm going to go work to be able to baptize. Waaaay too short of a time remains to waste my time in front of a computer screen!

Love you all!
Love,

Elder Hopper 1

January 23, 2014

Well...first thing is first...We baptized this week! It was a family that we had been teaching since before I got there, and they finally decided to get married and baptized because they knew that I was leaving! So...pretty excited about that one! La Familia Montufar! He is a member since eight, but went inactive, so we gave him the priesthood and that day he baptized her! We were pretty proud of that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than that, I got out of the coast! I feel bad for those missionaries who are there their entire missions! I was only there for two changes, and that was ENOUGH FOR ME! It is SO HOT there ALL THE TIME! So...I'm excited to be in the capital again where wind blows, and it gets cold at night! My first night here i was SHIVERING! It was great! I'm back in the same zone where I started my mission, Amatitlan! My second area was the neighboring ward to where I'm at right now, Linda Vista. I served in La Sonora! It's fun, because everyone still remembers me! So...to work here in the capital once again! With big wards, and small areas! I LOVE being back.

Yesterday we had an awesome experience. We got to go and see Elder Cook! From the twelve! All the missions from the capital were there, mission central, south, and east. It was a really cool experience. There were more than 700 missionaries in the room. Elder Cook reminded us that we are less than 1 percent of ALL the missionaries in the world that were gathered in that building. Honestly, I know this sounds cheesy, but...the Spirit there was SO strong. It was just testifying to us all day long that this man really was an Apostle of God. Well...he got in, and he told us that he wanted to shake each and every one of our hands! So, he and the other four area authorities who were with him all got in a line, and I got to shake Elder Cook's hand! That is the first time I've ever shaken an Apostle's hand! All of the four area authorities spoke, and then Sister Cook, then Elder Cook. Sister Cook was awesome. She had us sing put your shoulder to the wheel, while one section chanted, "Trabajar duro" And another section chanted "con fervor" I know it sounds weird, but with 700 ish missionaries, it really worked out awesome! Elder Cook talked about the importance of loving the people, and how we really can't achieve anything till we love the people we work for, and the improtance of developing Christ like attributes, but the thing that the Spirit made me most notice was something that one of the area authorities, Elder Amado, said. He said that our prayers need to be SACRED time. We really need to work on that! So...the Spirit beat me up a little bit on that, and now I'm fixing it! 

 

Other than that, I need to get four baptisms this change in order to meet my mission goal. Toooootally going to do it. I put this goal in my very first change, and I'm getting SOOOO close! 

 

Love you all! Have a good week! And...study the lesson for Priesthood and Relief Society this week! Do it! It will be good for you!

Love,
Elder Hopper

January 14, 2014

FAAAAMILY!!!

Why hello there! So...this is my very last week in the coast that I will ever have. My last change starts in a week, and I already know where I'm going, and who I'll be with (Which is REALLY strange...this VERY rarely happens) But I will be going back to my place of birth! Amatitlán! About two months ago in interviews with President Brough, I asked him if he could ask the Lord if it would be ok if I went back to Amatitlán to die...I guess He said yes! So...next Tuesday I'll be going to Amatitlán as a zone leader to begin my very last change as a missionary! Weeeeird...

So, one thing you can look forward to in the beginning of March is your life getting a LOT louder again. In the house that I'm in right now, there are four missionaries (One of something like four houses in the entire mission that are like that) Last week, we did divisions with another set of missionaries, so I went to the other area. When I got home, the next night, all the other three missionaries kept commenting on how QUIET the house was the night before! Nothing was going on! They were all bored! So...buckle up, boys and girls...the whirlwind hasn't changed, and he's coming back home! 

 

Yesterday as a zone activity we went to Panajachel, my last area! It was SO MUCH FUN!! I got to go and see the progress that they had made on the church building that they had just begun construction on when I left, and I saw a convert, and a few investigators, and I saw my last companion, Elder Pinedo! That was a lot of fun to be able to see him again. Apparently he is a baptizing MACHINE, and as his dad, I'm pretty proud of him! But...it was just nice to go back! It is a place that I would recommend for ANYONE as a vacation place. It's seriously one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.



I Love this place!



Planking in Pana!

 

So, we have a road where we're somewhat famous. When we walk down this road, all of the kids from the houses run out of their houses, and call us, "Gemelos" or twins. They run after us and high five us. Well, we were walking down that street last week, when all of the kids came out again. Well...that wasn't super weird, so we started high fiving, joking around like normal. A kid got in front of me, and started walking backwards, so I high fived him, and waited for him to get out of the way so I could keep walking fast, when he wound up and socked me RIGHT where it hurts! Just out of NOWHERE!!! Well...that made me pretty upset, as you can imagine. So I grabbed him by the collar and didn't let him go. By the time we were done with that conversation, I think he understood the fact that punching perfect strangers is something that you just shouldn't do. All his friends thought it was hilarious, too...but I doubt they'll be doing that to me any time soon after seeing the yelling at his little friend got. They weren't laughing towards the end.

 

We'll be having a baptism this weekend! A guy named Eligio! He is SO pilas! We are pretty excited for him. I realized that on these emails I don't talk much about the work, so...sorry about that. This next week, the day after change meeting, we'll be having a three mission meeting with Elder Cook! We are all pretty excited about that! I don't think he speaks Spanish, so...don't know how that's going to work, but I'm excited!!! 

 

Love you all! Next time I write, it'll be from Amatitlán!
Love,

Elder Hopper

January 7, 2014

Hello my dearest family and friends.

 

This has been a great week! MUUUUCH less stressful from the last one. I've never been happier for christmas to be OVER!!!

 

So, this week on new years eve, we got home. I had to go number one, so I ran to the bathroom before we started planning. I was telling my companion about some nasty freaky health story I had heard from the mission. If you want more details...I'll tell you in a few months. Well, he said it was gross, and we kept going on with our lives. We knelt down to pray to start our planning session, and about half way through the prayer, he just passes out! Just goes head first into the floor! It was...really scary!!! Then, while he was passed out on the floor, he started making these wretching throwing up sounds! It was...REALLY SCARY!!! But, as I shook him awake, he popped his eyes open and seemed even more scared than I was..."WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" I just looked at him and said, "DUDE. YOU PASSED OUT. WHAT THE CRAP!!?!?!" He said he was just fine, but...we gave him a blessing just in case. The nurse said that he was just dehydrated, but he's positive that it was the story I had told him. So we don't share those stories anymore. But it was a good time!

 

We had a straight up miracle baptism this weekend! We've been working with this little kid named Carlitos for a while now. He's nine, and he always comes to church, but his mom never wanted him to get baptized...well, this week she gave him permission! I have had a goal since the beginning of my mission that I would be able to baptize with all of my companions, but I was worried about Elder Heartel...well...don't have to worry anymore! Baptism achieved! I only need 7 more to meet the goal I put for myself for baptisms! Two months to go!



Carlitos
 

 

Bible theology for the day brought to you by Galatians 5:9 - A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.  Now...I know what you're thinking. What does this have to do with ANYTHING?! But just think about how true the Bible is! A little leaven really DOES leaven the WHOLE lump! The WHOLE LUMP! What a blessing. I love the word of God.

 

Well, from that I'll go to a real spiritual thought. We are teaching this guy named Eligio. He's...well...lets say he's walked in the world. Pretty hard. Drugs, using and selling, LOTS of girls, killed a few people, the works. Well...he wants to change, and he has been acting like it. We have taught him all the commandments that are necessary for him to be baptized, and we were going over them again on Sunday night. I felt the need to testify about the commandments. I told him, "Look...I know what it is like to hang out in the world (Even though not quite as much as you), and one can have a LOT of fun there, but it's not the same peace that one can find doing these things that we are teaching you. I LOVE the commandments, because they are the way that God has taught us to get back to Him." And as I said that, I realized that I am REALLY grateful for the commandments! I really am! They really are the way to get back to God! The only way! At times I almost wish we had more! But if we follow the commandments we have, we WILL be happy! It's a for sure thing! Happiness! It requires a bit of discipline, but you'll be happy. I'm just so grateful for that!

Love you all. Hope you have a great week! Talk to you soon!
Love,

Elder Hopper

December 31, 2013

HEEEELLO FAMILIA!!!

Well...it was a...well, completely honestly, it was a difficult week. Christmas is a LOT different here than it is there. It's basically an excuse to drink. I'll just say this...those who think it's ok to hit their children in ANY form...well...I sincerely hope they get theirs. It's the MOST COWARDLY thing a person could EVER do. With that being said, I'll let your imagination wander on what might have happened to us this week.

 

Our Christmas gift from the lady who gave us dinner!

Other than that, I am incredibly glad I am with Elder Haertel. I seriously love the guy a ton. This week we were just walking along the street when he stopped, looked at me, said, "What I'm about to do is SUPER awesome." He walked over to a family who was sitting on an outside table eating dinner, pulled out a seat, sat down, and started contacting him. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Dad was SO offended...maybe not the most effective missionary effort ever, but...sure was funny!


Christmas Dinner!

Last night, we were knocking doors. I knocked a door and a guy came out. He was nicely dressed in a clean polo shirt and nice jeans...that's pretty rare here, so I naturally thought he was a pastor. Well...I asked him if we could come in and share our message. He said, "Look...we've got a family activity going on right now." So I said that that was fine...we could come back any time! He said "The truth is that we don't live here. We live on the other side of Tiquisate." When I told him that that wasn't a problem either...we can take your address down and go there he got really serious and said, "Look, kid...I don't want to lie to you. The TRUTH is that we read the Bible." As if that were a reason not to talk to us. When he said that, I saw my companion at my side's face go up in one of those, "Riiiiiiiiiight" kind of motions, making the, "Ooooooooh" with his mouth. I swear...at that point I almost lost it. I just love the excuses people use here. Love me some Guatemala.

 



Christmas Jammies!
 

Yesterday we had zone leader counsel with President Brough. He said something that was very interesting. He said, "The three hours in the morning that you have to study get REALLY hard at the end of your mission. Satan ATTACKS them because he doesn't want you going home good at studying the scriptures." and you know what? It's totally true! This hasn't happened to me since my first change back in April of 2012...I actually fell asleep during personal study this week! Nobody even noticed, but I just felt so embarrassed! that NEVER happens to me anymore! But...it did! So...gotta fight it even harder at the end of my mission than I did at the beginning! What fun. 

Well...no mas. Sorry...boring email again this week. Should be an interesting week this week, though...lots of stuff to do with divisions and working with missionaries and meetings...yay! We did get some awesome news this week, though...Elder Cook is coming to do a conference with our mission on the 22nd of January! I am SO excited!!!
Love you all!
Love,

Elder Hopper 1

December 24, 2013

HEEEEELLO FAMILY!!!

Well....first things first...Merry Christmas!!!! I hope you all have a great one, and enjoy the time together in the cold with family and friends!

 

Well, we have had an AWESOME week. I LOVE being Elder Haertel's companion. He's really an awesome missionary, and I'm grateful I get to be his companion. He's just painfully obedient, and I love that about the guy. We just pass the entire day laughing. Seriously...I don't think I've laughed so hard in my entire mission. And the nice part is that we still work SUPER hard. The only problem is when we start laughing in the middle of lessons, and try to hold it in while the other testifies...but we work our way through it. Just now, we were walking to internet, and he started citing, "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly" then he stopped in his tracks, looked at me very longingly, and said, "Tell me I'm pretty." I seriously couldn't move for about a minute, I was just laughing waaaay too hard. I just love the guy. It's just stupid things like that.

 

Mi queridisisimo Elder Breinholt

We had a cool experience this week though. We are trying to start a branch in a little pueblo about an hour away from our area that's right on the beach called Semillero. We thought we were there, but we need a few more priesthood holders...but we're still working on it! Well, we go there about once a week, and the last bus from Semillero to Tiquisate leaves at 6:00. Well, we got out of our last lesson around 5:50, and realized that we needed to get to the bus NOW! Well...when we got there around 5:55...we watched it drive away. Well...here we were, about an hour away from our area, with the sun going down, and nowhere to go...the only two white people within fifty miles. So...what do we do? We say a prayer! Then we decided to start walking the 7 kilometres or so to get to a little pueblo called Ticanlu, where a member lives. On our way it got DARK. I was a little bit nervous, seeing as we were walking along a somewhat deserted highway alone at night. Well...we said a prayer as we walked, and arrived safely in Ticanlu. And the first person who drives up to us in a pickup truck says, "Are you guys headed to Tiquisate?! Hop in!" And what do you know? Free ride to Tiquisate! Plus...we taught him a lesson on the way! Man...if that's not a good lesson on answered prayers, I don't know WHAT is! 

 

We went to the temple this week for our Christmas activity, and I experienced something that I hadn't experienced in a LOOOOONG time. I went into the bathroom, turned the left faucet, and HOT water came out! Then...I turned off the left knob, turned on the right one, and COLD water came out!! Then...I turned them BOTH on...and LUKEWARM water came out! It's just the small things.

 

The CCM group!

After the temple for the Christmas activity, we went to a stake center in the capitol to play basketball. I still suck. Surprise. But it was fun trying again! After that we had lunch, and I got to see Hermana Brown who was visiting with her family! That was fun! It was like she had never left...like she was just a missionary still! I kept wondering where her plaque was! But afterwards we had the devotional portion of the activity with President Brough talking. The theme of the conference was, "this cup

that my father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" Or something like that...I don't have the reference in front of me, and if I did...it'd be in Spanish. :P Well, he talked all about how we need to be like Christ. Something that struck me was that Christ was TIRED in the end. When He was carrying His cross to be crucified, I can only imagine how he felt! He must have been in SO much pain, and the word tired doesn't even begin to describe it. When Peter offered to help him, all He asked was if He shouldn't take this suffering that His Father had given Him. I want to be more like that. I want to be willing to endure any and all suffering that the Lord asks me to withstand. Shall we not drink the cup that God gives us?  Afterwards, we had an activity. Pres. Brough explained how one dies through crucifixion, how they have to constantly raise himself up on his hands to be able to take a breath, and how eventually one suffocates and dies. Then, he told us that we were going to stand and hold our hands out to our sides for six minutes, just to suffer a liiiiittle tiny bit and feel what He felt. We held our hands out to our sides while we listened to MOTAB sing this is the Christ and watch paintings of Him on the projector. It was so powerful. Towards minute 4 I almost couldn't stand it anymore. Try it. But the Spirit was just so strong. I'm so grateful for what He did for me, so that I can become more like Him. I love being a missionary, and I am doing all I can to be a true representative of Him.


I love you all, have a wonderful Christmas time, and remember the real meaning of this season!

Love,

Elder Hopper 1

December 17, 2013

HEEEELLO FAMILY!!!
They're playing, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" in Spanish in this internet place. How very, very baggy. Definitely won't be having a blance navidad here! 

 

Well...it was a good week! First off, we had changes! I got my first gringo companion that I've had since...June of 2012! Wow...that is a LOOOOONG time. But the best part is that it's Elder Haertel! I saw his birth in La Sonora some 16 months ago! He's one of my best friends on the mission! It's fun...when they call the zone leader's changes, they go up to the stand so that they can see their whole zone, and see who they are. So...they called the zone Tiquisate, and I knew that my comp was out, so I headed up to the stand alone, and they said, "En Tiquisate uno...Elder Hopper recibe a.......Elder Haertel!!!" And before I could get up to the stand, he knocked me over with this huge hug! It was a pretty epic moment. The whole mission just laughed at us. They were just jealous. The other awesome part about changes is that I got Elder Breinholt in my zone! He moved down to train and die, and he's with me! I'm SO EXCITED about it! It's going to be a sweet change. I just hope we both stay in the zone to die together...we'll see! 

Just took this picture! Love this man!

So, during the change meeting, we had a special treat. President Brough's family came because the very day of changes was his birthday! So his two brothers were there, along with his daughter and wife, which isn't super weird. But his brothers is odd. Well, they got to bear their testimonies. In English, cuz they don't speak Spanish. How convenient it is that I speak English. Well, one of them started out by saying, "Many of you probably think that President Brough can walk on water" We all laughed, thinking that some good story of a President Brough screw up was coming. Well, he then said, "I want you all to know, that I think President Brough can walk on water too. I can't think of ANYTHING that would make this man unworthy in your eyes to hold the position he now holds, and I couldn't think of a better big brother that a man could have." It was such a spiritual moment. The spirit just hit us all like a wall. It really made me think about my brothers, too. And I realized how grateful I am to have brothers who I can honestly say are my very best friends. It was just one of those grateful moments. I'm having a lot of those lately.

 

Also, during changes, I saw one of my converts! Tito Perez from La Sonora! This guy is my pride and joy. I was just SO EXCITED to see him! He was helping the missionaries get their bags to the change meeting, and he started to talk to me about his home teaching families, how he is getting ready to go to the temple, and how incredibly grateful he is that we knocked on his door that day. It was definitely a missionary pay day. Love getting those. They're not too frequent.

 

So, this week...the Jehovah's witnesses knocked on our door. Imagine their surprise when two big, gringo Mormons walked out, nametag and all. The look on his face was PRICELESS. There were two, but one just stood there watching the other, like he was his padawan. We let him do his thing, and we didn't take out the scriptures that I have found throughout the mission that completely destroys the testigos way of thinking, but it was just interesting to have it on the other side of the door contact. They didn't really teach me any doctrine, though. They just told me to read the Bible more, and that I don't read it enough. I was kind of disappointed in the end.

 

Well...all out of time! Love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week before Christmas! 

Love,

Elder Hopper 1

December 10, 2013

First things first.

 

I'm incredibly hungry.

 

There...now that that is out of the way...let's get into the good stuff. 

 

Well, this week we had two baptisms! We love this little family, Carlos and Verali. They are a lot of fun, and the best part is that they live in a house FULL of little kids! I love going there! It was so funny...while we were getting ready for the baptisms, my companion was in the bathroom stall getting dressed in his white clothes. Well...two of the little girls, probably about 5 and 6 came into the guys bathroom. Just waaaaaltzed right on in. Well...there was something in there that they had never seen before. A urinal. While I was trying to usher one of them out of the men's bathroom, the other one went and tried to figure out what it was! She turned to me with innocent eyes and asked, "Hopper, ¿Que es eso?" at which point she turned around, and sat down on it, trying to use it like a toilet. It was...hilarious. I just warned my companion to lock the door, and let them have their fun with these new creations that they had never seen. I didn't really know what to do...

 

So, the closer we get to Christmas, and ESPECIALLY on weekends, there are more and more drunks in the street! Well...last Saturday night, which is the hot night for drunks, this drunk guy came up to us and said, "Look...you guys just walk WAY. TOO. FAST. Do you EVER rest?!" That's a rough translation...but it was just a funny moment. I love drunk people. The fun ones. Some are just angry, though, and I don't like those.

 

I have come to the realization again this week of how incredibly grateful I am for everything. I just want you all to look around you, and realize how comfortable you are, and how INCREDIBLY blessed you are. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to be a missionary here for, if nothing else, to be the most grateful human being on the face of the planet. It's kind of hard to adequately express in words, but I'm just grateful.

 

I've been studying lately the difference between being a consecrated missionary vs. an obligated missionary. Many people come on missions because they feel obligated to do so, but if we really want to become CONSECRATED to the Lord, and His work, we need to find a MUCH deeper reason to work like we do.  Well, I found a scripture that I LOVED that talks about this. It is in 2 Nefi 2:1-3. It talks all about how the sufferings of his childhood consecrated his life to the work of God, but even after that he had to be obedient and diligent. This week in the ZL counsel President talked about his main goal for his missionaries is that they leave the mission being consecrated, and saved. It was a super powerful moment when he said, "I want EVERY SINGLE MISSIONARY to be in the Celestial kingdom. From the most disobedient, to the hardest workers. I want them ALL there, and it is YOUR job as leaders to help me make that happen." So...there is a BIG difference in being a consecrated missionary and being an obligated missionary, and I want to be that consecrated missionary. President in my last interview talked a lot about me consecrating my mission to the Lord in these last three months that I have, so...that's what I'll do! Just gotta work harder!

 

This is a Guatemalan dressing room in middle of a crowded market.

Love you all. Have an awesome Christmas. Enjoy the tranquility of it all. Here, it's the loudest day of the year. It's quite a difference, the culture. But...I'll most certainly love the tamales, and the ponche, and all the fireworks!

Love you!
Love,

Elder Hopper NUMBER ONE!!! HA!!! 

P.S...I hope everyone went to watch the Christmas devotional by the church...it was fantastic! If you didn't...go back and watch it again! Isn't internet the greatest?

December 3, 2013

I AM OFFICIALLY ELDER HOPPER NUMBER OOOOONE!!!!!! YEEEEEEESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all. 

We had a good week this week! Let me start off with the funny stories, then we'll get to the hair raising Elder-Hopper-almost-dies ones.

 

Well, we taught a guy this week. He was a paraplegic. He had an accident about...five years ago, and since then has been in a wheelchair without use of his legs. Well, I have a line that I always say at the end of a lesson to invite people to pray. I say, "Entonces, hermano, despues de leer, usted se arrodillará y preguntará a Dios si lo que le hemos compartido es cierto?" Well...for those of you who have brushed up on your Spanish...that's pretty offensive to a guy who doesn't have use of his legs. I invite you to use Google translator to figure it out, and laugh at my misfortune. I felt terrible about it. But at least it's a good story, right?!

 

So, on Saturday night we had two baptismal interviews. After the interviews, we were walking to go to work! We were walking down the main intersection against traffic, when this motorcycle going about 25 layed it right over in front of us. The motorcycle skidded to a stop like...ten feet in front of us. If that doesn't get your adrenaline pumping, I don't know WHAT will! Well, we ran mover to the guy, and wouldn't you know it...drunk as a skunk. Like...REEEEALLY drunk. He had basically face planted and skidded on his face for about 30 feet, completely RIPPING it up, he was bleeding all over the place. But the good thing was that he was REALLY drunk, so he didn't feel it. Well, the crowd that had then gathered and I dragged his bloody stinky drunk body to the curb along with his motorcycle, and while I got someone to call the police, he hopped right back onto his motorcycle! He's a bright one. Thankfully, I had seen where his key was hanging off his motorcycle on a cord, so I grabbed it. He didn't like that. So we had a tug of war over his keys. Thankfully, the fifteen people or so that were around helped me grab it from him. Well, my companion cannot see blood without basically tossing cookies, so...he was off talking to some people around the accident, and these two girls came up to him. I'm glad I've got an obedient companion, or we might have had problems. Well, it turns out that basically the entire crowd that had gathered thought that this drunk guy had been trying to rob the gringo! And that I beat the living tar out of him! Well...thankfully, that wasn't the case...maybe some other day.

 

One more drunk guy story, and we'll call it quits for this week. We were knocking doors, when we knocked a door with a drunk guy sitting right next to it. He was...a weirdo. He kept saying, "I'm a WITCH! When you want that frog in your stomach, you come call me! Cuz I'm a WITCH!!!! I'll get'im in there for you!" Somewhat roughly translated...it was a funny one. Little less dramatic, but funny nonetheless.

Foto de zona

Next week we should be baptizing a family! Take THAT, Adam! You're home, but I'M BAPTIZING A FAMILY!!! :) Love you all, and I hope you have a wonderful week!!!!

Con DEMASIADO amor,
Elder Hopper NUMERO UNO!!!!

November 26, 2013

Man...I'm so boring. I'm sorry that this will be a boring week, once again.

This week, however, we had a wedding! And two baptisms! Now...those who got married will be getting baptized next week, but we're very excited about it! I'm getting painfully close to my goal of 52 baptisms in my mission! And very little time left to do it! But...it shall be done!

 

Baptisms!!!! The other one we had didn't want to take pictures...

Which one is the real dog, which is the stuffed animal?

If you look reeeeeal close, this shirt is from Seaside, Oregon! 

Mah angry face. Blurry.

Morcaff! Good coffee! Win!!!!

Real coffee, and my thoughts towards it.

The happy couple! The balloon makes me look like I have fat cheeks, or a tumor, but...such is life.

This week we had a broadcast that was specifically for Guatemala. President Eyring presided, and it was all about DyC 88:73. Go read it. It was perfect. I LOVED the conference. It really put a lot more pressure on the members, which was just a joy for every single missionary that was there. The idea of the area presidency is that one day, all the missionaries will just sit in the chapels (Air conditioning and all.) and the members will bring investigators to them so that they can teach. We're all very much looking forward to that day. Not going to come while I'm here, but...I want it to come some day soon!

 

I really don't know what else to talk about. Nothing really crazy has happened...Oh yeah! I'll tell one thing! In this area, we go to a gym at 5;30 in the morning. Well...we ran there all tranquilo at 5:40 or so, and the rule is that we have to be in the house at 6:30. We started running back around 6:20..,about half way between there was a dead guy! He had got shot at about...5:45! We didn't hear gunshots, or anything! But...apparently someone had driven by in a motorcycle and shot him! He probably drove right by us! Makes life very very interesting...We are definitely protected as missionaries.

Well...out of time, and out of interesting things to write. Love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Elder Hopper

P.S...NEXT WEEK I SHALL OFFICIALLY BE ELDER HOPPER 1!!!!!!!!!!

November 20, 2013

Family!

Well...I'll be completely honest. It was a very boring week. We worked a lot. I got sunburnt for the first time here! That is practically a miracle, considering where I'm at...Let's see...what else...today we have a wedding! That will be fantastic!

Welcome...to the coast
 

I had a thought this week while we were contacting, and there were a boatload of birds behind me making all sorts of ruckus...I thought, "If birds fly south for the winter...are these the same birds that I'll see at home?" Food for thought.

This is a super boring one. Sorry to disappoint those who care! Love you guys a ton!!!!!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2

P.S...Only two more weeks till I'll take the coveted crown of Elder Hopper 1!!!!!

November 13, 2013

HEEELLO FAMILY!!

Well...no pictures this week. Sorry...either this computer place that I am at this week as well as last week's computers don't work, or my adapter has officially passed away. RIP. Guess we'll see next week! Today in seven! 

So...for those of you that know me very well know that I have one thing that I hate more than just about anything in the entire world. It's ketchup. And one thing that I can't stand even MORE than that is mayo. Well...those are their own food groups here in Guatemala. It's just...it's not good. Well, last week we were at a family home evening with a bunch of new converts. I wanted to make a good impression cuz I'm new in the area, and we were playing games when the mom of the house came out with the evening's snack. Can you guess what they were? Hot dogs! COVERED in ketchup, and mayo...I don't think I've ever seen more mayo in my entire life. It seemed like they were asking me to take a spoonful out of the jar and go to town on that. Now...if it had been mustard, I would have been your man. But...it wasn't. Well...wanting to make a good impression, and not wanting to offend anyone...I went to work. They brought me a glass full of pineapple pop, so that helped. But...I got about halfway through the sucker, just thinking of other things, trying to keep my mind off of the horrific tastes that were happening in my mouth, when I couldn't hold it in anymore. I gagged. Juuuust about threw up right there in the living room. You may think this is pathetic, but ask anyone who knows me really well...I would rather walk on hot coals after having shove bamboo shoots up my toenails than eat mayo. Well...I gagged. And everyone noticed. I felt terrible. Mom asked, "Do you not like it?" I responded, with tears in my eyes..."No! It's delicious!" But...I think they got the message when I left a quarter of the hot dog on the plate, and ran out of the house, embarrassed. I felt so bad. I really hope they don't go inactive because of my undying hatred towards mayo.

Well, I learned something pretty cool last week! One of the missionaries who was in my district in Villa Nueva, Elder Hulse, is in my zone now. While I was there, I was trying to get a kid of nine years baptized, but dad wouldn't let him. I got in dad's face a little bit...telling him that he was a sinner, that he needed to let his son be baptized, that his son's sins would be over his head if he didn't let him, just getting in his face. He didn't like it, and the Spirit left, and it all ended up in him yelling at me and telling me to get out. But he lived in a street that we ALWAYS walked, and I ALWAYS saw him. Well...on Monday, Elder Hulse told me a little bit about this guy. Turns out he's one of the biggest drug dealers in all of Guatemala City...he's got all sorts of money, and regularly sends for people to be shot. I told off one of the biggest drug dealers in Guatemala, and hung out in that same area for MONTHS afterwards. I have NO CLUE how I didn't die. God is seriously taking care of us.

So, here in Tiquisate, there is a lovely thing that is just starting! It is called the safra. I don't know how much the export, but I would be willing to bet that all who are reading this have eaten sugar from Guatemala. They have huuuuuuuuuuuge sugar cane fields. HUGE. But, in order to reap it, and do all that, they have to get rid of the leaves of the sugar cane that would cut if you dove right into it. So, what do they do? They burn it! So that is just starting. I guess for the next six months or so, ash falls from the sky like snow! And last week it started! Now...walking around with a white shirt with black ash collecting in the streets about an inch thick...should be interesting. I'll be sure to take pictures.

Love you all! All out of time!

Love,

Elder Hopper 2

November 5, 2013

OOOOOOOKAY. Now...before we start, I want you to go to google weather. Go to that page, and look up Tiquisate, Guatemala. Then, I want you to feel bad for me. While you are at home drinking your hot chocolate by the fire cuz it's 25 degrees outside...just know...there are missionaries out there suffering. What a blessing! It's quite a big change from my last area, which was one of the coldest in the mission, with a nice breeze, having to cover up at night in my blanket, loving my hot showers, to now, the hottest area in the mission, sweating as I sleep with a fan blowing directly on me all night, cold sholwers (That's one advantage...no more hanging shower death trap!), and sweating through my poor, poor shirts as I sit and teach lessons. It really is a completely different world here. The nice thing is that we live in a house with four missionaries, one of the four of five houses in the entire mission that is allowed to do that! It makes life a lot more interesting, and a lot more fun!

 

The nice part about this area is that EVERYONE accepts us. In Panajachel, a good week would be 35 lessons. Now, last week, with two days where we basically didn't work at all, we had 58. It is pretty nuts. I'm going to be breaking some records here. 

 

Fun fact: This is my first area that has a stop light in it. Sometimes, when we don't have anything better to do, or when we need contacts, we sit at the stoplights and contact the families that stop there on motorcycles! It is incredibly effective! Problem here, though, is that traffic laws are only like...35% enforced. If someone doesn't want to stop...they don't! Still makes life interesting, though.

 

Remember that whole thing when I almost got sent home for the annoying the animal rights activists? Well...that story has now gotten around the mission. On Wednesday at the  change meeting, a missionary came that I had never met before, and asked me how it was when M. Russell Ballard called my parents to have me sent home from the mission! I was like..."Ummm...what are you talking about?" Apparently the rumor in the mission now is that he called my parents to get me sent home because of the picture I had posted! Woops! 

 

Well...that is all, my dearest friends. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2

October 29, 2013

Yo siempre he querido hacer uno de estos en español. Sinceramente. Lo entenderían de todos modos...tienen traductores, pero escribir en español me cuesta un poco...entonces...ingles será. 

 

HEEEELLO!!! What a week we have had. It has seriously been...very very busy. We were going to have another baptism this week, the sister of Brenda and Yesica, but she didn't go to church. She decided that making tortillas was more important. We were seriously disappointed, and I am particularly bummed about it because I will be leaving this area tomorrow, (By the way changes are tomorrow and I'm out) and I won't be able to see her baptism. But I just hope she gets baptized someday! That is all that really matters to me!

Well...on Friday we had a meeting in the capitol, so we got to be in a bus aaaaaall day long. We left here at 5:00 in the morning, and had our meeting at 10:00...we got done with that at 12:00, and got back here at around 6:00. Personally, I love busses, but my poor companion was sick the entire time. Didn't quite puke, even though I was ready with the camera if he did. But in the meeting I got the pleasure to be able to talk to some of the missionaries that are in my old area, La Promision. He's actually a really good friend of mine, Elder Parker. We got to talking about my converts, and turns out that the Familia Tay, and the Familia Monzón are both still active! That made my day. But what REALLY made me happy was what he told me about someone that I didn't baptize. Her name was Gloria. She had a problem with smoking, and I think that a few weeks ago I told you that she got baptized. Well, he finished the story for me. Apparently she tells the story every time that they go over there. Well, when I knocked her door, she was painting her nails, so she didn't want to shake my hand. But I stuck my hand out anyways. Stubborn bugger I am. She says that she felt sorry, and so she shook it. According to her, right when she shook my hand she knew that we told the truth, and she immediately wanted to listen to us. She just felt something! But her smoking was a really dug in habit from something like 45 years of doing it. Well, we started with one cigarette less a day, starting at 15. She got down to three, and couldn't get lower than that. We fought with her, stopped by every day almost, constantly called and texted her, but we just couldn't get it less. At that point, I left. But apparently a few weeks after I left, her desire to smoke just left! She no longer wanted to! She refers to me now as, "Mi angelito." Or, my little angel. There's so much more to this story, but...those who want to know can ask me in a few months. Needless to say, when Elder Parker told me about this I seriously almost cried I was so happy. I had always heard about stuff like this happening to other missionaries, but I figured it would never happen to me. I was wrong!

 

Ok...on to the car story. Well, on Saturday we had a baptismal interview. The zone leaders do the interviews of the district leaders, but there were two district leaders on Saturday that needed interviews. So we did divisions! I went with Elder Rucker to Patzicia, which is about an hour and a half away from Sololá! So we headed out around 2:00 in the afternoon for the 4:00 interview. We got there around 4:30 due to some traffic, but she still wasn't there. The missionary who is teaching her, Elder Stapel gave her a call. She said she was in Quiche, which, if you want to Google maps it, it's roughly an hour an a half away too! And she said that she was ON THE WAY there! We were very confused...but she said that she would get there at 6:00, so we decided to wait. We went out to work and all was good and well. At around 6 we headed towards the church. No one was there. So we waited. We got tired of waiting around 6:30, so we called Elder Tanner, a missionary with his wife in Sololá so they could come and get us, cuz there wouldn't be busses to get us back there. He said he was on his was, but we still had an hour and a half to wait. So we went out to work again! When 8:00 rolled around, we called the lady again. She was in Los Encuentros, which is still about an hour away. We told her tough luck! Sorry! We'll do it another day and headed out with Elder Tanner. Well...those of you chosen few who have had the joy to be able to go to Sololá will know that in the night time it gets REALLY FOGGY here. It was just about as bad as I had ever seen it on the way back, and Elder Tanner had his brights on. I didn't want to be the backseat driver, so I just let him do his thing, trusting in the Lord, or...just...hoping. Well, a turn lane opened up, and he went right into it going about 35. He didn't notice it was a turn lane. When the turn lane ended, and the divider showed up...there wasn't time. We went right over that sucker and put a hole right through the oil pan and popped two tires. It was quite the moment! So we pulled over, and there was a car already sitting there that had done the exact same thing about five minutes earlier. We were blessings for each other...people tend to rob isolated cars in Guatemala, so I'm glad we could help each other out like that. Well...long story short, we got a tow truck there about two hours later, and got to Sololá around 12:30 at night. I was EXHAUSTED the next day. But, all's well that ends well!

Last night I got to try a dish called, "Squid in it's ink." It was in a can, for all of you RMs who think I'm breaking rules. But...it's exactly what you think it is. It was DELICIOUS. I would recommend it to anyone.

 

Also, I heard a good joke from Elder Tanner...one of those old people jokes, but I got a kick out of it. How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? 

 

Only one! But it really has to want to change! HAA!!!!

Anyways...enough of that. Love you all! And I hope you have a wonderful week!
Love,

Elder Hopper 2