Christmas Wishes and Sica!

Today was a double great day!  We got an email and handwritten mailman-delivered letter!

First from his letter:

I am enjoying Zacapa.  The people are really nice and patient.  They just don’t have a lot of interest in the church. And those that do have an interest in the church are already members of another church…lots of Evangelists…is that what it is in English? (Wow!  I don’t even know…in Spanish it’s Evangelizos…I kind of want to cry that I don’t know it in English…I can’t be forgetting words already.) Yes, lots of Evangelists and Catholics…so it’s kind of hard but we’re trying to focus on the ward and how they can befriend their neighbors and then invite us over. We’re trying new things every day and we’re trying to figure this whole thing out!

From his email:

I´m glad my letter made it to you guys because I´m still learning how all that works here. I believe that letters are only shipped out like once a month or something; I´m not really sure! (The letter was dated October 29^th but we couldn’t tell what date the stamp was cancelled.)

Guess who I found at our Multi-Zone Conference!?! Yep…I got to see Elder Yama and it was super fun to catch up with him. He told me that my Spanish has improved tremendously and asked me all about Zacapa and how our area is doing. Then I asked him about his area and we talked in Spanish and English and it was super fun. 

We learned a lot about baptism and the significance of that ordinance and the reason that we are inviting everyone to be baptized. It was really cool. We had lots of different little classes and there was so much to learn. Always learning but it´s super good!!

I did accompany Elder Reed in the multi-zone conference in front of like 100 missionaries and it was super scary but he did a good job and he told me after that I was a great accompanist because I could improvise really well and by ear and stuff so that was encouraging! :)

 

This is a picture of our Stake Christmas Party... I didn´t have my camera for the Ward Christmas Party but the outside pictures were taken at the stake one!!

Christmas is Guatemala… I don´t really know.... I feel like as missionaries we are kind of out of the loop but it´s alright. I hear there is at least a feast that will be happening on the 24th that we are invited to at a member’s house that I´m excited for.  I did find a little room on my closet thing for the little Christmas tree.  I will send a picture this coming week.

We will be getting together as a zone this Friday and doing something crazy like ordering tons of pizza and buying piñatas and celebrating which will be super awesome. It should be a fun day that is at least a little bit different then all the other ones haha ;)

Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends…thank you for everything!  I wish to extend to you the same invitation our bishop made to our ward.  Please take a moment as a family to kneel in prayer and thank our father in heaven for being willing to give his son, our Savior.

I love you all!

Merry Christmas!!!

Elder Lott

Hey by the way I have something called Sica... You can look it up... it´s like a minor form of chikungunya or something like that and it´s the worst thing ever. I´m hoping to be healed by the time we talk so I´m not rash infested when you see me!!  I have to go now....

Really!  This is his closing paragraph!?!  YIKES!

Here are my findings: Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever frequently accompanied by joint pain. Other common signs and symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. The joint pain is often very debilitating, but usually lasts for a few days or may be prolonged to weeks. Hence the virus can cause acute, subacute or chronic disease. 

Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months, or even years. Occasional cases of eye, neurological and heart complications have been reported, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. Serious complications are not common, but in older people, the disease can contribute to the cause of death. Often symptoms in infected individuals are mild and the infection may go unrecognized, or be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue occurs.

I’m grateful he has the minor form although I couldn’t find Sica on-line. We will definitely be talking about mosquitos this Christmas!  Please send Elder Lott a few extra prayers for a quick recovery with no lasting complications.