26 December 2018

We had a fun chat with Steven on Christmas. His companion had been practicing his English so that he could say Hi to us. (He did a very good job too.) 

Steven looks good and seems very happy about his work. He kept forgetting the English words he was trying to say 😊. He asked us how we were doing with our scripture study. He encouraged us to make it a priority because a time will come when we won't be able to stand strong without the strength that comes through true conversion. He also challenged us to find someone with whom to share the gospel. (See, he doesn't even take a break on Christmas, does he? 😉 ) 

So with Christmas being on Tuesday, Wednesday's not was rather short. Here you go:



Anyway, life is good here, having lots of fun. Today we had an activity for p-day where we went to my first area in my mission. I ran into a member of the ward. She was super happy to see me, but what made me even happier is that she told me that one of the last people I baptized in that area (who was actually a referral from this sister) is still active in the ward. I´m pretty sure she'll be the Relief Society president some day.

That made me super happy.

Keep being awesome!

19 December 2018

** Last week, Steven sent a private email, so nothing for here**

THIS WEEK:

I'm super excited, cause next week we are going to have a baptism. This will be the first one that I've had for 4 months! (which is a really long time, especially in this mission.) Her name is Sister Gaby, and she is super great. Her mom is a less active member, and even though she doesn´t have the desire to go to church right now, she is supporting Sister Gaby. The ward members have been working really hard to make her feel welcome and comfortable in the church, which is super great!

I'm not sure if it´s a thing in the states, but at least here in Central America, the church is runing an iniciative called "ilumina el mundo" I believe in English it's called light the world. But our goal is to have a family home evening every day leading up to Christmas in which the members invite a friend who isn't a member of the church, and we (the missionaries) get to meet them and invite them to take the missionary lessons. But the best part is that the whole ward has become super excited about missionary work. All of the sudden they love giving us referals and teaching their friends with us! I have honestly never seen the church members so excited about missionary work, it is really awesome.

Another interesting thing that I´ve noticed is that we have to help the members a lot so that they aren't afraid to participate in missionary work. Satan is really good at stopping us from sharing the gospel just by making us a little afraid of doing it. So we just need to learn to recognize when Satan is trying to stop us from doing something good, and not let him win.

I love you all keep being awesome!

5 November 2018

I'm having a pretty good time training a new companion. I really like the newer missionaries, cause they are a lot more excited to be missionaries. They also have a lot more faith than some of the more experienced missionaries and have more desire to be obedient generally speaking, which is super great.

Yesterday one the mision presidents assistants came to visit our area. We are going to be in a three-man companionship with him for a couple of days, which isn't anything out of the ordinary. They sometimes like to do stuff like that to teach the missionaries how to be better missionaries. But it is super awesome cause he is a really good missionary, and is super fun to learn from people like that.

Anyway, I love you all keep being awesome!

28 November 2018

Well, life is good over here. Here are a few pictures of my companions. The one where we were in the street is my current companion, whos fresh out of the MTC, I`m his trainer. There is one with me and a pair of twins, they are both members of the church that always help us visit investigators, 

Anyway, life is good. My companion and I are whitewashing an area, which means the two missionaries that were here were taken out at the same time. My companion and I were transferred in at the same time not knowing anybody, which is quite an adventure.

21 November 2018

Life over here just got crazy. I just got assigned as a trainer, which means my companion is fresh out of the MTC and it is my responsibility to show him the ropes and be a good example for him, as well as a good friend. Which is crazy. Usually, when a missionary gets to the field he will feel a little homesick and everything, but my companion doesn't seem to have any of that kind of problem. He was baptized in the church just a little over a year ago and he came to the mission for the right reasons: to bless the lives of others.

Yesterday, (which was his first day in the field)  in order to give him a good example and help him overcome the fear of talking with strangers and teaching them, I started to talk to everyone on the first bus that we took, and I mean everyone. When I finished talking with one person I moved on to the next, I think I actually only talked to five people, one of whom was something like a missionary of a different religion. And it felt super great!

I don't usually talk to that many people on the bus, but that time I did. More than anything to help my companion understand a little bit of what the Lord expects of his missionaries.

I don't share this to brag, because I know I'm not perfect. I have so many faults it is ridiculous. But in this case, I gave it an extra effort out of love for my companion so that he can be a better missionary than I am. And in that process, I felt the spirit which told me that what I was doing was the right thing, which makes me feel super great.

My new companion is named Elder Lojano and he is from Ecuador. I think next week I'll send you'all a picture of him. I believe I will still be with him when we do the video call at Christmas, so you'll get to know him.

anyway, I love you all, keep being awesome.

14 November 2018

A few weeks ago I bought a new camera cause the other one that I had stopped working all of the sudden. So I'll try to send you some pictures.



There's one of a pair of twins who live here in the area. They are preparing to serve missions and always help us visit the investigators.

One of Elder Cordón from the Quorum of the Seventy and his wife. (Maybe Grandpa Berg remembers them) They came to a multi-zone conference in our mission. Sister Cordón asked me twice where I was from. I imagine that she recognized me from somewhere but couldn't place it until I reminded her that we met once in Nauvoo the summer before I came to the mission. They really are some nice people though.

There is also a photo of my handsome mug...

and that of my companion. His name is Elder González from Honduras.

Anyway, I love you all very much, keep being awesome.

31 October 2018

I was thinking about how the level to which the members of the church keep the commandments has a direct influence on missionary work. For example: In my first area in the mission, there is a family, all of whom are members of the church. When I was in the area this family was keeping the commandments and they worked hard in missionary work. I loved that family and they were able to bless a lot of people: investigators, new converts, and all kinds of people. However, that has since changed. According to what a missionary who was recently in that area told me. Since I left the area several members of that family have started to break the law of chastity, and who knows what other commandments. As a direct result of their bad example, none of their neighbors want anything to do with the church. The missionary told me that one time they were out knocking on doors in that neighborhood. They found a super awesome family to teach and had an amazing lesson with them, but when they invited them to go to church, they said they didn´t want to go because it is the same church that that first family goes to who is breaking the law of chastity. That is kind of a sad example, but it is true: the actions of church members have a direct impact on how people who aren't members of the church see the church. Which means we have a great opportunity with [our neighbors]. One of satans tools is to cause contentions in the family and in the church, in order to drive people away from the church, which really is the kingdom of God. so that being said, the opportunity that we have is to basically just be good examples of latter-day saints. and if all goes well we could be instruments in the Lord's hands to help members of our families and others become firm in the church and converted to the gospel. It's just a thought that I had. (missionary work is fun) love you all, keep being awesome

24 October 2018

Yeah, I agree. the changes they [The Church] are making are pretty cool. It's all a testimony to me that the church is true, and that President Nelson truly is a prophet.

We should definitely do as he indicates because if we do, we won't be led astray with the growing attacks of Satan.

I love you all very much.

17 October 2018

Last week, he simply asked for some Family History stories for something they are doing in the mission. I also asked him if he wanted, needed, missed anything he would like us to send him.


Thank you for the story.

Well, I would love it if you could send me some Heath Bars, those things are so good! Also, if you could find a microSDcard/SDcard and USB adapter that would be great. I haven´t been able to send any photos because my camera's memory isn´t compatible with most computers, cause most computers only have a slot for USB memories. Other than that, throw whatever surprises you want in there. And thank you very much!

By the way, I had transfers. Now I'm in the Génova branch, in the Coatepeque stake, and my new companion is Elder González from Honduras. He is a pretty funny dude. He is super into computers and the other day he was telling me about how he dreams of one day doing some crazy prank with his mad hacking skills. It was actually really funny.

Anyway, keep being awesome, I love you guys.

ps Daniel. ¿Cómo está usted?

3 October 2018

That is pretty awesome about general conference, I wrote down my questions for conference this morning, I am super excited. I'm hoping it will end the baptismal font's dry season. There is nothing quite like the words of a prophet to guide and direct us to success. although I know there are lots of kinds of success in missionary work, one form of success is the baptisms, one is my own spiritual conversion, another is that of my companion.

I had an interesting experience the other day. We had an investigator named Rosmelia with whom we had the first lesson several days ago. Yesterday we went to visit her again to teach her the second lesson and to see if she was able to read the Book of Mormon and to pray to know it is true, and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. but when we showed up she told us something rather interesting,

She said,
    "I am really glad that you have come to visit me, I really am, but I think we are going to have to leave it off here... I talked to my husband, but he isn't agreed. He doesn't want you guys to come back because we already have a church."
That was super sad because we knew exactly what it was that she was turning down. So I asked her
    "were you able to read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it?"
to which she replied
    "Yes, I liked it a lot but I don't want to have problems with my husband."
Which is completely understandable so before we left we testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the church. and you know what she said?
    "Yeah, I know it is true, but I just can't right now."

So we told her to take advantage of the opportunity the next time the missionaries passed by to share the gospel with them. and even though we were disapointed that she didn't progress that much, we left quite happily cause we had done what the Lord needed us to do. I am sure he will continue preparing this family so that one day they will be able to be eternal. so even though we didn't get to baptize her, we were still successful.

Anyway, I love you, keep being awesome.

26 September 2018

Well, it's nice to hear from you.

Life over here, it's pretty awesome. I don't remember if I told you about my companion or not, but his name is Elder Mergel, and he is from Bellingham Washington, which is cool cause there are only like 3 of us from Washington in the mission. it's super awesome with him.

The funny thing is that the baptismal font has hit a dry spell. I was told it is a little more difficult here, but I feel like God has been testing us a lot. Which is a good thing I'm not complaining I love the challenge, and I believe that when the going gets tough it is because God wants us to grow, and that is what we are going to do! And we're going to enjoy it while the Lord works his miracles!

Love you guys

19 September 2018

[President Nelson came to visit Seattle last weekend. I took notes and sent them to Steven. In doing so, I probably took all of his computer time. Consequentially, our message is brief.]

Well, I don't know what I can say to top that. I just hope they come here soon. I am also looking forward to General Conference. President Goodman told us that we should prepare ourselves spiritually with questions so that we can get more out of the conference, which I think would be a good idea for all of us.

I love you all. Keep being awesome

12 September 2018

[We told Steven that Daniel was taking Spanish now]

Tell Daniel to translate this for  you,

"Yo amo galletas"

I could teach you the slang from Guatemala so that the Mexicans don´t understand you if you'd like! I'm sorry I´m just excited to have secret conversations in Spanish.

So there isn´t really that much to tell, but I o have one funny story to tell you. Last Sunday we ran out of people to visit at like 6:30pm. We were a little sad cause we haven´t been having a ton of notable success lately. So we went into a dark alley to say a prayer and ask for guidance. After the prayer, we still didn´t know what to do, so while we stood there thinking, a drunk lady came out of her house and walked passed us. We started to talk to her (before we realized that she was drunk), But she wouldn´t stop staring at me. She said to my companion "I really like this guy. He is really handsome just like my husband." After that, we left quickly just laughing at the silliness of the situation.
But the crazy part is that the drunk lady was an answer to our prayer because the funniness of it all gave us the energy we needed to keep working happily. When we prayed, God knew that we didn't need direction as much as we needed something to cheer us up. I guess that is why God is wiser than I am.

I love you, keep being awesome or for Daniel to practice "sigan siendo increíbles"

5 September 2018

[I told him that President and Sister Nelson and President Eyring will be visiting us next week.]

That´s pretty dang cool, I would love to listen to them live.

Over here some crazy things have been happening. My companion had emergency transfers a couple of days ago and I only have one week in this area. So now my new companion and I need to find our way around and find out were all of the members of the ward live and everything. This is going to be a little tricky. But I'm pretty excited for the challange and I'm sure there will be miracles.

Anyway, love you guys, keep being awesome.

29 August 2018

So life is pretty good. I just got transferred to a new area. It's called La Grandeza, San Marcos, in case you'd like to look it up. It is pretty cold. This morning I think I was the coldest I've been in my whole mission. My last area was one of the hottest in the mission and now I'm in you of the coldest! Haha, I'm going to freeze to death!!!!!!! Nah just kidding, but I seriously need to buy a jacket.

My new companion is Elder Garcia from El Salvador. He is pretty cool and he is my first companion from El Salvador. Supposedly this area is one of the more difficult ones because the people here are less receptive that where I have been but I´m excited for the challenge. It's going to be fun.

love you all

PS, my last companion wanted to spoil Star Wars The Last Jedi for me, I just about had to duct tape his mouth shut.

22 August 2018

Life is good. In the last interview that I had with the mission president, he told me that I am a lot happier now than I was before. But the funny thing is, is that I don't remember ever being that sad. Sure there are always bad days, but not that much.

I guess that is what "being in the service of God" does to you: you become more like Him. God has an interesting way of molding us, little by little, so that we become more like Him. Sister Goodman said that this is a prosses that we pass through all throughout life, and as a missionary, the process is accelerated. I believe it is the refining fire. But I can honestly say that I am happier now and more at peace than I have ever been in my life.

I know that I have a long way to go, we all do. But I highly recommend serving a mission to everyone who can and has the desire. And for those that can't, the Lord has other callings in mind for you. Serve him with all your heart might mind and strength. It's the best thing you could possibly do.

I love you'all, keep being awesome.

15 August 2018

But, anyway yeah. There are so many miracles that we get to see, it's incredible. I need to be better at writing them down cause it is soo easy to forget! Sorry, Mom! haha. I'm going to make a goal of writing in my journal every day, cause I want to remember things.

Today my companion was really sick. Normally we would go to an activity as a mission on preparation day, but today he needed to rest in the morning. So while he was sleeping I read a bit of the Liahona. There was a really awesome talk by Elder Zaballos, a Seventy, that talked about the Spirit, and how we have to develop the skill to feel the Spirit. If we can, we will always have the guidance of Heavenly Father.

I think I mentioned to you that lately we have been learning more about how to follow the Spirit, but it is so true. The spirit is always trying to guide us, but sometimes we are like Laman and Lemuel who hardend their hearts, and were deafened to the Spirit. I think we all need to be more like Nephi, and less like his brothers so that we can hear the spirit.

love you guys, keep being awesome.

8 August 2018

So I'm pretty happy because we had a miracle. I love seeing people repent and truly become converted to the gospel.

Recently we had an investigator named Alvaro who was baptized. Actually, he was baptized when he was 8 years old, and as he grew up went inactive. Somewhere along the road, he married, and his wife, Beatriz, is a convert of like 3 years, but the whole family has been inactive. But one day my companion and I were checking the ward membership list, (I don´t know what this list is called in English) and we saw that Alvaro wasn´t baptized. So we did some investigating and it turned out that his baptismal record was incomplete and he would have to get baptized over again to fix the records.
But baptism is a covenant, right? So what good would it do if he got baptized without repenting? So we decided to treat him like any investigator, teaching him lessons, having him read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and repent. And it was a miracle, how much he repented. He still has a lot to learn, because he has basically forgotten everything he learned about the gospel as a kid, so he is basically a new convert.

But we are even happier because he and his wife want to be sealed in the temple (that in and of itself is a miracle because when we started to teach them they were thinking of getting divorced) and so we are going to do everything we can so that they can achieve their goal of getting sealed in the temple.

¡QUE GOZO!

Anyway I love you guys, keep being awesome

1 August 2018

Yesterday we had a muli-zone conference in the mission, and the mission president talked a lot about following the guidance of the Holy Ghost, He shared a quote from President Nelson in this most recent general conference, I heard it in Spanish but I believe in English it says something to the effect of we will not be able to survive spiritually if we don´t increase our ability to recognize the impressions of the Holy Ghost. Which sounds pretty foreboding, but I think it is true. All of us, as members of the church, need to be more diligent in nurturing our testimonies through scripture study, prayer, and attending church, and being receptive to the spirit. We have as a promise in the sacrament blessing that we can always have His Spirit to be with us.

I love you guys, keep being awesome.

From President Goodman's Facebook Page

25 July 2018

So you want to hear about that miracle?

My companion and I were walking along the side of the street, and someone named Julio passed by in his truck. He told us, "Hey Elders, come to my house, I need to talk to you guys." We already knew him, because he was a referral from the branch council. When they gave us the referral we went to go meet him, but he told us he was going to be out of town for 3 or 4 months working, so we weren´t going to be able to teach him. So we were a little surprised to see him because he would have had to get back early.

So anyway, we went to see him, and when we showed up at his house he told us that while he was out traveling he felt like he needed to change his life. He said "I felt like God was calling me, you know? like, "Come back!" and then I remembered you guys, and I want you to help me get closer to God. Who is Joseph Smith anyway?

So very amazed and a little confused about what was happening, my companion and I taught him about the restoration. As we taught him, he was so excited by how strong he felt the spirit, that he literally jumped up and down in his chair. Now we are pretty excited to plan a baptism for him, We are just going to wait a while because he has to go out of town to work again. But when he gets back, we´ll pick up where we left off.

This story is so great because it shows that God really is preparing people all the time. He is always working on softening the hearts of his children and He doesn´t forget about anybody.

I love you guys, keep being awesome.

18 July 2018

I have also been thinking a lot about my weaknesses, I have so many and sometimes I feel like they get in the way of my calling. But if we trust in the Lord, ask with faith, and just do the best we can to overcome our weaknesses, they can become our strengths.


Ether 12: 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.


I love you guys, sorry about the story, but you know how it is.

Keep being awesome.

11 July 2018

We had a pretty cool miracle this week but I don´t have much time to write, so.....remind me next week.   

For now, I testify that Heavenly Father loves all of his children, and if we strive for it we can have an eternal familia. Lately, the Retalhuleu Mission has changed its focus a little bit. Now basically everything we do is focused on families so that more families can be sealed it the temple and have an eternal family. and it is super cool. I have seen a ton of families blessed by the gospel and in many forms.

Right now, my dream is that the families that I have a hand in teaching, can get sealed in the temple, and have an eternal family. I know it is possible, and I have faith that it will happen.
but I love you guys, keep being awesome.

27 June 2018

Hey guys, how's it going?

Guys, there are so many miracles in this world. The other day we were riding on a bus and I started to talk to a lady that was seated next to me. We were talking about families, and what a great blessing they are and how the gospel can bless our families (basically the first missionary lesson). I asked her "Why do you think that all of the churches in the world have different doctrines if there is only one God?" She said, "well it's because mankind has corrupted the doctrine of Christ" (which is a surprisingly good answer and shows that she understands that apostasy better than your average joe). I then felt prompted to share with her the story of Joseph Smith, and I testified to her that the church has been restored, and gave her a book of Mormon. And you know what she said? She said, "I am going to read this book and if I find the answers to my questions I will go to your church."

I know that miracles exist. Most of the people we talk with on the busses don't want anything to do with the restored gospel, but God put this person in our path, and she was able to hear for the first time in her life, about the restored gospel, and she felt the spirit testify that it is true.

I know that life can be tough at times, but if we are obedient to the commandments of God and we exercise our faith, we will see miracles in our lives.

Love you all, keep being awesome.

Happy Birthday

I have not gotten my birthday loot yet, but I think they will give it to me tomorrow. Sister Goodman sent me a text message to wish me a happy birthday, and she told me that there is a package in the office.

But that is pretty awesome about [Joshua Garstin's] Eagle Court. I would have liked to be there for that. I have his email from Skagit Valley, but I don't know if he uses it anymore. I'll send him a message right now. But could you ask if he has another one just in case, cause in bootcamp they don't let you use email right?

Anyway, I love you guys. Keep being awesome.

13 June 2018

I gave him an update on the Church and BSA (and other county scouts organizations)


That's pretty cool, I'm excited to see what the new program will be, it'll be weird that it's not Boy Scouts though. But a program inspired by the Lord will definitely be better.

Yeah everyone over here has been talking about the volcanoes over here. But I haven't even seen a cloud, so there's nothing to worry about.

But I better go, there's work to do.

love you all.

6 June 2018

So there is supposedly a volcano that erupted around here in Guatemala; it is all anybody out here has been talking about. But I am not anywhere near the volcano. I've only heard about it and seen the charity/relief stuff that they are gathering to help the people that were affected. And life goes on as normal.

I just got a new companion yesterday. He is from Honduras and his name is Elder Galeas. This guy is super funny, and he's a good worker as well. The other day we went around introducing him to the members. One time there was a guy talking to one of the members that I didn`t recognize, so I asked him if he was a member. He said no. My companion asked him when we can come to visit him. This guy said "oh... um... I'm not in the house much, but I'll let my friend he (the member) know when you can come. "As if he didn`t really care if we came or not. My companion says "oh don't worry, here I have my planner." and started to write done all this guys information so that he wouldn't escape us. muahahaha, evil laugh.

30 May 2018

We had a busy week, culminating in Joshua's Baptism and 

Daniel being ordained a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood.

That's pretty awesome! My favorite part is that dad was able to do the ordinances. That is pretty freaking awesome!

Speaking of freaking my companion's favorite English words are freak, and faggot. I don't know why, but he likes to insult people in English, and I am the only one that understands. The other day he told some lady that she was ugly in English, and I just started to laugh, my head off.

Oh, speaking of laughing, I have a pretty good story, well it's not really much of a story. A drunk guy gave me his sombrero (straw cowboy hat). His name is Victor Hugo, and he is one of our investigator's fathers. We have been working with them so that he will let one of his kids and possibly his wife get baptized. All of the family loves the church, but this guy is a little too stubborn. He used to be Catholic and got fed up with the imperfections in all of the churches. Now he spends all of his weekends in the bar drinking beer with his buddies. One time he invited us to a drink as well. Anyway, last Saturday we wanted to buy food so that we wouldn't die on Sunday, and we ran into him! We started to mess with him a little bit because he was drunk. We joked around about English words, I scolded him for saying the f-word, and a few others. I guess he felt so much friendship and love, that he took the hat off his head and put it on my head. Then he promised he would come to church! But he told me to treasure the hat and bring it up north with me, and that is what I'm going to do.

love y'all, keep being awesome

23 May 2018

Dude, I totally forgot that there was a birthday yesterday and today! Y'all are turning into little old people over there!

Well, life has been pretty good over here in Guatemala, my companion is pretty awesome, church members are great, investigators are great.

This last Saturday I got to baptize a kid named Moroni; it was pretty awesome. His mom was less active when they gave us the reference and throughout the process of teaching Moroni, we always made sure that his mom was there, and we always invited them both to read the book of Mormon, and everything else. They both had to repent of drinking coffee, and they both did. Now we are going to keep visiting and teaching them so that they can remain active in the church.

I know that God always has a plan, and I know that when we obey Him faithfully, our lives are blessed. That doesn't mean that it will be easier, but we will have a lot more joy in our lives.

I love you guys, keep being awesome.

16 May 2018

Hello there,

The food here really isn´t that weird, mostly just rice, beans, tortillas (always) and chicken (usually pretty tough chicken) the only weird thing is that when they eat shrimp, they eat the whole thing, shells legs and all. But everything is really good, I have yet to find a food that I don´t like.

But hey, my testimony of fasting was strengthened this week. You might remember that before the mission I almost never fasted, and because of that, I had never seen the blessings of fasting. But a while ago my companion and I were talking about that. He told me about some of the miracles that he had in his last area because he fasted once a week, every week. We were thinking about the success we are having right now, and we are having success, but we knew it would be difficult to achieve our goal for the month because Satan has been working hard against us (like always). We have had more than a few investigators that for one reason or another, stopped investigating the church. I decided to do a personal fast so that the investigators that we have, can feel and recognize the spirit in their lives and be converted. Two days after my fast, the parents of two 15-year-old young men gave permission, for the boys to be baptized. Not only that, they promised to support them in the decision that they are taking to join the church. That was a testimony builder for me.

I know that our father in heaven really wants to bless us, but he is just waiting until we show our faith, and grow a little through personal effort.

love you guys, keep being awesome!

P.S.  be ready for baptismal photos! whahoo!

9 May 2018

Hey,
I don't know if I told you guys, but I got transferred again. Now I'm in an itty bitty branch called El Codo. Supuestamente ["supposedly" I wonder if he know that he stuck in a Spanish word in his sentence...] that means the elbow... I have no idea where these names come from sometimes haha. But it reminds me a lot of Lakeside Arizona, it's pretty weird. and my companion is Elder Alvarez, from Mexico, but I have my doubts of where he is from, cause he barely even eats chile, spicy food or whatever it's called in English but he's pretty awesome.

Anyway, I'll call you this Sunday at 8:00pm (Guatemala time) probably with facebook.but keep your computer handy.

Love you all very much, keep being awesome (reading your scriptures praying, magnigying your calling attending church, all that good stuff).

24 April 2018

Wow thanks for that letter, that´s pretty awesome that everyone is learning a ton and all that good stuff!

I just wanted to let you all now that I love you and that I am praying for you. I also want to tell you that I know this church is true, It took me a long time to gain that testimony, but now I can honestly say, that I know that this church is true. Every day, I get to see little miracles and testimonies of that truth.

The other day we were hanging out in the park, waiting for another pair of elders so that we could do exchanges with them, and my companion jokingly said: "why don't you go and contact someone?" (he doesn't like to contact random people in the street and start to teach the gospel cause it´s a little weird). So I said okay, and walked off to start up a conversation with a guy nearby who was sitting alone. I walked up and introduced myself, and he quickly invited me to sit down next to him. We started to chat. I could tell that something was weighing him down from some of the things he said and the way he talked, so I shared with him a scripture in the Book of Mormon that talked about the saving and comforting power of Jesus's Atonement, and testified to him. I invited him to read the Book of Mormon. He then told me "wow, just before you came, I was thinking about all the problems I have, and I was just about to hit the bar and grab something to drink, but now that you came, and told me that, I'm not going to go where I was thinking of going."

I can testify to you guys that I know this is really the Lord's work, and that the church is true, and like this guy that I talked to in the park realized, Jesus Christ really is the answer to our problems. It might sound a little cliche, but it is true. When we read the scriptures, go to church, pray, and do all the other things that we are asked to do we are blessed; blessed with more peace, and joy in our lives.

So I invite you all to continue reading the scriptures, praying, and attending church, and I promise you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that you will be blessed.

Está bien.

I love you all

19 April 2018

(The electrical company took the electricity down yesterday, so the president gave us permission to use the computers today so that y'all don't have to wait another week for a letter)

I forgot to take the photos again! If the Bishop asks, tell him I've been too busy working to remember to take a photo. hahaha.

It is amazing how much learning we do in the mission. It turns out I've never really been good at working with people, I've always been a little too quiet, and a little too prideful. But when you have to work with people all the time, you get to learn how to do it. I have begun to learn that the way we talk to people, and especially the way we give counsel or constructive criticism has an effect on how much people can improve, and how well we work together. I have been able to receive good constructive criticism that helped inspire me to do better, and criticism that wasn't constructive at all, that did the exact opposite of motivating me to do better. I have also been able to give good counsel and bad counsel. Learning people skills is tough, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to do it here in the mission. Whenever I get around to think about it, I'm always reminded of all the blessings I am receiving, and those that I am bringing to everyone else.

It is seriously amazing how much we can learn in the service of our Lord, and that of our fellow man. I highly recommend it, if you know anyone who is thinking about serving a mission, tell them to do it, if not, you're passing up possibly the best experience of your life!

love you all. bye bye.

11 April 2018

We sent him a care package from the Ward Young Women


I got the package that you sent me, it looked suspiciously like a young women's activity by the way.... it was pretty cool.  The best part was the expression of my companion, he just about turned into a five-year-old kid and ate most of the chocolate. haha. But yeah, life is great out here. Recently my companion and I have started to have a ton of success, which is awesome. I'm getting to see more and more how the Lord never gives up on us. The people might come and go, but He always has our back, and He will send people into our lives when it is necessary, and if we are worthy, He will send us to help others in their time of need.

God is so cool.
love y'all

4 April 2018

Steven had asked us to send him a copy of his Patriarchal Blessing.

Thank you very much for the blessing, I really needed that. I thought it would be important to have because the Lord does a lot of work on people in the mission. He has a way of making us better people and I want to take advantage of that, so that when I leave the mission, I leave nice and shiny polished.

The other day I was telling my companion about the goals I have for after the mission. I told him I want to be that one member that the missionaries just love, because he helps them so much. There is a word here in Guatemala, "pilas" I'm pretty sure it translates to batteries, but here, someone that is really pilas, is someone who is really energized, and enthusiastic to get the work done (I'm surprised I remember that much English). Hey, let's make it a game. When I get back, we can see who of all of us gives the most referrals to the missionaries! Wouldn´t that be so much fun?

I did understand almost everything in that conference when I concentrated really hard, but I had to concentrate super hard, and I the last session I got tired of concentrating. But yeah, I felt the same way. I thought it was really cool that basically, everyone testified that president Nelson really is called of God to be his mouthpiece. And then he announced a few changes, and during all of that, the Spirit testified to me that the Lord is directing His work. Especially when he restructuring the priesthood quorums in the priesthood session, I felt very strongly that he is called of God the be the prophet, and that what he said, he said with authority.

Well, I love you all, keep being awesome!

28 March 2018

I shared that I had invited a friend to watch General Conference.


That is super awesome that you invited her to Conference, I know she will be able to feel the spirit, and if she feels like her relationship with God is lacking, that means the spirit is working with her, and she is being prepared. just keep inviting her with love. I feel like in missionary work, people give too much of the credit to the missionaries, but in reality, the missionaries are just a small part of the work. as missionaries, we are searching for the people that have been prepared, and we give them the opportunity to accept the gospel and help them to do that, but it is the spirit that does all the real work. and the members of the church are those who are the first to share, the first to plant the seed, and they are who cultivate and nurture the seed. so your invitation can do more good than you might even know. and keep on inviting, and when the spirit tells you, you can pass the referral to the missionaries. ;)

I love you, God loves you, and may blessings be upon you.

¡adiós!

21 March 2018

no sé que hay que decirles, entonces... buena suerte

Just kidding. 'll leave that there so that you can have fun translating it.

We're having a great time working over here. My current companion's name is Elder Angulo, from Peru. This guy is super goofy. Sometimes it amazes me how fast he can become friends with people.  In about the same time I get to know someone's name, and where they're from, he's already friends with them. I love working with different people, because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and there is something to be learned from everyone.

One thing that I have learned recently is that it is super important to show the people that you love them. The other day the Zone leaders came with us to visit one of our investigators to help him accept a baptismal date, (the zone leaders do that sometimes. On the way, we ran into a random drunk guy. One of the zone leaders started to talk to him.  He taught him and loved him, he even gave this drunk guy a hug... which is especially weird, cause drunk guys don't smell that good. But this zone leader literally does that with everyone. He just has a way of showing the people that he loves them, and when he does, he is showing them the love of Christ. Honestly, I think Jesus would hug the drunk guys too. I think that could be a lesson for everyone: we need to make it a priority to show people that we love them, especially if we don't love them that much because that is how we can help others come unto Christ, and better themselves as people. Christ loved everyone, including those who abused and killed him, I think we can do the same.

love you guys

¡adiós!

14 March 2018

I don´t think there is anything that I need. But if you want to send me something awesome it would be appreciated. :)

Life is good over here, I got a new companion yesterday, his name is Elder Angulo. This guy is even nerdier than me! I discovered that when he was humming the Darth Vader theme yesterday. He even has a Gryffindor tie from Harry Potter! And he is super good at becoming friends with people really fast, which is great, because I still can't always communicate that well with people, so it's really good for the companionship.

Today we went to go see some Mayan ruins for p-day, it was pretty interesting, especially because we were speculating about what part of the Book of Mormon if could be from. It was pretty cool.

Speaking of which, I hope you're all still reading the Book of Mormon! This month in the mission we have a campaign going called Milagroso Marzo (miraculous march), in which, we are all reading 3 Nephi, one chapter per day, and all of the members have a Book of Mormon, in which they are writing their testimonies. After which, they are going to give the Book of Mormon to a friend, testify of its truthfulness, invite them to read it, and invite them to learn more from the missionaries. And I would like to invite you to do the same thing. I doubt they have that going on over there, but the blessings will come to you nonetheless, and you will be able to bring others to the light of Christ.

I love you all

¡adiós!

7 March 2018

Hey guys, How´s it goin'?

The other p-day we were in the store shopping, and I saw a cereal box with the logo for the new star wars movie, "STAR WARS Los últimos Jedi" and it got my mind going all over again with the question who is the last Jedi. And just because I saw the logo in Spanish I know there is more than one of the last Jedi, it's not just one person. ahwww my mind!!!!!!!

By the way, thanks for not telling me anything about that movie, I'm sure you've all seen it already. I've been enjoying the work over here so much, I didn´t even notice that the release date for that movie had come and gone, and I hope it stays that way.

Oh hey, remember when I told you guys about that member that we found in my first area, who was drunk when we found him? Well, the missionaries that are in that area now tell me he is going to church again!!!!! That made me so happy when they told me that. That guy is so awesome and he has a talent for magnifying his calling.  That ward will be so blessed by him, and his activity in the church. It is a testimony to me that for anybody that makes mistakes, no matter how big or small, the grace a mercy of God, and His Son's atonement is always enough.

Love you guys.

28 February 2018

Love you guys, keep being awesome!

(Yep, that's all we got.  I suppose we could be grateful that we know he is still kicking.  But when you wait a week, it is rather unsatisfying.  Oh well.  He is probably just super busy.)

21 February 2018

Missionary work has a funny way of making life better. Yáll should try it some time. Last week I asked my companion for a blessing, and we just put ourselves to work, and life has been great.

It is so true that when we carry the burdens of others, we forget about our own. My favorite scripture says it all, I believe it is the last three verses in Matthew 11. There are so many sad people in the world, but there is no secret to happiness: it's just putting others first and serving them.


¡love you!

7 February 2018

Everything is good over here. 

Here is a picture of when we went to the beach ...

and of a baptism we had. His name is Hugo, and that is all his family supporting him. It was super cool to be a part of this miracle.

31 January 2018

I asked Steven to send us a picture for his missionary plaque.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the photo. There is this really awesome looking bridge in my area that looks like the ones from the movies. You know the rope bridges that are super sketchy and the rope always breaks, and the hero narrowly escapes death. Well, there is one of these bridges here, I want to get a picture from there.



Rebecca is having some school issues.

Hey Rebecca, don't worry about it when the other kids pick on you because you are a daughter of God, and he loves you a ton. We are all in this world to learn, and because of that, sometimes we say stupid stuff. Just make sure you care more about how the other people feel than how you feel, and you will be blessed a ton.


Love you all

Oh man, a ward member sent me a text message in English this morning that said "Thank you so much. May the force be with you." I need to track this guy down!

24 January 2018

Hey, how´s  it goin'?

I got transferred the other day, now I'm in the ward San Felipe.  We are also in charge of a branch called Calawaché or something like that. This church building looks a lot cooler than my old area. I think God wanted to play a joke on me, so in this area, I have a little more responsibility.

My companion is pretty cool.. His name is Elder Acosta from Honduras. He is super awesome. He is super obedient and loves to work, and the best part, is I'm pretty sure he has autism. Everything is super awesome.

I love you all a bunch.

¡adiós!

17 January 2018

I have been learning a lot of people skills that I didn't even know I was lacking. Its pretty cool, I guess you learn stuff like that when you live with someone, and work with them all the time, and never leave there side. But it is super cool because the things I'm learning here will help me the rest of my life.  And there is nothing more fun than missionary work.  The relationship that forms when you share the gospel with someone is so strong, especially when they accept it. It is seriously the coolest thing ever. You know what would be really cool, is if you guys could go out with the missionaries to visit their investigators, or make friends with the investigators that they bring to church. That would be so cool. I have decided that's what I am going to do, cause I don't want to stop being a missionary. 

By the way, did I mention that I love you guys? 

Missionarying is seriously so much fun, Y'all should try it some time. 

By the way, if you haven't already used that scripture for the plaque, I found a better one that talks about the same doctrine, and in this one, it is explained a little better. Matthew 11: 28 - 30. I know life can be hard sometimes, but it doesn't have to be. this doctrine is very real, trust me.

Love you all.

¡Adiós!

10 January 2018

love you all

I have to tell you about a very spiritual experience that I had. We were with some investigators when out of nowhere all of the kids started asking me how you say things in English. How do you say this? How do you say that? I was having a great time, cause finally I knew enough Spanish to answer their random questions.  When all of the sudden someone asked me how you say "permiso" in English. I couldn't remember how you say "permiso" in English... I sat there for 5 minutes trying to remember until It finally came to me that night... excuse me.

Okay, it's not really spiritual, but it was pretty funny.

I don't have time to write a ton today, so I will just say the most important thing. Keep studying your scriptures.  It is seriously the most important thing you can do in the day.

Love you a ton!!!!

3 January 2018

2018

This has been a crazy couple of weeks for me, and I have learned a ton.


The other day I was reading a talk called the Riccardi Letter, it was super awesome, and I learned a lot. It is about a new missionary and all the things he learned from his trainer. But there is this one part that says "if you want to punch Satan the mouth, open YOUR mouth."


It is so true though, every time I get on a bus, the fear to open your mouth and preach starts to come. Every time Satan tries to keep you from opening your mouth, and if you don't, you'll get all worked up over nothing.  'Cause it turns out it is actually really easy to teach people the Gospel, it isn't scary at all, and the more you do it, the easier it gets.  So my trainer and I set a goal:  the two of us on our return flight to the states are going to preach to all the people on the plane, (if they'll let us and if not well just have to talk to all the people we can individually).


Love you all, bye!