Hey family and friends, sorry i am sending this letter late, its just that on monday when i tried to send it the internet in the place we were in went out and so i couldnt send it until now. Also there have been some big changes that have happened this week which i will inform you all about in another email.
¡Que tal familia y todos!
So here in the mission in guatemala, President Maravilla has a rule that every missionary needs to baptize every month. sooo becuase Elder Rivera and i did not baptize last month i got a good talking to this past week by our leaders in why we didnt baptize and all of that. to put it simply i did not feel like the hottest kid on the block, and i was feeling really down again because i have felt like ive been putting so much effort into my work and helping Elder Rivera, but in the end i didnt feel like my efforts showed in the results. President also said that he was very worried that the trainers right now are doing a good job training thier kids and that this great responsibility is on our heads, and if we dont teach our companions well, its all on our heads. basically i was feeling really crappy. So i sat down with Elder Rivera and we had a long talk, we talked a lot about what we could do as a companionship to have more success in our area, we talked about what i can do personally to help him more, and a ton of stuff. it was really good, and we planned out a ton of good stuff we could do. So we went to work, and we worked really hard this past week especially with members. contacting for us has not gotten us anything lately, so we went out and worked with members a ton this past week, and they actually responded and helped us. we recieved a ton of references of families and friends and went out and taught them, and in church yesterday we actually had a couple references and friends of members in church, and it looks like the work is starting to pick up so that we can have some success. We did a soocer night where the members invited a ton of friends and we played soccer at the church (here all the churches have a soccer field outside) and we got like 10 references just that night, and we have another activity planned this saturday where we are going to play soccer at the church and cook corn on the cob and have a ton of food and stuff, so basically we are working more with the members and the ward and everything is coming together that we are getting some good people to teach.
All of that really boosted Elder Rivera and i´s spirits and we both felt a ton better this past week. With all of that, i also challenged myself to focus on developing attributes of Christ this past week, and i can honestly say that i had a super happy and peaceful week this week. Instead of worrying so much about every little thing Elder Rivera did, i just focused on how i could help him, and i literally was so peaceful, i was able to accept and even appreciate all the wierd things he does, and appreciate the spirit he brings to the lessons and our companionship. i didnt get mad or frustrated with him, or people that we taught that rejected us or didnt understand or give us attention in the lessons, i just had a completely different attitude about everything. In all of that, i literally saw a change in Elder Rivera. Instead of having to drag him around to work and tell him everything that he needed to do, he actually took the initiative to teach and to contact and to talk with people. he actually took control of himself in getting out of bed and studying and working. It was like somebody flipped a switch, and i actually had a real companion again. I feel like all of my efforts to be better myself and to follow the rules and work and praying for guidance and help with Elder Rivera are starting to pay off, and he is finally discovering that inner spark for missionary work and learning a ton. We both still have a lot of work to do and things to learn, but right now i am excited for the things we have going on and that we are working better together. I really am thankful to my heavenly father for this opportunity i have had these past several weeks to learn more than i have ever learned about myself and other people in my entire life, and i feel so much more prepared for future life in school, work and in my own family. and for that i am eternally grateful for Elder Rivera, and for the mission despite its difficulties and trials.
So things are looking up, and i am super stoked to talk to you all for mothers day on sunday, especially you mom. i sent you a letter, but who knows when you are going to get it with this sketchy Guatemalan mail system and what not. Oh and Holly and Curt i did recieve your package !!! thank you soo much for that, the graduation anouncment was super cool, and the story that Tucker wrote is pretty awesome if i do say so myself haha and the picture of the "shoe" by calvin hahaha.
So for sunday and calling home, i really have no clue right now whats going to happen. The thing is that for latinos mothers day is a different day then all of us gringos. so i dont know because i have a latino companion if we are going to call the same day or different days or what going down with that, and i have no idea if we are going to be able to skype either. the truth is that our leaders havnt said anything about any of that, so i have no clue. I imagine that i will be able to call home sunday, but probably only by phone, but im not sure. The thing that they are going to let us do is call you all (Mom) to let you know whats going to happen with skype and whatnot and what time i am going to do the real call, so ill probably be able to call saturday night for like 5 minutes to figure all that out, but as of right now, i have no idea, so stay tuned to your phones to see if there is some crazy number calling you from Guatemala haha.
Oh on a random side note, the other day Elder Rivera and i were walking in the road in our area on the way to an appointment, and here in my area there are a ton of cows (Except they have giant horns and they look a lot crazier than cows in the states) and the owners are always herding them places on horses just like in the movies haha, and they just use the roads to herd them, so we were walking down the street and a herd of cows comes around this corner, so Elder Rivera and i moved to the other side of the street and kept walking and talking about something with all these cows walking by. Then out of nowhere this huge cow with giant horns stops and looks at my companion, and then preceeds to snort like a bull and charge toward Elder Rivera and i!!! We both just reacted and started running with this cow charging at us, and my comp ran one way, and i ran a different way, and of course the cow decided to follow me, so i was being chased by this crazy mad cow, and i jumped over a wall, and found myself cornered with this cow coming after me, but when i turned around to get impaled by this cow, it just stopped and turned around and went on its merry way. it was pretty flipppin crazy and i thought i was going to get trampled by this crazy cow, but in the end it was all good and i didnt die and niether did my comp, but we have a really awesome story to tell from now on haha.
Well that was my week, and a lot of things have happened and are going to happen but im thankful i can be here for all of it and to learn and to grow. Thanks for all your love, support and advice as i continue forward in my mission and in this great time in my life. I love you all tons, and i wish you all the best in the week that comes.
Con todo mi amor,
-Elder Henderson
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