Things are good!

As you can probably tell by the title of this letter, things actually improved quite a bit for us this week!  We have been working like crazy lately, not necessarily with a ton of appointments but rather looking for positive people.  To do so, we took members with us 6 out of 7 days, and some days we went with 4 different members.  I feel like Im working more than I ever have in my whole mission and I can see a lot of great blessings in both my life and in our area.

This week we went to visit a guy named Jorge, who is extremly Evangelico but he always recieves us and is reading the Book of Mormon.  We walked into his little workshop, where he was fixing something while listening to some Pastor "preaching" on Youtube.  I could feel that there was a really bad spirit present, I dont like it when these "Pastors" take the Lords name in vain and, as we say in spanish, "estafan" a lot of people.  Anyway, I felt inspired to put on a video by Jeffery R. Holland where he bears his testimony about the Book of Mormon.  I kid you not, the Spirit of the entire room changed and we could all feel a much greater power in the little workshop.  Even with this Spirit, Jorge went on a rant for about 25 minutes about how, apparently, Jospeh Smith WAS a prophet and that the Book of Mormon IS true, but that he would never come to our church.  Moral of the story: Satan sure likes to make everyone super confused!

We went to a part of our area this week called "148", which is a little bit far but we found that the people speak spanish fairly well and also speak Quiche.  We found a lot of people that had never seen missionaries before, so I think it might actually be a good idea to put a pair of missionaries there.  

We set a babtism date with a guy named Eduardo this week.  He listened to missionaries in the past, but kept falling in his addiction to alcohol and was also living with a girl though they werent married.  He said he could come to church this next week, but we are a little bit confused because it appears that he may be living with his girlfriend again.  I have a good feeling that he can change and be a powerful influence here in Barrio Xeroxon.

This week we had another miracle.  Saturday was a really rough day, we went from appointment to appointment and nearly every single one fell through.  We were pretty disanimated, and both me and my companion were thinking about maybe just giving up.  We felt inspired to go visit a family of some members who had given us some references, and they decieded to go contact with us at 825, which is really late here.  Anyway, we invited both families to church and guess what?  One of them actually came!  Thats a really huge miracle for us because everyone here is super fanatic about church and religion.  We have a lesson planned with them on Tuesday, so thats something really exciting for me.  

Personally, I feel that things are going pretty well.  I kind of feel like Im in my prime as far as missionary work goes, I also feel a much stronger spirit with me at all times.  Work, work, work really is key to missionary work.  By working effeciently with our members like we have been doing here, I think my district would improve a ton and we would be doing what the Lord wants us to do.  All is well down here in Guate, Love you all!!!

Elder Call goes to an entirely different planet!

Haha I think the title of this letter explains a lot!  Monday night I said my final goodbyes to everyone in Brasilia and Tuesday morning we headed to changes.  My new area is called Xeroxon (try saying that one 3 times fast) in a little city called Nahuala.  

Have you ever seen grown men wearing skirts?  Or how about entire families bathing together in a little brick hut?  Well, come on down to Nahuala!  Everyone here speaks Quiche, in fact, there are very few people who speak spanish very well.  Sometimes missionaries call this "Mission Nahuala" because the culture, climate, everything is just so incredibly different.  Speaking of climate, it gets really cold here!  I dont think it will snow but apparently next month the lows will be freezing or below.  The mission work, due to all these factors, has been struggling for a long time.  We have to use members to try translating for us because if not no one understands.  Its an entirely different world here, lots of changes.  

My new companion is a really good guy from Yucatan, Mexico.  Waiting to see who your new companion is can be a little stressful, but Im glad that the Lord put me with my comanion Elder Kauil.  Hes a great worker, maybe a little bit disanimated due to the lack of success in this area but hes an awesome guy.  We have done a lot of careful planning and hope to elevate our ward here.  I dont think it should really be a ward because we dont have a bishop, or councilors, or a mission leader, etc.  There are about 100 people that come each week, but most are women and children.  One of the stake councilors is in charge of our ward right now, lets just say that there is a lot of disorganization.  

Thats about it for this week, these past few days everyone has been celebrating "Dia de los muertos" so its been really difficult having lessons.  Im still trying to absorb everything and I want to know our area a lot better.  I love you all!!!

Stake Conference!

Hey guys, this week went well!  So last Monday we went and contacted a guy named Melvyn.  At first he didnt seem too positive, but when we went back with him he had read and really liked the Book of Mormon.  Hes an 18 year old that doesnt go to any church, though his family is Evangelico.  My comp and I came to a conclusión this week: we need to start teaching more families!  Its good to teach individuals, but the Gospel is designed for eternal families.  We tried to be friends with Melvyns mom this week, she even gave us some lemonade ☺.  We plan on working with Melvyns family this week, it may be a little challenging but we can do it!

We were a little bit bummed because Sandra, who had a babtism date, wasnt babtized.  We decided to try teaching the Gospel to her dad, which was very interesting.  They live pretty far up in the mountain, but we hiked up to their house and knocked the door.  Her dad was fixing a watch or something but invited us in.  He had another friend there, who joined in on the lesson.  We taught the Resturation clearly and thouroughly, and in the end asked if there were any questions.  The "friend" stood up and started attacking everything we said, even though we showed him that everything we teach is Biblical.  He turned to Sandras dad, who was really convinced about what we had taught, and yelled, "Tell them to never teach Sandra again!"  Sandras dad just looked at the ground and grunted, then after a moment the friend stormed off.  This week we plan on working with the entire family and we are praying that all goes well.  

Our stake conference was excellent!  Elder Cesar Vasquez, an area seventy and mission president here in Quetzaltenango about 8 years ago, came and talked to us.  President Smith also came, so it was a really spiritual meeting.  I liked how Elder Vasquez talked about perfection, how we should always strive, "to be the best in whatever we do."  The Spirit was incredibly strong in the two sessions we atended.  The best thing is that Ever and Roxana, a family we have been teaching, came on Sunday, which is their 3rd time coming to church!  

At the end of the conference, my convert Carlos was given the Melquesidec priesthood, which was a huge step for him.  After the conference we passed by his house.  He was sitting outside with his kids at a little desk with a pen in his left hand and a paper filled with "C"s and "D"s.  "What are you doing?" we asked him.  "Im learning how to write.  Now that I have the priesthood, I need to learn more and be a better dad."  It was a really tender moment, I have been really impressed by his humility and the great change Ive seen.  

Thats about all that happened this week, I know the church is true!  I know the Spirit will guide us if we are worthy and seek its presence.  I love the scriptures and know we can learn so much if we will humble ourselves and study.  Nos vemos!

Hello!!

Hey guys, this week went well!  First off, we had a multizone conference with President Smith.  We talked about on how we can help the church here in Guatemala grow.  For the last few years, at least here in Huehue, there have been babtisms but the church attendences havent really been going up.  We talked about working with our members and inviting them to help in the work.  A big thing that maybe we havent been doing too well is family history!  After this meeting, we are definitely going to focus a lot more on helping our converts and members understand family history so they can go to the temple.

This week went well for us, we have been working a lot with a girl named Sandra.  She works in a store right in front of the church, but she wasnt progressing for a long time.  This week she finally talked to her dad, and he gave her permission to come to church!  He also wanted to talk with us, so we are hoping that we can also start teaching him as well.  

This week we were walking when we saw a couple trying to carry a bed.  We offered to help, they accepted, then we talked with them for a while.  They are brand new here and super positive!  They have been looking for spiritual guidance and dont go to any church.  When I was on divisions my comp talked with them and they said they would come to church.  We were really bummed when they didnt come to sacrament meeting.  During our class our bishop stuck his head in and said, "Elders, there is a family looking for you!"  They came!  They really enjoyed church, Im excited to start working with them.  Miricales still happen!

I have some news... Eduardo babtized his daughter this week!  They are still on track to being sealed in the temple, which is really special to me.  His conversion inspires me to keep searching for families and helping them understand the gospel.  I love the work, know its true, and love all of you!

We did it!

Hey guys, well, we did it!  Carlos finally got babtized on Saturday and it was such an awesome experience.  The Spirit was strong, this family has come so far in their progress so far and it will be exciting to see them keep progressing.  In his interview with President Smith, Carlos says his next goal is to get sealed in the temple with his family.  This whole experience has taught me that miracles still exist, that God still loves us.  Through helping this wonderful family many lives will be blessed through their service and testimonies. What a great way to finish off this change!

Speaking of changes... my companion has changes tomorrow!  It was super unexpected to me, but Heavenly Father sure has taught me a lesson.  It doesnt matter where I am, who Im with, or if Im a leader or not.  Im here to do whatever Heavenly Father wants me to do.  I will do my best to work hard and to learn as much as I can.  By the end of this next change I will have been a district leader for 6 months in the same area with 3 different companions, Im excited to make this next change the best one yet!

We have been teaching this 19 year old named Christian, he finally came to church yesterday!  The only challenge with him is that he is a little, well, lets just say he has some strange ideas.  We were talking about how God loves us and God wants us to have families.  We asked, "Christian, would you like to have a happy family?"  He responded, "Yeah, actually I want to have 2 families, 2 wives."  Haha we thought he was joking but it didnt really sound like it!  Christian needs a lot of help but hopefully he comes around, we will keep working with him!

I would just like to finish this letter with my testimony.  This is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know it, and knowing it has helped me change into a better person.  I know that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet, that he actually did restore this wonderful Gospel.  A year of prayer, fasting, experiences, and personal revelation have combined to give me a strong testimony.  Every day I feel the Holy Ghost working through me, which is something that sadly didnt happen before my mission.  I feel more confident, more love, and happier.  My mind and thoughts are cleaner. I dont have as much anxiety as I did before.  I can testify that the Spirit exsists and we can have its company if we try seperating ourselves a little bit from the world.  We need to avoid distractions, we need to repent and keep in mind why we are here on this planet.  I guess Im a living testament of somebody that has completely changed, so never give up on your goals or ambitions.  President Hinkley once said, "Your best is good enough," so lets do our best to strenghten our testimonies and to be happier. Lets trust in our Savior!  I know he will help us out.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Call.

The week!

Hey everyone!  To be honest, there were quite a few distractions this week.  Some of you probably know that there were elections this week, which is a really big deal here. A lot of people were working extra hard to make sure that their political party won or protesting, which meant not a lot of people in their houses!  On top of that, my companion got sick because he ate 4 fried tacos from my convert Israel haha his food is not very clean.  In spite of all the challenges, we focused on the good and did our best. 

Carlos was supposed to be babtized this week, but due to some protesting President Smith decided not to come to Huehue.  Its been kind of hard for both me and my companion to wait so long, but I guess this experience is teaching us ´pacience.  Manuel and his family continue to do well, they couldnt come to church because they had to go vote in a village far away but promised to come next Sunday.  We worked this week with a little boy named Alex, who is super cool but his whole family is Catholic.  We recieved permision from the grandpa, mom, grandma etc. but something strange happened when we passed by to teach him.  His aunt decided to join in on the lesson and I could tell that there was a bad spirit present.  We will have to keep working with Alex, but I have faith that he can be babtized.  We have some new people lined up to teach this coming week, so I hope some of them are positive!

I think some advice I would give for anyone called to the Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, mission would to bring waterproof everything!  Though it hasnt rained too much this season, there will be times when we are super far away in the mountain and it will start dumping rain haha. My companion always says that this is the Rambo mission because of all the mountains, crazy languages, rain, etc...  Speaking of my comp, things have been going well between us.  Hes a great guy, its kind of funny to me because even though he is from Peru he is pretty much a Gringo.  He has seen tons of movies, likes longboarding, used to be in the Peruvian military, loves pizza, we relate to each other well and it makes mission work a lot more fun.  This next week is the last one of the change, so we will see if I have changes or not.  Either way, Ive enjoyed training my companion and in a lot of ways he has trained me.  

I would like to end with a scriptue, which I wont quote but I would like for you guys to look it up.  I love 1 Nephi 17 15, I love Nephis rock solid example of righteousness.  Do we simply "try" to keep the commandments or do we "strive" to live them?  There are so many blessings that Heavnely Father wants to dump on us, but first we must do our part.  I love the Gosepel and being here in Guatemala.  Love you all!  Que Dios les bendiga!

Hello!!

Hey family and friends, this week was a little bit crazy, sad, and happy all at the same time!

On Tuesday I did divisions with Elder Shoemaker.  Even though it was a hot day one of their members left to do visits with us for 8 hours!  We contacted all of his friends and it was really cool to hear his story.  He served a mission in Guatemala about 15 years ago and now he is a body guard for the president of Guatemala.  It was a great division and I learned a lot!

Lately we have been teaching a man named Manuel and his family.  Its the very last house in our area, about a 35 minute walk (I say walk but its more like a strenuous hike haha) up into the mountains but Im certainly glad we found these guys.  They dont go to any church and, though they may not be the smartest people, they are very humble and like listening to us.  They have a babtism date for the 3 of October so please pray for them and we will do our best to help them.

Now what you all probably wanted to know about... the babtism of Carlos.  Everything was going fine, Carlos was super excited up until the day of his enterview with one of our zone leaders.  The interview lasted and hour and, though Carlos knows everything he needs to know, there was a sin that happened a long time ago.  Our mission president just wanted to make sure he has repented, so he scheduled an interview for this Friday.  The day after the interview we passed by to talk with Carlos and he told us, "Elders, Ive made my decision that I will not be babtized."  We were wrecked!  After working for so long and helping this family so much Carlos made up his mind.  We tried responding to his doubts but still, nothing.  Anyways, the next day was Sunday and Carlos didnt come to church.  We scheduled an appointment with his wife and, after saying a prayer, I asked, "Do you guys have any questions or doubts?"  I dont know why I felt like I needed to ask that question, but, after a few moments of silence Carlos opened up, "I just wanted to ask forgiveness for what I said yesterday.  I was confused and a little angry about my interview, so I decided not to go to church anymore.  Today in my work I felt so bad that I came home early and, while I was walking, the Holy Ghost revealed to me that I need to be babtized on Saturday.  What time is my interview at?"  How cool is that?  

I testify that the Spirit is real, that God loves us and watches out for us.  Regardless of what the world says, miracles still happen and the Spirit still exsists.  In my personal study today I read 1 Nephi 4;6 which talks about how when Nephi went to retrieve the plates of brass he didnt know how he was going to do it, he only trusted in the Spirit.  Lets trust in the Spirit and try our best to be worthy of it!