Motivating the Zone....

We made lasagna with a family.  It was my first time and it
actually was really good.  The family gave an 8.75 rating.

August 18, 2014

Wow even though I am on the downhill, the weeks are just flying by.  Every time I snap into consciousness it's Monday again... for that reason it has been a little bit difficult to compile the necessary material for my weekly letters. hahaha But this week was just as unconscious as the others. 

Bags of beans from a US help organization.
I think it is the US government.
They send them so the people can
plant beans and have better nutrition.

This week the zone had really good dats. I would have to credit it to the zone meeting that we had a couple of weeks ago. On multiple occasions this week we asked why are your dats so good or how did you find so many news? The response was, "Well we made a covenant with the Lord." Sooo... that is what I wanted to hear.

I was really impacted by a quote that I heard last week which has helped me to change my style of leadership. "There is no place in your teaching for gimmicks, fads, or bribery by favors or treats. Such produce no lasting motivation for personal growth nor any enduring beneficial results." Richard G. Scott  That quote really had me thinking this week on how are you supposed to motivate a wild group of missionaries. That is why we started the plan of Alma 46 and the covenants because that is something that truly promotes personal growth it has helped me a lot. It is really a hard subject to figure out but that is the fun of it.

My comp's countdown until he goes home.  Really doesn't help me, but de plano.

My comp only has two weeks left so right now so we look like an aircraft carrier towing a broken down ship destroyer, but  its good practice for future callings hahahahaha. Well I have to go. Thank you for all the support and see you soon!!!

Elder Reinhold

This is a typical food that we eat when we go to the aldeas. 

Herbs.  It is basically weeds. Yes, it tastes just like you think it tastes.

It isn't what we are used to. 

My comp was not super excited to eat it like always, but posed for a good fakie.

Zone Conference....

August 11, 2014

Well family this week was really uneventful. The truth is it is even hard for me to start this letter. But this week started out pretty good with the zone meeting that we had. My comp and I had been preparing this meeting for about a month. First of all, with the recent change of mission president we no longer have a slogan for the mission so my comp and I made one, but it is just for the zone. After much pondering and meditation we felt we wanted to relate it with Moroni and the Title of Liberty. We then read the scriptures that are in Alma 46:19-22. 

It says...

"Let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion,that the Lord God may bless them...the people came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God...We covenant with our God, that we shall be destroyed, even as our brethren in the land northward, if we shall fall into transgression; yea, he may cast us at the feet of our enemies, even as we have cast our garments at thy feet to be trodden under foot."

Cool sunset in San Juan with the
 Catholic Church in the background.

We encouraged the missionaries to make that same covenant with the Lord. We then shared 2 very powerful messages about consecration. I cried in my own message and I felt the Spirit so strong.  We are trying to help the new missionaries in the zone learn the ins and outs of missionary work early so they can start to have success. Well as of right now, in 2 months I will be on a plane heading back to the factory of missionaries... thats what they say down here about Utah.

Love you guys so much.

Elder Reinhold

Dry Weather....

This is a really cool painting they have in the temple here.
It represents the temples of old in the Americas.

August 4, 2014

We did a zipline this week.

Well first of all sorry. I don't have anymore photos of cowboy Reinhold... But it was a pretty good week.  These past couple of weeks have been a miracle for the missionaries and a disaster for the Guatemalans. Great for us because we can work without having to get wet, but horrible for them because the corn is drying out. It is their life. This week was pretty normal. Sorry I have to go. I spent all my time transferring all of my mission photos to my hard drive. I love you guys so much and will talk to you next week.

Elder Reinhold

I thought this was cool.  It is the famous Mayan warrior,Tecun Uman.
I don't know how it is spelled but he died in Xela.

Letter for Cousin's Baptism and Other Random Events...

Big trench all dug by hand.

July 28, 2014


Hey Family First I just wanted to put a copy of the letter that I wrote to my aunt for my cousin's baptism.

Hey everyone,

For those of you who don't know me I am Elder Reinhold. I am currently serving in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango mission (The Mountains of Guatemala) I am going to be returning home in October. I am a cousin of Carter. First of all it is just so weird that Carter is going to be baptized... when I left he seemed like a little kid and now he is growing up. Well I would love to be there but I will have to settle for pictures. I just want to say the sometimes in Utah we take our baptism for granted. Its just another step in our lives like starting kindergarten or getting a drivers license. That's all it was for me before I arrived in the mission. Once I arrived in the mission I figured out that baptism is the best thing that I have to offer to the people of Guatemala. Money is temporary, food is temporary, my friendship is temporary even relationships in the church are temporary but baptism and reception of the holy ghost is something that will open the gates of heaven for them, all of the poverty and sicknesses that they have here will be the last thing on their mind. Carter remember this day for the rest of your life. I still remember the day of my baptism. This is the most important thing you can do right now. You have great parents who have guided you to the right path now you just have to keep on the good path. I love you man and cant wait to see you in 3 months. Love you guys so much.

Elder Reinhold

Well this week went by really fast. The weeks just feel like days, I'm serious.  It's crazy. This week was really just an average week. Well the week did start out pretty good. We finally entered into the chuj. It was just like a sauna but you are just constantly pouring water over yourself to wash the sweat off. (Yummy.) All was going well in the chuj until one of the kids with us threw a bucket of water on the hot rocks and it was a steam explosion... every body ran out of the chuj as fast as they could but I just put my hands over my face and prayed. Let's just say it hurt, but it was worth it. We are going to try to do the chuj every week it is actually really nice. You feel so clean after.

This is a tradition that they have here. This is one of the giants. This one is actually really small. I saw a couple that were probably 12 to 14 feet tall. The game is that the kids run and the giants have to hit them with the stick they have attached to their arm. Every year at least a few kids leave with bloody faces. This week for p day we went and did a zipline.  It all went good other that one of the new sisters in our zone fainted on the zipline but don't worry, she's fine.

I love wearing the hat in town I just have like an instant connection with the good ole boys here. I am so thankful to be in the mission and "Thank God I'm a (Wannabe) Country Boy." John Denver emphasis added... well talk to you next week.

Wannabe Country Boy,
Big Ole

P.S.  Got the hat, still looking for the boots...