This week was probably the most physically demanding of my mission. We walked and climbed more than we weren't. Lots of stuff to remember though.
Wednesday, while we were on exchanges, I was in Choqui. The other mountain over with a chapel. We woke up to do service for a family. They asked us if we could help them get their water for the day from the "river" and the bottom of the mountain. They handed us these huge storage gas can type things. Once we got to the bottom, I was shocked with how dirty the water was that they were using to fill up the big jugs. We then hiked up the mountain for a good 25 mins with at least a 90 lb jug of water. It's hard already getting up, but with the water it was miserable. And it was 91 degrees with 11 UV rays. Why do all of the cool stories I have come from hiking a mountain with something?
Once we were done, we asked how often they have to do that to have water. She said every day. I can't imagine. We also asked what happens if it doesn't rain and she said, "Morimos" (we die). We thought she was joking, but she was dead serious. Literally.
That same day, me and Elder Oaks decided we were going to try a new path to get from the Choqui mountain, to the Patalup one, one over. We were able to get down to the river pretty fine after about 30 mins. But once we got down there we realized there was absolutely no path up or through the thick vegetation on the other mountain to go up. And we couldn't go back up the one we came because it was too steep and wet. So we went. With our newly bought and sharpened machetes, we hacked our way through every plant/tree/ banana spider webs, everything you can imagine in a jungle. It took us a good hour to figure out where we could get up without falling off the side and not through bed-sized spider webs. There were many times we had to stick our machetes in the ground and pull ourselves up. But we did it.
The best part was as soon as we crossed the arch at the top, dripping in sweat and blood, and with our dirty clothes and machetes. An old kiche' lady was in her corn field absolutely shocked at what she was looking at--2 dirty, big gringos with machetes had just came up from the side of the mountain that nobody had ever came up from before. It was pretty funny.
Thursday, we got right back up again and walked to Patalup Centro to contact all of Patalup in a day. We did.
One of the last houses we were walking by, a lady called us from her home that was on the side of the mountain higher than us. We walked up and met with them, we found out they were inactive and so we were able to share some stuff with them. Once we were done, they asked us if we could give the dad and grandma a priesthood blessing. We did. But as I was about to give the blessing to the old lady who was sick and only could speak/understand kiche, my comp said "Could you do it in Kiche'?" As soon as he said that, I felt the Holy Ghost so strong. A feeling of like, "I can do that!" Wow. I asked the family how to say, "I bless you. . ." And from there I was able to give a good amount of the blessing in Kiche' with what I know from bearing a testimony and saying a prayer. It was one of the coolest things ever. The lady was so grateful and had tears in her eyes after. Amazing.
Super crazy week of walking and going between areas for citas. We also went to Chuinajtajuyup and was there for a night. Nonstop. Also, as of yesterday I haven't felt great which we know is from one of the member meals we had. But doing great and am loving here in Patalup and how much Kiche' we are learning daily. It's not easy, but that's why I'm doing it.
-Elder Copeland
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