2014-12-15: A hectic 3 weeks

12/03/14

Well I’m sorry that I am only writing you today.  Our P-day was moved because we went to the temple.

Guess where I am at now?  You cannot believe it!  I came back to Alameda, Zone Alameda Paraiso 2.  It is the same area I was in 8 months ago (was only there for 2 weeks though), the same house, the same ward, the same members.  What?  Is this for real?... haha.  When I heard that, my heart just dropped and I was kinda salty.  I was thinking before changes, "I am okay going anywhere, except for Alameda", and the Lord saw fit to send me back.  There must be a reason why I have to come back here.

I am training again.  My companion is named Elder R from Honduras.  The elders that were here before us were both going home so they did not find or leave much for us to work with.  So this past week was just finding investigators to teach.  It was hard to change areas, and especially to come back to Alameda, but we found a few promising people.  The second time back here was a little better, I can feel that I have matured and am able to change since the first time I was here.  After leaving Palencia I was basically in depression.  But the members are great!  The first few days they all said "Have I met you before?"  Haha yeah I was here a while back but only for 2 weeks.  

All in all, it’s a good week.  I can see the difference how the days go by, and how the work moves forward if we are working hard.  I am also the District Leader.  The missionaries are great and I really like being a DL.  I get to help other missionaries with their areas, and difficulties. 

Well, have a good week.  Nothing much to say.

I love you guys... back to the concrete jungle!  Have fun, and talk to you next week!

Elder R.

12/08/14

Hey there!  This past week was kind of hectic and full of stuff. On Monday and Tuesday we worked the usual routine.  Then on Wednesday we went to Zone 15 to assist in the Temple.  It was good and we had a lot of fun as a zone.  When we were there, the lights went out halfway through and so we were sitting there until they got it up running again. 

It feels weird being one of the older missionary in the zone.  Not in age but time in the mission.  I see all these new missionaries coming in and it reminded me that I was like them a few months ago, new and learning how things work in the mission.  I feel privileged to be able to help other missionaries on their journey in the mission. 

My district is doing good.  We put a goal to find 18 new investigators this week for each area, and we all found 18 and more.  It is very good.

I am adjusting well and loving the area.  The members are super cool and loving.  I’m very happy how things are turning out here.  Everything is just going well.

We had interviews with president, his wife, and the assistants this past Friday.  It is always refreshing to see them.  I feel like each of my presidents have different attributes and ways of running things, and I am just loving the mission right now.

Right now we are finding and trying to get the cycle rolling.  It is like an electric elevator and escalator.  We find people to teach, focus on them, and then they either get baptized or some just seem to be not interested to listen so we go back to the cycle of finding new people to teach.  But we have been trying to work on an escalator approach where we are constantly finding, and helping those that we find to reach the top. 

This past week it has been really foggy.  Sometimes you can’t even see 25 yards in front of you especially in the morning.

This week, I was reading Lehi’s dream in 1 Nephi chapter 8.  It talks about the mists of darkness, temptation, etc.  And so I was thinking about the mists of darkness that Lehi saw.  If we think about it, a mist can enter everywhere.  It can enter under the doors, in the windows, and can even enter in through the smallest cracks.  It can enter in our lungs and body when we breathe it in.  Well, Satan is like the mists, that if we are not careful, we can easily let him in our houses, and our being.  Satan is always ready to temp us or lure us into bad things.  Then if we let Satan in, the room to fall is everywhere.  But it is up to us to be strong and not follow or let the mist (Satan) get to us.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is our spiritual Gas masks.  The gas mask filters the mist to help us remain strong and healthy.  The gas mask help us to not give in to Satan’s temptations.

I reread the talk by Ballard about the boat, life vest, and holding on, and I know that that is true.  I am grateful for the gospel and the opportunity to be on a mission.  I am so happy.

Have a good week, I love you guys!  Stay strong, and use your Gas mask! :)

12/15/14

Wow, sounds like you had a really great week. 

This past week was great and we got a lot of work done. We are working our hardest here trying to get things up and running.  Our hard work paid off!  We reported numbers that I have not reported in a long time.  We had 24 lessons with members, 18 new investigators, and a baptism!  (I forgot to bring the memory from the camera, so you will have to wait until next week for the pictures)

The baptism was this past Saturday for a guy named JP.  He is 15 years old and we found him the first week I was here in the area.  He has a really broken family, and grew up all his life without a father.  His mom and the rest of the family are alcoholics, but he has a cousin that is a member.  He really have great desire to change and he wants to be the example for his family.  The baptismal service was really great and spiritual.  The family assisted and they told us they wanted us to stop by this week, so we will see how that goes.

I feel really satisfied.  I don't know why, but I am at peace right now.  The mission is so amazing and I love every bit of it.  I continue to grow and learn everyday.  I get satisfaction knowing that we get to help a lot of people all the time.

Yesterday we were working and not really having success.  We put the goal of 5 new baptismal dates with the investigators for the week, and we had only 4.  It was already getting dark, and so we were scrambling to make the goal.  We sat and thought, and we decided to go visit an investigator that was not progressing, smokes and has a whole bunch of problems.  We got to his house, and when he opened the door, he had a huge scab on the side of his face.  Come to find out he was beaten up, and robbed.  So we start teaching, and had a really spiritual lesson.  We told him if he wants change and to come closer to God he needed to be baptized.  And he accepted.  I love this work and I know that there are people, brothers and sisters of ours waiting and ready for this message.

Christmas is coming and everyone is busy preparing.  There are lights outs and I can hardly believe that about a year ago, I was fresh out of the box as a missionary.

Haha Elijah is using my jersey, sleeve, bat... haha just kidding, you look good Elijah.  (I can't believe that helmet still fits you...) and First chair! You must be pretty good :)   I have a photo in a Santa suit too... I just forgot the camera today.  I will send it next week.

Well I love you guys, have a great week!

2014-11-24 Blessed to Work in la Leyenda

Hey guys another week down and I am getting transferred from La Leyenda!

This past week has been kind of slow and sad because I felt it coming from the start.  But we visited and helped those that needed the visits.  Yesterday I started saying goodbye and today we are going to go back to the area and finish up.  I loved this area.  I loved every moment and day that I spent here.  I may have a transfer, but I will never forget the memories and moments that I have had here.  I feel so privileged to be able to work here in this part of the Lord's vineyard.  I feel satisfied to have been able to help others on their path back to our Heavenly Father.

The father of the familia O gave me a gift, a book.  He knows and understands how to read English, and so he collects books in English.  He gave me the book "The five people you meet in heaven"  I remember reading the book a few years back and one of the messages that I remember that stuck out to me in this book, is the message that all of us are connected.  There are no mistakes, and that a small touch or ripple in someone's life can extend into the eternities.  I have enjoyed my time here, and I hope I have been able to make at least a small ripple in the people that I have met here.

Les quiero mucho, y espero que tengan una buena semana!  Muchas veces pienso en el tiempo, y cuan rapido es.  Hace un año, yo solo tenia 3 meses aqui en Guatemala, ahora tengo 15.  Pues, sean feliz, hagan sus oraciones, y les quiero!

Translation: I love them, and hope you have a good week ! I often think the time, and how fast it is. A year ago, I was only three months here in Guatemala , now I have 15. So, be happy, do your prayers and I love them!

2014-11-10 & 17: The gospel of Jesus Christ does change lives

11/17/14

Another week down here in the mission and it is week six of the change... I feel like I am getting changed next week.  I am 99% certain that I will get changed.

I have been working this past week like a dog trying not to leave any regrets, but I have this sadness starting to build up thinking about leaving.  Nevertheless we had a good week.  We are trying to work more with the members and trying to get them excited and more involved in the work.  I realized that I am going.  It’s going to be hard to leave this area.  The elders will only be here for a short amount of time, and in order for the change and progress you made with someone in the area to continue, the ward and members need to pick it up and there should be a smooth handoff.

One of the things that was a highlight of my week was doing divisions with our Elder P.  We worked together and got a lot of work done and I learned a lot.

We were walking to a visit and I felt like we should change plans and go visit N.  We had not visited her for a week because we just wanted to give her a break to think about things because she was not progressing.  We started and we taught about the Book of Mormon.  I asked her if she really felt like she was doing her part in reading the book to get an answer and she said no, but we challenged her to read.  We asked her in what way did she expect to receive her answer and she said a dream.  So we said okay and left.  The next day we passed to see if she was going to be able to go to church with us.  She said no, but she said that she had a dream.  Haha we got all excited. She said, she didn't understand what it meant.

She said she dreamed about me.  That I was walking alone, dressed all in white from head to toe, down an endless highway, with darkness on both sides of the highway, and that I was carrying the Bible and Book of Mormon in my hands.   She said in the dream she was calling out to me but I did not turn to look where the voice was coming from or did not respond to her at all. 

I am still thinking about her dream.  What do you think is the meaning of her dream?  I was thinking about Lehi's dream.  Maybe we need to share that with her on the next visit.

I had a good week!  I love you guys and until next Monday, have fun!

11/10/14

Hi guys, I am really enjoying my time here in the mission.  Sometimes I just wake up and I can't even remember all the people that we talk to or all the lessons we teach.

We are teaching a whole bunch of people and some of the highlights of my week was teaching family members of the Familia O.  Before the baptism of E, other people in the family did not have any interest in what we do or didn't really want to get involve.  But now we have a baptismal goal for the 22nd with 2 of her cousins and her sister. Even the sister's boyfriend now wants to get married and baptized soon.

Every Wednesday we have an activity in the church called "Mormon night" and the members invite and bring family members, investigators etc. and we share a message, play games, and have a snack.  These people are really enjoying it and they said that they are ready to change.  The messages that we share are inspiring them to make the right choices.  They want more commitment than just living together.  I’m just so excited for them.  The best thing about missionary work is that I get to see people change.  The gospel of Jesus Christ does change lives.

Another highlight of my week was a bonfire we had Sunday night with the Familia O.  We made s'mores and just talked story and just had a good time.  I introduced them to making s'mores. I showed them how to make them.  I couldn't find graham crackers and Hershey’s chocolate is expensive so we bought cookies with chocolate on them.  It went great.  All in all a great week.

Love you guys and have fun!  I am so happy that coach got sealed!

 Love those s'mores

 

My buddy!

 

Oh shots!

Sister Medina giving me Shots!

2014-11-3 Hey guys! Another week down here in Guatemala.

Hey guys! Another week down here in Guatemala. 

This past week was hectic and packed with stuff so I am just going to summarize it.  Wednesday we had a zone meeting and worked like normal preparing for the zone conference with Presidente and the assistents.  On Friday we had the zone conference.  We started at 9 in the morning and finished at about 4.  It was really good, and we learn a ton of stuff in zone conferences. 

One of the things that we talked about in the zone conference is having more meaningful prayers.  How are you all on your prayers?  Hna. Crapo has been focusing on having more meaningful prayer and she said that a lot of times we fall into the habit of waking up in the morning, rolling off our beds, and sprawl out and say the prayer half awake.  Or in the night go to bed and say our prayers lying down. 

She said we need to show more interest and action in what we are doing when we are praying. When we pray, we are talking to our Father in heaven!   She wanted us to have more meaningful prayers.  So right there in the meeting, she wanted us to say our personal prayers out loud and to focus on what we are thinking.  Giving thanks to our Heavenly Father rather than always asking for things.

These past few days I have been trying to put that into practice and I feel like I get more out of my prayers.  I get up, jump rope and wake myself up for a minute or 2 then say the prayer.  

This past Saturday and Sunday were the celebrations of the dead here and Guatemala’s Giant kite festival.  On Saturday we woke up studied, etc.  Then we went down to the cemetery to visit and see their celebrations.  There were a whole bunch of people, and the cemetery in my area has one street that leads to it, and it was just packed full of vendors selling food, toys, kites, etc. 

Family O was selling papas fritas so we hung out with them for a while and just took in the sites.  Everyone that lives in our area came down and decorated the graves, flied kites and just spent the day there.  The streets were empty except for the street of the cemetery. 

All in all good day, I love this area, the people, and the culture. Haha I am enjoying myself so much here!

Well, have a good week, and have fun! Say your prayers!

2014-10-27 Just Like Home.

I am glad that C was able to enter the temple.  This is a great start and he is going great.  Yeah I got the pictures for the one year mark, and thank you.  Well this week went great and it was a good week.  We worked hard like normal and found some new people to teach.

We are going great and I see growth in my companion as well as myself.  Everyday I am glad and thankful for the opportunity that I have to be here in the mission, and training Elder A.

Haha everyone is so used to me being here they all tell me to just buy a house and a piece of land and just live here.  I love the ward.  All in all, it’s a normal, good week.

Sorry I don’t have much to share with you this week but just know that I love you guys and take care!

My companion and me.

We went swimming.  Just joking… it was raining and an old abandoned house fills up with water so we jumped in and the water is like a waterfall when we unplug a spout.

Everyone says Hawaii here "Hawaaay.”  I can move the flower to the right side when I get home.

2014-10-13 & 20 Working Hard in La Leyenda

10/13/14

Well, the DL called us last night and he told us that none of us had changes.   So I will be staying here in the area to finish training Elder Armijo.  That makes 7 1/2 months in this area at the end of this change that is coming up.  I feel good and happy to be staying, but we need to work even harder and to find the people that want to be taught.  I feel like I have sifted the sand to find, but I have to go back and sift even more.  

This past week went well, and we worked hard and taught lessons.  So we are teaching this woman named N.  She belongs to Evangelical church and we were teaching her and was progressing.  Unfortunately, this past Saturday while visiting her, she just told us no thank you and that she did not want us to come by anymore.  We were surprised and we asked her why and she told us that her pastor told her something that only she and God knew.  So that was her answer.  We tried to explain and listened to her problem, but she did not want to accept, so I just said, "tonight we are going to go to your church".  My comp bugs out on me and is just staring at me with huge eyes.

So we find out what time it starts and leave.  My companion turns to me and says are you crazy!  Haha!  

So at 7 that night we got ready to go to her church, and as we are walking up to the church all you hear is loud noise and screaming and yelling.   We entered the church and the pastor is yelling in a microphone and everyone is screaming, etc.  Then after the yelling, they sing for a while, he passes the microphone to his wife a "woman prophet" and she starts screaming.  And so we sat there for 20 minutes of screaming and then we leave.

This week we are going back to visit N and see how we can help her hopefully she will still listen to us.

All in all it was a good week.  We will not give up, we are going to keep working hard! I love you guys!

10/20/14

Hey guys well another week down in the mission and it was normal.  Nothing big happened this week.  Today we had a soccer tournament in the church with the ward, and so that was good.  We played under the sun for 6 plus hours so I am dead beat tired.  The work is going great and we are getting things done here in La Leyenda.  My comp and I are doing great and some of the investigators that we are teaching are progressing really well.

I was reading this past week in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, and I came across a cool verse in 2nd Corinthians 6:12-14.  It talks about the only thing that limits us is our own hearts.  I was really pondering about that and it is true.  Many times in the mission or in life, you get caught up in things and what happens that your heart changes, and sometimes for the bad.  But if we can control the mind and the heart we all can be unstoppable.  We will accomplish things that we want and be better every day.

Well all in all great week.  I love you guys.  Have fun!

 

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!