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