Photographs from the mission home....

We still do not have news on WHERE Hayden is..... But we did get some new photographs from his welcome lunch at the mission home. Look at the slideshow below to see his happy little face!  I included some photos of M. D.  just for fun (M.  is one of Hayden's friends from home)—From what I can tell he is at a different lunch than Hayden.  I am sure that if Hayden had the chance to cross paths with M. he would have been  delighted to see him and it would be an exciting reunion. Hayden and M. emailed a bit before he left for the mission field and M. having a few months under his belt—helped him to know of a few things he should bring, what to expect and informed him that he would be waiting for him to arrive. Twenty new missionaries and trainers were at the luncheon. What a fun day!

Carol Anne

P.S. Excuse the spelling errors in the captions -such as "there" instead "their"and"edler" instead of "elder" :)

I was in a hurry and now I do not know how to edit it! Oops! Oh well it is all about the photos—right!?!

HAYDEN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!!!

TODAY IS THE DAY THAT HAYDEN LEFT THE CCM!!!

For those of you checking for Hayden's email today—You will have to wait awhile!  I do not know if he will be able to email today or not.Today is the day that he is headed out of the CCM and into the big wide world of Guatemala!!!! No more big fences, locked gates and armed guards for protection. Now is the time to put on the armor of God and get to work!!! As soon as I get the word where he has been assigned and who his new companion is I will let you know!

The following is an email that I received form another Guatemala North Missionary Mom. Her son has been out over a year now. It is kind of interesting and gives us a glimpse of what Hade maybe going through today. I believe there are five Elders and one Sister leaving the CCM for Guatemala North today.


Carol Anne,

D. spent his entire MTC experience in Provo and didn't go to the CCM (because it was overloaded with Latino missionaries) so I don't know if they will be able to email today or not.  I don't think D. did, but he had just called us from the airport on his way to Guatemala, so his experience was a little different.

Sister Torres will also (probably) post pictures soon of the new missionaries coming into the mission.  That's so fun!!  When D. went she posted them the same night at about 10:30 and it was such a blessing because then I actually saw a picture of him in Guatemala.  However, most of the moms have had  to wait a week or more until they are posted.  So just keep checking her blog!!

D. will also be getting a new companion.  He didn't say anything about training.  He has been training a new missionary (Elder J.).  He was with Elder J. for 2 changes and now Elder J. is leaving with D. staying. So I don't know if he will still be a trainer for this change.  He has been in San Jeronimo since the end of September. 

If your son gets Elders F. and H., he will be so lucky!!  Elder F. is Tongan and has the Tongan personality!  They are great elders.  I didn't realize they were MTC companions!  Now they get to finish their missions together as trainers! That is so cool.  If Elder Welch does go there, my D. will be his District leader  :)

I can't wait to hear!  The change conference is at 8:00 in the morning, so they will be up and on their way from the CCM early!

If he trains in the city, he will be out doing missionary work tonight.  If he goes to Salama with Hess and Fusi, he will travel about 5 hours to Coban, then another 2 back to Salama.  If he goes to Peten, he will be on a bus for about 9 hours!  In this mission, missionaries NEVER travel alone.  He will always have someone with him, even when he is a seasoned missionary.  There's a lot of "shifting" in the past couple of days with missionaries going to the city to get new missionaries, missionaries going to the change conference to find out where they are going, etc, then they will get on the bus or whatever transportation they have and head out.  

It's fun to think today:  will he take a taxi to an area in the city and getting right to work or spend the day on the bus seeing the country!

B.

Another fun note is that Elder M. D. got released from being a Zone leader this change and is headed to the Capital (maybe  to be a trainer). That would be weird if Hayden ended up with Elder D!!! or on the rare occasion a few Elders have gone straight to the mountains and Kechi country......Just having a little fun speculating. 

This I KNOW he will go where he is supposed to go and he will be willing to do it in typical Hayden style—STOKED!!!

We will just wait and see......I will let you know as soon as I know! 

Carol Anne

I just can’t wait to actually get out into the field!

Hey everybody!

I seriously cannot believe how fast these past couple weeks have gone by! I have less than a week here at the CCM! There are a few people even starting to pack! I am so stoked! So first I wanna tell you a story that Michelle's story reminded me of. (Note from Carol Anne: Hayden’s Aunt Michelle is a ward missionary and shared a story with him of her experiences.)  

This Monday we got the chance to go out and proselyte —so me and my Latino companion Elder  C. were walking down the street and this first area we were in was awfull!!! The people were way mean! But we were walking down the street and there was this old lady walking the opposite way so we walked up and Elder C. was just like "buenos dias" and this old lady FREAKED! She just started screaming about how she is on her way and that is NOT the way you try to start a conversation with someone and she can't believe how awful we are and how rude we are and all this stuff— like screaming at the top of her lungs! We were just like "esta bien, gracias hermana. Buenos dias" and we just like hauled cheeks outta there! Ha ha ha! But then we went to a different area and we found quite a few people that were really interested and were really good references— I think. So everything is going well! I will try and get a letter written for E. this week and send it. I think that will mean more. I will send it next week. So Edgar keeps asking Lexi about the Book of Mormon? That’s so sweet! I’ll get it as soon as I can! 

(Note from Carol Anne: E. is a man that Hayden worked with at the restaurant before he left on his mission. He taught E. English for quite some time and Edgar taught Hayden some Spanish. It really helped Hayden and I think it has helped Hayden have more success with the language. Edgar was very interested in Hayden’s mission and this sparked his interest in the gospel. Hayden gave him some church videos before he left. Lexi worked with Hayden at the restaurant with E. and is still in contact with him and Edgar keeps asking Lexi for a Book of Mormon.)

So tell me everything that’s going on. I feel kinda left out and that a lot has been going on that I don’t know about! idk why but if so...let me know! (Note from Carol Anne: I have not been completely forthright on how bad Bruce was and that he was still struggling after surgery and such…..Guess he is pretty perceptive…..) I love you all so much and I miss you a ton always! I am really having an awesome time though. I just can’t wait to actually get out into the field! It can’t come fast enough but at the same time I can’t believe how fast it has gone!  I only have 11/12ths of the mish left!!! —Ha ha ha ha—Alright well I better go. I love you all sooooo much and thank you so much for all of your support! You guys are the best and I always think about you guys!

con amor,

Elder Welch

A letter to Grandma and Grandpa Murdock March 2nd 2011

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Thanks so much for the letter! It was the first actual written letter I received and it was the best! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. They do not give us a whole lot of time to write and it takes forever with the mailing system here for the letters to get places. So I do not know when you will be getting this. My mom said that she has sent me like three letters but it has been four weeks and they still haven't gotten here so— either I will be in the field by the time you get this or it might not even get to you! So I sure hope it does!

Everything is really great here at the CCM! I really love it a lot. Guatemala is absolutely beautiful! I wish I would have been able to see that show you were talking about. It is amazing here. The other day, well I guess it was a week ago today. We got to go out to the central market of Guatemala City and it was so incredible! You would have really loved it. It is just so huge and filled with all these booths of people selling all these handmade things and then there is like this underground part that is just filled with all kinds of fruits and vegetables and all kinds of food from all over Guatemala. It was so interesting! And then after that we went to the central mall of Guatemala City and it was just like I was back in the US. The mall was huge and it had like all the same stores as malls in the US. My companion and I got Subway and a Cinnabun which was so weird after eating Guatemalan food for three weeks! The food here is real good though for the most part.

The people here are really nice. We change out missionaries every three weeks so every three weeks a new group of Latino missionaries come in. I made a lot of really good friends from the last group of Latinos. I think it was just because it was our first, but I had a lot more friends out of that group. Also the other people are really nice too! Our second week here we got to go and kind of proselyte at the central plaza and it was amazing how receptive all of the people were. Even if they were on their way somewhere they would stop and come to talk to me and my Latino companion. I do not know if my mom has told you but here in the CCM we have both a North American companion and a Latino companion. My old Latino companion was Elder G. He was from here in Guatemala he was a really good guy and we got a few people who were really interested and we referred them to the missionaries in the area so I was really excited about that!

So anyway, I am super bummed that I am missing all the hubbub with Granny Mae's party! It sounds like it is going to be quite the shin-dig! Any party that calls for four gallons of ham sauce has really got to be something! Sorry I did not get you a talk written Grandpa....I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted it anyway though because I bet not many people would understand my Spanish and it would probably be hard for me to write one in English. I'm getting to the point that my English is slipping because I'm learning a ton of Spanish but my Spanish is still real bad —so now I'm just kind of having a hard time speaking in general! Alright, well I miss you both so much I wish I could just come over for Sunday dinner sometimes, but that will have to wait. I know I'm supposed to be here and I'm loving it and learning so much! Keep writing! I love hearing from you and hearing all that is going on. Tell everyone that I say hi and I love you all so much. Thank you so much for everything. You have taught me so much that has helped me so much —even this far. Thank you and I love you.

Love,

Elder Welch

5th Week in the CCM—I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hey everybody!

Sorry I really do not have to much time! I got an email from Jordan  (Note from Carol Anne: J. Duke—his best friend who is serving a mission in Lima Peru.)  quite a few others but...I LOVE YOU ALL!!! You are the best and I miss you a ton! I am doing really well. This whole AP thing definitely is keeping me busy though! It is crazy!  The whole CCM is going through a lot of changes and President is gone this week so Elder Sorensen and I are kinda on our own! Ha ha ha! So— Mom Elder Martino has talked to us twice! Yesterday and two weeks ago. He is awesome!!! I really like him and every time he talks I understand every word!


(Note from Carol Anne: Elder James B. Martino is a General Authority who is touring Hayden's mission. He is the 2nd counselor in the area presidency. Elder Martino has been speaking and teaching in the missions of Guatemala.  I asked Hayden if he had been able to hear Elder Martino speak yet. Hayden really likes Elder Martino! Elder Martino was sustained a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on April 4, 2009, at age 57. He has served as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area. He is currently serving as 2nd counselor in the Central America Area. Another cool note about Elder Martino is that he was born in Denton Texas—a place  where Bryan served on his mission. Elder Martino is a huge influence in the Guatemala mission efforts. He served his own mission in this area when he was young. I am sure that we will hear more from Hayden about Elder Martino in the future.) 

I am so amazed that my letters got there so fast! I wish yours would get here that fast! Ha ha ha! Still haven't got even one! I did get one Dear Elder letter from Mom, Abby and Taylor though. I got them last Wednesday! I loved them! Thanks a ton!


(Note from Carol Anne: I have sent five Dear Elders all together and 4 before this letter that I sent with Abby and Taylor—wish he would get them all —urgh!) 

Well I miss you all so much! I really am doing great! Two more weeks until I leave the CCM and am out in field!!!! I can't wait! Well I love you a whole ton. They are kickin" me off so I got to go.

Love you so so so much!

Elder Welch

Holy Cow!

(Note from Carol Anne: I just got this letter in the mail from Hayden today. Some of the information is "old news" and it is a duplicate of his previous emails—however there are a few added details so I put it in again.)

2/9/11

Hey Everybody,

All I have to say is HOLY COW! What the heck?! I leave and it is like the flood gates open for crazy stuff! I realize your happy cuz I am gone —but —Geez! Ya do not need to party so much that you wreck the van! But for real that is kind of scary. I am glad that the thing with dad might turn out better in the long run....but still that is nuts. Please keep me posted though on how everything works out. If I got home and found out something like this had happened and you did not tell me about it.....I would be so mad!!! So good call mom! Ha Ha! I am glad to know you and Abby are alright! How about the van? Is it done for? or just getting fixed or what?
So Abby I heard your play went well.

2/16/11

Hey sorry, I got interrupted last week. I can not remember why but it must have been pretty important. —Ha Ha —Just Kidding! But I really have been busy lately. I have been having a lot of fun though as well. I have made a lot of friends with the Latinos! I am actually sitting here with them right now. They are so hilarious! They all love teaching us Spanish but they all give Elder Sorenson a hard time because he never speaks it. I am really trying to get him to but he never will. For me the Spanish is coming really well! Last Sunday I was able to understand the whole meeting and yesterday one of the members of the area seventy Elder Martino came and usually I use the translator headphone that they give us, I decided not to use them and I understood the whole thing! I was even answering questions and everything! It was like the meeting that I have gotten the most out of since I have been here so far! I took almost two pages of notes. The notes were really funny though. I was trying to write them in English at first, but I was just trying to write as fast as I could so I was not really thinking and they ended up being half in Spanish and half in English! It was hilarious.

Oh yeah, but I did not get to tell you everything about the Central Park today in my email. So it was yesterday and it was the best ever! The drive there was way cool! We all crammed onto a bus and it was way full! Like all of the seats were full and there were people standing and crammed in as tight as they could. It was the BEST!—Ha Ha—But when we got there it was so cool. Like I said in my email— the first few people we approached Elder Godoy pretty much talked to but after that I talked more than I thought I was going to. We got four appointments for investigators to meet with the missionaries in our area not including the one I gave the Book of Mormon to. I learned more in those couple of hours than I did any other day. One day out there is like four or five in here just because they were real investigators and because English did not exist. It was really a relief because I could just speak all the Spanish I could cuz when I speak it with my companion Elder Sorenson he doesn't really understand and Elder Godoy does not really speak any English so it was nice to go out with him and be challenged to speak all Spanish.

2/18/11

Hey! Sorry! Got cut off again! So I finally got sick! I slept for like 14 hours yesterday! But I am feeling better now. I did not just get sick because I am a gringo either because there were a bunch of Latinos that got sick too. Yesterday there were like ten or fifteen of us stuck in bed. It was nuts! But things are still going really well! The Spanish is still going really well. All of the Latinos are leaving to the field on Monday so all of my new friends are going to be out of here so that is going to stink. I am going to keep in touch with a lot of them though, and more will be getting here on Thursday and the new North Americans get here on Wednesday so that will be fun too!

I'm really doing well though. We get to go to the temple grounds tomorrow to contact people outside of the temple grounds. On Tuesday we are going to the market place—I am way excited for that! It is just going to be our district because that is after everyone leaves  and the new ones come in. So, we won't have Latino companions to help us. It is going to be way tough but really good!

So, I don't know how long this will take to get to you—tell me when you email when you get it so I know how long it takes. I am sending it off tomorrow Saturday Feb. 19th. I still have not got a Dear Elder. I thought you said you sent one-but maybe not. I got one from Lexi but all it said was let her know when I got it so she knew how long it took. I got it last Wednesday though, after I emailed.

Alright, well I better get going so I can get this sent off finally. Make sure to let me know what is goin' on back in little ol' Heber City. Make sure to let me know how dad is doing! I'm guessing since I did not get a report about him this week he is doing alright.....How are Whitney, Bryan and Avery doing? I heard Jerry quit the Jazz!!!! What the heck?! If that aint a sign of the times I do not know what is! And I heard there were like three earthquakes in Saratogo Springs. That's nuts! Alright well, just let me know how everything is going. I love you all so much and miss you a ton. Tell everyone I say hi and that I am doing well. (If anyone is wondering.) Ha ha! Thanks for all your support EVERYBODY! Taylor and Abby included! You two be good and don't get into to much trouble.  And everyone take care of yourselves! I am hoping this week has been a little less crazy! Alright, well I better go for real this time. Love you all!

Love,

Elder Welch