2014-08-25: Determined to Work Harder

Well this week went by great.  I hit a year so that sucked, but we are continuing to work hard here.  The week went by so fast.  It seems to me that I wake up and next thing I know, I am getting ready to go back to bed.  This Thursday we had a meeting with a 70 and counselor in the area presidency named Elder Jose Alonso.  It was a really good conference and there were 4 zones there to listen and learn.  He taught a lot of things and a lot of the conference was about obedience.    

The other half of the conference was techniques and things that could help the work move faster. We have been applying the teachings that we learned.  So far, people are more willing to listen and we have stepped up our game on catching their interest.

One of the things I learned this week is diligence.  That even though we are working hard and getting things done, there are always other things we can do to be better and more diligent in the work. 

This past Saturday we had a baptism for M.  He is a great guy and I am glad that I was able to meet and teach him.  He is one of those people that were prepared to hear the gospel.  He said that the elders were trying to teach him 5 or 6 years ago but his wife was not interested at all.  But now he was ready to take the step.  The baptism went great and a member of the bishopric baptized him.

I am really enjoying the work here.  People are progressing and the work is going really well but sometimes Satan has a way to stop the work and spoil the things that are going well.  But I am determined to work harder and be better each day.

Have a good week and I love you guys!

2014-08-18 Time Just Goes So Fast!

Another week down in the mission and time just goes so fast.  I make a year this week... I can't believe that.  Haha it seems just like yesterday that I walked off the plane in the airport.  Now that I have a year, I look back and this has been the best one-year of my life.  I have never felt better than I do now, and I have never felt more satisfied than ever.  But I never thought I would be at this point.  Sometimes I sit in lessons and think "how am I doing this, sitting here teaching people that I don't even know, in a different language, and telling them to change their lives?"  haha The mission helps you grow so much! It helps you mature and learn how to live in the right way.  I hope the second year goes even better.

This past Saturday we had the baptism for G.  She was baptized by her husband J that was baptized 2 weeks ago.  It was a great experience.  It was a fight to get them baptized, and they as well as I never thought that this moment would come.  She went from a person completely opposed to the thought of us, to someone that is now looking for a calling in church and participates in all the activities.  They are such a great family.  They have goals to enter the temple one year from now, and I hope that they will be able to accomplish it.  Haha I can't stop saying how happy I am.

The rest of the week went well, and we are scrambling and just working our brains out.  I am grateful to be here in the mission because I get to see lives change and the gospel help others.  We meet so many people here that are having so much problems and troubles in their life, and it is cool because they trust a 19 year old with their problems and look for council in us.  We have another baptism lined up for a man of 64 years old named M.  His wife died 4 years ago and he is super ready and excited to take the step.  The plan of salvation caught his attention, and he has been listening for about 3 weeks now.  It is funny because last week we gave him a BOM and he sat there reading.  We went to his house for a visit on Saturday and he is already in 2nd Nephi 21 haha.  he reads more than the members... but all in all a good week. 

I love you guys, and take care!

 

 THE BEST fried chicken and french fries in Guatemala!!!

 

2014-08-11: Working Hard and Enjoying the Work.

Hey guys, another week down here in Guatemala.  This past week was a little slower than the last two, but we are still throwing fire.  Update on J is that this past Sunday he got the priesthood and we set everything up so that this coming Saturday, the 16th J will get to baptize his wife.  At first she was super negative about the church and stuff, and she would go to church with J but only for the first hour and storm off back to their house... but we asked her why did you change your mind.  And she said that in the sacrament meeting when J got the Gift of the Holy Ghost, she just felt peace, joy and a warmth.  And she says that she heard a voice that said "be baptized." and so on Tuesday when we went to their house she just said "when can I be baptized?" and so she is set up for this coming week.  It is interesting to see what the gospel does to you... J is a completely changed person, the family says that life in the house is 100% better, and that he acts more like the husband and brother that he should be.  He left with us 2 times this past week for visits THE WHOLE DAY! haha I love that guy.  

We also have another baptism lined up for the 23th for a guy named M that is 64 years old and is going really well.  I was laughing so hard and both our jaws dropped.  Because we gave him the Book of Mormon this past Tuesday, and when we returned for another visit on Thursday he was halfway through first Nefi.  It is so hard to get people to read a book other than the bible here, but he is going strong.  Gave up coffee, and once we explained the sabbath, he doesn't buy or break it in any way... everything is going well here.  

My comp. is kind of like a wildfire, and I have to contain it.  The fire is like a virus that if you give an inch of room he will consume that inch and fight for more.  I am working him like a mule.  He has a blister on his right foot that is about 3 inches in diameter on the ball of the foot. haha he was whining and complaining about walking so much and so fast, and he screamed when he got in the shower this morning because it burned.

All in all, All is well.  I love you guys, keep up the good work, take care and I love all of you!

Yeah I heard about the hurricane.  all the people here heard about it too because it was in their newspapers, and they were all asking how things would be, or if Hawaii was gonna be destroyed.  

Love you guys.  Take care.

 

Found a friend.

 

I still can't convince them to let us get around on one of these.

2014-08-04: By the Grace of God He Takes Care of Us

Hey guys, I hope everything went well this past week for all of you!  Well J got baptized the 2nd of August.  He did not go to church the week before the baptism so we decided to do a do or die lesson with him.  We went to his house on Wednesday, and just talked.  We asked him how he felt and if he felt like he was ready or willing to take the step.  He said No right off the bat and it seemed like it would be a no for sure.  My comp. bore his testimony, then I bore my testimony, and as I was sitting there talking, I was feeling SUPER sad.  Haha I care for that guy so much.  But he looked up after a few seconds of silence and said "I don't feel ready for baptism because I have hate in my heart." There is a family in the ward, and they had a son that hung out with J all his life.  They were the best of buds, and he and J would just do everything together, including decisions. He was gunned down in front of his house 6 months ago 2 houses up the street from J's house.  Since then J would go out and look for the guys that did it and everything changed, because he lost his best friend.

We all sat there in silence for a while, and D, J's brother spoke up and bore his testimony.  He said he too had to overcome hate.  He told a story about how someone beat up and almost killed his older brother.  D carried his brother home and pulled out the shotgun he kept under his bed.  He set out and searched the whole night for the guy.  He found him at about 11 at night in his house.  The guy turned out to be an old friend of D.  D said, "I put the shotgun to his forehead, and said today you die".  But just as he was about to pull the trigger, he felt a hand on his hand and a voice tell him "No".  D bore his testimony of the church and how the Holy Ghost has helped him and been the best decision he has ever made in his life.  That he had been saved from so many situations because of the love God has for him.  

J sat there and turned to us and said, "I want to be baptized".  We had the service Saturday and the confirmation Sunday.  I baptized him, and I swear and I testify that there is no sweeter or better feeling in the world than helping others.  I testify and I know that this is what it really means to live!  To see lives changed and hearts touched.  I love the mission so much.  We are working with his wife and hopefully she will enter the church with him the 16th of this month.

We are working hard here and just tearing it up.  We found 31 new people to teach and we expect to change even more here in the ward.  My comp and I are doing good, and everything is going great!

I love you guys and hope that you all have a good week!

-Elder Vincent