April 25, 2011

Dear Mom and Family,

This week was kind of interesting. We had a lot of difficulties going
to Xela this week. There was a conference, but there practically
weren´t any buses at all the whole week, because all the bus drivers
were trying to get all the money they could taking people to Guatemala
City. So all the rest of us who had to go somewhere else were on our
own. We were lucky to find some nice people who were willing to take
us with them half way to Quiché. From there, we got a micro-bus to take
us the rest of the way. After that, we had to take two buses. One
headed towards Guatemala City from Quiché and the other heading back
from Guatemala City to Xela. It was a little ridiculous but we got
through it OK. Other than that, a few of the things we saw during the
week:

- Some sort of parade of people marching around the street with a giant
virgin Mary figure on top of them. I thought someone had died because
they do that too when someone dies. They march around the entire city.
- Pan Para Judas: which was a bunch of kids running around to all the
houses begging for bread for this ugly satanic doll on some kid´s back
which is supposed to represent Judas Iscariot. Saturday they burn
him...
- In some areas they do a crucifixion impersonation but that didn´t
happen here in Joyabaj. It´s too small of a city.

Other than that we´ve been trying to get some new investigators. We
have a lot of news this week. One is a reference of a family of 4. The
wife is extremely critical of all religions and is about fed up with
all the false doctrine in the world. We are going to have to be really
prepared if we want her to even think about what we´re teaching her.
First thing we´re going to try to get her to understand is that her
knowledge will help, but in the end she´s only going to know if she has
the faith, and is humble enough to ask to know. If we can´t get her to
do that... we´ll probably not focus on her too much. I have high hopes
for her and her family though. Their names are Erwin, Veronica, Doris,
and Yovani. So we´ll see how this goes. Those are the most positive of
the news we had this week.

Thanks for all your letters, they mean a lot to me. I´ll talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Landon James Crapo