I believe it too because from the one McDonalds I went to, here in Guatemala, it blew all the USA McDonalds away.

Christine, you are a big word freak, you can’t blind side me with words like "palpable" when I am in Guatemala. English is a very forgettable language. This week was pretty interesting because my companion went on divisions a lot so he could get his ear fixed at a real hospital. From what I heard about the hospital, it is nicer than the ones in the U.S. I believe it too because from the one McDonalds I went to, here in Guatemala, it blew all the USA McDonalds away. One day when I was on divisions (with a latino companion) we went to a members house for dinner and we saw that one of her daughters had just returned from her mission. We talked with her for a few minutes until all of a sudden the conversation turned into us doing a role play of a way for missionaries to explain how only our church has the authority to baptize, not to just anyone who preaches the gospel. Not long after, the whole family gathered around me  and asked me to read the instructions to something they had recently bought, but the instructions where only in English. I (obviously) agreed, and they brought me a can opener! I asked them to bring me a can so I could show them but they brought me a soda can. I found out that soda cans have little dimples where a can opener should cut a can, but I was determined to teach these people of the usefulness of a can opener so I squeezed the can opener as hard as I could so the can opener would cut the can. As a result, when I was about to completely cut the lid of the can, it exploded on me. They laughed and brought me a towel along with a coffee maker. They then wanted me to show them how to use it. I explained that I don’t drink coffee, therefore I do not know how to use one because I have never used one. They then said that I was a Gringo, therefore I should know how to use it. We kinda went in a circle and couldn’t understand one another’s logic, so I finally said I will take a look at it as see if I could figure it out. I told them that you need to plug it in so it gets hot, you put pure water in here, and coffee grounds with a filter (they were not happy that they had to buy filters). The Latino companion that I was with at the time then came over and said it is simple. This is the ON button, this is the OFF button, This is the SETTING button, and to not worry because this last button is not important. I than laughed and said NO, this is the HOUR button to change the time on the clock, this is the MINUTE button to change the minutes on the clock, he was right and this was the SETTING button, but the last button was important because it was the ON button. I love this country.

For Christmas I am not sure what we are doing. We are going to skype but we don’t know where because it depends on the internet. It will be at a church because Members only have wifi for a certain time at their houses and we don’t feel confident that the wifi will be able to skype two people at the same time.

It is kinda weird that my family’s  lives are changing. I knew it would happen, but at the same time I always kinda hoped that we would all have one more chance to be together as just brothers and sisters, not husbands and wives when I got home.

Can’t wait to talk to you on Christmas

Bret