2014-09-29 All is Well Here in Zion

Hey guys, well all is well here in zion... haha everything is going great and we are getting work done.  This past week was kinda bad because we had so much activities and stuff to do.  On Tuesday we went to the temple as a zone and did a session, and on Thursday we had interviews with president Crapo.  Everything went well and I really like President and Hermana Crapo.  It is always different from President and Hermana Watts, but It is good nonetheless.  I am really enjoying my time with my comp. because I can see growth in him as well as myself.  We test and help each other learn and in the lessons we do well together.  For example last night we entered the house at 9, gave the weekly information to the District leader and planned until 930.  From 930 we were just talking about deep doctrine in our room, looking up scriptures together and explaining things that he had questions about.  Haha we were so wrapped up in the books and the conversation, that we looked at the time and it was 1130 at night by the time we finished talking.  It is good though.

This coming week we plan on having a baptism on Sunday before General Conference starts.  I am pretty excited to be able to listen to General Conference again... seems like just yesterday that I was in Alameda 6 months ago listening to it. Time just flies.  When I think about it, the mission is so short, and we have to enjoy and work every minute that we can.  We only get out as much as we put in.  I finished the Book of Mormon for the 4th time in the mission yesterday, and as I sat there thinking about it, I thought about the word Legacy.  What we do now, how we act, will all leave an imprint on our legacy.  We need to live each moment chasing our legacy so that our children, and our grandchildren, and all the people that we meet in life will have only good things to say about me when I am dead and gone.  

Well, have a good week! have fun and be safe, I love you guys!

2014-09-23 Email: Continuing to Work Hard

09/15/14

Another week down here in the mission and time just keeps going so fast... but this past week was great.  We worked really hard and have been finding people to teach.  This coming week we are preparing for 2 baptisms of G and D.  So hopefully those do not fall through.

I love my time with my companion.  He is learning still and it was funny because on Tuesday he tried to teach the whole lesson by himself instead of both of us taking turns.  He said "my comp and I in the CCM had so much success" so after the visit I told him, "okay I will follow your lead for the day and show me what you learned in the CCM".  So we walked around for 2 hours doing nothing.  And so I finally said "are you ready to learn?”, and then we started to work as a team.  It is all good.  Sometimes instead of contending you just have to swallow your pride and let the other person learn on their own.  

These last two weeks I have really been trying to be the role model that I need to be.  I know that example is the key and that I have to set the standard for the companionship.

Funny story though... we were contacting, and we went down this street and there was a kid sweeping in the front of his house.  I contacted him and asked if we could talk to his parents.  So his dad lets us in and starts talking sooo much.  Come to find out that he is a witch doctor.  He told us that 30 years ago, he apparently died and was dead for 11 days.  He said he went to hell and was tortured by a lobster with 4 feet and he made a contract with Satan.  He said that he knows how to do black magic, white magic, red magic, etc.  He also said that he knows how to cast out demons.  So we just sat there and just listened.  When he was talking about how he was tortured by a four legged lobster I was just laughing inside.  He told us we need to work together because the forces of the Mormons and his black magic can repel the forces of evil... haha oh well.  Crazy stuff happens every day.

I am enjoying my time here and I will continue to work hard.  I love you guys and have a good week!

09/23/14

Hey guys another week down here in La Leyenda.  This past week was hectic but really good.  We got a lot of work done.  We had 2 baptisms this past week for D and G.  D is the daughter of D.  After J’s baptism, she started coming to church more often and soon after told us that she wanted to be baptized.  G is the daughter of R.  R is trying to bring her daughters to come live with her because she is separated from her husband for some problems.  So G was the first of the daughters to come live with her.  We started teaching her a few weeks ago and she decided to get baptized.  They are both really great and it is really satisfying to me to see the progress and the way the gospel changes and blesses families and their lives.

This past week one of the problems that we have been facing is finding more people to teach.  Haha this area is pretty small and it seems like I have talked to all the people here, and everyone knows me.  As I walk in the street with my companion, all the little kids call out "Chino!" because supposedly I look Chinese or Asian because of my eyes.  But it is all good.  Finding new people to teach is like the lifeblood of the work.  If we stop or cannot find, the success gets cut because without people to teach, or without that blood flow, we cannot progress. 

I guess you could apply that in life too, for example, if we do not study or we stop studying, our knowledge and growth stops.  And in life, we need to know the basics before we can progress to a higher level.  We cannot expect to know 4 plus 4 if we do not know 1 plus 1 first.

All in all great week! I am enjoying it here and I hope you all have a good week! Love you guys!

 

 

2014-09-08 Email: I Love Being a Missionary!

Hey guys, how is everything?  This week went super and I am having a lot of fun!  My new companion and my son is Elder A from Honduras.  On Tuesday, we went to changes to receive my companion.  He entered the field on Tuesday and he is really good.   He is kind of timid and I am trying to change that, and was a little unsure about me the first day, we went out to work like normal.  He is really great, knows the doctrine, and is obedient.  He likes to work and we are able to get good things done here in the area.  Just small course adjustments in his teaching and habits and he will be a great missionary.  Haha one of the first things he said when he walked into the house for the first time was "this house is dirty!"  Haha and I thought it was clean enough.  We spent 3 hours cleaning the house a day before he came and that was not enough and we need to clean more.  We just don’t have time to clean the house. So this whole week he was complaining about the house, and about how much walking we did.

This past week we taught a lot people.  I am enjoying my work and training my son.  I am getting better and growing immensely.  I have been trying to work harder, trying to feel and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost even more.  We have had powerful lessons this past week and we are hoping to have some baptisms this month.  One of the lessons that we had was with a guy that didn't believe in God.  We found him 2 weeks ago and he did not have a belief in God or anything.  We are seeing a lot of progress with him and he is starting to accept and practice the things we are teaching him.  We shared with him the story of King Lamoni and how he wanted to know God and how he seek out to know the truth.  Our investigator is listening to our lessons and is experimenting on our words and he is doing well and is progressing.

I love being a missionary.  Sorry, I don’t have much to say.  This week went by really fast and I can’t remember much but just working our best here.  Have fun and I love you all!

 

Ice Cream Anyone?

2014-09-01 Email: Great Responsibility Coming With a New Missionary.

Hey guys another week down here in beautiful Guatemala!  We just received the changes last night.  Seems like my companion is leaving the area and going somewhere else.

I am going to be giving birth to my first son tomorrow!  That means, I am going to be training a greenie and I will receive him tomorrow at changes.  I feel kind of overwhelmed.   I am going to be able to shape and help another missionary for the rest of his mission.  But it is all good.  I know that the changes are inspired from God.  And that who ever my companion will be, and where I am serving, is the will of the Lord.  I hope and pray that I will be able to do well, and do some good with my kid.  I was surprised because I thought that I would be going.   Most of the members thought that I was leaving the area... but I guess not.  I have to work hard and throw fire here!

Yesterday, we had another baptism for R, a 43 years old lady.  Elder Moss and I found her near the end of the last change, and she is another person that was just prepared to change and hear the gospel.  When we contacted her she had just moved from the coast to our area, and she just split up with her husband because he abused her and her daughters, and cheated on her.  We were able to see a great change of heart.  At the beginning, she doubted God and Jesus Christ because she felt like they let her down.  She said that she could not change and would not change because of what was going on in her life and did want to accept the gospel.

But we struggled and worked with her this whole month, we encouraged her to pray for help and answer.   Then one day she did.  She told us that she received her answer and that one night when she was laying in her bed praying she had an overwhelming feeling that she knew our message and the church was true and that to be baptized was the right thing to do.  So she has been coming to church.  This past Sunday she came to stake conference, and after we had a little meeting, we just helped her to know that she was ready, and we testified that today was the day of her salvation, and a time to change.  She accepted at 2pm and was baptized at 7pm.  It was so great to see the change of heart and I am super happy.

I thank God everyday for the opportunity to be here in the mission, to help others change, and see change in myself and in my testimony.  I love the gospel and I love it here.

Have a great week!  I love you guys and I will talk to you next week!