A Busy CRAZY Week

Family, 
Sorry I am posting late. I did not want to put any of the missionaries that were traveling on Monday in danger so I opted to wait until they had traveled to and from the capital safe and sound. I just wanted be on the side of safety....just in case. You will understand as you read Hayden's letter. 
CA




Boy, Mom as far as that lady goes—that is terrible. That's way too bad. But I'm sure you are awesome for her Mom. 


And all you had to do was get me out of the house to get the house to that point right? Ha ha ha ha!


Oh and Taylor got a job at Papa´s?! that is sick!!! That's what I'm talkin about!!! 


Alright, I was planning on sending a picture of my NEW SUIT!!! Cuz I do have it now. I just got it this morning. But I haven't been able to take the picture yet cuz we have been super busy this morning and I don't really want to get up and take it in the middle of the mall— ha ha. But instead, here are some pictures of mine and Elder N´s (the finance elder) night last night! Ha ha! So I was in my room getting ready for bed and I looked up and right above my closet there was this scorpion!  So we went through this huge process of catching it and even after all of that effort it ended up dying in the end. We videoed the whole thing of course and then we went into the other room to watch the video and Elder N started freaking out because, on the wall right behind my head where I was sitting there was this HUGE spider! So we then videoed me getting that too! Ha ha! It was pretty crazy.

Alright, so I really don't have a ton of time, really little actually, but this week has been one of the craziest weeks of my entire mission!!! Things have been nuts in the office! We have had like a ton of missionaries that have had to come to the capital to work out some stuff with the area office their residency and stuff and we are in charge of working out everything with their travel to and from the capital and everything! It has been super stressful though, especially the last group that had to come. We had everything worked out perfect and everything with their travel. We got them to the area office just fine and then we had everything worked out for them for after and everything but apparently the area office just decided that they would do with them what they would and started moving missionaries from place to place where they thought they should go. So I was sitting in the office waiting for the call to tell me when they were done so that I could get their taxis called and organized and all of a sudden I start getting calls from random pay-phones from all over Guatemala from Elders telling me that some micro bus just came and picked them up and dropped them off somewhere where they had no idea where they were nor what they were doing. One even ended up in the Central Mission office!!! It was ridiculous! so I had to call our taxi guy and go to all these different places picking these elders up and taking them to their bus stations, buying their bus tickets and getting them on their way after I already had it all planned out! I was pretty annoyed! and now they just informed me yesterday just before I left the office that we have a whole new group that has to be here at 7:30 Monday morning so we had to spend a good portion of our p-day planning their trips and buying all their bus tickets and everything and I sure hope that it goes smoother than last time!!!!! and that is not even the half of what's happened this week! I also had to work out the travel of two Elder's because they went home early and one of them ended up missing his flight because he was dorking around and would not listen to me. So then I had to go to the airport and work all that out. Get his flights changed and call Peru and work out his travel on that end from the airport to his house and everything! and that is still just the beginning! Ha ha ha! Crazy week!

Alright, I gotta get going though. I love you all so much and I will send you a picture of my suit next week.

It is SOOOOOOOO sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Con amour,

Elder Welch

I am more than happy!

Hi, 

So sorry it took me longer to write this morning, I was watching the Avery videos! Ha ha! She is sooooo big! I did not just like them.... I loved them!!! I wish I could hear what she is saying! Ha ha! She is so darn cute! So how are things going? And no, it is totally fine about the sound, don't worry. 

So mom, I'm not going to lie, when I was reading your letter I got really happy when I saw all the gibberish and laughed pretty hard because I thought that it was Avery typing. But then when I got down and saw that it was you...typing with your eyes closed. I laughed even harder! Ha ha ha!

So, I am great! this is going to be a really good change! I love the people in the office this change! My companions name is Elder U. from El Salvador and then Elder B. is still here. I love that kid! His comps name is Elder N.. this is his third change in the mission and he is a really cool kid and then Elder T. of course and the new assistant is also named Elder N.! Ha ha! He is super cool.  Elder T has two more changes. I am so stoked cuz I get to be with him and Elder N (the AP ) for so long ....and the others too...they are all way cool too. But I just get along so well with those guys! Oh and I am sure that she is Elder T's mom. He has told me about his relatives in Heber. He is related to all the T families and all the W families and like a bunch of others too.

OH YEAH! and I don't know if you remember M. and J., the family that we are helping stay together and get married, but we put a baptismal date with them last night! I was super excited for that!!! The date is for the 7th of April because the husband can only get off work every other Sunday and he has to go to church three more times before then.

Uh-oh...idk if Taylor has been workin' out quite as much as me... getting fat in the office scares the crap out of me so I have been working out like crazy. One of the guys in the office last change gained.... no joke.....25 lbs.!!! I am sure that Sister Watt's great cooking is part of it... that... and sitting all the time.... and the fact that we eat out a ton because we are so busy and it is fast and that's what there is around the office. So— I have pretty much stopped eating like burgers and stuff. There is a place that makes like wraps and salads and stuff and I usually eat there and I try to be super careful about what I eat at home. Wow...I sound like a straight up health freak!!! Ha ha ha! But I promise, I'm not crazy.......Ha ha! I just don't want to get fat! So I've been trying to work out like crazy! We have decided to start going running in the mornings. Mainly Elder T., Elder N. and I. My comp came the first time and says that he wants to start going with us again. But it is kickin' our butts—we freakin' book it—and a lot of it is over some pretty good sized hills! But it is way nice.Taylor and I will have to get some good wrestling matches in when I get home so I can show him what's up!!!!

OH!!!! And I ordered my suit today!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Elder P. brought my hammocks to me from Dolores!!! I am super stoked about that! the guy said I should have my suit by next Saturday!!!! Woo-hoo!!! I will send a picture of the suit when I get it. The hammocks weren't exactly what I asked for nor what I thought they were going to be...they weren't the material that I was told they were going to be like the one that I saw there. And one of them, mine, didn't come out the colors I asked for. But but that's OK they´re hammocks. I can get one of the ones I want later if I decide to.

Wow...not gonna lie...I thought C. was going to snap to her senses....what a shame. Ha ha ha!

Valentine's Day was not too much different here than any other day...and no, no package yet, but we haven't been to get mail yet so it is probably there. We will get it next week

So, any family or Heber gossip? Ha ha! How are you guys doing? 

And Mom just so you know—I am more than happy!

Love you!!! Gotta go!

Elder Welch

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi Everyone,

Mom—Ha ha! Happy Valentine's day to you too!!!! I sure wish I was there to be able to make some pizzas with you! Ha ha ha! But I sure will try to study about Joseph. We really have super limited time here, especially with some of the projects I'm going to start trying to do, but promise I will do my best. No, we didn't have anything to do with the Worldwide Leadership Training...but that is way cool. Was it like a presentation on Guatemala? or what? How is the family doing? any funny stuff happen lately? I loved the pictures Abby sent! They were the best! Holy crap though! You were right about Taylor Mom...I hardly even recognized him! and Elder LP saw it and said that he looks just like me! Ha ha! Thanks Mom. You are the best mom I could ask for! 

Taylor and Abby—Thanks for the letters, wut up g-units?! How´s things?! I'm still in the process of reading your letter Abby. I just finished Taylor's, but it sounds like you guys are doing pretty well. I loved the pictures a ton. Thank you Abby! And I love hearing from both of you Abby and Taylor! And Abby don't ever think that I am bored of hearing from you!!! Ha ha! You are my baby sister! and your the best ever— no battle!!! I always love to hear from all of you.

Hey dad. Thanks. You really are the best. I miss you a ton, and I am so glad I have such an amazing dad. For real. I really have been thinking about it a lot lately and you really are one of my best friends and I wouldn't give that up for the world. Thank you for everything. I don't know where I would be without you. And I'm not going to lie...all that goofing around I did in your yearbook class sure is paying off here in the office! I have already altered and made new agenda cover protectors for the mission and I am going to start making new booklets, like covers and everything that we give out to all the missionaries that come into the mission and the ones that are leaving. I really love it. It reminds me of you a ton. Thank you for being so amazing dad and thank you for all you do for me.

So— I am doing great. I love the mission SO much!  The office is treating me alright. I sure do miss the jungle though—more than anything! But I know that I am supposed to be here and I know that good things are happening. And no, I am not homesick. I miss you guys a ton of course, if I didn't there would be problems, but that doesn't mean I'm homesick. I know I'm supposed to be here and I love it! So, about that, I have some news. Being in the office, we get the privilege of knowing our change a little earlier— So, here it goes—I am leaving the office and going back to Dolores!!!!! Ha ha! Just kidding! I am still in the office, but my companion has a change. It's pretty crazy though because usually the people that are in the office have two changes being trained and then their comp. heads out but I only have had one and now I have to do everything on my own! But it will be good. I'm getting to like it more. I have loved everywhere I have been so far in the mish and here is no different. I love the people, I love being around President and Sister Watts, and Elder T! And, idk...things are going well. We have a lot of investigators that we are teaching. They all have their challenges though, but we are helping them out a lot. The biggest problem we are finding is that the parents are not married and in a lot of cases, are married but not with the person they are living with. They have separated and have gotten together with someone else without getting divorced and getting divorced here is like cutting off your right arm basically! But we are doing well. We have actually been working with a family lately that the lady is a member but the guy is not and when we got there they were at the point of separating but we have helped them to the point that they are really talking and praying about staying together and getting married and the guy getting baptized. They are still having their problems of course, but they really are progressing so much. We have quite a few families with different situations, but we are seeing the same progress. I know this change we are going to see great things. Especially now that I am going to get to be working more directly with Elder B, the financial Elder that is staying in the office with me this change. He and I had a planning meeting this morning about what we can do to better the in area and it went super well. We are going to change a few things and put a few ideas that we have into practice so that we can get the members more involved so that we can use the little time that we do have in the area to work more efficiently. It is going to be super good!

Anyway, that is just a whole bunch of boring missionary stuff! ha ha I will send this and then send more pictures!!! I try to explain that it is the "boring" stuff that a mom loves to hear....he is getting better at sharing it. :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so here are the pictures of our office breakfast!!!!  

This is the picture of the table that I set! It still didn't have all the food on it yet, but you get the idea...

...and then there is one of me and my companion, Elder C.  I am holding a giant plate of bacon! OHHHHHHHH—that was so good!!! 

Then there is one of Sister Watts and I. She is the best!!!!!

This is one with all of us in the kitchen cooking.

The first one is Elder T. cooking the pancakes. He is in Peten right now the lucky sucker! Right next to Dolores!!!!!!!

The first two pictures here are from the dining room window in President and Sister Watts´ house. The two like blueish skyscrapers that you can see is EuroPlaza. that is where our office is.

Then there is a picture that we took with President after we were all done chatting and visiting before we headed out.

Alright, I gotta get going. I love you all so much and I always love to hear from you. Oh! and tell Grandma Murdock that yes, there is a bishops storehouse here so not to worry—all of her efforts are well worth it! Ha ha! I love you! I'll talk to you all next week!

Elder Welch

REAL Milk...twice in one Week!!! Woo Hoo!

Hey everybody!!!

So, first of all, today has been the best! Every last Saturday of the change Sister Watts has all of the Elders in the office over for breakfast. And that was today!!!!!! So we woke up this morning, Elder Thacker and I went out and played catch for like forty five minutes. OH YEAH!!! I never told you about my Christmas present for myself!!! In San Jeronimo I found two baseball mitts in a Paca for 25 quets each!!!!!! That is like three bucks each! So I bought them for myself for Christmas and then when I got here I found a sports store and I bought a ball so now that is what we do on p-days!!!! It is SOOOO amazing! Anyway, so we did that, then we worked out for like another forty five minutes then we all got ready and went over to President and Sister Watts´ house and we helped cook a HUGE breakfast!!!! It was incredible!!! I have pictures but for some reason the computer isn't reading my card so I can't send them. I will try next week. So after that, we just sat at their house and visited for like another hour or two! I played the piano for a while. (the couple of hymns that I have learned so far... and then we came here to use Internet and buy our food for the week. But that breakfast was amazing. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, fruit, real milk and everything!!! It was the best! And it was so fun to just visit them. They are incredible people. I love them so much.

OK, as for your questions before I forget, I would LOVE some more dried fruit! It is one of my favorite snacks and it is something healthy I can eat so I don't get fat here in the office!  And I am rationing my last bag of it right now. Also, talking about Valentines packages, sorry that I never wrote back about that. I totally spaced it and you probably have already sent it. But if you haven't, I just talked to this girl in the ward (Who is amazing!) and she is planning this whole big ward activity thing for like some personal progress thing or something and her topic is faith. So she is doing it around ¨Faith in Every Footstep¨ and she is doing this big old thing about pioneers. They´re going to make like a handcart to pull and everything. But she asked me if I had pioneer ancestors and I told her about Wee Granny and stuff and that you had a bunch of information. So, she said that if you haven't sent that package yet, if you could like make some copies of stories or something out of like the Murdock book or something and send them. She said that it is going to be in like mid March. So idk if you could or not. If not I can just share the story that was told in Conference two conferences ago.

Alright, on to the spiritual stories. So, last Saturday, we were here in the mall and we were going to the food court to get something to eat and this guy came up and told us he was meeting a friend for lunch and more than a year ago he had promised this friend a Book of Mormon, but  never got it to him. So I guess like just  two days before or something the friend said to him, "Hey, remember that book you promised me? You never got it to me." and so they set up this date to grab some lunch. Well while at lunch they ran into us —so we gave him a book of Mormon and then we saw them a little later in the food court and we went up and talked to them and we got the guys address  and everything so we could give the missionaries from that mission the reference —cuz he lives in like the Central mission. But we were pretty bummed because usually those references don't end up making it to where they need to get to and they get lost. So we were walking on our way back here to use Internet and this kid that was in a store kinda gave me a funny look like he knew me or something but I didn't know him so I kept walking. Then he like came out of the other door of the store in front of us and said ¨Elder! Elder!" So I went up and talked to him and asked where he was from. Come to find out he was from the ward where that guy that we had met like five minutes earlier lives! And he was good friends with the Elders there so we gave him the reference and he said he was going to give it to them and maybe even go to visit the guy with them!!!! It was so awesome how it all worked out all within like twenty minutes! It probably doesn't sound too amazing, but it definitely was not a coincidence! 

Alright, I have time for one more story. Not really a story but about an investigator. Her name is C. She is a reference from an amazing member named V. who was baptized only like a year and a half, two years ago but she seems like she´s been a member her whole life! Anyway, so she brought her to the activity night that we have every week in the church and that night Elder B. and I taught the lesson and were over the activity so I got to know her there. She absolutely loved the activity. She came to like three before we ever got to go visit her at her house because she was never home, but she loved it! For one of the activities we watched the restoration video and she loved it! But just last week we finally got in to visit her and while we were teaching, every time we would have her read from the Book of Mormon, she would almost start crying because she loved it so much and she just kept saying I just want to keep reading! She kept on talking about this feeling that she had every time she went to the activity night and and she felt it about everything that we would teach her and at the end of the lesson we had her read Moroni 10:3 and 4 

 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

When she read about how the Holy Ghost will give us testimony about the things that are true, it was like a light clicked in her mind and she looked up at us with tears in her eyes, put her hand over her chest and just said. ¨That is what I have been feeling. The Holy Ghost. I know it.¨ It was pretty sweet!!! She is so awesome! And then after, she gave us big old glasses of real milk with these STEAK sandwiches that she had made special for us!!! Ha ha! She is amazing!!!! I love that lady.

Alright, well I better get going. I hope I haven´t bored you to death, but either way I love you all! Ha ha! I hope everything keeps going well for everybody. Tell everyone hello for me. Oh and idk if I want the trip as a secret or not mom—you decide whether it would be better as a secret or better if I knew...but if your going to tell me. Not yet...wait a while at least —ha ha ha. Alright. I love you so much! You are all always in my prayers!

K— gotta go! I LOVE YOU!!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST MOM IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!  MMMMMMMUUUUUUUUAAAAAHHHH!!!!!! (that`s a big old kiss) in case you didn't know....ha ha!

Oh and tell Abby that if that was a picture that she sent from her ipod, I did not get it.

And send pictures next week please!  I wanna see how everyone is doing! Love you!

 

Con amor,

Elder Welch