Week 2

Everything is great over here, I'm busy all the time, and it's great cause I'm learning so fast.  I don't have time to think of everything I left behind, and the spirit is always here, cause we are always studying the gospel.

So I think I mentioned in my last email that they have us practice teaching investigators almost every day. The investigators are played by the teachers, and they are real profiles of investigators the teachers had when they were missionaries. So all the challenges the teachers had to overcome with those investigators, we do as well. Even though we aren't actually teaching a real investigator the spirit is super strong at times. Our first investigator was Micaela, and she was very excepting of the gospel, there was only one major obstacle to overcome with her, and maybe I'll tell you later. But our second investigator was Estefenia, played by the same teacher as Micaela. Estefenia is completely different, we've had two lessons with her.  In the first one, she didn't want to have anything to do with prayer, or repentance, or anything like that. She refused to participate in a prayer with us or anything.  The only thing she wanted to know, is why a loving heavenly father would allow good people to suffer.  We were expecting something like that, but we totally blanked, and we couldn't think of what to teach her.

So for our second lesson, we prepared some scriptures, and we were going to teach her about the importance of trials in this life and how they are for our good, but we decided we had to make sure she was going to seek the answers for herself.  So we started the lesson talking about prayer. We taught her that the only way she could know the truth for herself was to pray, and God would give her the answers she needed. She said that she would respect our beliefs but she didn't believe in prayer. We both bore our testimonies, and eventually, she agreed to participate in a prayer, so one of us offered a prayer.  When it was over the spirit was super strong.  We asked her what she felt, and she said she didn't know.  We talked a little bit about how we can receive answers to our prayers if we have faith and a real intent and all that good stuff - and guess what she said.  She said when she was younger her father was a very bad person. He was always drinking alcohol, and being an awful father.   Eventually, he left, and to this day she has no idea where he is, but that her life is better without him.  I felt impressed to ask her to pray right there, so I did.   She said it would be better if one of us offered it, but I said no, it is better than you do it. Then my companion said, Five years right, it's been five years since you prayed?  I know your Father in Heaven wants to hear from you after all that time.   She had previously told us she hadn't prayed for five years. she agreed to offer one.  She got as far as "father."   There was a long pause, then she looked up with tears in her eyes and said I can't. We asked her why, and she told us her story.

One day, five years ago, two Mormon missionaries came and taught her about prayer.  They told her if she had faith, real intent, and sincerity, she would receive an answer to her prayer.  Through tears, she told us that she prayed, the whole night long, with so much faith and sincerity.  But she didn't receive an answer.  She said, she didn't expect her father to change magically, or anything, but five years have passed, and she still hasn't received an answer.  After another long pause, I felt the prompting of the Holy Ghost.  I said, What is it you would like to talk to Heavenly Father about?  She said I only..... I only want to know why he didn't answer my prayer. Then I said We don't know why he didn't answer your prayer, but He does.  Will you ask him?  After another long, teary pause she said yes, then she prayed.  It was one of the most powerful prayers I've ever heard.  After the prayer, it was way past time to go. We taught her what she was feeling was the Holy Ghost, and then I said, One of Heavenly Fathers favorite ways to answer prayers is through the scriptures.  Will you read the Book of Mormon tonight and search for answers? and she said she would.

More to follow on that next week. I'm sorry I'm out of time,

Love you all. Adios.

Week 1

It sounds like everything is good over there. Please don't give me any actual spoilers when the next movie comes out Issac. It might not make a difference though because they do watch Star Wars here. I asked one of my teachers and he looked at me like I was crazy, cause why wouldn't they have star wars!

So I missed my flight from Seattle to LA, and they rerouted me and Elder Trampp to Atlanta and then to Guatemala. we were only 6 hours late, so it was all good.

My companion is pretty great, we get along pretty good, the only problem is we're still learning how to teach. I have the best district ever here in the MTC, well technically its called el CCM... Spanish and stuff. So they divided us up by Spanish skill into 2 groups, which actually turns out to be North Americans and Latinos. I have yet to meet a Canadian among the North Americans though. But they divided those two groups into districts of 12ish people, and my district is the best.  We have such great people in it: everyone such great testimonies, and great senses of humor.

Speaking of teachers, the teachers here are great.  They all have a sense of huma\or, and they're super patient. We're in class basically all day except when we are eating or something, but it is the best thing ever.  We have already learned to pray, bear testimony, and share scriptures all in Spanish. The teachers speak to us in Spanish, and we are supposed to speak Spanish as much as we can. If you ask them a question in English, they will pretend they don't understand you, until you at least attempt it in Spanish. They all speak English by the way.  But we are learning so fast, I've already started to think in Spanish a little bit, and sometimes I accidentally write them in my journal.

We have realistic practice almost every day of teaching an investigator. One of the teachers named Sister Morales plays a character named Micaela and we are supposed to go in, one companionship at a time, and teach her a lesson that we prepared. So far we have taught her 3 lessons and she has expressed a desire to be baptized. My companion Elder Kirkman and I got her to break character in the last lesson.  She just randomly started laughing because of something one of us said, and just as she was starting to calm down Elder Kirkman yells, "Esta es el Espiritu!" which means," It's the spirit!" because we had just finished talking about how to feel the holy ghost. But after he said that she started cracking up all over again.

But yeah, I'm having a blast, and learning so much. I feel like in the last 6 days, I've learned more Spanish than I ever knew before, and all the other gringos here say the same thing. Most of their language teaching revolves around helping us obtain the gift of tongues, and it really works. I don't think any other language program would have as much success as this place, even if they used all the same teaching techniques because they don't have Heavenly Fathers help as much as we do.  On top of all the grammar, they teach us specific language tasks, and that is how we learned to pray and bear testimony and all that stuff.

We just got back from the Guatemala temple.  It is super small but really beautiful, it might just be my new favorite. After we are done emailing, we are going to the distribution center, which is great cause there are a few things I need.

The food here is soooo good too, the only problem is the portions are huge, and it is insulting to throw away, or refuse food., so I guess I figured out why people gain weight in the CCM!

I have a few pictures but I heard a rumor there are laws against sending pictures out of the country, so until I know more, they'll have to wait.

Anyway, I love you all.

P.S. I don't know if they have Jack in the Box, but I do know they have Wendy's.
P.P.S. Guatemala is so beautiful