Kyle Writes:

"We had a baptism this weekend, it went good. It is really cold here now. I think I was pushing ice out of the way when I entered the font. It is probably around 40 degrees and very humid. I don't think my shoes have dried since I've been here. But this week we are going to go bathe in a "tuj" or sauna, thats what all the people have to bath in, and some members invited us to us theirs. Its about the only way to warm up since the houses have no heating."

Kyles New Suit

5/30/10 - Kyle writes:

"Well on wednesday it started raining and it rained and rained 'till it finally stopped on sunday early morning. As a result of the rain here in chichi there were lots of mud slides and large rivers. The president of our branch now doesn't have a house, and is living in the church. We didn't have church on sunday and we just helped clean up and move people out of their old homes. In chichi alone there are 20+ deaths. Still looking for missing people and in all of Guatemala there is 120+ deaths. The volcano added to all this and made everything worse.

One miracle was one of our members we couldn't contact through all of this and no one knew if he was alive, the road to his house finally opened up on monday, and we went to see him, he was alive and his house was fine. On saturday during the storm and a mud slide, his wife started giving birth, and he was freaking out because they couldn't get to the pueblo. A mud slide almost hit his house, missing it by only 6 feet. He told us he thought they were all going to die, but the baby and all the family are just fine.

On Saturday we had planned to visit an area that was destroyed by the slides, but I felt sick in the morning and after, we just felt like we shouldn't leave. So we stayed in, and I felt lazy, but then the next day we found out about how that area was destroyed and I felt blessed that we didn't leave the house. In that area alone 12 people died. I know the spirit kept us safe. But I am fine and so are the other elders. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers."

"we got the call, I am going to mission Xela, I leave on friday."

6/21/10 -

"All is good, I am having fun here. My companion is really awesome. The work is kinda slow, everyone speaks only quiche, and after 7:00 pm there is nothing to do, especially on a tuj night. A 'tuj' is like a sauna with hot water, its what the people bathe with. We are working hard, we've found some new investigators, but we are still looking. I am now in an area with even more canyons than before, I didn't think it was possible, but I am getting used to the ups and downs. Now it is basically like hiking everyday. I think I am going to loose more weight here.

All I know is I don't want to ever hear state elders complain about their mission, because I have to cook every meal and all we have to cook on is a hot plate, and we have to pay for the light bill, and I would kill to have a bike. And the drunks in the states don't attack you (lucky I'm bigger than them).

p.s. some of our houses have shared out-houses. those are fun. haha"

6/28/2010 -

"Things are fine here, just the same old fight of trying to find new people to teach. Its hard, everyone speaks quiche, but I am learning it really fast. I have no idea how, it's just coming. We are teaching this guy alejandro, he is super cool, he has all sorts of questions and loves learning, I just don't know if he wants to be baptized. Hopefully over time he will come around. He is also a taylor, he's going to make me a suite. It's pretty cool.

We found a cool way to deal with the drunks too, all you do is when they come and start talking to you, you act asleep, and they get really confused, it's hilarious, they are so confused and have no idea what to do."

7/7/10 -

"Well last week my companion broke his ankle, so now he is in the office for 6 weeks, and I got transfered to another area called totonicapan with an elder who didn't have a companion, and they just closed my other area, so thats no fun. I really miss my other area, hopefully I will be able to go back. Oh, ya, I also got my new suit, its pretty cool, grey with white and blue pin stripes. I'll send a picture. I just realized I look a lot different in it. When did I get skinny? haha. I'll have to take you up on the archery challenge.."

Kyle Writes: (5/3/10)

"Well things are going pretty good right now, my companion had changes and now I am with Elder Stevens from Utah. There are 12 villages around the lake, all named after the 12 apostles, I've been to all but 2 of them.

They are making a new mission, so the boundaries of the missions will change. My current area will go to the Quezatanengo mission, and about 40 missionaries will go to that mission, and about 10 to the new mission. About 20% of our mission will leave. I don't know for sure if I will go."

(5/12/10)

"I loved talking to you all on Sunday, tell everyone thanks, I am doing good. We found some cool families on monday, I hope they progress. I haven't done much, just the same stuff every week, so I don't know what to write. I am trying to learn quiche better so hopefully I can teach in it, but I am worried I'll get changed out too fast"

(5/17/10)

"Well all is well. Last week we found a family to teach. We taught them, and I guess they didn't I spoke some quiche and they started talking about us in quiche, which was fine, until they started talking that we were made of money, and if they kept listening to us that we would give them money, which made me mad, they weren't even poor. It's started to rain every day now."

(5/24/10)

"Everything is good. I am kind of sore from moving 4 cords of wood, but I'll live. We have a 'fecha' for an investigator, but I don't know if her parents will let her get baptized. We also found another family who I think will get baptized. On June 10 I will know if I get changed or what, I don't know what is going to happen.

Last tuesday we went to a waterfall, it was cool. I climbed all the way to the top, another elder almost fell. It was cool."

Kyle writes (4/5/10):

"Things are not going that great here, we are experiencing a plaque of 'evil' missionaries. It seems more and more that my job is babysitting my companions. I found out that my companion is part of a 'secret' cult of latin missionaries who have formed a "Gadianton Band" even quoting a scripture found in the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 3:7. But luckily Elder Fisher don't put up with that crap.

During holy week everything shut down and everyone left to the beach and we taught only 5 lessons the whole week. They make carpets of saw dust on the roads and carry Idols over them into the Catholic church...

Well the area is alright, the elder i replaced was lazy, as well as my comp, so when I came here there were 0 investigators. So basically I had to open this area too, but its alright, I've found about 8 new people despite my comp and holy week. I know I can baptize in this area. Apparently this area hasn't had investigators for almost 3 months, cuz my companion only spent time with his "girlfriend". Its not official yet, but despite the difficulties, I know that the Lord will provide a way.

Love Elder Fisher - Tubanqwent"

Kyle writes (3/29/10):

"I really like it here in chichi, the work is a little slow but I am not going to complain. We spend probably 8 hours a day contacting, but I know that we can baptize more people here. Here in chichi they have a huge market that gringos come to visit on market days.

Thank you guys for all your support and love. I am feeling a little better, well I feel fine, just the pains are less frequent, but I still have diarrhea every now and then, but I am pretty sure I'll live, so don't worry too much"

Kyle Writes (3/24/10):

"Well changes were a little weird because on monday all the busses in Guatemala rioted, and parked in the middle of the roads and stopped Guatemala for an entire day. So changes were moved to tuesday. I got changed, thankfully. All the Elders are now calling me "the swiss army knife" I guess because they say the president can put me with anyone. But now I am back in the mountains learning q'uiche' in chichicasinango. I am really relieved to be back in the mountains, maybe this time I'll stay for more than one change in an area. Most elders stay for 4 changes, I've never been in an area for more than 2. I guess we'll see. The family I was teaching are going to get baptized, I left a commitment when I left. The area I opened will have 10 baptisms by the end of next change. But thanks for all your love and support. Love Elder Fisher"

Kyle writes:

"...This week we had zone conference. I've set a new goal for myself. I am going to read the Book of Mormon in 2-3 changes and mark all the times it refers to Jesus Christ and the Christlike attributes. If you all want to, its really cool to do.

We have been working hard for our 5 baptism dates this saturday, but now they have to wait another week because the didn't have money to get to church, so thats sad. .... I love you guys and thanks for all your support."