Hola!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe how fast the time is flying!!! This could be my last change in the mountains...no one knows, but changes are already next week!! I cannot believe it!!! So mom, if you don’t get a letter from me next Monday, DONT PANIC!!!! I am not dead, but we have changes SO, I will not write til Wednesday!!!! But the work in our area is slowly but surely progressing. As far as the work goes, this change has been pretty slow, but we are trying to do all that we can to change that!!! But hmmm.....what happened this week......we didn’t have any crazy people chase us that was good.....still have crazy rain storms almost everyday which is always fun!! Seriously the rain here is crazy!!!! Crazy!!! Crazy!!
Our investigators are coming to the church were just trying to help them progress!! The problem really is that nobody here is married and don’t have intentions of getting married, because they say it is too expensive or they have other stupid excuses. Here in Guatemala its not like the States, the bishop doesn’t have the authority to marry people so to hire a lawyer costs about 300 Q which people don’t have the money. The cheapest way is to get married through the muni which only costs 20Q but all that is standing in line and signing a paper which people don’t want to do because they have these cultural traditions to have big weddings....I don’t know it is sooooo frustrating!! But we are trying!!!! That really is the problem. We are thinking of having an activity where we just marry everyone!!! haha. I’m not even joking.
Yesterday, we were talking about it with a family and the guy kept saying he didn’t want to. They didn’t have money and that he was scared to get married. And I was like you shouldn’t be scared of any of that. You should FEAR GOD buddy!!! Because you are sinning!!!!!!! GET MARRRRIIIIEEEDDD!!!!!!! haha. We try to talk very, very clear so that they understand, but that is the hardest part about the work right now. The women want to marry, but the men don’t. But like my comp said it is not the men’s fault, but these women!!!! It really is frustrating but we are doing our very best and im trying to be nice!!!! but about that........haha. No really I’m trying. Pray for us!
But oh man cool story.... I’d say the coolest part about this week.....well it didn’t happen to me thank goodness it happened to my district leader but it is a pretty cool story.....anyways my dl and his companion had a really, really bad day. All their citas dropped, there were rainstorms, crazy people yelling at them on the street, and it was just not good. And I understand exactly how that feels...they just had nothing going on. So when they got home they were all depressed so they decided to climb up to their roof and just sit and relax. BAD IDEA!!!! the roof is tin and I don’t know exactly how it happened but there was a cable on the roof and I guess what happened is he was wearing a metal ring and it somehow attracted the cable and he got electrocuted with over 14000 volts!!!!! which I guess is a heck of a lot!!
He literally just immediately fell to the floor paralyzed as if he died. He just passed out completely and said all he could remember was that he was trying to breath, but couldn’t and didn’t have any feeling in his limbs, nothing. He said he just remembers fighting for his life and trying and trying to breath and move his body, but NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! He couldn’t do anything. He said in his mind he was just praying and praying that Heavenly Father would let him live, but he said he knew for sure that he would be paralyzed because he was gone. But as he was fighting to breath, his body just couldn’t so in his mind he just said to himself, “I hope I’m ready and closed his eyes¨ Crazy. Then he said he could hear his companion just screaming like a lunatic and he somehow had the strength to open his eyes and the words ¨blessing¨ just came out of his mouth and he closed his eyes again. But when the elder laid his hands on his head and said his name, he said he immediately could feel half of his body again.
He still couldn’t move or say anything but he felt a light enter his body. The ambulance came and rushed him to the hospital and the elder said he couldn’t remember anything more. He couldn’t remember anything after that. He just woke up the next morning was hooked up to machines and when he asked what happened I guess the doctor was in shock because he said he doesn’t know how it happened but it truly was a miracle!!! He said he got electrocuted with over 14000 volts of lighting which should of instantly killed him or AT LEAST blown off his legs and his arms but what happened well one the blessing, but two when they cut off his clothes all this body was scarred everywhere except where his garments were. He has a garment tan of just red and I guess what happened was the garments soaked up some of the shock and protected his heart!!!!
The doctor said that he cannot understand how the volts did not fully reach his heart!!! He said the damage is every where else on his body and around his heart, but SOMEHOW did not reach it. The doctor said it truly was a miracle and he still doesn’t even know how that was possible. But isn’t that the CRAZIEST thing!!!!!! What’s even crazier is the Elder was only in the hospital for a couple of days because his heart was still weak and needed to have the machines, but after that he left the hospital and is completely fine. Normal working again!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, if that doesn’t tell you the church is true. I don’t know what!!!! Seriously, He just said, ¨THE CHURCH IS TRUE¨ because I shouldn’t be alive and it was so, so powerful it electrocuted my heart and again I had to shout I BELLLLLIIIIIIEEEEEEEVVVVEEE!!!! Seriously, it scares me sometimes how true and real the church is!!!!!!
If my mission has taught me something it is 1.....I am sooooo blessed! Cant even believe how blessed we are 2......my daddy’s a hottie and I loooooove my family and 3.....the church is TRUE!!!!!!!! There are just things that happen on the mission where you cannot DOUBT that Heavenly Father protects you and that He truly hears and answers prayers!!!! It seriously is incredible!!!!!!!! For this reason, everything that we go through as missionaries is worth it!!!!! I cannot lie, my mission has been hard. There are sometimes where I just feel so discouraged and still feel like I’m just in a state of shock sometimes like I cannot believe that I signed up for this or that Heavenly Father sent me here!! haha. Seriously. It happens.
Guatemala has definitely not let me down. it has been an adventure i can never ever forget But I cannot doubt for a second that THIS IS THE WORK OF THE LORD!!!!!!!! That Heavenly Father loves me, hears me and helps me everyday to be able to do this. THE CHURCH IS TRUE....I KNOW that and THAT makes it ALL worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!! For this reason, we cannot help but just be HAPPY and love life....ALL of it!!!!!!! Good, bad, crazy because we are soooo blessed!!! Despite everything, I am LOVING my mission because it is teaching me soo much!! And I love Hermana Guaranda too. Hopefully we don’t have changes because it seriously is SO, SO, SO funny!!! but ohhhhh one more thing You wanna know tender mercies.....ok soooo I was having not the best day....citas dropped, people who don’t want anything, rainstorms, floating poop....you name it and I was walking past a little tienda and you will never guess.....ABBA DANCING QUEEN started playing!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously almost fainted and was just like OH MY GOSH SISTER!!!! She was like what!!!! I told her THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!! I BEELIIIIIEVVVEEE!!! hahhahaha. She was like what? I was like DANCING QUEEN!!! DANCING QUEEN!!! hahahahahahah! And we had to stay!!! How crazy is that!!! Heavenly Father knew I was feeling a little down so he started playing Dancing Queen....in GUATEMALA!!!!!!! are you kidding me!!!!! Seriously I will forever testify to love!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing!!!!! Family, just know that I love Love, LOVE you with all my heart. Seriously my eyes have been OPENED to just how blessed I am and I am just so, so, so, so, SOOO grateful for all of you, your love, support, prayers.....I start to cry anytime I think about you because I just cannot believe how blessed I am. I love you all forever!!!!!!! Hope all is well and hope you have an AMAZING week!!!!!!!!!!!! Prestos todos prestos.....the church is true!!!! really.
Loves!!!!!!!!!!!! Hermana Ali G!!!
Oh another tender mercy.......I bought 4 sweaters this week because it is getting really cold....one JCREW, one Banana Republic, one Gap and one BCBG....super cute.....all for the price of 45 Q.....or 5 dollars!!!!!!! I LOVE Guatemala!!!! it made me SOOOOO happy. So seriously don’t worry mom about sending clothes. It way cheaper here and sooooo fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guatemala no ka oi!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hermana Alise Rei Kahululani Garcia served in the Guatemala City Central Mission March 2010 - September 2011 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
First Companion MTC and CCM, Hermana Williams
Sisters, Please Don't Let Your Husbands Disrespect You!
GUATEMLA IS CRAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZYYYYYYYYY yo!!!!!!!! hahahaha. That’s all I got to say. This week has been another crazy jammed pack week where when I think about what to write, I don’t even know because its just all craziness. My mission has far succeeded my thoughts, expectations....It’s just crazy!!! I’m still waiting, for someone to come and wake me up from this dream. haha. Honestly, I wasn’t fully prepared for what Guatemala had in store for me. hahaha. Wow!!! Sometimes I really think to myself....Wow!! Mission calls are inspired, right? And, this is what Heavenly Father had in store for me!!!!! WOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!! He must know us a lot more than we know ourselves! Because I NEVER, EVER, would have EVER imagined this for my life right now!!!!!!! I really don’t know how to express everything I feel. Let’s just say la mision esta loca!!!!!!! haha. But at the same time soooooooooo great because the church is true!!!! How crazy is that?? For this, EVERYTHING is worth it!!!
Thank you all for your prayers!! My health is a lot better this week!!!! Testify to love, because that was rough!! But now, my companion is sick!! Poor thing!! She is not doing well; I think she caught it for me. She’s been barfing, fevers, headaches....the whole thing!!! It sucks!! I think it’s either the change in climate that got us. I don’t know all of a sudden it just has been sooooo cold!! Well not Japan, or Russia but it is cold!!! We need to bundle up. Seriously, that jacket that Auntie Ani sent with me before I left saved my life!!! It’s soooo warm and I love it. But I think if I’m still in the mountains November/ December I’m going to need to go buy warm clothes because it is definitely cold here in these mountains!! But don’t worry about sending me anything. I am fine and clothes here are extremely cheap so don’t worry!!!! But yeah, my comp got sick, but is a trooper and despite all of that, we are having a blast!!! I looooooooooove my companion. Seriously. She is hilarious and just so loving and we get along really, really great!!! She apologized to me because in the beginning well I didn’t know this but she was a little grumpy because she did not want a gringa companion for anything!!!! haha!!!! I don’t know a lot of people here don’t like gringos so we have to be really careful, but she said she wants to call you mom because my mama did well. President told me that in her letters to president she writes, ¨President please don’t take away my gringita!!!!!¨ That made me soooo happy because this change has been rough with just a lot of disappointments, but despite all this I can honestly say Its been a great change!!! We learned so much and honestly have a BLAST with each other and have learned you just gotta laugh, laugh, laugh or you will go crazy!! Ice cream is necessary, and no matter what happens the church is true!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I don’t know what’s going on, but we are having the hardest time finding positive progressing people!! And it just has been rejection, rejection, and craziness!!! The other day we were running and something told us cross the street! So we were like cruzemos! cruzemos!! And then this guy out of nowhere came running from behind saying REPENT!! REPENT!! REPENT!! It was the craziest thing! Or well be walking and people will shout crazy things at us about the Book of Mormon or just crazy things. I sat next to this lady on the bus and started talking to her and she told me that her husband just died, and she is in desperate need of help because she has no job, she cant feed her kids blah blah blah....I seriously in my heart said, ‘Thank you Heavenly Father¨ because I felt so strongly that I was led to sit next to her...than I started sharing a little about our message and she just started practically screaming, going off, it was crazy!! NOOOO!!!!! I don’t want your stupid message she told me, I need money!!!! I told her I didn’t have any money and that the only way I could help her was to help her to know Christ. I started bearing my testimony about Jesus Christ and our great message and she is ¨Christian¨ strong evangelical and she just said NO! NO! Don’t talk to me!! And started telling me if I were truly Christian, I would give her money because that’s what the bible said and it was so embarrassing because she was practically screaming and my comp was behind me just laughing and then she scooted as far away from me as possible and practically started hugging the wall of the bus!!!! pahahaha! It was crazy!!! But that’s what we deal with everyday!!!! But I’ve seriously learned that you just gotta love and embrace everything!!!! But sometimes, I need to read the letters that you write to me, just to remind myself that there ARE people in this world that love me!! haha.
But hmmmm que mas.....Well like I told you we found a family that showed so much potential...all was well....we taught them pretty much everyday this week and they were pilas!!! Well the wife still is pilas!! But I have no idea what happened!! The husband showed such potential. Read everyday, had good questions really the problem that we saw was that he worked Sundays and really this family is poor so if he doesn’t work, they don’t eat!! It’s a hard situation, but we encouraged him to just Trust in the Lord!! And he understood the importance of the commandments and what not, but we went over to their house Saturday and I guess the husband just went crazy and just straight up left the family!!!!! We showed up and the wife was just in tears, crying hysterically because she told us that her husband left!!!! She is super pilas and she talked to him about how he needed to trust in the Lord and that if they wanted to change, they needed to do their part!! This lady is pilas with super faith. In one week, she is already in Alma in her Libro de Mormon and just looooves it!! She told her husband, God will help us; we need to listen to the hermanas!! And the husband just snapped, went crazy, tore up the apartment, threatened to take their kid, and left!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it and I seriously just felt so bad, because I just thought; ‘Did I cause this? She was just in tears, but despite all this she showed up yesterday at the church with her kid!!! SUPER FAITH!!!! She just told us, I need to make a change for my kid!! She’s had a very hard life, was raped as a kid by her stepdad and abused, but is truly trying to seek for a change. It seriously is heartbreaking.
Seriously the stories of these people here are CRAZY!!!! Guatemala is a crazy place. All the people we meet everyday, I just cannot even believe their lives and the stories that they have!!! I don’t think I’ve met a women yet that in some way hasn’t been abused!! I’m not even joking!! For all the people, but especially the women their lives are sooo, soooo sad. It seriously makes me just cry, because I cannot believe what the woman have to put up with here. I get so angry sometimes, and it’s funny because I can feel myself turning into my mother and I seriously feel moms presence with me because I just gotta tell my sisters here straight!! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!! Sisters, DO NOT let your husbands disrespect you like that!!! NEVER EVER, EVER!!!! And I just go on my female power rants, and sometimes people are shocked by my ideas, but I seriously everyday just feel my “Lisa Garcia” coming out because I just cant believe what these women put up with and it honestly makes me so angry!!!! Sorry dad, I think my mission is turning me into even more of a female power man-hater type of girl!! Just what you wanted!!!!! But seriously, that’s one thing about Central America that drives me crazy is that the worth of females here is like nothing!!!!! But, everyday I do my best to empower my sistahs here!!! And it’s funny because my comp is the same way she is a very strong woman!!!! She said South America is very, very, very different than Guatemala. When I asked the difference she said that Guatemala is a lot more poor, the poverty in Central America is a lot worse and that the woman are stupid!! haha. But oh man, seriously its crazy!!
Wow!! I’ve just been babbling and just realized that my time is going to end, but family please know that I loooooooooooooooooooove you all soooooooooooo much!!!! In my prayers at night, I break down in tears because I cannot believe how blessed I have been and seriously my biggest blessing is my family and the support that I have!!!! It is without words!!!!!!! I looooooooooooooooooooove you all with all my heart I cannot nearly express it in writing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. for all your love. and support, ESPECIALLY in this time of my life. It means the world!!!!!! Seriously, no matter what, my testimony of the restored gospel has been strengthened that without doubt I can say I KNOWWW that this church is true. That God lives and loves and only through this work, can our brothers and sisters return to live with our Heavenly Father and that we can truly have happiness in this life!!!!! So gotta keep going and help my brothers and sisters out!!!!!!!! I seriously love Heavenly Father. He is amazing and feel His presence stronger than ever before in my life!!!! I am coming to know the Savior in a very real way and that just makes everything worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i loooooooooooooooooove you all!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for everything!!!! prestos todos prestos.....the church is true!!!!!
Thank you all for your prayers!! My health is a lot better this week!!!! Testify to love, because that was rough!! But now, my companion is sick!! Poor thing!! She is not doing well; I think she caught it for me. She’s been barfing, fevers, headaches....the whole thing!!! It sucks!! I think it’s either the change in climate that got us. I don’t know all of a sudden it just has been sooooo cold!! Well not Japan, or Russia but it is cold!!! We need to bundle up. Seriously, that jacket that Auntie Ani sent with me before I left saved my life!!! It’s soooo warm and I love it. But I think if I’m still in the mountains November/ December I’m going to need to go buy warm clothes because it is definitely cold here in these mountains!! But don’t worry about sending me anything. I am fine and clothes here are extremely cheap so don’t worry!!!! But yeah, my comp got sick, but is a trooper and despite all of that, we are having a blast!!! I looooooooooove my companion. Seriously. She is hilarious and just so loving and we get along really, really great!!! She apologized to me because in the beginning well I didn’t know this but she was a little grumpy because she did not want a gringa companion for anything!!!! haha!!!! I don’t know a lot of people here don’t like gringos so we have to be really careful, but she said she wants to call you mom because my mama did well. President told me that in her letters to president she writes, ¨President please don’t take away my gringita!!!!!¨ That made me soooo happy because this change has been rough with just a lot of disappointments, but despite all this I can honestly say Its been a great change!!! We learned so much and honestly have a BLAST with each other and have learned you just gotta laugh, laugh, laugh or you will go crazy!! Ice cream is necessary, and no matter what happens the church is true!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I don’t know what’s going on, but we are having the hardest time finding positive progressing people!! And it just has been rejection, rejection, and craziness!!! The other day we were running and something told us cross the street! So we were like cruzemos! cruzemos!! And then this guy out of nowhere came running from behind saying REPENT!! REPENT!! REPENT!! It was the craziest thing! Or well be walking and people will shout crazy things at us about the Book of Mormon or just crazy things. I sat next to this lady on the bus and started talking to her and she told me that her husband just died, and she is in desperate need of help because she has no job, she cant feed her kids blah blah blah....I seriously in my heart said, ‘Thank you Heavenly Father¨ because I felt so strongly that I was led to sit next to her...than I started sharing a little about our message and she just started practically screaming, going off, it was crazy!! NOOOO!!!!! I don’t want your stupid message she told me, I need money!!!! I told her I didn’t have any money and that the only way I could help her was to help her to know Christ. I started bearing my testimony about Jesus Christ and our great message and she is ¨Christian¨ strong evangelical and she just said NO! NO! Don’t talk to me!! And started telling me if I were truly Christian, I would give her money because that’s what the bible said and it was so embarrassing because she was practically screaming and my comp was behind me just laughing and then she scooted as far away from me as possible and practically started hugging the wall of the bus!!!! pahahaha! It was crazy!!! But that’s what we deal with everyday!!!! But I’ve seriously learned that you just gotta love and embrace everything!!!! But sometimes, I need to read the letters that you write to me, just to remind myself that there ARE people in this world that love me!! haha.
But hmmmm que mas.....Well like I told you we found a family that showed so much potential...all was well....we taught them pretty much everyday this week and they were pilas!!! Well the wife still is pilas!! But I have no idea what happened!! The husband showed such potential. Read everyday, had good questions really the problem that we saw was that he worked Sundays and really this family is poor so if he doesn’t work, they don’t eat!! It’s a hard situation, but we encouraged him to just Trust in the Lord!! And he understood the importance of the commandments and what not, but we went over to their house Saturday and I guess the husband just went crazy and just straight up left the family!!!!! We showed up and the wife was just in tears, crying hysterically because she told us that her husband left!!!! She is super pilas and she talked to him about how he needed to trust in the Lord and that if they wanted to change, they needed to do their part!! This lady is pilas with super faith. In one week, she is already in Alma in her Libro de Mormon and just looooves it!! She told her husband, God will help us; we need to listen to the hermanas!! And the husband just snapped, went crazy, tore up the apartment, threatened to take their kid, and left!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it and I seriously just felt so bad, because I just thought; ‘Did I cause this? She was just in tears, but despite all this she showed up yesterday at the church with her kid!!! SUPER FAITH!!!! She just told us, I need to make a change for my kid!! She’s had a very hard life, was raped as a kid by her stepdad and abused, but is truly trying to seek for a change. It seriously is heartbreaking.
Seriously the stories of these people here are CRAZY!!!! Guatemala is a crazy place. All the people we meet everyday, I just cannot even believe their lives and the stories that they have!!! I don’t think I’ve met a women yet that in some way hasn’t been abused!! I’m not even joking!! For all the people, but especially the women their lives are sooo, soooo sad. It seriously makes me just cry, because I cannot believe what the woman have to put up with here. I get so angry sometimes, and it’s funny because I can feel myself turning into my mother and I seriously feel moms presence with me because I just gotta tell my sisters here straight!! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!! Sisters, DO NOT let your husbands disrespect you like that!!! NEVER EVER, EVER!!!! And I just go on my female power rants, and sometimes people are shocked by my ideas, but I seriously everyday just feel my “Lisa Garcia” coming out because I just cant believe what these women put up with and it honestly makes me so angry!!!! Sorry dad, I think my mission is turning me into even more of a female power man-hater type of girl!! Just what you wanted!!!!! But seriously, that’s one thing about Central America that drives me crazy is that the worth of females here is like nothing!!!!! But, everyday I do my best to empower my sistahs here!!! And it’s funny because my comp is the same way she is a very strong woman!!!! She said South America is very, very, very different than Guatemala. When I asked the difference she said that Guatemala is a lot more poor, the poverty in Central America is a lot worse and that the woman are stupid!! haha. But oh man, seriously its crazy!!
Wow!! I’ve just been babbling and just realized that my time is going to end, but family please know that I loooooooooooooooooooove you all soooooooooooo much!!!! In my prayers at night, I break down in tears because I cannot believe how blessed I have been and seriously my biggest blessing is my family and the support that I have!!!! It is without words!!!!!!! I looooooooooooooooooooove you all with all my heart I cannot nearly express it in writing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. for all your love. and support, ESPECIALLY in this time of my life. It means the world!!!!!! Seriously, no matter what, my testimony of the restored gospel has been strengthened that without doubt I can say I KNOWWW that this church is true. That God lives and loves and only through this work, can our brothers and sisters return to live with our Heavenly Father and that we can truly have happiness in this life!!!!! So gotta keep going and help my brothers and sisters out!!!!!!!! I seriously love Heavenly Father. He is amazing and feel His presence stronger than ever before in my life!!!! I am coming to know the Savior in a very real way and that just makes everything worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i loooooooooooooooooove you all!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for everything!!!! prestos todos prestos.....the church is true!!!!!
Thank You Hermana Garcia! No, Thank God!
Hollaaa!!! Ok so this week started off extremely hard, but turned out great! This week was the first time in my mission that I got sick, Guatemala sick and it was not fun! Not fun at all! I had it all....chills, fever, stomach, stomach, stomach issues, body aches. AJ DKD DFKDKFD FKDF!!!! It was not fun! I do not know what happened, but it seriously took every inch of faith and determination that I had to go out and work!!! What made it harder too is that we were struggling, struggling, struggling to find progressing investigators and people who really wanted to change and progress!!!! But Dios da valor!!!!!!!!!!!! And I have such a testimony that no matter what happens, this is His work and He will help us. Not everyone is going to listen to us. The majority of the people are not, but that that cannot discourage us.
This week, man. We had the most interesting rejections. Door slams, we passed by an Evangelical church and this one guy came running out yelling at us telling us to repent. It was crazy. We just stared at him while he was yelling at us and when he stopped i had nothing all I could do was smile and say hola hermano. como esta! And my comp started laughing and he just screamed Don’t call me HERMANO! You cannot call me that!!! Because I am saved and you are not!! We are not brothers because you are not alive in Christ!! It was crazy! Then we found this family who we thought was going to be really positive. they let us in. we shared our message...gave them a Book of Mormon they seemed positive....told us they wanted to read blah blah blah. We came back the next day and evangelicals were at their house so she answered the door and told us sorry we are Christians and threw the Book of Mormon in our face and said don’t come back!!! Ohhh man. This is what we work with alllll day.
We had a meeting and president asked us why it was sooo hard to baptize and find the chosen here. Well because he was comparing Guatemala to Nicaragua. Nicaragua baptizes 650 people every month!!!! Yes, 650. That is crazy! And our mission, well all of Guatemala we baptize an average of 80 per month which I don’t know how that is in comparison to the rest of the world, but he was just basically telling us that that is not enough and just asked us what the problem was and one elder stood up and said, The Evangelicals!! And I just laughed to myself because that is so sad, but a lot of times soooo true!!!! They purposely go out of their way they are extremely proactive in their dislike towards us and seriously do all they can to stop people from listening to us and the problem is majority of the people here are evangelical and if they aren’t, they are scared of the evangelicals. It’s sooo frustrating, But, I don’t know why I’m telling you all that. I know that that really doesn’t matter because this is the Lords work so it will go forward!! We just need to do our best and try!!!!! But yeah, the beginning of the week was hard, but despite all this, my comp and I just tried our best to keep going, keep going, and this weekend the blessings flooded!
This weekend we were able to find two families that seem extremely positive. They came to church and loooooved it! The only problem is they are not married, but who in Guatemala is??? So yesterday we taught them and it went really well. They want to get married and keep progressing in the church. The wife is really happy because she’s always wanted to go to a church. She would always ask and ask her husband, but he didn’t want to go to any church because he said he didn’t like any of them! So we passed by them on the street and we contact every family that we see so we passed by them and I just said, hoooooolllllllllllaaaaa! como esta!!! And my comp and I both started giggling because I think, well I know that I scared them! They had the funniest, most shocked look on their face! And asked if we were talking to them and if we knew them!? It was really funny, but we started talking to them about our message and invited them to learn more and if they wanted to come to church with us and surprisingly the husband was a little hesitant but said, sure!! The wife seriously looked so shocked and when we talked to her yesterday, it was because she said that she never ever thought that would ever happen because she has asked and asked and nothing, but he accepted and he told us he didn’t know why he accepted either. It surprised himself he said, but they came to church and looooooovvvveed it and are excited to keep receiving the lessons and progressing in the church!!!! I have no doubt in my mind that the Spirit touched his heart and that is why he accepted. But it was sooooo cool. A miracle to me and such a blessing because that seriously never happens to us!!!! I don’t want to get my hopes up yet, but I have a really good feeling about this family!!!!
But highlight of the weeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk again the HANDCART angels!!!
Angelina is doing great!!! The handcart angels are still alive!! One of the members donated a bed to her because her entire family sleeps on this one twin, maybe it’s a full sized bed!!! So sad. We went over to deliver it and it was just the cutest thing because the little kids were jumping up and down when we came driving up jumping and cheering new bed new bed!! And it was one of the best sights. I wish I had a movie of it!!! And so I jumped out of the car and started jumping up and down and cheering with them. And the little boy, Manuel he has 5 years he jumped on my back and gave me the biggest hug and said, Thank you Hermana Garcia for teaching us the gospel!!!!!!! It seriously was one of the most touching experiences. When we left, Hermana Angelina was in tears because she was so touched by the help of all the members and she too gave me the biggest hug and told me, Thank you!!!! And I just felt an overwhelming feeling of love and told her, no thank God!! I started to just cry because I felt so grateful that Heavenly Father allowed me in a small part to be part of their life and to be able to bring them this beautiful gospel. No matter what happens, this is what it’s all about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just felt so grateful and it seriously is what makes EVERYTHING worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Despite everything, I am doing fine. The mission is hard but these experiences are eternal and truly are the most beautiful anyone can have!!!!!!! I love Heavenly Father!!! I know He hears and answers prayers and that this is His work!! I have faith that although it doesn’t always seem like it, this work will mean something to someone because it really is the work of the Lord!!!!! With all my heart, I loooooove you all!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prestos todos prestos.....the church is true!!!!
loves!!!
Hermana Ali
This week, man. We had the most interesting rejections. Door slams, we passed by an Evangelical church and this one guy came running out yelling at us telling us to repent. It was crazy. We just stared at him while he was yelling at us and when he stopped i had nothing all I could do was smile and say hola hermano. como esta! And my comp started laughing and he just screamed Don’t call me HERMANO! You cannot call me that!!! Because I am saved and you are not!! We are not brothers because you are not alive in Christ!! It was crazy! Then we found this family who we thought was going to be really positive. they let us in. we shared our message...gave them a Book of Mormon they seemed positive....told us they wanted to read blah blah blah. We came back the next day and evangelicals were at their house so she answered the door and told us sorry we are Christians and threw the Book of Mormon in our face and said don’t come back!!! Ohhh man. This is what we work with alllll day.
We had a meeting and president asked us why it was sooo hard to baptize and find the chosen here. Well because he was comparing Guatemala to Nicaragua. Nicaragua baptizes 650 people every month!!!! Yes, 650. That is crazy! And our mission, well all of Guatemala we baptize an average of 80 per month which I don’t know how that is in comparison to the rest of the world, but he was just basically telling us that that is not enough and just asked us what the problem was and one elder stood up and said, The Evangelicals!! And I just laughed to myself because that is so sad, but a lot of times soooo true!!!! They purposely go out of their way they are extremely proactive in their dislike towards us and seriously do all they can to stop people from listening to us and the problem is majority of the people here are evangelical and if they aren’t, they are scared of the evangelicals. It’s sooo frustrating, But, I don’t know why I’m telling you all that. I know that that really doesn’t matter because this is the Lords work so it will go forward!! We just need to do our best and try!!!!! But yeah, the beginning of the week was hard, but despite all this, my comp and I just tried our best to keep going, keep going, and this weekend the blessings flooded!
This weekend we were able to find two families that seem extremely positive. They came to church and loooooved it! The only problem is they are not married, but who in Guatemala is??? So yesterday we taught them and it went really well. They want to get married and keep progressing in the church. The wife is really happy because she’s always wanted to go to a church. She would always ask and ask her husband, but he didn’t want to go to any church because he said he didn’t like any of them! So we passed by them on the street and we contact every family that we see so we passed by them and I just said, hoooooolllllllllllaaaaa! como esta!!! And my comp and I both started giggling because I think, well I know that I scared them! They had the funniest, most shocked look on their face! And asked if we were talking to them and if we knew them!? It was really funny, but we started talking to them about our message and invited them to learn more and if they wanted to come to church with us and surprisingly the husband was a little hesitant but said, sure!! The wife seriously looked so shocked and when we talked to her yesterday, it was because she said that she never ever thought that would ever happen because she has asked and asked and nothing, but he accepted and he told us he didn’t know why he accepted either. It surprised himself he said, but they came to church and looooooovvvveed it and are excited to keep receiving the lessons and progressing in the church!!!! I have no doubt in my mind that the Spirit touched his heart and that is why he accepted. But it was sooooo cool. A miracle to me and such a blessing because that seriously never happens to us!!!! I don’t want to get my hopes up yet, but I have a really good feeling about this family!!!!
But highlight of the weeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk again the HANDCART angels!!!
Angelina is doing great!!! The handcart angels are still alive!! One of the members donated a bed to her because her entire family sleeps on this one twin, maybe it’s a full sized bed!!! So sad. We went over to deliver it and it was just the cutest thing because the little kids were jumping up and down when we came driving up jumping and cheering new bed new bed!! And it was one of the best sights. I wish I had a movie of it!!! And so I jumped out of the car and started jumping up and down and cheering with them. And the little boy, Manuel he has 5 years he jumped on my back and gave me the biggest hug and said, Thank you Hermana Garcia for teaching us the gospel!!!!!!! It seriously was one of the most touching experiences. When we left, Hermana Angelina was in tears because she was so touched by the help of all the members and she too gave me the biggest hug and told me, Thank you!!!! And I just felt an overwhelming feeling of love and told her, no thank God!! I started to just cry because I felt so grateful that Heavenly Father allowed me in a small part to be part of their life and to be able to bring them this beautiful gospel. No matter what happens, this is what it’s all about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just felt so grateful and it seriously is what makes EVERYTHING worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Despite everything, I am doing fine. The mission is hard but these experiences are eternal and truly are the most beautiful anyone can have!!!!!!! I love Heavenly Father!!! I know He hears and answers prayers and that this is His work!! I have faith that although it doesn’t always seem like it, this work will mean something to someone because it really is the work of the Lord!!!!! With all my heart, I loooooove you all!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prestos todos prestos.....the church is true!!!!
loves!!!
Hermana Ali
August 9, 2010 Handcart Angels
Sent: Mon, August 9, 2010 8:31:45 AM
Subject: hollllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
Ok......so this week as far as the work goes.....it is still pretty slow. But I am happy because miracles happen and Handcart angels EXIST!!!!!!!!!!!
But anyways, this week.....hmm…more craziness. Earlier this week we were going to visit Hermana Angelina and we were on our way to her house but I don’t know something told me don’t go! It was really sudden, but it was just a feeling that I had that we shouldn’t go visit her. I looked at my comp and I told her Hermana I don’t know, but I don’t feel like we should go visit Hermana Angelina. She looked at me and said Oh myyy gosh I just had that same impression!!! It was the coolest thing. So we turned around and didn’t go. I don’t know what would have happened if we went to visit Hermana Angelina, but I have NO doubt that we were led and guided by the Spirit, not to go. It was way cool! So dad, don’t get mad that Tricia and Maya have security guards protecting them every night. I’ve got the best security guard on my side, Heavenly Father. He protects us and I know he sends angels to protect us everyday!! No doubt in my mind of that!
But yeah, we didn’t visit her that day, but later in the week we went to visit her and when we showed up at her house it was one of the best sights of my life. She had her hymn book out and she was singing hymns with her kids!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, that made me sooooo happy! When we arrived she had a big smile on her face and said, “hermanaaas I was waiting for you to come”. We didn’t visit her that whole week and she told us that she missed us and that she was praying that we would visit her because things have been really rough. I guess after her baptism, a lot of things have happened to her. Her nephew died and she hasn’t been able to sell clothes this week. That’s her business she collects old shoes and clothes and she goes door to door or to markets and sells it. But these past couple of weeks, she hasn’t been able to sell so they have had a hard time and have had no money!!!! And it is just a sad situation. Really they have nothing. No food, no light, one old moldy bed, no water, shoes but they talk, really they have NOTHING!! And it’s just sad.
Her son Pablo, has to work. He’s 11 and he works all day from 8 to 8 at night and he makes 5 to 10 Q in the whole day. That is 50 cents to a dollar can you believe that???? SADDDDD!!!! So their situation now is just bad. So, what she is debating on doing is giving up her kids!!! She started to cry, but just said she doesn’t know what to do. I guess there are places in Guatemala that people send their kids to live. There they have food and stuff, but it is not a good situation. They don’t see their parents. They live in these lugares and I don’t know what they do! I have heard that it is sketch and is not good!!!! So we talked to her about it and she knows and agrees that the best thing for her kids would be to stay with her, but she doesn’t know. So we talked with the bishop and seriously the Lord sent His angels!!!!
It was just soooo touching to see the ward come to the rescue!!! Members came and gave us money and told us to go buy her the basic food and things she needs and asked us not to tell her who the money was from. Then sisters in the relief society came and brought huge bags full of clothes and shoes and things that she can either sale or use. Then from the ward funds, the bishop gave her more food and things that she could use and the bishopric is coming this Wednesday to look at her situation to see what they can do to help. They are thinking of either setting up a stand for her so she can sell food. We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but I know Angelina will be ok and will be able to keep her kids! But I can’t adequately express in writing how much this touched me. The member’s don’t have much, but they are willing to just help. I could just feel the love Heavenly Father had for his children, and could see His hand working through the members to help Angelina. During Relief Society, I just started to cry because I just felt pure loooove. The Lord works through others to accomplish his purposes and this is the most beautiful thing in all the world!!! So my goal now for my mission is just to be able to really help someone. Baptisms, lessons, all this is important, but really I just want to go home really knowing that I helped someone. This is the most important. And the Lord answers your prayers and will give you what you ask for.
On Saturday there was another rainstorm, mud, the usual....it was ugly and my comp and I were walking to an appointment and saw this old man pushing this lady in a wheel chair and they were stuck in the mud and couldn’t move. They didn’t have umbrellas, covering, nothing and were just trying to push the wheelchair in the middle of all this rain. My comp and I rushed over to help them. This man’s arm was crippled so he couldn’t really push so I grabbed the wheelchair and told them we would help them walk home.
We gave them our umbrellas and just started going. We did not know how far their house was going to be, but we knew we needed to help them. It took us an hour and a half to get to their house and seriously was one of the craziest walks of my life!!! Trying to push this wheelchair, with broken wheels to their house, craziness!!!!! But we got there!!!!!! And I could not imagine them having to do that without our help!!!! Crazy!!!! So anyways, we invited them to church, but didn’t really expect anything, because they told us they had their religion and that they couldn’t come on Sundays, but its ok because it felt really good to help them.
But yesterday at the church, we were sitting in sacrament and to our surprise we see this old man pushing his mom in the wheelchair, entering the sacrament doors!!!!! They showed up!!!! He pushed his mom all the way to the church...a 2 hour walk in the rain!!!!!!!!!!! I was blooooowwwwwnnn away and sooooo happy!!!!! WOOOW!! I looked at my comp, and tears just streamed down her eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!! We didn’t have much success this week, but Sunday was seriously amazing!!! The Lord answers prayers and I’m not saying they are going to get baptized and they will accept the restored gospel but I know that in some way we were able to touch their lives, and that Heavenly Father really did allow us to help someone which is the best feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord sends his handcart angels to reach out and help and sometimes if we are worthy, it is even us!!!!! The mission is the best. Sometimes it is hard, but really I am learning each day that we are so blessed and that we truly can make a difference in the lives of others and that is what makes it all worth it!!!!!!! Thanks for everything family! I am doing great. Your love and support truly does mean the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With all my love, I loooooove you alllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For everything! Prestos todos Prestos.....the church is TRUE!!!!!!
Love, love, love,
Hermana G
Subject: hollllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
Ok......so this week as far as the work goes.....it is still pretty slow. But I am happy because miracles happen and Handcart angels EXIST!!!!!!!!!!!
But anyways, this week.....hmm…more craziness. Earlier this week we were going to visit Hermana Angelina and we were on our way to her house but I don’t know something told me don’t go! It was really sudden, but it was just a feeling that I had that we shouldn’t go visit her. I looked at my comp and I told her Hermana I don’t know, but I don’t feel like we should go visit Hermana Angelina. She looked at me and said Oh myyy gosh I just had that same impression!!! It was the coolest thing. So we turned around and didn’t go. I don’t know what would have happened if we went to visit Hermana Angelina, but I have NO doubt that we were led and guided by the Spirit, not to go. It was way cool! So dad, don’t get mad that Tricia and Maya have security guards protecting them every night. I’ve got the best security guard on my side, Heavenly Father. He protects us and I know he sends angels to protect us everyday!! No doubt in my mind of that!
But yeah, we didn’t visit her that day, but later in the week we went to visit her and when we showed up at her house it was one of the best sights of my life. She had her hymn book out and she was singing hymns with her kids!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, that made me sooooo happy! When we arrived she had a big smile on her face and said, “hermanaaas I was waiting for you to come”. We didn’t visit her that whole week and she told us that she missed us and that she was praying that we would visit her because things have been really rough. I guess after her baptism, a lot of things have happened to her. Her nephew died and she hasn’t been able to sell clothes this week. That’s her business she collects old shoes and clothes and she goes door to door or to markets and sells it. But these past couple of weeks, she hasn’t been able to sell so they have had a hard time and have had no money!!!! And it is just a sad situation. Really they have nothing. No food, no light, one old moldy bed, no water, shoes but they talk, really they have NOTHING!! And it’s just sad.
Her son Pablo, has to work. He’s 11 and he works all day from 8 to 8 at night and he makes 5 to 10 Q in the whole day. That is 50 cents to a dollar can you believe that???? SADDDDD!!!! So their situation now is just bad. So, what she is debating on doing is giving up her kids!!! She started to cry, but just said she doesn’t know what to do. I guess there are places in Guatemala that people send their kids to live. There they have food and stuff, but it is not a good situation. They don’t see their parents. They live in these lugares and I don’t know what they do! I have heard that it is sketch and is not good!!!! So we talked to her about it and she knows and agrees that the best thing for her kids would be to stay with her, but she doesn’t know. So we talked with the bishop and seriously the Lord sent His angels!!!!
It was just soooo touching to see the ward come to the rescue!!! Members came and gave us money and told us to go buy her the basic food and things she needs and asked us not to tell her who the money was from. Then sisters in the relief society came and brought huge bags full of clothes and shoes and things that she can either sale or use. Then from the ward funds, the bishop gave her more food and things that she could use and the bishopric is coming this Wednesday to look at her situation to see what they can do to help. They are thinking of either setting up a stand for her so she can sell food. We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but I know Angelina will be ok and will be able to keep her kids! But I can’t adequately express in writing how much this touched me. The member’s don’t have much, but they are willing to just help. I could just feel the love Heavenly Father had for his children, and could see His hand working through the members to help Angelina. During Relief Society, I just started to cry because I just felt pure loooove. The Lord works through others to accomplish his purposes and this is the most beautiful thing in all the world!!! So my goal now for my mission is just to be able to really help someone. Baptisms, lessons, all this is important, but really I just want to go home really knowing that I helped someone. This is the most important. And the Lord answers your prayers and will give you what you ask for.
On Saturday there was another rainstorm, mud, the usual....it was ugly and my comp and I were walking to an appointment and saw this old man pushing this lady in a wheel chair and they were stuck in the mud and couldn’t move. They didn’t have umbrellas, covering, nothing and were just trying to push the wheelchair in the middle of all this rain. My comp and I rushed over to help them. This man’s arm was crippled so he couldn’t really push so I grabbed the wheelchair and told them we would help them walk home.
We gave them our umbrellas and just started going. We did not know how far their house was going to be, but we knew we needed to help them. It took us an hour and a half to get to their house and seriously was one of the craziest walks of my life!!! Trying to push this wheelchair, with broken wheels to their house, craziness!!!!! But we got there!!!!!! And I could not imagine them having to do that without our help!!!! Crazy!!!! So anyways, we invited them to church, but didn’t really expect anything, because they told us they had their religion and that they couldn’t come on Sundays, but its ok because it felt really good to help them.
But yesterday at the church, we were sitting in sacrament and to our surprise we see this old man pushing his mom in the wheelchair, entering the sacrament doors!!!!! They showed up!!!! He pushed his mom all the way to the church...a 2 hour walk in the rain!!!!!!!!!!! I was blooooowwwwwnnn away and sooooo happy!!!!! WOOOW!! I looked at my comp, and tears just streamed down her eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!! We didn’t have much success this week, but Sunday was seriously amazing!!! The Lord answers prayers and I’m not saying they are going to get baptized and they will accept the restored gospel but I know that in some way we were able to touch their lives, and that Heavenly Father really did allow us to help someone which is the best feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord sends his handcart angels to reach out and help and sometimes if we are worthy, it is even us!!!!! The mission is the best. Sometimes it is hard, but really I am learning each day that we are so blessed and that we truly can make a difference in the lives of others and that is what makes it all worth it!!!!!!! Thanks for everything family! I am doing great. Your love and support truly does mean the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With all my love, I loooooove you alllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For everything! Prestos todos Prestos.....the church is TRUE!!!!!!
Love, love, love,
Hermana G
August 3, 2010 Why Not Miracles?
Sent: Tue, August 3, 2010 7:36:09 AM
Subject: hollllaaaaaa
Hollaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another week has come and gone. Mom, I am sorry if you waited all day for my email yesterday. No, I didn’t die...I am still alive, they just changed district meeting from Monday to Tue this week. Next week, it should be the same. If you don’t get an email Monday, you can be worried!!! haha. nah. We are fine. All is well!!!! Do not worry!!!!!
This week has been both beautiful and horrible. I don’t know what I should write first. I guess Beautiful....... Ana was baptized.....WOOHOOO and it was so beautiful. She truly has come such a long way from where we started and it was just really powerful to see someone take the steps to come unto Christ. I loved it. I cry every time because the spirit is soooo strong. Also, Angelina was confirmed and is glowing!!!! AND, Rosalio the family we just baptized was able to baptize his son, Angel. OHHHHHHH, that was probably one of the happiest moments of my life. Rosalio cried!!!! And he couldnt stop hugging and kissing Angel after. It was BEAUTIFUL!!!! Violeta, the mama, invited her mom and her sister so we are starting to teach them too. They really liked the baptism so that is good!!!!!! So yeah, this week a lot of big things happened.....BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now on to the horrible.......This week we got the call of death. Literally. First, I was so sad to hear about Auntie Hattie. That is so sad!! Please send my love to Manoa Ward and her family. She is in my prayers and will forever be mah Sister Friendly. And, my comp got the phone call from Presidente that her Grandma passed away. Ohhhh, it was soooo sad because my comp basically was raised from her grandma and she wasn’t expecting that. It really was soooo sad, but my comp is strong and is pressing forward. It’s just hard, I can’t even imagine. And although we had baptisms and confirmations this week, this week was ROUGH. After our baptisms, we really don’t have any investigators who are progressing so this week and the next weeks we have to find, find, find and this week we worked and worked and got NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been talking to everyone, visiting members, hiking mountains, walking miles and miles and NADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rejection...rejection.....the people aren’t home....lie to us....laugh at us.....nothing. We contact on the street, search for the house find it, knock on the door and the kids will answer. Well ask them...is your mom home. They say YES! Run and get her and they say Mama said to tell you she´s not home!!! haha. That’s my favorite. Or well be walking on the street and people well say hurry lets go before they try and talk to us and they’ll literally run!!!! haha!! OHHHHH the life of a missionary!!!!!! But you gotta do what you gotta do. It’s not really the rejection, but just with the news of my comps grandmother passing and then this week we honestly had nothing plus rainstorms and poo.....it was just hard! But I am still in good spirits because regardless of others choices it doesn’t change the fact that this work is TRUE!!! That this is the Lords work and it will go forward!!!! I am just trying to be strong for my comp. I don’t know what else I can do to help her. We’ve been praying praying, praying and no matter what happens, I just try to smile, laugh, fart, do whatever to just keep our companionship going strong!!! But the Lord gives us strength. There were so many times this week where I really could have just broke down and cried, but seriously the thought ¨The field is white already to harvest¨pops in my mind and I just cant lose hope that the Lord has prepared people here to hear our message. He does not lie and that our work will make a difference to someone. I was reading in the Book of Mormon I can’t remember Mormon 9 or Moroni 7 and it talked about miracles and the spirit really hit me soooo strong. The church is TRUE!!!! Why not miracles? Hopefully we will find people really soon. I BELIIIIEEEVVVEEEEEE!!!!!! Any suggestions______ I could use help. I was praying to know how I could find the chosen and a thought came to my head.....it takes a chosen to find a chosen. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. I guess that was an answer, so i guess my next question is How the heck do I be chosen________ I’m still trying to figure this all out!!!! But don’t worry about me. Pray for my companion and that I can be a strength to her. We're doing our best, hopefully we'll have brighter news next week!!!!!!!
But I love you allllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Bday Davie!!!!!! 23 that’s crazy!!!!! I hope everyone gets their notes! I sent letters and pictures but who knows with this loco moco mail. It seriously makes me soooo mad. But just know that I love you all and truly do appreciate all you do. And yes, I receive your letters which truly is such a life saver. Grandma, all your letters do get to me, we just only get them when a leader goes to the office or zone conference or something....but they come! Love you!!!! And it truly does make a difference. I start to tear up every time because I can just feel the love and support from all of you at home and it makes me keep going. OHHHH and Deinas coming home!!! woohhoooo. I’m sad because I won’t get to hear from her each week but I just know Deina was the BEST kawaii missionary!!! No doubt. I LOVE all the letters from my missionary friends because it feels good to know that I’ve got friends fighting for the same things as me. But sometimes it makes me laugh when Megs talks about getting text message references.....what the______ or when Tricia and Maya talk about the security guards who make sure they get home safe everyday.....daaaaaaaaaannnngggggg!!!!!! It makes me a little depressed sometimes and giggle and laugh at myself, but hey!!!!! This is where the Lord needs me right.......ahhahahah hope so!!! daaaannnngnngngng!!! But I truly do love you all, and appreciate all you do!!!!!! The church is true.....So why not miracles!!!!!!! I believe!!!!!!!!! and testify to love!!!! Hope all is well!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Hermana Ali G!!!!!
ps. Although sometimes the work is rough, the Lord always gives us tender mercies and priceless experiences to really feel His love! This week, we were contacting and we stopped to contact this lady and her family and she was an evangelical preacher lady....uhhh ohhh. Funny stuff. We started talking to her and she kept saying amen, amen and then she started preaching to us!!! It was so funny. She was basically screaming and she was like looook arounddd. God is everywhere!!!!! He’s in the sky. He’s in the trees. He is looooooove. And it was so hard to just try not to laugh so I just went with it and was like ammmmeeen sisstah. amen!!!!! Amen after everything she said and my comp and I were dying trying not to just laugh. Then she paused, which you know is my cue to just go! So I started going and sharing our message. I was like sister God is looooove. He loooves you. He wants you to return to Him. And she went into a sleep and just kept saying Amen! Amen! Amen! And I started talking about how because of this God calls prophets to the Earth to teach you and she was sleeping and saying amen, amen. He calls prophets to the earth today like he did in times of old like Moses, Noah, Abraham. And then I invited her and asked her if we can come by one day and share more of our message....And she immediately woke up from her sleep and hit my arm and said Adios!!! Que Les Vaya bien!!!!!!!!!!!!! And took off!!!!!!!!!!!! bahhahahahahhha. It was seriously hilariousssssssssss!!!!!!!!! Maybe you had to be there but oh Guatemala!!!! You seriously NEVER KNOW!!!!!!!!! Me and my comp had a good laugh for like 10 min. it was great! Definitely adventures!!!!! But yeah, although she didn’t accept....I know our words soothed her soul!!! haha. Good times......well love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for everything!!!
Subject: hollllaaaaaa
Hollaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another week has come and gone. Mom, I am sorry if you waited all day for my email yesterday. No, I didn’t die...I am still alive, they just changed district meeting from Monday to Tue this week. Next week, it should be the same. If you don’t get an email Monday, you can be worried!!! haha. nah. We are fine. All is well!!!! Do not worry!!!!!
This week has been both beautiful and horrible. I don’t know what I should write first. I guess Beautiful....... Ana was baptized.....WOOHOOO and it was so beautiful. She truly has come such a long way from where we started and it was just really powerful to see someone take the steps to come unto Christ. I loved it. I cry every time because the spirit is soooo strong. Also, Angelina was confirmed and is glowing!!!! AND, Rosalio the family we just baptized was able to baptize his son, Angel. OHHHHHHH, that was probably one of the happiest moments of my life. Rosalio cried!!!! And he couldnt stop hugging and kissing Angel after. It was BEAUTIFUL!!!! Violeta, the mama, invited her mom and her sister so we are starting to teach them too. They really liked the baptism so that is good!!!!!! So yeah, this week a lot of big things happened.....BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now on to the horrible.......This week we got the call of death. Literally. First, I was so sad to hear about Auntie Hattie. That is so sad!! Please send my love to Manoa Ward and her family. She is in my prayers and will forever be mah Sister Friendly. And, my comp got the phone call from Presidente that her Grandma passed away. Ohhhh, it was soooo sad because my comp basically was raised from her grandma and she wasn’t expecting that. It really was soooo sad, but my comp is strong and is pressing forward. It’s just hard, I can’t even imagine. And although we had baptisms and confirmations this week, this week was ROUGH. After our baptisms, we really don’t have any investigators who are progressing so this week and the next weeks we have to find, find, find and this week we worked and worked and got NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been talking to everyone, visiting members, hiking mountains, walking miles and miles and NADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rejection...rejection.....the people aren’t home....lie to us....laugh at us.....nothing. We contact on the street, search for the house find it, knock on the door and the kids will answer. Well ask them...is your mom home. They say YES! Run and get her and they say Mama said to tell you she´s not home!!! haha. That’s my favorite. Or well be walking on the street and people well say hurry lets go before they try and talk to us and they’ll literally run!!!! haha!! OHHHHH the life of a missionary!!!!!! But you gotta do what you gotta do. It’s not really the rejection, but just with the news of my comps grandmother passing and then this week we honestly had nothing plus rainstorms and poo.....it was just hard! But I am still in good spirits because regardless of others choices it doesn’t change the fact that this work is TRUE!!! That this is the Lords work and it will go forward!!!! I am just trying to be strong for my comp. I don’t know what else I can do to help her. We’ve been praying praying, praying and no matter what happens, I just try to smile, laugh, fart, do whatever to just keep our companionship going strong!!! But the Lord gives us strength. There were so many times this week where I really could have just broke down and cried, but seriously the thought ¨The field is white already to harvest¨pops in my mind and I just cant lose hope that the Lord has prepared people here to hear our message. He does not lie and that our work will make a difference to someone. I was reading in the Book of Mormon I can’t remember Mormon 9 or Moroni 7 and it talked about miracles and the spirit really hit me soooo strong. The church is TRUE!!!! Why not miracles? Hopefully we will find people really soon. I BELIIIIEEEVVVEEEEEE!!!!!! Any suggestions______ I could use help. I was praying to know how I could find the chosen and a thought came to my head.....it takes a chosen to find a chosen. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. I guess that was an answer, so i guess my next question is How the heck do I be chosen________ I’m still trying to figure this all out!!!! But don’t worry about me. Pray for my companion and that I can be a strength to her. We're doing our best, hopefully we'll have brighter news next week!!!!!!!
But I love you allllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Bday Davie!!!!!! 23 that’s crazy!!!!! I hope everyone gets their notes! I sent letters and pictures but who knows with this loco moco mail. It seriously makes me soooo mad. But just know that I love you all and truly do appreciate all you do. And yes, I receive your letters which truly is such a life saver. Grandma, all your letters do get to me, we just only get them when a leader goes to the office or zone conference or something....but they come! Love you!!!! And it truly does make a difference. I start to tear up every time because I can just feel the love and support from all of you at home and it makes me keep going. OHHHH and Deinas coming home!!! woohhoooo. I’m sad because I won’t get to hear from her each week but I just know Deina was the BEST kawaii missionary!!! No doubt. I LOVE all the letters from my missionary friends because it feels good to know that I’ve got friends fighting for the same things as me. But sometimes it makes me laugh when Megs talks about getting text message references.....what the______ or when Tricia and Maya talk about the security guards who make sure they get home safe everyday.....daaaaaaaaaannnngggggg!!!!!! It makes me a little depressed sometimes and giggle and laugh at myself, but hey!!!!! This is where the Lord needs me right.......ahhahahah hope so!!! daaaannnngnngngng!!! But I truly do love you all, and appreciate all you do!!!!!! The church is true.....So why not miracles!!!!!!! I believe!!!!!!!!! and testify to love!!!! Hope all is well!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Hermana Ali G!!!!!
ps. Although sometimes the work is rough, the Lord always gives us tender mercies and priceless experiences to really feel His love! This week, we were contacting and we stopped to contact this lady and her family and she was an evangelical preacher lady....uhhh ohhh. Funny stuff. We started talking to her and she kept saying amen, amen and then she started preaching to us!!! It was so funny. She was basically screaming and she was like looook arounddd. God is everywhere!!!!! He’s in the sky. He’s in the trees. He is looooooove. And it was so hard to just try not to laugh so I just went with it and was like ammmmeeen sisstah. amen!!!!! Amen after everything she said and my comp and I were dying trying not to just laugh. Then she paused, which you know is my cue to just go! So I started going and sharing our message. I was like sister God is looooove. He loooves you. He wants you to return to Him. And she went into a sleep and just kept saying Amen! Amen! Amen! And I started talking about how because of this God calls prophets to the Earth to teach you and she was sleeping and saying amen, amen. He calls prophets to the earth today like he did in times of old like Moses, Noah, Abraham. And then I invited her and asked her if we can come by one day and share more of our message....And she immediately woke up from her sleep and hit my arm and said Adios!!! Que Les Vaya bien!!!!!!!!!!!!! And took off!!!!!!!!!!!! bahhahahahahhha. It was seriously hilariousssssssssss!!!!!!!!! Maybe you had to be there but oh Guatemala!!!! You seriously NEVER KNOW!!!!!!!!! Me and my comp had a good laugh for like 10 min. it was great! Definitely adventures!!!!! But yeah, although she didn’t accept....I know our words soothed her soul!!! haha. Good times......well love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for everything!!!
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