November 16, 2015 Yo se que vive mi Senor

Yo se que vive mi Senor

Tortillas:  15

Esta Semana fue buenisima!  of the highlights, this week this week there was a conference from Salt Lake via satelite with Elder Bednar.  It was wonderful to hear Gods council specifically for Guatemala.  Something that I have focused on this week is as I walk down the streets, praying in my mind to recognize the people that God has prepared, and I was amazed to see the kind of people that we talked to.  When I was at divisions in an area with another Elder, we found a man that was very interested, who had learned from the missionaries before.  He even told us that he was ready to be a member with all of his heart!  God does always lead us to those who are prepared.  If we follow what God wants, then we can all see miracles in our lives.  Also, as we come to experiment upon the word of God we can obtain our own testimonies of their truthfulness and the blessings that God has prepared.  Also, a small reminder of the importance of regular prayer and scripture study.  That is the way that God leads us safely home, and with these small things we can receive great peace.

mejor milagro:

So, one day my companion and I were walking in one of the villages, when we passed a motorcycle repair shop.  Elder Bentley loves motorcycles, so we stopped and talked to the owner and admired a bike.  We began to talk to the man, explained who we were, we asked about his family, and he told us he had a wife and 2 sons, but one recently died.  We explained that we had something that could bring him much comfort, and asked if we could share it with him and his family, and he said why not right now.  We had some time, and next thing we knew he was off on his motorcycle to get his family who lives 3 minutes away.  As he was gone we were talking, we put things together, and realized that he was the same man that about a month ago we had helped carry back to his house (because he was drunk) and dig a grave for the baby.  He returned and him and his wife explained their sadness and struggles.  He explained specifically that he felt angry with God because this had happened when he was trying to be his best.  We were then led by the spirt of how to explain to him about the Plan of Salvation, specifically the purpose of this life and our potential.  We could see that a new light filled their faces.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to bring this amazing restored gospel to all to be able to help them find purpose and live to return to God.

Testimony time:

I just wanted to share my testimony that Jesus Christ lives!  He came to earth and lived a life full of challenges, he walked and taught the way to eternal life, and he died and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.  Because he lives, we also will have the opportunity to live again and conguor "physical" death!  If we follow him and his gospel, we can also overcome spiritual death, or separation from the presence of God because of our imperfectness.  We can return to our celestial homes to live as families in eternal happiness!  In our days, we receive instructions and guidance from our savior through his chosen prophets and apostles. He leads his church, and as we chose to follow in faith we can have happiness and peace in a changing world.  Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Castillo!  He taught me so much!

"Love you!  Don't get to scared, the bus is a members bus, and the first seat picture is me getting a hitch hike from the stake patriarch in his semi haha!"

November 2, 2015 email " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ"

Tortillas: 12

Una semana de festividades!!! This was a wonderful week to to get a chance to see more of the culture here in Guatemala!  They do not celebrate halloween here, rather El dia de los muerlos, or the day of the dead.  It is the 31st, the 1st and the 2nd , but the 1st being the biggest.  It is a holiday where many use to honor their family members that have passed away by decorating their tombs and spending time at the grave sites.

 Also, the traditional food is called "fiambre" which is basically a bunch of vegiatables and meats mixed together.  For me it was like a really great salad!  It fills you up a ton!!

 In the streets there are many people who carry around big things of flowers to take to the cemetary.

 Also, here in Cantel another tradition are the kites.  They have the normal plastic ones, but it is more paper over that they make.  They have a competition to see who can make the smallest and biggest, most colorful, and things live that.  It was wonderful to see the many families out flying kites.  I truly enjoyed being able to share the message of the gospel this week because so many had their minds turned to their families and their loved ones.

Major Milagro:

On Sunday, the main celebration of the holiday, we found ourselves without many visits planned.  As we were thinking what to do, we decided to take advantage of the fact that many people would be out with their families, so we decided to go see some families that we know and see if they are home. But,  our plan was to spend as much time in the streets talking to families.  We were able to find one of our visits, but afterwords our plans completely changed as we went up to the center of Cantel (Pueblo) and saw how many people were there.  Because all of the people that live in the villages have their family members there, everyone was there and we found the streets busier than I have ever seen.

 So, what we started to do was talk to as many as we possibly could.  The amazing thing was that 90% of the people were interested in letting us visit their family and gave us their phone numbers and where they live.  With us there were two members that were helping us for about an hour and a half, we found MANY families that are interested in hearing the message of the gospel.  I feel so grateful that Heavenly Father lead us to where he needed us, and that he opened the heart of the people to be interested in allowing us to share with them.  I am excited to see what comes out of this, and I know that this gospel will bless these families lives.  I am also so grateful for the plan of salvation, through which we can know exactly where our loved ones are, and not have to worry about them as they dwell in a better place.

Testimony time:  The scripture that we chose to "meditizar" this week was Ramons 1:16, and it says;
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Jesus Christ gospel is the way that he showed us that we must live to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.  He set the perfect example for us of how to live and one day obtain eternal life.  We live in a world where the gospel of Christ is not the most popular way to live.  But, I am here to testify with all my heart that there is nothing shameful about living the gospel of Christ.  It is the way to the most happiness, and satan can say otherwise but nothing changes.  It is the only way to salvation, and I feel so grateful that his true gospel was restored through a living prophet, Joseph Smith.  We all must open our mouths to declare this, and if anyone does not know I invite you to take the chance and know for yourself.  We can all receive a witness of the truth of these things, and I know for myself because I receive that witness many times a day.  I testify of its truthfulness.  I testify of the love of God, and for that reason we sent his son.  Even though the fullness of the truth was eventually lost, God has reached out again in his love by restoring it.  That truth is found in our days, it is taught by living prophets and apostles, it is found in the Holy Scriptures, especially the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon.  It is found within his true church.  Of these things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

My birthday celebration!  My birthday was filled with a day of many miracles!  It was wonderful!!!

My life is full of many surprises everyday!  

November 9, 2015 email "Willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord"

"Willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord"

Tortillas: 10

In part this week was great but it was also bad.  First, great because of the hand of the Lord that we saw in our work, as usual!  Bad, because my companion was sick all week and for 3 days I was sick with him....  The normal flu symptoms and for my companion adjusting to the food.  But, luckily, now we are all better.  We were still able to work for the most part, just not at our normal capacity, which is not fun because it always brings so much to have a hard day of work and the joy that it brings.  Right now is the season of harvest, which they call " Tapiscar".  The huge fields of corn are slowly being cut down and it makes the landscape look very different.

Here it is as if it is a whole family activity where everyone together harvests and prepares the corn for the storage.  But, it is nice because it gives us time to find families to share the gospel with!

Mejor Milagro:

So, on the day of the dead I mentioned that we took much of the time to talk to people in the street.  We have been contacting them, and there was one man that we called and he was very interested in meeting with us.  The only challenge was that he lives in a village that we have not visited very much.  So, we asked a member to come with us to help us out.  He explained vaguely where they lived.  But little did we know that it was about an hour walking distance to arrive.  While searching, we ended up getting lost.  But eventually he came out to the road to find us.  He was a young man who led us to his house, and to our surprise we walked in to find about 15 of his family members, sitting on a giant pile of corn (it is not like corn on the cob, but kind of dried until the harvest so they can grind it down) that they were husking.

 They asked us to come and help, so we joined and began talking.

 It soon came where they asked us to share the gospel with them, so we shared a lesson about the Book of Mormon.  They had many questions, and were very interested in learning more, but because of the unplanned distance we did not have enough time to keep talking.  But, we are going to return and they are going to all get together again and even invite more family members.  I am so grateful for the family in the plan of God, and I know that he desires that we all can return to his presence as a family.

Testimony time:

The scripture title comes from 3 Nephi 6:14 and here we read about the state of the people living here in Ancient America a short time after they had received great blessings of prosperous from the Lord:

And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.

what impacted me the most about this scripture are the 3 attributes that explains those who stayed in the paths of the Lord during their perilous times.  It says that, 1. they had been converted to the true faith. 2. They were firm, steadfast, and immovable, and 3.  willing with all diligence to keep the commandments.  We also live in such perilous times, in a world of false ideas that are against the truths if God.  Our loving Heavenly Father has given us so many protections against these evils, such as living apostles and prophets, libraries of scriptures and glorious commandments!  How wonderful it is to know how much he loves us.  I testify of the truth of each of these things, and that we each can gain a testimony of there truthfulness by the power of the spirit.  Then, we can trust in them and trust that they will lead us safely home to our Heavenly Father as a family.  I testify of there peace that they can give us. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and each general authority receives revelation so that Jesus Christ himself leads this church.  I testify of the restoration and the prophet Joseph Smith.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 Messing around!  I have made so many good friends here!