Change Week!

Hey Family! I love you! This week has been a very...FULL week for me here in San Carlos Sija. This week was a change week, but luckily I did not suffer many changes at all. I was REALLY anxious about these changes because I feel wonderful in my area and my companion Elder Solis and I are able to get along excellently and we teach with power and authority and the power of Spirit unto repentance. However, not everything was destined to stay the same for me. Luckily, the Lord did not change my situation completely. Here`s what happened: instead of taking both of usout of San Carlos Sija, the Presidente decided to send two MORE missionaries to our branch to help baptize and grow the branch together, the four of us. Elder Solis and I were separated and then given one new elder each. Elder Solis is now with Elder Barrios, an Elder that I served with in Momos West zone when I was a zone leader over there. My new companion is Elder Bergquist (the "g" is silent, it`s pronounced "Ber-quist"). He is in his second change in the mission and he is learning VERY quickly. He reminds me of me when I started the mission...hahaha just kidding, I`m not that arrogant. =P

But seriously, Elder B is awesome. He always has the desire to work and learn, but he`s laid back like me so we basically have fun ALL the time. We are NOT planning on dividing the area geographically, just because it would make it super hard to get everything done that needs to be done for the branch. So, we will be working separately, but together at the same time. We will find our own investigators, but plan for them all together. We will visit members separately, but serve them together. We feel really good about this plan because we`ve tried it out since Wednesday and it`s worked wonderfully. Elder B and I have a new family that we are teaching, the Family Lopez (Wilson, Alicia, and their three small kids). Elders Solis and Barrios are doing well as well. And the best part is that we all still have time to visit the members, serve them, strengthen them, and teach them to Gospel. We`re also living together, the four of us. It makes the schedule a little complicated, but it makes study and down time SUPER fun. =) As you can probably tell, I`m loving the way things are going for me right now. I`m very grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has given me to be with Elder Bergquist because there are still a lot of holes in his training that I can fill. He is attentive and fun and always willing to listen. He asks me good, productive questions and is always willing to spek in Spanish so he can get better quickly. I have the opportunity with his to recount experiences from my WHOLE mission and then teach him the deep life-lessons that I learned throughout my time here in Guatemala. It`s helping me to realize the deep and lasting value of my mission as a whole and the importance of passing on knowledge from generation to generation so that, as time goes by, the Church and WE as God`s children become stronger an wiser with each passing year.

Elder B is from Weiser, Idaho and has 4 older brothers and one older sister and one younger brother. His dad and his older brothers have all served missions and they love and support him always. He`s got a pure heart like Josh Timothy does and he`s just fun to be around. He`s maybe not as dorky as I am, but he`s definitely as genuine and gentle. We`re a good companionship and I have faith that we`ll achieve wonderful things this change. The only other weird part of my week was that I was told that this change will be shortened by a week. So, instead of us have 6 weeks to work, it`ll be just 5. I think the Church is doing this throughout the world so that the missionaries can get home in time for Christmas with their families and have time to register on time for Spring semester in school. This doesn`t effect my departure date at all, so don`t freak out. =P It just means that my last change will be 7 weeks long. Well, Family, I love you and I miss you. I use our stories and experiences every day in our teaching and other can relate to and understand the trials we have and the blessings we receive as members of Christ`s True Church. I love the testimony that my family has and the effort that they make to be constant in keeping the commandments and serve our Lord and Savior. I`ve expressed many facets of my testimony in these last few weeks, so I believe anyone that reads my letters and blog know at least the surface of my now deep, immovable testimony of the Truth. =) I love my mission, I appreciate ALL the trials and challenges that it`s thrown at me. I realize the depth and value of my mission and know that it will be a source of blessing and wisdom in my life forevermore. Can`t wait until I can tell you all about it in person. =D 11 weeks! Love Always,-Elder Preston William Tucker