Dear Family,

    How´s are things going?  Things are good here.  I was sick but just for a little and am alot better now. And no i haven´t been sick my whole mission just twice.  This was my first time out of the usa being sick and on my mission i have still been more sick in the US then out of it.  I think i got sick probably from the extreme change in altitude and temperature so manytimes in one week but i really dont know.

    My new companions name is Elder Martinez.  He"s from El Salvador really close to the boarder here in Guatemala, so not to far from here.  He´s 25 and has two younger twin brothers who already served missions and his dad served in the north part of Guatemala.  

   We are still in Taxisco and are just trying to get the people to have the desire to have better lives.  We´ve just been giving service as much as we can  and setting up activities so that the people will trust us more.

   And yes mom i remember that you love me every day.  Remember i love you too.

  Thats awesome you get to go to the Jazz bulls game on thanksgiving. That should be pretty sweet. Maybe i'll be able to watch it! haha jk I can watch the bulls when i get back.  But that definately should be alot of fun.

  Im glad BYU did well and im even more happy Jared did well.  One of the hardest things about being away is im going to miss Jareds last two years and i want to watch him so bad.  He's like a brother to me.  I love him and am so glad he's doing well.

  How´s Vandy been doing?  I have a letter for Colt but just need to send it.

  So this week we went to give service, chop and carry firewood, and it was in one of the most beautiful places i have ever been in my life.   It was by a river that was pretty much roofed with tree cover.  There were little drop offs into pools of water i didn´t swim haha.  But i'll try to send you pictures so that you can see. My comp took them so there pretty good.  

  This week i also played with an iguanna or however you spell it so that was fun.

  I love you all and please let me know if i can do anything for you.  Have the best thanksgiving ever and save me the leftovers haha.  But have fun and share the gospel.

      Love,

             Elder Searle McDede Vincent

Hello Mother and All,
   How are you doing! Wow your almost really old.  Im sorry to hear about the rough week.  I had one too but nothing really phases me anymore like it use to b.c. i trust in God so much and that every trial helps me grow and is only to give me expirence and make me better.
   We had a fat rat in our apartment yesterday.  It wasn´t a little vole like back home this was a footlong rat just climbing on our door frame.  It was a sweet expeirence and when we were trying to get the rat out of our apartment im pretty sure it smiled at me haha.  I thought that might make you feel a little better about being where you are :)
    Yesterday we had changes.  My new compainon is from El Salvador only about an hour and a half from here.  He speaks really quite good english. He's been out 11 months and this is only his third area.  He seems like a good guy.  We just have to do everything we can for this area.
   I got my package from the Franz' and also you letter.  The article on Jared was awesome.  I love him.  He's such an awesome friend and im so glad hé's doing so well.  I just wish i didn´t have to miss him play.
   We had a special conference for  Guatemala and belice via satelite this sunday and it was really good.  It focused on the family.  One talk was the four pillars of a strong family. 
THEY ARE:
1. Family prayer (together morning and night)
2. Family Scriture study every day
3. Family NIght Every week
4. Paying Tithing
    I really have a testimony that these things make a difference more then almost anything else. Please try to do these things.
    So i also realized that as of now eric has particìpated in the baptisms of more people during my mission then me.  I wanted to challange you to have more as a family (in the ward, friends, byu) then me on my mission.  It may not seem possible but elder hall my district leader from portand says his ward has baptized almost every week since he left a year ago and i would love to see the work progress at home like that.  There really is so much our family and ward can do youll just need to take the steps and make it a focus.
  
    Love,
           Elder Searle Vincent
Ps i think im getting taller haha

Dear Family,

    So I saw that there is a Michael Jackson movie out now.  Thats pretty sweet.  I bet everyone was dressed up like him for Halloween! haha

    So for Christmas you could send me some colored gel pens so i have more colors to mark my scriptures with and my smaller transformers shirt.

    Also you should talk to Sine to see if he has any pictures of me from football we dont have and you should also send me pictures from this years team.

    Im going to make this a short version b.c i dont have much more time but i wanted to share an experience from this week.  As you know i prayed new people would come to church this week and to have a baptism this month in every prayer and taught the primary to do the same.  

     When we were at church there was a mentally hadicapped guy that came that we always invite to church and as i was sitting on the stand  i was thinking what a cool answer to my prayer.  He truely was a new person attending church this week and i was all smiles.  Then about half way through sacrament a family of 9 walked in who i think just moved into our branch and i was like wow that was unexpected i thought i already got an answer.  Then with 5 minutes left in sacrament a family of 5, the family with the coconuts walked in and i couldnt´help but tear up with the love i felt from the Lord and the power of prayers patience and looking for the good in everything.

     Long story short that family is inactive but has an 8 year old and i talked to her when i was teaching primary and she said she really wants to get baptized.  It wont count for a mission number but i really believe it to be an answer to my pray.  The Lord is so merciful and loving.

     I love you all!!

         Love,

               Elder searle vincent

Dear Family,
     Yeah im great  I just sent a huge email but i didn´t work.  Im sorry.  I will write you again more next week.
I wish you could have gotten it but all is well.
   Im working really hard but people dont really want to listen.  In my four weeks we still haven´t gotten an investigator to come to church except the one who already had the baptism date but i will keep working hard no matter how difficult things are.   I cant take the peoples agency but they cant stop me from trying as hard as i can either.
    I love you all.  Let me know how life things are.   Also if there is any big news in the world i need to hear.

Love Elder Searle Vincent