Week 7 - September 14, 2021

Made It to Guatemala. 

Woke up early at 3 am to get to the airport.  Was so sad saying goodbye to my family and grandparents.  It will be all worth it to come home and tell them all the stories that I have. 

Then flew to Denver and then Houston.  Met five other Elders there and flew to our mission together.  Once we landed and went through security, there was nobody waiting for us so we didn't know what to do for a second haha.  But then there was a guy holding a picture of Angel Moroni, so we walked over to him and he said we are staying the night in Guate City and then will go to Xela manana.  So we stayed in a hotel, which was fun getting to know the other Elders and comprehend that we are all in Guate now as missionaries.  So crazy.

Also, it has been a challenge to make this email because the church internet is having difficulties lately, so I'm currently in Momostenango writing this email on someone's computer. Also, if I were to go into detail on everything, this email would never end.  So, I'll only include the most important parts.

Once we got to the mission home in Xela, President Roden helped us off the bus, which was a 5-hour bus ride from GC. Very bad with many ups and downs.  The mission home is very nice, we stayed for the night and had interviews with President.  Then he told us where our assignment is . . . Mine is the hardest in the mission.  In Panca.  President told me that we would be the first missionaries in the area in three years. That we will be re-strengthening the area and members there and finding investigators.  Then stayed the night with the  five other missionaries from the states in the guest house at the mission home.  The next morning, we had eggs, refried black beans and platanos.  Which they served at the hotel, too, for breakfast the day before.  

The next day we met our companions, my comp is from Escuintla in Guate.  

Elder Juarez, Elder Copeland's First Companion in Guatemala

My dad served in the same area he lives and actually knows his family and him.  (The young boy in the striped shirt is Elder Copeland's companion now.)   He stayed with them when he went back a few years ago.  Which is so cool and a revelation to President Roden to pair us together.  (Elder Copeland's dad is top right.)  Once I got to know him, he asked if I had seen the movie "Avatar."   I said yes, and he said, "The jungle in that movie, yeah that's where we're going."   He wasn't joking.

That day we were in a tiny, tiny truck for four hours to Panca where we are living now. My legs went numb every 10 minutes and had to stand up in the truck and lean over the dashboard from the back seat.  It was awful.  

Then we got to Panca. Literally nothing besides the church which is very nice even compared to American churches.  Not as big but really nice inside.  The branch president lives just outside the gate of the church across the dirt road.  From there, we unpacked, got settled, and went and talked with the branch president and a member family close by.

I don't know if there are more dogs or bugs here.  Already have killed four spiders and who knows how many flies.  It's crazy.  There is this Doberman that follows us everywhere that likes us.  

We come to Momos to get our groceries and any supplies because there's nowhere to get anything anywhere near Panca.  We have to take a small Toyota truck with bars on the back, 45 minutes to the closest store.  The roads are so bad and have so many potholes, and it hurts to go on that ride.  But getting used to it.

There is so much more I wish I could tell you guys about my time so far here.  But, I'm loving it.  Feeling good, enjoying how hard it is because it's exactly what I wanted.  Oh also, our showers are freezing, and we are not allowed to drink any water that does not come from our filtered water bottles. So brushing our teeth, I have to sip some water from the bottle, and then spit it on my toothbrush to get clean water on it and rinse after.  We are, also, assigned to another area called Canquixaja.  We have to go back and forth between our area and manage the members and investigators there as well.  So many other things that are different and harder here that we take for granted in U.S.

Overall, doing good, learning a lot, Spanish is horrible compared to the Guatemalans who talk fast, but I'll get there.

The pictures on my camera would take hours to upload to this computer here, so I am going to upload them to my Google photos, and then my dad can send it as a link in another email after this one.}

Love you all and hope you guys enjoy your warm showers.  Also, I had account problems yesterday, so now I am sending this today (Tuesday).  Also, need to figure out how to get pictures from my camera to you guys.

- Elder Copeland