There's a steel knife in my wind pipe

In the last picture the children are watching Aaron do Yo-Yo tricks.

One year older... another year closer to death.

So today I'm in Coban, which is good but goes too fast. I got to eat some McD's today so that's all I could ever ask for. I'm super tired, but it's been a pretty good day. I'm going to get some snacks for myself. Elder Chanchavac and Elder Xocop woke me up at 1 am to say Happy Birthday. My companion, Elder Hexem also told me Happy Birthday.

This week was kind of hard. None of our really good investigators came to church. I did the best division in my life with Elder Chanchavac in Ch'ulak. We went to all five areas, and went to all the branch president's houses... it was not a short hike. I went to Isabal to do a baptism for the sister missionaries. I have never hiked so much, so fast in my life! It was rough on my little K'iche' friend. He got a bunch of blisters on his feet that later exploded when we were running to get onto the last truck passing through this little village. We were stuck at (Chichipate) at night. It was really quite an adventure. N-E-wayz, I don't know what else to tell you.... did I already tell you that I was trying to catch a crab? It caught me, first on the finger (hard) ((blood)) and then I ate it... well most of it. IDK, I'm too tired.

Thank you for that little history of my baby birth. These are the types of things I can't remember. I was watching "Hunt for Red October" 21 years ago.

k, have a great week!

love, Aaron

Then I watch it leave through the wind. I guess that's why they call it pane.

This week was crazy. We had too many people to handle! We had 12 investigators in church, and it was so crazy! It's like a one man band, even though there are three of us (my comp, me, and my branch president). We are getting a lot more people to come to church now. We just need to teach a lot before these people can get baptized. I didn't have a change. I don't think it's really hit me yet fully, but I'm not going to lie... I was pretty ready to leave. It's just hard to be in an area for 7.5 months in a row. My companion didn't have a change either. Um, for P-day yesterday, we went up to this tiny village that is 3 hours away, and handed out a million pamphlets to all these Q'eqchi's, in this place called San Vicente way up in the mountains. It was really cool 'cause missionaries never had gone up there really, and the people were really cool. They were way outgoing and nice (very unusual). We just contacted a ton of people, took some pictures and ate a little bit. I bought this Yo-yo up there and was doing some tricks. All the kids were just amazed. It was awesome! Life is good. I'm running out of money 'cause the office elders never re-imburse me or anyone in my zone. I'll be fine though. That's super cool Peter and Laura are going to be neighbors with Richy Rich. I'm already excited to go visit them! I am also excited to go on this cruise!! I guess I didn't realize how awesome cruises are because as soon as I mentioned to my comp that I was going on a cruise, he started freaking out and telling me how good my life will be, as well as Elder Snow. They just told me about sitting in front of a pool on the top deck when some girl would come by with a cart full of fresh home-made cookies and brownies with cold glasses of milk, and you can just grab what ever you want. I'm very excited to go. I'm good; I'm just still in this area. Have a good week.
Love, Aaron

I wanna live good ...

Wow. Um...well let me just tell you about what we did this week first, and then I'll get to the other casacas. This week was really cool! I got to meet President Watts in person, and his wife. They are really nice, and they gave me a 3 Musketeers for my birthday. We had a meeting in the capital, and it got me super inspired. One of the principles of the gospel is persevering to the end, and I don't think a lot of people grasp this concept because there are like a million less active members everywhere I go. I also think this can be applied to peoples' callings in the church. Once people do something big, they just stop. Just 'cause my companion and I baptized a huge family two weeks ago doesn't mean we are going to stop. All this kind of popped in my head at this meeting, and I started to think about my area. I figured out the people that we were going to get baptized, and we went to visit them, taught them, and set baptismal dates. Our (best) current investigators live so high up on the mountain. We went up there four times in three days. We also got this huge family to come to church with us for the first time. It was a total of like 10 people. Super cool! If everything works out, whoever is here next change should have a lot of baptisms. Teaching Primary was tough. The Spanish kids just won't behave, and the Q'eqchi' kids are so nice and quiet. They sit there and color and play (Choose the Right) memory cards and the Spanish kids just fight. I have to sit and hold these crazy kids for the majority of church. Next week are changes. I'm pretty sure I'll have a change. I think I'm ready for one. I have now been in my area for a fourth of my mission. Whoever comes in my place is going to have like 9 baptisms on the 6th of August. We finally have some really good investigators that come to church. Um....today we played pool. My comp and I went on a super cool run this morning along the River Polochik.

K, let's talk about life at home. I think that is an EXCELLENT idea to go on a cruise in JUNE!!! I've wanted to go on a cruise my whole life. As far as my car goes... I really don't care about it anymore. You can do whatever you want with it. Maybe it's worth... something.. parts.? IDK. I was planning on saving for a new one anyways. I really want my scooter still, and anything you have to replace or fix, registration, insurance, etc... just put it on my bill or take it out of my account. I love that thing. I want to go to BYU Jerusalem and study Hebrew, and then go to Egypt to study the bible for 5 years. Maybe I'll marry an Egyptian princess and live by the Nile...jk I want to go to the U of U in the spring on January 9th. I do not want to take a ton of classes, like some math class, physics, something interesting like history of rock, or some architecture thing, and maybe like Spanish or something, but... I don't know. I want to take few classes so that I can actually focus on them and get good grades.... (and ski!) but like 12-13 credits MAX juno... K, yeah I really am going to want a ski pass. That is a NEED!!! That is a need in my life.. so I would like you to buy me one. You should be able to get me a College discount one..It should be cheaper than the Young Adult one. I think they are only like 4-5 hundred dollars hahaha <----wow. Um... I'm really not that worried though. I think you should talk to Hno. Mike Mason about my mutual fund and see when the opportune time would be to sell some stock or what ever... I will definitely be needing that money when I get home, with skiing and ohh college.. You should also see if there is any way to get me some scholarships or grants of any type, O. K.? That is something we should be thinking about. Anyways, if you have any more questions just ask. Thanks for whatever you sent me in advance. I'm sure it's great.

I did live with Elder McPhee. I love that kid. He is awesome! That's cool you were able to meet President and Sister Torres. They are very nice people, and have helped me a lot through my mission. I asked for permission to open up a new area, but we'll see what happens. I don't really know what language I'm going to be speaking next change... hopefully not LI KASTIIY (Spanish), but whatever. Sorry, this letter is crazy. I don't know what else to say. Have a good trip to Colorado. I am super jealous that you are going to watch Harry Potter 7 p2!!! Les quiero mucho y espero q' tengan una semana super chilera

-AArON

Ella Ella Ella

Happy fourth of July. I have eaten so much it's crazy. We went to the capital this week, and I met President Watts. He's a super nice man. I really like him! His wife is really cool too, and she cooks some awesome chicken cordon bleu. Getting to the capital was crazy 'cause we got stuck in traffic/construction, so when we got to a place to switch buses there weren't any more. We got on the back of this cattle truck, and it was raining like crazy the whole time. I'm good. It was just super annoying. We have an investigator that lives so far away it's insane. I can't believe he has come to church twice now. He's awesome! It's the guy that brought me my hymn book when I left it at his house. Last Friday we were teaching this guy (Marvin, who I met in La Laguna), and we were trying to help him with some drinking/fighting problems he's having. He says to us, "I need to find a better outlet for my energy 'cause every time I play soccer I get mad...and then into a fight. I've seen you guys running in the morning though. Do you think I could go with you guys?" We told him, "Sure, that would be fine." Then he's like, "So what time?" We told him like 6ish... "How about 5?"..."Um...no .. 5:30"... "Fine, we'll go." We left after talking to him a little more, and after he showed us where a guy BIT him and left teeth marks in his armpit from the last fight he got into. The next day we ran for 13 kilometers... and I almost died. Then we went to visit some investigators up this huge mountain that night, then the next morning we went to pick up these same people for church, and I had to go change my shirt because I sweat through it. I was pretty much dying. Going to the capital was a nice break. I don't really know what else is going on in my life. I got some new shoes. They are so sick. They are gortex Ecco high tops, and they are super fly. Elder Jennings gave them to me. Brand new. I went to some sweet used clothing stores in Coban and found a North Face jacket for like 3 dollars. I bought a ton of snacks in Coban to take back here to Polochik, and stuff for everyone else. Capital trips are nice. This internet place has a huge picture of Jesus creating the world. I'm not really that tall, everyone is just really short.
K, that's all I got.
Love, Aaron

Soups up dat oooh

Mom! If you are going to send me something for my birthday... let it be a FREESKIER Magazine, and then I'll circle anything that I want from it and send it back. President Watts gets here tonight. President Torres is leaving the 29th. That's crazy. I'm going to meet President Watts next week. Why is Adam getting a passport? Where is he going? So, I was living with Elder Hale and Elder McPhee and working with them a lot until they both got a change. We didn't have anyone to do the baptismal interview so we had to go to Se'nauq' and grab Elder Fadel, and then go back to Teleman super fast. Elder Fadel did the interviews for the family we baptized, and we went home in a crazy huge rainstorm. It was fun. The next day we had the baptisms, and of course there was no water. I swear every time there is a baptism, Satan just shuts off the water. How can something as simple as turning on the faucet become such a big problem? Whatever. We figured it out and everyone showed up late anyway. It went really well. Manuel Jorge (the dad) got the priesthood yesterday. I'm going to get him a white shirt so he can pass the sacrament this Sunday. This is the greatest family ever. I'm stoked for them. We also taught another guy on Saturday, and it was a really cool lession. We left his house, and then when we got to the next house, I realized I didn't have my hymn book. The next day that man came and sat down next to me in church and then handed me my hymn book. This is not normal for Q'eqchi's!!! He'll be a really good possibility for us. Um... oh, I lost my cell phone this week!! It fell out of my pocket when we got in the back of a political truck, and I didn't hear it fall out 'cause there were two megaphones blasting crazy music. That was stupid of me.
K I love you
-*Aaron

enjoy da pics

I be we swimmin' in the ocean with pidgeons

I am fine. Happy Father's Day, Dad. Hope it was a good one. Lemonade pie sounds good. The division was really good. We had to go on a four hour hike to get some identification for the baptism that they had. It was fun, and I was also there for the Father's Day activity. We were able to get the father of this family to come. We were later able to teach him, and he and his family came to church. They are going to get baptized next month so that will be cool. That area is super sick! I'm trying to send you some pictures, but I don't know if they are going to send. This computer is being really slow. We have the elders from Ch'ulak living with us because their house is under construction (the church), so we are now working with them a lot (which is super nice). They are Elder Hale and Elder McPhee. We got our family in church yesterday, and they are going to get baptized this Saturday!!! YES!!! So it will be really cool! We are going to go teach them tonight. I have never met a more GOLDEN FAMILY in my life. These people are ready. I'm stoked. Sorry, I don't have a ton to say ever, but I'm good. I'm just goin'. Have a really great week, o. k.?
love, Aaron

The Correct Story is on Elder Norton's Blog

Aaron's letter this week is full of concern for his friend Elder Norton. I think he heard a different version of Elder Norton's experience than what is posted on Elder Norton's blog. I am glad that Elder Norton is O. K., although I am sure it was very hard to lose so many important things in the water as he fell. Please check Elder Norton's blog for the correct details. Gina