Hola!!

Hi guys, thanks for the emails!  I finally got my backpack.... THANK YOU!  I have no idea why they all say to bring a side bag because backpacks are soooo much better.  My back thanks you, mom.  Plus, that candy is pretty much gold.  Its pretty much gone, but chocolate here is worth its weight in gold.  Thanks!  Dad, glad you are doing better.  The flu is nasty!  Luckily I havent really gotten sick yet, even though I probably should!  I know the Lord blesses us.

Well, Elder Andy is back haha.  Apparently after we had changes, he went to another mountain for 6 weeks.  He complained, so he got put in another mountain for 4 weeks.  This week he got put with the zone leaders here in my zone... poor guy.  I hope hes doing ok.

My comp is doing alright, I have learned a lot from him.  Hes kind of like Trevor, a Trevor from Peru. 

Im about to finish my 5th change as a missionary!  Ive been thinking about all that Ive experienced here and have been able to accomplish.

For the past 6 months Ive done more service than ever.  Cutting wood, picking corn, painting houses, washing dogs, and teaching english are just a couple of the things Ive done here.  Its amazing how service can open up peoples hearts.  Sometimes we feel busy, but if we slow down a little and serve, we will be a lot happier!

Ive also taught a lot of lessons.  Teaching less actives, inactives, and investigators is all part of the work.  A lot of people dont listen, well maybe they listen but dont exactly understand.  Teaching so others understand is vital.  It takes a lot of work and obedience, but most importantly it takes the Spirit to teach well.  If we teach well, we can change lives!

These are just a few of the things Ive been thinking about.  This week started a little slow, but in the end, like always, some great things happened.  We found a family, a new family from Guatemala City.  The dad was babtized, but went inactive.  His wife and daughter arent members but are really receptive.  We are doing a family home evening with them tonight, I feel that we can help them a lot!

I keep feeling the Lord guide our steps every day.  Sometimes our appointments fall, then our backup plans fall too.  Then we just look around, talk with someone, and pretty much always get a return appointment.  If we are worthy of the Spirit, He will guide us to those who are prepared!  I love you all and I love the work!

I love you guys, thanks for everything you do.  Keep on being awesome!

 

 

Downtown San Mateo

Our Area-It's really pretty

Travel Guatemala style

My companion, Elder Yataco holding a turkey

 

HOLA!!

Hey everyone, another week down!  Its crazy just how fast the time starts to fly.  This week was a little crazy.  Tuesday night we were at a house when the sister missionaries called us.  "Run Elders to Sister Sontays house!"  they said so we started sprinting.  There is a widow in our ward who has diabetes and the sisters went to visit her.  She had like a diabetic attack or something and was in pretty bad shape.  We gave her a blessing, she went to the hospital, and luckily everything was ok.  Still, a little bit of a shock!

Well, this week was a little hard.  It seems like we are cursed right now haha.  Whenever we go to an appointment, the people arent there.  We missed like 2 appointments due to time and now those people are mad at us... Sometimes my companion doesnt quite sense what time it is which is kind of hard.  Other than that, it was a pretty good week because we had a BABTISM! 

Ok, so theres this lady named Martha Julia in our branch.  She went inactive for like 3 years and didnt want anything with the church.  Within the past 3 months, she started returning to church and asked us to babtize her son Jose.  We taught the both of them and this Saturday held the baptism.  I forgot how good it felt to babtize someone, its so awesome and a great blessing for everyone.  The service was great and afterward we had some yummy cake

There are changes in the next 2 weeks and our president is thinking of closing one of the areas here in San Mateo.  Its been pretty hard finding people to teach here, but I have learned a lot so far.  My mission is slowly becoming who I am.  I love serving, preaching, and working to save as many as I can.  Adios!

La Obra y Mi Semana

The work continues here in San Mateo!  We entered a lot of houses this week and found a couple of cool investigators.  Its amazing to me how the Spirit guides us.  Sometimes if an appointment falls we look around and think, "Well, what now?" But almost always there will be someone sitting around us and after talking to us they invite us to come by.  The Spirit, that's all you need to be successful in missionary work!

Well, this week on of our best investigators got kind of mad at us.  We invited him to play soccer with the members at 7 in the chapel.  The thing is, the members never showed up!  Then, when they came at 830, they didn't invite him to play.  That was kind of a bummer for us this week.  

Something great did happen this week.  Pamela, a lady who was inactive for like 3 years, came to church with us.  She also brought here 3 little girls and told us after church something cool.  "Elders, you need to come teach my husband this week!  He needs a little help but will be baptised for sure!"  I'm really excited to teach him, one day this family can be sealed in the temple!  We also had like 30 less actives attend church, which is just amazing to me.  

The way God works wonders always surprises me.  Sometimes we feel that all is lost, that we should give up.  In a second, in a quick gesture of love He changes everything.  If we get closer to Him, He showers us with blessings and with His love. That doesn't

 

                                                             Overlooking San Mateo

                                            Sometimes our Ward Mission Leader drives us!

                                                                            San Mateo

                                                                             The Car!!

 

mean there wont be trails, because a life without trials wouldn't be worth living.  Through the trials, like Nephi breaking his bow, the persecution of the saints, and every other little thing, we grow.  We learn to root ourselves in the Gospel.  We learn to rely on the soft whispers of the Spirit rather than the loud shouts of the world.  I love the Gospel.  I love my mission, even though its hard.  Ive become a better man and have shared the Restored Gospel with many.  I love you all, keep yourselves rooted and never let go of the iron rod!

Con amor, Elder Call

Le Semana

Hey guys,

I havent written a blog email in a while so here we go!  This week was kind of like a roller coaster, but it ended on a very good note.

My companion lately has been a little sad.  He goes home pretty soon and he doesnt want to leave the mission.  I{ve been doing my best to help him out, I kind of feel bad for him but I have been praying to help him out. 

Well, this week we had divisions with the zone leaders.  Elder Navaro came here with me in San Mateo.  He is a really great elder and helped us quite a bit.  Haha it was kind of sad because our appointments, well, kind of didnt go too well.  BUT we did find a new investigator, he likes to run, learn about the bible, and talk (and talk, and talk....), hopefully we can help him progress.  

Our division went Saturday Sunday, which was something new.  That Sunday morning we tried something new.  We have like 40 members who live about 1 hour from the chapel and are inactive.  They wanted to come to church, so we had them commit to come in a free bus.  Everyone comited to come, but when we went to bring them on the bus no one came!  We had 7 people come, which is certainly better than nothing.  I really think though that having this bus will help a lot of people out. 

Sunday my companion came back to San Mateo.  We found this lady named Pamela and her family.  She was babtized but is inactive.  We taught her and she is positive that she will come to church this next week.  That was really awesome, I think reactivating people is so important because there are so many inactive people here.  We also have this family we are teaching, we did some service for them this morning and hope to bring them to church this next week.

I know the church is true.  I know missions are so important to the Lord and we serve in many different ways.  Wheter it be reactivating, babtizing, or just strengthening the ward, everything we do is helping the Lord and building the kingdom.  Missions are certainly very challenging, but so rewarding.  I love you guys, adios!

Feliz Navidad a todos!

Feliz Navidad a todos!  I cant believe we are just 3 days away from Christmas.  Last Christmas was quite a bit different haha but Im excited and ready for the 25th.  

This week Elder Duncan, the area president of central america, came and spoke to the mission.  He taught us a lot of really cool and useful things.  We talked a lot of how our mission could improve and babtize more people.  One thing he taught was to only have 25 minute lessons so we can teach more people.  Ha it was so funny, right after he said this he asked an Elder if he had an appointment that night.  The elder said yes, then Elder Duncan asked how long the appointment would be.  The elder said "An hour and a half?" haha and our mission president just shook his head and Elder Duncan had to be more clear with this elder.  I really liked another thing he said: "Lo minimo o lo maximo?  El senor quiere misioneros sin limites."  The Lord wants our best!  After the meeting they gave us some honey glazed ham... that is some good stuff.

When I got here to San Mateo, there werent any investigators.  I kind of figured that the other elders werent really doing too much and, after talking to a few of them at the meeting with Elder Duncan, I figured correctly... At least now we have a few investigators, we are even teaching two families.  Work ethic is a problem in our mission and Elder Duncan made sure everybody knew it.  Nevertheless, I feel like my companion and I are doing the best we can with what we have got. Everyday we are learning more, getting better, growing, and doing our best.  

Final thing... Christmas is coming!  There have been a lot of concerts, parades, and parties all week here, its kind of crazy.  My companion tells me the 24th at midnight everyone goes into the street and lights firecrackers... yay!  Its kind of different being away from home but Im excited.  Ive been reading a lot in the New Testament this past week and challenge you all to do the same.  Remember why we have Christmas, have a good week!  

5 months in Guate!

Hey guys, this week I will have been here in Guatemala for 5 months.  Crazy how fast the time goes!

This was a pretty good week.  We taught quite a bit and looked for new investigators.  Mission work is, well, a lot of work!  I enjoy every day and love being here.  San Mateo is a beautiful area with amazing members.  Its tough to find investigators but there are quite a few people here and I love talking to everyone.  

This week we taught 7th Day Adventists and Jehovahs Witnesses.  These people are usuallly really nice but, whew, though!  Through being friends with them, regardless of what happens, we can plant a lot of seeds for future misisonaries and, hopefully, help some come to the Gospel. 

This Sunday was the Christmas Devotional, but the internet in the Chapel died half way through.  I feel kind of bad for the sisters because they had an investigator with them and once the interenet died he wanted to leave!  We had a less active member with us and, even though the internet went out, we still had a really good time.

Ive been reading from the New Testament a lot lately.  Its really cool to learn about the life of Christ and all the things He did.  A lot of people called Him crazy and possessed, but He only ever tried to help people.  As missionaries, some of the people make fun of us or say bad things but we are just trying to helpe the people here.  I love being here in San Mateo, the members are super awesome and always help us out.  Adios!

Hello San Mateo!!

Hey guys!  Well, this week was absolutely insane!  I had my first change this week.  We woke up at 330 to catch a bus to the changes so we got there a little tired.  Anyway, my old companion went to open an area in Huehuetenango in a super far away aldea haha poor guy...  My new area is called San Mateo and, well, lets just say its a huge improvement haha.  We are about 15 minutes from the temple, we are just a little sub urb of Xela.  

I like it here a lot!  The members here are really, really nice.  This area is one of the more wealthier areas in the mission, so we have a lunch schedule for every single day which is super awesome.  We share this area with two sisters which... well... yeah   Just kidding, they are both from Mexico and they help us a little and we help them a little.  Oh, this area is pretty much the evangalist capital of the world.  These guys, what the, only one word... duro!  They go to church 5, yes, 5 days a week.  And a lot even go 6.  That will definitely be a challenge for us here, these guys are something else I tell you what...

Nevertheless, Im doing a lot better here.  Our house is super nice and Ive been eating healthier and better food.  A lot of these guys here in Xela dont know how nice they have it.  My companion, Elder Yataco, does because he has been in 4 of the hardest, most mountainous areas in the mission!  He is 25, from Peru, and knows a TON of scriptures.  I like him a lot better than my other comp, hes a lot nicer and will actually listen to me.

The other day we were at an investigators house to show them a video.  Near the end, they handed both of us a huge cup of coffee... Oh geez haha we just put it on the floor and after the prayer quickly left.  Thats about it from here, we are working a lot more here but its going to be hard.  Im ready to get stuff done!

Attachments area

Heading out of Choqui in the back of a truck!!  This is how you travel in the moutains! 

Guatemalan Fish Fry!

My bed on the left

A map of San Mateo

My house is the pink one on the left-really nice place!

My street

The bus to ride around town

I opened my Christmas package early-love it!!