Tortillas: 9
Semana Santa is wonderful in Guatemala. In the USA we celebrate mainly Easter Sunday, but here it is all week! The biggest days are Thursday to Sunday. I have enjoyed some of the traditions here which include:
1. Reenactments of the final days of the life of Christ. The funny part is how they dress up as Jews and romans and fight!
2. Alfombras, carpet things made in the street to significate the triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem
3. Pan de Yema. Egg yolk bread that EVERYONE gives us, but it tastes amazing.
4. Prosessions; the best descriptions is they are parades remembering Christs life.
What I have enjoyed most is how much everyone is focussed on Christ, on his sacrifice for us, and his triumph over death that conquered the grave for all man kind! It truly is a reason to shout ALELUYA!
Mejor Milagro:
We are teaching a man that has found his life in a hole because of substance abuse and all around bad choice. We have been working with him to help him to change, but there have been a couple of times that we have shown up to his house to teach him and he has been drunk. Much of his change began when one day he was at a friends house, drinking, and the missionaries (others in a different part of Guatemala) showed up. His friends had rejected the missionaries and told them that they were happy with the life that they were living, but as the missionaries left he realized that in no way was he happy with the life he had. This experience opened his heart and made him realize how much he needed to change and how much he needed God. We were suprised this week when we showed up, and he had completely shave his huge beard that he had! As we began to talk and teach, he was very different in the way that he received our message from in the past. He was paying much attention and was very calm. At the end of the lesson, we asked him how he was doing with the plan to conquistar his addiction was going, and he told us that he had not drunk for a week! We had talked to him about being baptised in the past, but he was very unfaithful to the idea that he could change, but to our surprise when we asked him when he felt he could be prepared for baptism, he surprisingly told us that he needed one more month of preparation, and he set his own date to prepare for baptism. I testify of the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to change all of us. From this experience, the scripture in Isaiah 53:5 comes to mind, that says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." As we celebrate the resurection of our Lord, we can also remember that we can be healed, because of him. We can find peace and change our lives. I am a testament of that, because time after time I have seen it in the lives of others, and daily in my own life.
Testimony time:
This week I decided to study what the the pass over mean. This lead me to 2 Nefi 9, and I was left impacted on these verses:
22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.
23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
I marvel at the wonder of what He has done for me. I marvel at his love and patience for all of us, and that he is so constantly calling us, guiding us, teaching us, and showing us the way to happiness. Because of him, all will live again and will live through him. What peace that is to know that death has no sting and that we will one day get to see those loved ones again. As we follow him, choosing to do what he has commanded and taking our cruz and following him. What great joy it brings me to have this knowledge, and that is why I am doing what I do, so that more and more people can find that peace that they need in their lives. I testify that He live. He knows each and every one of us personally, and we can put trust in His power to change us and make us better. The gospel of Jesus Christ is joyfull, and only though him can we find that eternal happiness. In his Sacred and holy name, Amen.
Enjoy an amazing video for this pass over!
https://www.mormon.org/easter/hallelujah
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We had to take a trip to a part of the mission called Totonicapan.
Elder Richardson
Misión Guatemala Quetzaltenango
Misión Guatemala Quetzaltenango
Sports P day. We originally wanted to play tennis, but someone had stollen all of the balls so we just played soccer.
We had to take a trip to a part of the mission called Totonicapan.
These are pictures of the city, and we were surprised that they had reenactments of the Semana Santa there also, with more fights (fake with fake swords haha!) between the Jews and Romans.
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