Elder Richardson in Guatemala: January 19, 2015 email "Take Up His Cross Daily"

Tortillas: 50

What a wonderful week as a servant of the Lord! My companion wants me to help him with english, but sadly slowly but surely I am losing my ability to speak... But growing in my ability to speak Spanish! This week I used a translator for the first time. We have been working a lot in a village called Buxup that is about an hour walking from where we live. There they speak a mayan language called Pop´ti, but also a bit of spanish. We have a member that lives their, his family are the only members of about 2000 people. I am currently trying to learn how to bear my testimony. We also have a set baptismal date for Edilmar for the 7th of February! He has the desire to be with his famliy forever, and that helps a lot! Also, Familia Castillo is ready to be baptised but the father, Tino, still has doubts and problems with the word of wisdom... Our goal for them is also the 7th, and we know they will be ready.

Mejor Milagro:

Now that school and work have started back up again (November, december, and part of January are summer vacations here) it has gotten a little bit harder to find people to talk to. One day we ended up having all of our appointments fall and our backup plans, and were desperately finding something to do. Walking down the street we decided to go visit a less active. When we got to his road, Elder Claros said that before he had the prompting to walk down the street and see what we could find. When we got to the house of the less active, he was not home, so we decided to contact his one and only neighbor. We got to the house, called out "Buenas" (That is what you do here because most people dont have doors) and waited. Soon walked out a little boy of about 4 years. He said his name was Enrique, his mom was in the shower, but we could come back tomorrow and visit. So, we left. After this we had to stop by the house to use the bathroom, and when we arrived Hermana Mirta started talking to us about a man who she talked to that told her about how he had changed his life, stopped smoking and drinking since new years. She shared with him a little message about the gospel and he said that he was interested to hear. So, she started to tell us where he lived, and it turned out that his house was the same house that we had been guided by the spirit and found enrique! This week we are going to go visit them wiht Hermana Mirta, and I am really excited to see what happens!

Testimony time:

The title of the email is found in Luke 9:23 and Christ says,"And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." What amazing words of wisdom from the master teacher. As a missionary, I have worked so hard to deny myself and follow Christ. This scripture teaches us that we need to take up our cross, and do that daily. Each day as we wake up we need to make the commitment again to be follower of Jesus Christ and take up the sacrifice that comes with that. In the world we live in today being a follower of Christ is not the most popular thing to do or the most important, but if we are not willing to be his deciples, he is not willing to accept us into his kingdom of eternal happiness with our Father in Heaven. We dont have to be full time missionaries to be his deciples. We are his deciples through our everyday actions and the way that we show others his love. I know that as we take the commitment to take up our crosses daily, we will have the blessing of the Lord in our lives. We will be happier, our families will be happier because we are followers of the master teacher, the savior of the world, our lord and redeemer Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that he has trusted me with the calling to be on of his servants and that I have been called to take up my cross daily and follow him. I add my testimony to those of the Prophets of all time, he lives an he the light of my life. These things I say in his sacred name, Amen.