A Change back to Zone Atlantico

Alright, 

So idk if you are still there, and I am still reading your letter and going through the pictures....so I will just tell you really quick about my change. Well....Abby was right...she wins the prize......NOT! Ha ha ha ha! Mom and Whittney basically both win the prize. Ha ha! I AM in zone eighteen but in like a small kinda town area a ways out of the city. I am with Elder L. from Arizona. He goes home next change. Our area is Llano Largo 2 and the zone is Atlantico. I am back in my second zone! And it is SO wierd! Exactly one year ago I got moved to this same exact zone. And again this time I basically spent my first two days here in Fiscal again! Ha ha! We were trying to work out some problems with the house there because they just moved sister missionaries there and since I was there the Elders have TOTALLY destroyed the house! So we were there like my first two days here. This week has been super crazy! We have had a ton to do! Oh yeah and we are in a trio too. Ha ha! I forgot about that. We are also with an Elder named Elder G. He is from Peru. Jordan's mission too!!! How nuts?! But he doesn't know him I don't think. But it has been pretty crazy. We are hopefully going to have a baptism this Sunday though... before church. Oh and J. asked if I could go back and baptize him so they gave me permission and I got to go back for the wedding and for the baptism! It was the best! The wedding was awesome I'll send pictures. And yeah.... we are the zone leaders here. It's pretty crazy. It's nice though. I really like my companion. I am still trying to get to know the area still cuz I haven't had too much time in the area lately, but we're getting there. It is a really nice area. It is not even CLOSE to as dangerous as the last area. The area is doing really well. We just need to keep it going and improve some little things that Elder Lopez has in mind but the zone on the other hand is struggling a little. It's a pretty big zone and we've got some challenges....But it will be good.... I think. We are going to learn a lot this change! It is nice here and I am 99.9% sure that I am going to finish here. And that my next companion is going to be the one I have for the longest time. It is going to be pretty nuts. But I better get going. I love you so much and I loved the pictures! When I get my memory card back tomorrow I'm going to save them on there and then next week I can send you the pictures from J's baptism too! Love you so much!

Elder Welch

Elder Welch AKA The Wedding Planner

Alright, so, first of all. I've got some news. I didn't even mention changes this change which are coming up this Wednesday, like the day after tomorrow, because I was like 99% sure that I was NOT going to have a change. We thought for sure that my companion was going to get a change and go train somewhere or something because he already has six months in this area and he only has two changes left and the training program is for two changes. But that is most definitely NOT how things turned out. They just told us last night that my companion is staying and I HAVE A CHANGE!!!! I am freakin out! Ha ha! I definitely did not see that one coming and I was definitely not prepared for it. I really love this area and our investigators and we were seeing so many incredible blessings! But apparently the Lord needs me somewhere else... Ha ha!. I have no idea what the heck is gonna happen!

But anyway, other than that, I am not gonna lie, this has been one of if not the hardest weeks of my mission! Not exactly bad. But hard. So for this past Friday we had planned M. and D's wedding and we had everything ready and then on like Monday we call the lawyer that was going to marry them to make sure that everything was going to be OK, (after we had made sure like two or three times within the past three weeks) and she says "what? Friday?!?! No. I can't do it Friday!" So, we had to go and tell them that we had to change all the plans and everything from Friday to Saturday and we went to the person's house that was making the invitations and luckily they weren't printed yet so we were able to save that. We changed them and printed them off. And then we only had the help of just a few members to set up for the wedding. So we helped them decorate the church and make all the center pieces and everything and we basically had to organize it all. But that is just the beginning of it. So, Tuesday morning I was on divisions with another elder from the zone and we stopped by to visit them but they were super busy with a bunch of stuff so they asked us if we could help real fast so we did. We helped them out a ton and it went really well and they were super happy. If M stays faithful, he is going to be an incredible leader in the church. He amazes me. And we just found out the other day that he is my age!!! Not even! He is younger than me by like two months or so! But anyway, the wedding was amazing! I have pictures but they are on Elder V's memory card. They are obviously doing so much better and they were SO happy! It was so amazing to see. And the baptism is now scheduled for the 11th of August. And this Saturday, J. and T. are getting married and J. is getting baptized and after that we have another baptism scheduled! It has been so amazing! And yesterday we went to visit H. and A. and our bishop and the ex-bishop of the ward came with us and that lesson was super incredible! It was exactly what they both needed. So let's hope that here soon she is going to have her baptism scheduled too! I am super sad to leave this area. Besides Dolores, this has been my favorite. I truly love this place. But I guess I'll just see what else He has waiting for me.

Sorry for such a long email! Ha ha ha ha! but I had to share that story. I had to tell somebody about it! But anyway, Yesterday we ate lunch at A's house and she says to tell everyone in the family hi! She made us some homemade icecream but it wasn't like the kind that we make. It was SUPER good though! Also I forgot to tell you last week that I got two cards from you Mom. Thank you so much. They made my day. OK, but I better get going. I still have to write President and see if I still have time to write E. real fast to tell him I'm leaving. But I love you all SOOOOO much! You have no idea! I will talk to you next week and let you know where in the world is Carmen Sandiego. OH! I mean Elder Welch.

Con amor,

Elder Welch

Oh yeah, ill try and send the pictures of the wedding and I got a new memory card today so I can start taking pictures again! I will take them of all of the people I say bye to and show you who they are!

Elder Welch and Elder V.

On the bus with Elder V.

Elder V. making the cake for the wedding .....with a little extra help!

Cake making 101

Decorating the gym for the wedding.

This ladder seams a bit "sketchy" ...as Hayden would say.

Hayden knew better than to send a photo to his mom of him on the top of the  "Oh-so sturdy" ladder.
So this is one of Elder V.

All ready for the wedding. 

Hayden....one of the witnesses.

Finally Caught Up!

OK —So I FINALLY got caught up with all of the letters that I have not been able to get to for a very long time. Sorry it has taken so long. It has been a very busy summer. I hope that you enjoy.

CA

I am doing well...super tired.... but I am doing well...

Hey!

Thanks for the letter! Ha ha! I'm not gonna lie, the colonoscopy act had me rolling! Ha ha ha ha! I think that is right up there in the top ten things I regret not being there to hear! Ha ha! I can just imagine Grandpa retelling that story. Sounds epic. But it is so good to hear from you! Haha that is way cool! 

I am doing well. Super tired. But doing well. Super tired cuz we have been running like crazy trying to organize two weddings at a time and the other day I helped demolish half of a cinderblock and cement house with just a sledge hammer that weighs more than I do and today we played some serious soccer. And I got a serious low blow! Holy cow! I almost threw up!!!! Ha ha ha!  And I just feel like I am just running like crazy trying to improve things and they just don't improve sometimes! Ha ha ha!  But I am doing well. 

Hows everything back home? It sounds like your trip was super fun. And it sounds like this is going to be the busiest summer ever for you guys! and it's still going! So what are they doing for the weeklong? I sure am going to miss those. That is so crazy that Josh reminds you so much of me. Cuz I don't think he did before did he? I can't even imagine how big everyone is now and how much they have grown! Especially Avery and Grant! I don't even know Grant yet and he's going to be walking before I get home?!?! that is so nuts! That stinks that Dad and Tay are going to miss half of fairdays though. That was kind of some bad planning it sounds like ...haha. But at least they'll be there for the good stuff. Where are they going on their weeklong? Tell Tay he better get practiced up on golf so I don't kick his butt too bad when I get home and snowboarding too. Oh and I didn't get the package sent off last week cuz I didn't get the letters written that I want to put in but I will try super hard to get them done this week to be able to send it off.

Oh and how is Bryan doing?

Alright, well,  My times just about up so I better get going. I love you so much! 

Oh and bad news, A. isn't going to get baptized this week. She's come up with a bunch of doubts and she's stopped reading to find them out and she didn't go to church this Sunday. But we are going to keep trying! I hope everything works out! 

Love you so much! More than the world! Oh and I just heard from E. He wrote me and is doing super well!

Con amor,

Elder Welch

So Amazing.....

Hey! 


Whats up? Hows things? What other emails?


No, I haven't gotten it fixed yet but I haven't even really had time to try. I just tried to put it in the computer right now and it didn't work so idk. I will try next week 


So, just to fill you in on how things are going with the work since you always ask and I never end up having time to write about it, we are seeing a ton of blessings. We have four baptisms planned as of right now and they are so amazing. Not this Friday but the next, we have a wedding planned for a couple named M. and D. They are so amazing. They are a younger couple. D. is a member and her dad is in the high council, but she was quite a rebelious child apparently Ha ha! But her husband M. isn't a member. We started teaching them maybe like a month and a half ago and they have changed SO much! Yesterday they came to church all dressed up super nice with all of thier books that we gave them and they participated and M. has his scriptures that we gave him all marked up already and the ones we gave him didn't have tabs on them so he has made his own tabs and stuff for them to be able to find scriptures better and stuff and they are super excited! They are getting married and he is getting baptized all on the 27th. It is going to be super awesome. And then the next day, Saturday, we have another baptism planned for A. She is H's wife, the one that I told you about last week. He is a member, but she isn't. They are already married so we're not going to have a wedding for them but I sure hope that everything works out well. She still has a lot of inflluence from her other church. Then the next Saturday, the fourth, we have another wedding planned. The couple's names are T. and J. T. is also a member since she was young, but J. isn't. But they are going to get married and he is going to get baptized and they are super happy too, but we have SO much to do still to prepare for that wedding! It is nuts! We're going to keep busy these next couple weeks for sure! And we have another baptism planned for sometime in August but we dont know what the exact date is yet though because she wants it to be a surprise for us! hahaha but supposedly it is a special date for her and she is SUPER excited. She hasn't wanted to decide on a date for the longest time! And we have been trying to help her SO much! I think that's why she wants it to be a surprise for us. I just hope she doesn't leave it till last second so we have to plan the baptism super fast. But even still it will be totally worth it. And we have others that we still have to work with too that are progressing but still don't have set dates and we still have to be looking for new investigators! We have been running like crazy! and its just going to get busier! 


Oh....I did get your other emails, I am reading them right now! You lucky suckers! Just chillin in California! That was a last minute trip wasn't it? and yes I did get the other package this week. Thank you so much! It was the best! Yeah I got the medicine and the food and the t-shirt! that was sick! We have to go back there! deal? It looked like the package had been opened but it didn't look like they messed with anything or took anything out, but I don't know to tell ya the truth.


As for the zone, we are doing alright, there's been a couple speed bumps, but we're doing alright.I really like my area. It is super nice. The members are awesome and we are doing good things here I feel. We are seeing progress. It is still kinda tough to get everything organized and get everyone to cooperate and work together, but we're getting there. Me and my comp are doing really well. We really get along. I really feel like we can be doing better though. we have had some talks lately and we are going to put some goals so we can improve. But we are really doing well I think. But I think that he is going to be outta here this change. He only has two more changes left and when that is the case President usually takes them out and puts them training. So I think these might be my last two weeks with him, but we'll see how things work out. I do think I am going to stay here though. It is going to be the area I have for the longest time.


I talked to E's mom yesterday, she said she hadn't even been able to check her email yet anyway. Ha ha! Apparently she's been super busy too. But she would love to hear from you. Or at least if you could send me the rest of the pictures of him so that I can get them to her or something...I need to email him and let him know at least about the baptisms. He'll be super stoked. I miss that kid so much! And did he talk about all of those guys? Ha ha! That is so funny! He is such a stud! 


I am totally back to normal health wise now. Oh and we went to the central market today! It was awesome! And I got what I have been waiting for to send you your package! So I will be sending it off soon!!! Gotta go though. Love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!

Con amor,

Elder Welch

I don't think I have ever felt the Spirit so strong in one room.

Hi,


So I am feeling just fine. I woke up the next day and I was alright. Who knows what it was. How the heck are you guys?! I just finished reading about the Hobbit!!!!!!!!!!! I had no idea that it was coming out! I am so excited. And I just saw a billboard today for the new Batman too!!! Holy cow! I am missing so much stuff! Ha ha! but it's OK. How are things going?


Yeah, we had concilio and it was great! I love concilio! It is so good to see everybody and everything. And the meetings are so incredible! I'm not gonna lie, I don't think I have ever felt the spirit so strong in one room. It is just President, the Assistents and 18 Zone Leaders. It is incredible. and also today my companion and I got to go to the CCM again so that my companion could see his brother this time who is also leaving today for the mission in Nicaragua. They are going to be three that are in the mission. So we went to see him and stuff and then after, I ate the BEST meal that I have eaten in 18 months! We took advantage of the trip and went to a place called "the Estancia". It is a super nice STEAKHOUSE! Me and Elder V. both ordered the same thing. We got a 12 oz. bacon-wrapped filet miñon with a baked potato and beans, garlic bread and a giant lemonade! It was SOOOOOOO incredible! Ha ha ha ha ha! One of the best p-days ever! And I couldn't even take pictures cuz I think my memory card has a virus. After I got done with internet last week I put it back in my camera and now it doesnt even register that there is a memory card. But I'm going to try and get it cleaned today so we'll see whats up


So, to report on A., she is really doing well in the sense that she is really getting to gain a testimony. She just does not want to leave her other life. H. just told us yesterday that she goes to that other church EVERYDAY! so it's not just like a little thing that she has to leave. And the ladies from the other church pass by her house everyday to take her to church. But the other day we were there and we watched the Testiments with her and she LOVED it! One of her doubts was if Jesus had really come to the Americas and when the movie got over we asked her how she liked it and she said, well....it convinced me. It was super funny. But then when we were just about to finish, they run like a little store out of their house and so during the lessons H. always gets up to answer when people knock and this time someone knocked so he went to see and we kept talking to her and H. came back and said that it was one of the ladies from the other church to take her to church and A. asked him what he had told her and he said that he told her that she was going to go and A. said "why did you tell her that?" she didn't want to go, but because he had told her that she was going to go she hurried and got ready and went cuz she felt bad. And she didn't come to church yesterday either cuz she said that she had stuff to do around the house and she would go next week. It was kinda frustrating, but idk...she is going to get baptized. It just might take some time. And today we have an appointment with another couple that, last time we taught them they said they were going to talk and pray about what date their wedding and baptism is going to be and they are going to tell us today! I am super excited! I hope everything works out with them too!!! Their names are J. and T. They are super nice. They invited us over for lunch last week and made like carne asada and everything for us and it was super nice. And J. goes to the church to play soccer with all of the priesthood every thursday and he loves it and they are going to church every Sunday too. They just couldn't go yesterday because J. had to go visit his mom supposedly. But they are going and are super awesome! and we have another couple, I think I told you about them. M. and D. that their wedding and baptism is going to be on the 27th of this month and they are super excited! They are reading the Book of Mormon and studying the lessons together everyday before we get there and M. always has a ton of verses from the reading that he has underlined and he always shares what he has learned with us from what he has read and he basically teaches the lesson himself! It is super awesome! I love them so much!


Ha ha! No Mom......I am not homesick! Ha ha! I am doing great! I love it here. Of course I talk about home with you. You are my mom, and the rest of my family. If I didn't want to be with you there would be a problem. But that doesn't mean that I want to go home right now! I don't want to leave Guatemala .....are you kidding me?! I love it here and I love these people. Don't worry, I'm not homesick. I just love you. And don't worry abbot the card...if it is dead I can just buy a new one, I am just going to be SUPER sad because that card had all my pictures on it since Dolores! I will cry, not even kidding!


I gotta go. Oh and tell Taylor that I am TOTALLY jacking that element hat from him when I get home!!!!!!!!! Thathat is SO sick!!!!


Gotta go, love you! Bye

Con amor,

Elder Welch

Painting, Packages and Parasites!?!

Hey whats up? I am doing great ... What about you guys? I love you too Mom! I'm doing good! Oh yeah! Mom did you try to send the other pictures to E''s mom? I gave her the ones that you sent but I told her that you were gonna send her the others but she told me yesterday that she still hadn't recieved an email.

Here are some photos of me opening my "Easter" package! Ha ha ha! 

That music box thing is SO sick! and Mom, I think you are a fortune teller. My frisby broke last week when we went to the park. I didn't even go one week without one! Ha ha ha!

Reading a letter from his brother Taylor.

So, I guess I'll give a little report on this week.This was a really good week! Im writing a little about it but just about one family so I will give a quick review. We have two families that one of the spouses is getting baptized. Both of the other spouses of each family is already baptized. And one of the families is getting married that same day!!! It is super awesome! I love these families a ton! And we have another family that is in the same situation that the husband already said he is going to get baptized we just don't have a date with him yet because he and his wife are going to talk and pray about it and decide but we hope that it is going to be within this month also! So on Tuesday morning we went to E's house to do a service project for his mom. We painted for her. It took forever! But it was fun. And we have to go back one of these days to finish cuz there is still another part that we have to paint. But that lady is so awesome! She fed us lunch that was super good and she taught me how to make this gravy that is like good old American gravy with this soup mix that they have here! It was good! and then that night our Elders Quorum President came out with us to do some visits. He and his wife are like our best friends in the ward. It used to be them and E., but now E. is gone. I miss that kid!!! Ha ha! But anyway, we went and had a lesson with this family that we have been teaching for a while. The husband got baptized like a year ago when Elder Williams was here. His name is H. And his wife A. goes to an Evangelical Church and they have two kids, G. is seven and P. is six. But they are super awesome and when I first got here H. was inactive, but one day he just showed up to church and we got to know him and started visiting him and now he is active and bringing a friend to church that we are going to start teaching and we are teaching H. wife too!  But anyway, so we got there with B. (our E.Q. pres) and we taught A. B. is SUCH a good teacher! He amazes me! I have learned so much from him about teaching and how to work with people! But anyway, we taught her a ton of stuff and she really loved it and before that, she was interested to hear what we said, but she didn't really want to accept it or anything. So that lesson went super well, we put another appointment for Friday and we got there and H. hadn't come back from work yet so we couldnt go in and teach A. so we put another appointment for Saturday. And I must tell you that to get to this house is insane! It is seriously at the bank of the river at the bottom of the ravine! There arent any stairs to go down that way though, it is just a sheer incline of sort-of switch-backs but my compaion counted "as if he were walking up stairs" Ha ha ha! However reliable that is...and he counted that there would be 174  stairs! But I actually think there would be more. But anyway, so we went back down and their door was closed and all their windows and everything and it was raining like crazy and they didn't answer. We were SO bummed! So we went back up and visited some other people. Yesterday though, H. showed up to church with his friend. A. couldn't come because her sister went to her house to visit but we put an appointment to go visit her in the afternoon and when we went we had a SUPER good lesson! She ended up telling us SO much about what was keeping her from getting baptized and what her doubts were and everything! And it was so incredible! With the scriptures, she was able to answer all of her questions and doubts and she ended up feeling so relieved and happy! It was so cool! And she accepted to be baptized this month! I sure hope everything works out! But she is truely gaining a testimony. The only thing that is keeping her back now are her friends and stuff from her other church. They are going to reject her! But she has a ton of faith. I really think shes going to do it!

I did get sick though this week. I have no idea what happened but on Wednesday I woke up and my stomach hurt super bad and I was fighting super hard the whole day to keep going. That night I could literally barely walk because my knees were so weak and my head and stomach ached! But with help I made it. But we had some super good lessons! And I woke up quite a bit better the next day but I haven't been the same since. My stomach is still not too happy! But I'm doing just fine. I think I'm alright. If it goes another couple days I think it is a paracite. I'll just take "the bomb" Ha ha! Prescribed by the nurses of course... Ha ha! The pains were just on Wednesday and part of Thursday and if I am in a lesson for a super long time and forced to seal the "bomb shelter"! Ha ha ha ha! But I am doing really well.

Holy cow! Mom! Take it easy! Sounds like you are doing to much....your going to kill yourself! and yes I only got one package still not the other. I only got the one package the one with the Easter/4th of July basket Ha ha ha! and I got it on Friday. That means they picked it up from the post office on Thursday. I didn't check to see when it got there. But was that Nutella really only three dollars? 

K— gotta go! Love you! Bye!

Elder Welch