San Jose Nacahuil

San Jose Nacahuil is about one hour north of the capital, Guatemala City, over winding roads which are only intermittently asphalted. Distance-wise, it is only 18 kilometers. Statistics say that 70 percent of the folks here cannot read or write.

New Area - Nacahuil

well i got my area... its about an hour ride on a bus out of the capital on a huge mountian. my comp is elder madsen, my area is Nacahuil (knock a will). anyway my new district leader is a real jerk, so i only got about 15 to 30 min this week cause we missed the bus that only goes every hour.

My last area? Most dangerous area in central america, on elder was there for 6 months and over 100 ppl were killed. but i saw nothing. except a dead dog. And to tell ya the truth. I want to go back.

Um.. as for my foot. I soaked it one night and put cotton in it. after that my toe hardened up and well, i got sent to Sutherland, Nothing except little stores with candy. I dont know what else to do. It doesnt hurt when i walk on it. and i believe i got all the puss out. anyway i dont know.

my camera broke this week. it was in my bag and somehow the screen got broke. so i cant see what i am taking pictures of or what i just took.

Well. I am trying to survive. Anyway i will email you guys next week. nothing much here.

I guess no photos this week.
Elder Taylor Wood

Elder Wood and Companion

sry!

Alright.. sorry i stiffed ya but its ok. we went to the temple today so we were hard working yesterday. we had to wake up at 3. Last monday we had a little earthquake. we were in the middle of a prayer and my couch was moving. i thought it was my comp being a jerk. the ground just shook a little bit for 30 seconds. pretty awesome though. I bought two cans of A and w root beer... the mt dew was in. some kind of one time thing from an import store.
Basically the president told me ¨There are other places in the mission than just the capitol. I know your area is hard, in fact its the most dangerous area in central america, and you havnt been about to talk to your companion much. Thats why i am pulling you out. your getting a change.¨ I am for sure getting a gringo (greenie green) anyway i think i will go to colban or peten. but thats just me. I dont have fleas anymore and my feet are doing PERFECT with the adition to a few things.
My area was good, they say its dangerous but i havent seen anything. no babtisms this change
Also there might be a chance within the next 3 or 6 months that i will go to an area called polochic or smoething .... I would have to learn an ancient language called cetch chi. no promisesm, i dont really wana go.. i wana get spanish. anyway i will email you more if i remember what it was about. my mind is fried.
Elder Taylor Wood

Paraiso III

Paraiso means Paradise. It's a small part of the capital. There are no big stores just small stores with candy in them. It is so dangerous because there is a gang called 18 diesiocho. well in order to get into the gang you have to kill people. other areas are dangerous but its just gangs killing gangs. paraiso III is where the are gang members are born. meaning they have to kill people. one elder was there for 6 months and over 100 people were murdered. The police have a camp right outside the area and on the main road you can almost ALWAYS see a police officer with a fully auto- i dont know if there is hope for the area. i dont if you mean for the church or what your after.

Law of Nature

A chicken hatching out of its egg is an amazing thing to observe. It is not a quick process, as the little chick begins first to peck at the egg until finally a crack begins to appear. It then must continue pecking, struggling, and working until finally the chick is able to immerge from the shell that for a time nurished it, but is now holding it back.

Nature has provided only one safe way for the new baby chick to survive. It is not an easy thing to watch as this young one struggles so obviously. But if someone intervines and helps the chick by breaking the egg, it will not have the strength to survive in its new world. It is in struggling that it becomes strong enough to survive. Any interference from the outside will in the end be distructive to the emerging chick.

It is because of the struggling that the chick has strength to survive.

Mom's Thoughts

We have been praying for a few weeks now for Taylor. He explains himself pretty well in the letters from the past few weeks. Start reading from March 31 and work your way backwards for a flow of the events.

Taylor was able to get ahold of Blaine on MSN. He told him that he wanted to come home but didn't know if he would even be welcomed. I think we have put those fears down. He is welcome no matter which way his chooses.

Life is tough and both choices will have some pretty grown-up consequences. President Coleman is willing to work with him and after talking to him just once made a big difference. He is concerned that Taylor is with a companion that speaks little English and that Taylor may be very lonely. His companion also works extremely hard - a real go-getter and would push Taylor to the limits and maybe beyond. Taylor has also been close to scenes of violence and may be fearing for his safety.

We will continue to pray, and fast. We would appreciate your prayers in Taylors behalf. We hope he will have a change of heart; that he will start to love his mission, that he will be excited to finish his mission in two years and that he will find joy and happiness in Guatemala.

Life is hard for everyone as they change from youth to adult. Growing pains are real but necessary. As Taylor struggles, we know that this struggle is one of the very things that will help define who he will become. With God's help he will surmount this challenge and emerge stronger and better for it.

Elder Argumeda

Elder Argumeda was really good elder who worked hard and could contact people really well. He liked soccer and we played in the street with garbage and try to get it between their legs. I learned how to contact and basically speak Spanish. It was hard to communicate with him because I spoke English to him and he spoke Spanish to me and it did get easier the last week.

Another Week - Discouraged again

well another week gone. Kinda sucked. it was one of those when you dont get many things done. No babtisms yet.

I always knew my area was dangerous. in fact i knew it was the most dangerous zone in the mission. But its also the most dangerous area in guatamala. probably just a rumor or word on the street. but its definatly the most dangerious area in the mission. i dont feel threatned at all. except at night, and in the day. and mornings, hahahaha just kidding.

No baptisms yet. we were running short on contacts so we decided to knock doors. we found one lady who had prayed 2 days earlier for elders or someone to find her. we gave her a blessing the next day. following that we gave 2 more blessings to a family.um..

ya im gona stick it out a little longer. after talking to my president i was like YEAH lets go. but i still hate it. my comp speaks like no english and i dont speak spanish. I ask him in spanish and he looks at me like im stupid. so i ask in english and he says YEAH. when its like what did we just talk about.

No luck with the server in delta. can someone please restart the server monday morning next week.um... man i dont know what else to write about. I guess thats all this week.Untill next time

Elder Taylor Wood

Elder Wood with the Coleman's

Pres. Coleman has been great to work with Taylor. We have been blessed to have him as his mission president.

TEXT MESSAGE

MOM IM STAYING THX 4 THE PRAYERS.

Still No Improvement

Man today sucked. My zone had some brilliantly stupid idea to climb a mountian. Needless to say. i made it. my feet hurt. and boy do i have blisters. then it started pouring. so we ran to our cooks house soaking wet. after an hour of the hardest rain i have ever seen. we returned to our appartment only to relize it was flooded.

My mission president called me yesterday. he said we were going to talk tomorrow at zone confrence. Kim as for an april fools joke. Gotchya!! APRIL FOOLS DAY!!! No seriouslly i didnt even know easter had passed till like 4 days after. i acknowledged st. patricks day. but didnt let much happen. But as for this, This is real.

This week was just another week. nothing much happened. as for everyone else. thanks for the prayers. Yes i have a testimony of the BOM. and joseph smith. Families, plan of salvation. ETC. Um... i honestly dont know what else i can write about without repeating myself last week. Thoughts are still the same. Going to talk to my president tomorrow and on the 18th-

when is mothers day. I could let that holiday slip by as well. Um. I Still continue to work hard no matter what the tribulation.I honestly have no clue what else to write. So untill next time.Elder Taylor Wood