Czoo-eel

Finished week 1 in Santiago! Holy cow this week was a fun one :) So much to tell! Sounds like everything is going awesome back home.

SO. Santiago! Ahh goodness it is hard to believe its already been a whole week. Thursday was Pday, we went to San Pedro! Its the village next to us, just about 40 minutes away, and it was amazing! Its just like Panajachel but with MUCH less tourists--everything calm and relaxed, I was a huge fan :D We had breakfast at a cafe up against the lake, and then went to a museum all about how the lake was formed. Very cool. Fun fact!--They actually dont know how deep Lake Atitlan is. Weird! Friday we had zone council up in Solola so that was good to see everyone again :) Saturday was normal, and then Sunday was church. The branch here is AMAZING. There are only about 100 active members but they are all so cool. Wish you could meet them! Anyways today we had district meeting in San Lucas, and then tomorrow is Pday, I think we are actually just going to explore Santiago. Love it!

I dont think I can explain to you how much i LOVE it here! It seriously is THE most beautiful place I have ever seen. And the people are so ridiculous. Patzun people were much more refined, held back, gossippy, judgmental, timid, etc etc, but the people here are none of that! Everyone Ive met has a sense of humor and they are all very down to earth, tell it like it is, always joking, its cool. :) Alot of missionaries get offended by them but I really think its loveable. And the language they speak is SIMPLY too cool, hopefully Ill be able to mimic some of it and send you a video of what it sounds like :) They never hesitate to laugh at us in the streets or throw insults, but we always throw things back and they just laugh. It keeps us entertained :D

Santiago is split into 5 or 6 little zones, and we went to one of them this week called Panabaj--too cool! Its actually like the Guatemala I pictured before the mission! Very jungly, very green, lots of exotic birds--way cool. The center of Panabaj is built like an old Necropolis, everything is grey and black stone, old monuments, and archaic plaques with the history of Panabaj--so beautiful. My companion thinks the whole city should be built like that :D The center of Santiago itself (Xechivoy, Panal, etc) is a lot like Panajachel, with cobblestone streets leading down to the lake, and a big center street for tourists, but the buildings are TALL! Almost like little skyscrapers, always 5 or 6 floors. It is too cool. And at night is my FAVORITE. Everything lit up by candles, murmuring Tzutuil it feels like something out of old Beijing, the TukTuks driving by--so awesomeeeeeeeeeeee :D

Another funny thing about Santiago is the accent. Oh wow I wish you could hear it. In Kaqchikel they adopt a lot of Spanish words and speak very slowly, but Tzutuil will have none of that. Everyone talks fast, with a lot of up and down tonations in their words, and they use abrievs for everything! My fav :D If they dont have a word for it, they just abrieviate the Spanish-- Iglesia (church) is Iglies, Porque (because) is prk, Cuarenta y cinco (45) is cuarentsanq, etc etc. Its funny to hear :)

Ahhhh wow. There is still so much to tell you! Ill have to keep you posted as the weeks go by. The scoff is WAY cool :D Its so comfy, and the cut falls about midcalf, pretty cool. Tzutuil is pronounced Tzoo (like zoo, but the beginning is kind of like how you pronounce Czar), too, and then eel. I just started ordering my scoff, Ive ordered two and I think Im going to get a third. A lot of the people here can actually make it! You just have to pick the colors. I got sandals this week in the market, they are very traditional looking and are leather--they hurt! I still have to break them in ;) We do clean our own room in the hotel, and the branch presidents wife washes our clothes, and we cook our own food :D Internet we still go to the cafes, they are everywhere :) Tzutuil is a lot like Kaqchikel, and a lot of the sounds are just like Navajo. The only learning materials we have are the class, (every night!) with native speakers, and books that other missionaries have written! Its way cool. Everyone points with their lips, but thats such a popular thing in Guatemala, its caught on everywhere! Even non indigenous :) Ive definitely become a follower! :D

Hope everyones week goes well. Cant wait to keep you posted! I am ABSOLUTELY loving it here. Hopefully I can stay a while :D Miss you and love you tons and tons. Till next week!

Tyler