It really hit me with a strong feeling of how real the gospel and the plan is

Today was amazing, we went to the temple! Oh how I love to go to the temple! This temple here in Guatemala is really small but the spirit is the same, though I do have to say that I miss my home, the Oquirhh Mountain Temple and look for it every time there is an article in the ensign about temples, I saw it and also the bountiful temple and it made me a bit baggy... I wish I could go more often but there is work to be done here and I will have time later. During the session the spirit was incredibly strong and it helped that by now I could understand nearly every single word of the Spanish session. I had some sitting down before the session began and so pondered a bit about profound things and it really hit me with a strong feeling of how real the gospel and the plan is. I had a feeling of my importance as a child of God, and all those sitting with me as my spiritual brothers and sisters that I knew before this world was, now sitting with me in a holy temple ordinance doing the Lords work of redeeming the dead. Oh yeah and before we even entered the temple we saw Elder Falabella walk in and I shook his hand (for those of you who want to know why this is noteworthy is because he is the president of the quorum of the seventy for this part of the world, Central America)
 
After the session we all walked over to Quiznos but it wasn’t going to open for another half hour, so we walked to McDonalds, which was serving only breakfast until the same time. We kept walking until we came to a restaurant Pollo Campero which is like a Guatemalan version of KFC but really expensive for only a little bit of food, and not the tastiest food either but all was well.  Chicken sandwich with fries, water and an ice cream cone. Pday is my day to eat unhealthily; all other days are set aside for oatmeal, granola, fruit, sandwiches and whatnot. Yum!

Sigh...unfortunately not all goes well with my companion Elder V.  He just simply doesn’t like me and to be honest, I don’t know why. I can’t say I'm perfect of any wrongs but I can’t think of a single instance that would have dampened our relationship, but its kind of just been that way from the start. Just a few days ago I asked what he was going to study back at home because he’s been so set on studying lately (even though he only has 2 months left on the mission). He asked me why I wanted to know and I responded for curiosity, and for something to talk about because it’s quiet. He told me then that he doesn’t want to talk to me and that I should stay to my own business. Ouch. I tried to talk to him about it because there seems to be little unity in our companionship and want to be his friend honestly so that we can work together and feel the spirit. He told me that he doesn’t want to talk to me or even try to be my friend, that’s not what his mission is about, it’s about preaching. ... I continued to try, or at least figure out if there was something I could change to improve our relationship, if there was something I was doing that bugged him. He said to me that if I don’t know what I’m doing wrong by week three then there was no hope of me ever figuring it out, and refused to tell me anything, or hardly speak at all afterwards. It’s been a hard three weeks as you can probably guess. He sleeps in, we don’t study together, and his teaching methods are more of an attack than sharing a Gospel of love. I don’t know what to do; the Zone Leaders have even talked to him about it. Ugh... Honestly we work hard, we had 30 lessons last week and some new investigators, but without the companionship unity and spirit there’s nothing productive, I’m not seeing our investigators progress very much.

Ok time to find some better news....I saw a clown the other day. And a guy in a gorilla suit and skull mask wearing a magic Mickey Mouse hat. That was fun. For souvenirs I only really have my machete WHICH IS AWESOME and my new leather bag WHICH IS ALSO AWESOME. I’m thinking of looking for some cool wristbands soon if I can find some but I dunno, I'd have to find some first!
Christmas we are going to have some sort of super awesome activity with ALL of the missionaries of the Guatemala North Mission. ALL of them. MEANING ELDER SMITH TOO. I’m exited! I don’t know about work that day, if missionaries (for example we will say Jehovah Witnesses) showed up at your door on Christmas would you talk to them or say, another day, today is for my family? I can’t see much happening that day. As for a Christmas list I don’t have much right now but what I am thinking of are the following English Hymn Book, Reese’s, more later.  I'll try to write it down for next week.  The little gifts for kids are kind of fun, I think they like it. I gave the rings to little girls and some of the necklaces to cute little kids, bouncy balls for the boys.

Tons and tons of AMOR!! gozo y paz sea dado a cada uno de ustedes! les AMO!! sed fuertes en la fe y tenid vuestra unidad y caridad siempre!

Espero por una buena semana por todos, hasta proxima semana,

Elder Andrew Bronson