Week #44: Do you keep track of the weeks?

Do you keep track of the weeks? No, not until I have to put week 44 or whatever it is for the email.  I really don't keep track of time at all in the mission. I was just writing to someone about what happened this morning when I went to the despensa to grab a bit of milk for cereal. I was there I had it in my hand looking at the expiration date and thought wow this stuff doesn't expire until June 15th is this real milk? This stuff will last forever?  Then Elder Saxton had to burst my bubble and say "...thats only next month." Times like these really kinda blow my mind, to think that I have nearly been living here in Guatemala for a year. Guess I will start to pick out which of my shirts will be burned in just a short while. But enough of the baggy-talk -- let's talk about Rio Blanco!
         So as I think I mentioned last week Elder Amundson hade changes and Elder Merrill is our new Zone Leader. He was actually in Maclen (my area) about a year ago. So given that he Is lleno de referencias we decided to bring him up to show us all of the people he was teaching.  After two days of walking around hitting up old investigators and all the great walking we were dead. Elder Merrill fell ill and my head was spinning with all of the new references that we have to talk to.
        So in the mission we live in houses that have usually been rented by missionaries for years upon years upon years. This means that the messes of the missionaries build up years upon years as well. when I got to Rio Blanco it was simply... well... "not a 5 star hotel and maybe in the negative stars" and so I made it my personal goal to clean this house and at least put some stars on the board. As of this Friday we finally have some stars on the board...only 2 starts, but those 2 stars are very nice and shiny and with a little more work we might be able to get a few more stars soon.
     President Ruiz actually payed a visit up to our nice little cold corner of the mission which was kinda a surprise. We knew he would be coming up soon but didn't really know when. This Saturday as we were going to go and do contacting in the farmers market kinda ordeal that is there every Saturday, President just happened to be driving down the road and called us over to him.  After talking to him for a bit he went over to the church to do a few interviews and then over to Caprican. Yes it is finally for sure, the city in the middle of nowhere, will finally be opened! Super excited about that.
    Friday, was a pretty sweet day as well, a less active member asked to go out and do visits with us. I personally didn't think she was being serious but when the moment came she was ready and we were scrambling to find some others to come with us so that we could actually go. After a moments we were on our way to San Lorenzo. Neither of them thought we were serious about heading over there. But we were and poof soon at members house with some sweet references.  After another quick moment we had this same member leaving with us as well.  We had one of the best lessons I have had in a while with a 17 year old kid  named Angel.  He actually had questions and good ones and even understood the whole there is only one true church thing I think he will progress pretty great in the next little while.   It is fantastic when missionaries can have members present in lessons!
     This week has been a little different, everyone in the house or who comes to Rio Blanco seems to be getting sick, but I think for some odd reason I am like immune to sicknesses now (prob just jinxed that).  The baptisms that we had planned fell through, it's sad and even worse when we are trying to pull people out of the bad cycle that they are in...some things just kinda suck but theres nothing we can do on that end all we can do is continue to work with them. It is a very sad thing when people are so used to the dark that they don't want to try and to let the light in, even when they know where to find it and when they know that it is good.  It is so sad sometimes, that people are so used to being where they are that they don't want to leave their small little comfort zone even if it will change their life forever for the better. I think that is probably one of the hardest things to see here in the mission. Anyways another week comes lets see if we can do some good. Talk to you next week love you all.