Hermana Staci Baird: Oct 31

So we had a super super great week this week. To start off, we got to go to Xela to our mission presidents house to have a family home evening with the Familia Ramierez. It was so great! We had a great lesson with President Smith and his wife, and then played a game with the kids, had some cake, and then headed back to Toto. They really like it and were super happy! We laughed the whole way there and the whole way back. It was a great time. Wednesday we had a day full of miracles. We have been praying a ton to be able to find families, and when we are out proselyting, that is our main focus. So this week we were contacting in a little village up in the mountains in an area that we hadn't ever gone too. We knocked on a few doors, and they didn't want to listen. So, we kept knocking. We got to a house and the lady was very positive, but she was about to leave. We asked her if she knew of anyone that lived around her that could benefit from hearing about the gospel of Jesucristo. At first she said no, but we felt that we needed to insist a little. We asked her if she maybe knew anyone that was passing for difficult times, or had just had a baby. She said you guys could try going to the Familia Caxaj's house. They live in the house of brick about 5 minutes more down this path. So we went searching. We found the house and knocked. They opened the door and were extremely nice. They allowed us to enter their house so we sang a hymn with them and shared a little bit with them out the Restoration. We were extremely shocked and excited when we found out that it was a family of 11 people! Yes, 11 people! We are going back to visit them tonight and are so extremely excited. The Lord truly puts his chosen people in our paths and will guide us to those who need us if we ask him in sincere prayer and if we live worthily to have his trust!

This time of year here in Guatemala everyone is super super busy because they are all harvesting their corn! There are corn fields seriously all around us here. It feels like we are constantly in a corn maze haha. So anyways they use the corn to make tortillas and tamalitos. So during this time they take down all the corn husks and have to do this big process so that it drys and they can use it for the tortillas and tamales for the entire year! So this week we went to a recent converts house who has a ton of land to grow her corn. When we got there her whole family was working with the corn so we helped. What we were doing was taking off all of the grains of corn from the cob. At this point the corn is completely dried out. Its super interesting and A TON of work! I cant imagine having to do this ever single year. The people here are super hard workers that's for sure.

Tomorrow we have a Multi-Zone Conference with a general authority! Elder Alonzo from the 70 is going to be with us. We are so excited! It is always so great being able to listen to these servants of the Lord help us to know how we can do missionary work better. Thursday we are going to have our Leadership Council meeting, and Elder Alonzo is going to be there too! My comp and I have to present a little bit during the meeting so we are a little nervous, but super excited for the opportunity.

Anyways, life here is going great. My comp and I are having a ton of fun and working hard to find those who the Lord is preparing to receive this gospel. Thanks for all of your support!

Con mucho amor de Guatemala,

Hermana Baird

The famous noodle taco. Yes, this is normal here! Everytime we have spaghetti or any type of noodles, there is ALWAYS tortillas, and ALWAYS ketchup. And surprisingly it is actually pretty good. I think I am turning into a Guatemalan.

We went to a new area to contact and find new investigators and I stepped in a huge pile of "mud." I am not too sure it was mud though, probably a differnt kind of waste product. But anways, it was a good ice breaker cuz we went to the closest house and asked if we could wash off my foot and shoe in their pila (the sink type thing in the pic) and she let us! We are going to go back and visit her this week, so I guess it was worth getting a little dirty. :) Then Hermana Schiess and I went to lunch at our favorite place here in Toto called Pinkys