Only the Beginning

Familia Funk,

You guys are too funny. And yes, I do realize that I come home in a little bit, but my companion and I made a covenant with God that we would not talk about home (because she goes home the same day I do,) while we are in the street, but when we are in the house that we can talk about it. And really, it has helped.

This week I ask for your prayers for Gaby. Her mom gave her permission to be baptized! Now we just have to make sure that it is completed.

This week was amazing. On Tuesday, I had my Final interview with President Markham, it was a true and real manifestation from the Holy Ghost that the Lord is pleased with the work I have done, and the work that I will continue to do, and that for that I will return home clean from sin, and come home having completed the measure of my creation on the mission. It truly hit me so hard, and was exactly what I needed to hear from my Heavenly Father. He is the only one that I need to have pleased with the work I am doing to here.

On Wednesday we went to the temple as a zone. I have never learned so much as I did this day in the temple. Inside, I felt pure and clean. And as I was sitting there praying in the celestial room, I did not want to stop praying and the thought and the voice so distinct came to me, ¨Amy, this is only the beginning.¨

Thursday, I think may have been the most special day on my mission. I went to the sealing of one of the converts I had a year ago in Antigua, Hermano Mauricio. When we first found him, he did NOT want to listen, and he was so rude to us. But then he changed and was converted. I have never felt as I did while seeing them in the sealing room together. And at the end, he said to me, ¨If it weren’t for you, I would not be here right now.¨ As I was leaving, with tears in my eyes, I realized, THIS is why we are here as missionaries.

I love you all, with ALL of my heart. And here, I have learned to Love my Savior. And like he told me in the temple, ¨this is only the beginning.¨

hermana Funk

In love with Guatemala

Okay Hello. I love you all, and sorry but I barely have time this week, but it is okay, the work of the Lord will continue!!! 

This week was awesome. I love my companion. And I love being back in Chimaltenango. Antonio is doing great, He is so ecited for his baptism this week!! Like I said last week, he carrys his Book of Mormon in the same bag as his machetti. Last week he put his machetti aside, pulled out his book of mormon and said, [Hermanas, this, this is my protection.[ It simply inpsired me. 

We had an absolute miracle of having 14 people come to church this week. Theybasically all came on their own, and really, it was a pure miracle... including like 5 people that want to get baptised, so its fine if they want too, I guess we will let them. 

Yesterday we were walking down the street and we did not have anyone to teach! So once again, we said a pray telling our heavenly Father that we wanted someone to teach that wanted to be baptised this 1 sunday in February. WEll we kept walking when we saw these ladies and this lady screamed and said, [Are you still getting married in 4 weeks??* (ITs because my companion tells that to EVERYONE), anywho, we kept walking with her to her house and when we got there, we found her sister who started crying and telling us that she felt like god had abandoned her and the he didnt exist. She said that she had been praying that God would send her a sign, and he sent us. Even though she was drunk in the moment, it was a truly huge miracle. The Lord answers the prayers, and I have learned that I need these people much more than they need me.

Mom, I had a you moment. We are trying to visit all the ward members to make sure they know that we love them, and when we do, we make them a bookmark that tells them an attirbute that they have. Anyway. I asked a family when we could visit them and asked them what their name was and everything, and so we made a bookmark for la Familia Rodriguez and went to their house. We said a prayer asking that God would bless the Rodriguez family, and I start and was saying, well this week, we have been thinking alot about an attribute of Jesus Christ that the Fmaily Rodriguez has, and all the stuff and I gave them the bookmark. The lady looks at me and said, [Well, Hermana this is really nice, but who is the Rodriguez Family?[ I looked at her and I was like,[well, Hermana, whats your last name?[ And it was the Tobillas Family! I used the excuse.. which was true.. that my ear had been clogged all day and barely couldnt hear anyone.. but poor things, they thought we had come to their house to tell them the attirbutes of their neighbors. Way to go hermana funk, way to go.

I love you all. I love Guate.

Hermana funk

The New Year

Hey there fam!

Well this week was a fabulous week. If you are wondering, no I was not up at 12 to welcome in the new year, but they sure did wake us up. They have this tradition of doing fireworks.. like every single person here in Guate.. and lighting them all off at the same time. It litterally sounded as if there were fireworks under my pillow and under my bed. I sure slept awesome that night... I love Guatemala. 

This week was yet another week of miracles. I will tell you two of them that have changed me as a person.

1. Antonio. The last sunday, we were walking on the freeway.. dont worry mom, it is normal here. Anyway, I saw a man sitting down with his bike and even though we were trying to get to a lesson, the spirit told us that we needed to talk to him. So with all the sound you could possibly want from a freeway, we shared a scripture with him and told him we were going to visit him on Tuesday in the Church. He came and was just so willin gnad accepting of everything. The third visit he told us, ¨Hermanas, I need to tell you guys something. The day that you guys found me, in that exact moment, I was making a life decision. I was deciding if I was going to stop drinking or not. From that moment that you guys have found me, I have not drank again..¨ He is SO excited to get baptised on the 18th and absolutely loves his Book of Mormon. He carries it around in the same bag as his Machetti. Great combo. But really, the Lord places us in the exact spot in the exact moment.

2. Maria. We were running to a visit because we were SO LATE. anywho... as we were running we saw an old lady that was carrying plastics cans in a huge bag that was bigger than she was. The spirit told us to help her, but I just ignored it because we were late. but when we kept running, the impression came again and we turned around and carried the bag to her house with her. We didnt think anything about it and kept going after. Two days later we were walking and we hear a scream, ¨HERMANAS!!!!!!¨ and this old lady running towards us.. and I started running in the other direction because I got scared.. just like you did mom that one time that the old lady was crossing the street.. hahaha. Anywho, it was same hermana. She had remebered us, the next day came to church and will be getting baptised. 

So the clumsy moment of the week goes to me falling into a pot hole yesterday... I couldnt see it.. it was dark and I only almost broke one leg.. just call me hobbit for the day.

you would think that after a year in the mission your spanish would be pretty good, but Hermana Funk, well, I amstill learning. The word ¨to bury¨ like burying a person the word for when you admit someone to the hospital, are basically the same. Anywho, this ladywas telling us a really sad story about how her daughter had been admitted to the hospital but then had a miraculous recovery.. anywho, yours truly instead of asking when they had admitted her to the hospital, I asked them when they had buried her. Needless to say, she will never listen to us again.

The mission is a purifying process. And that is what I am here to do, come home pure and clean. 

I love you all.

ame

A God of Miracles

BTW, we found out Amy gets home on February 5th!

I love you all. But this week I need to take the time to show the whole world that God is a God of miracles;  and that miracles do not always end up as baptisms. Here it goes.

1. The witness of an angel.

We have an investigator named Brenda that has been waiting for so long for the permission of her dad to be baptized. We have gone with him so many times and he still does not let her. The other night we were walking and we saw her dad sitting on the sidewalk. Sitting by him was a man with orange hair, freckles and a beard… something that you never see here in Guatemala. We sat right down on the ground and started to talk to him. The man with the orange hair said that he was not from there and that he came from really far away. He started to tell us a story that we were pretty sure was going to end up in him bashing on us but then he started to tell her dad, “Ya know, you really should let your daughter get baptized. It is something great that she is doing and it is better than anything that she could be doing on the street. These two young women are here so that she can have a better life and be baptized.” He then paused and said to the dad, “And it will help you prepare for you own baptism someday.” My companion and I were without words, we had no idea who he was or where he came from but we knew he was sent from on high. That night her dad gave her permission to be baptized and we know that this week we will have the permission of the mom.

2. Following the promptings of the spirit.

We were on divisions the other day and during my personal study I kept thinking about a family who is less active that I have visited like 2 or 3 times. I had no idea why I was thinking about them, but the thought kept coming into my head that there was someone in their family whose records were lost in the church or that wasn’t a member. We went with that family later in the day and we talked to every single one of the family members, asking them to see pictures of their baptisms, because here if they don’t have a photo, it is as if that baptism never happened. Anyway, we talked to everyone and everyone was a member and so we left. As we were leaving one of the daughters was walking and we contacted her and without us asking anything she said, “Ya know what? The bishop told me the other week that my records were lost in the church and that I need to be baptized again.” Once again, we were without words and felt an extreme gratitude.

3. Angels do the work that we cannot do.

On Sunday, all the people who were going to be baptized ended up having some challenge or something that prevented them from being baptized. We didn’t know why we were in a certain colony, but we just felt like we should go there and decided that we needed to say a prayer. In the prayer we said, “Help us to contact someone on the street that will say yes to being baptized today.” We then had to call someone and so we were standing there when this lady wheeling her daughter in a wheelchair walked by. I said to my companion, “Contact her!” Without hesitating, my companion crossed the street and said, “Hermana, my companion and I are representatives of Jesus Christ, and we are here to help you become clean of your sins in the name of Jesus Christ, will you be baptized.. today?” Without hesitating and with a humility that I have never seen in any other person, she responded, “Yes. I will.” We then just paused there, we did not know what to say. We sat down with her and started asking her about the commandments, and she was obeying each and every one. She then told us that two elders had been visiting and teaching her…but there are only hermanas (sisters) in our area. At that moment we knew that her two elders that had taught and prepared her were my grandpa and the dad of my companion. We called president to tell him what had happened, and he said, "Hermanas, baptize her. Today." It had simply been a contact in the street. And we told her that she would have to go to an interview with an elder and she responded, "Lets go. I will wheel my daughter all the way there." At the moment we got to the church she completed changed, her face was full of the spirit and nothing was said but while we waited we went in the sacrament meeting room and I played the piano and sang. The elder came and did the interview and came out and said, "Hermanas, she is ready. I don’t know how but she is ready." But then he had the feeling that we needed to wait until she had come to church. I have never seen more faith in all of my life than I saw from rosemary. Her faith, her humility and her obedience has completely changed my life. Our angels prepared her.

I know that God is a God of miracles. I know that angels do the work that we cannot do and I know that we are personal representatives of Jesus Christ and I love him with all of my heart.

Miracles exist. Look for them.

Hermana Funk

Waking up on the coast, falling asleep in the mountains.

Hey there fam!

Well... suprise... I am no longer in the coast. I am in the mountains.... in CHIMALTENGANO AGAIN! On Friday morning, President called and said, Hermana Funk, can you do me a favor? Can you pack your bags? There was an hermana training leader who had just been called, but then she had a siezure and they sent her home. I feel absolutely heartbroken for her.. but they sent me here to chimaltenango again and I am happy to do it for the Lord. And so last week as I was writing you, I was absoultely sweating, but this week I am shivering. Funny how things happen huh?? But I know the Lord has a special work for me and I am being obedient and dilligent to find out what it is. and right now I am on divisions in an even colder part of Guate, so hip hip hooray that I left all of my jackets at home.. smart one amy.

My companion is awesome. Her name is hermana Arguelles and I just love her. Thanks to her and her example, I have come t o realize just how imperfect I am and I LOVE it. She is who I want to become, and I am learning a ton. We both go home on the same day, so I am not sure what they are going to do with our area... only time will tell. 

I need to share with you guys an absolutley amazing miracle that came from one potent prayer. We were in a place called Socobal looking for someone to teach, and my companion said, [We should say a prayer.[ So I said it and I said please help us to find a mom, a dad, and kids that will listen to us and that will come to church tomorrow and that will be baptised on the fourth of January. We ended the prayer and knocked the door. First, left a little boy who told us that his mom was busy.. so we told him to go tell her that we were going to help her. She let us in and out came two more of her kids.. and then she said... And my husband is on his way home! We taught the whole family, they came to church on Sunday and now we KNOW they will be baptised on the 4th. Prayer works. I just felt so grateful.

Yesterday we knocked a door and out left a 90 year old woman who let us in.. but she did not talk at all. We told her that we were going to sing her a Christmas song and so we started singing and she left running. We kept on singing in hope that someone else would listen to us. Well she came back, with a dried corn husk in her hand and gave it to me. Then she left again and brought back aother one for my companion. Then we said the prayer and she left running in the middle of the prayer and came back with dried bean pods. It was absolutely all she had and she gave it to us. Someday I hope to be exactly like that. 

There is no where else in the whole world that I Would rather be than here. I love my Savior and I KNOW that I am a worthy represenative of him. He knew I had to come here to be able to know him. ANd more than any other year, I know this year the he lives. 

I love you all more than you know.ñ

Hermana Funk

It's not hot here...oh wait, that's a lie!

Hello fam.

Well, yes, I am here in a place called Patutul, Tiquisate.. mom, I cannot wait to hear you pronouce that one day. And yes... it is SO HOT. Like litterally, you get out of the shower and you start to sweat. I have not slept for a full week because the fan only shoots out hot air, but the people here ROCK. Anyone will listen! I have realized something.. God knows with what things you will suffer and he gives you a reason to smile with other things. I really am just trying my best and will choose to put the smile on my face no matter what. You know, the smile is the first message that we give to anyone.

Here we have found about 7 miracles just in the past week. 3 kids whose parents are members, but they hadnt been baptised yet and they are all 9 years old, a family who has come to church for like a month but were attending in a different ward,a nd are ready to get baptised and another family who is ready to change their lives. I know that the reason that I came here is because I needed them and I needed to know them to know how I can be a better person. But really, I am learning here how to really trust in my Savior and leave it ALL to him.

I am in a branch right now and it is so different. Last week we started Sacrament meeting with about 5 people in the congregation and I played the piano, and the missionaries gave the talks. hahaha it is so different, but it is so little and cute that we will have the priveledge of knowing everyone. 

i will leave you with a couple of moments of the week.

So in the mornings while we study, we have to keep the door open because if you dont you will sufficate. Anywho, our neighbors have chickens, and about 15 minutes of our studies each day are spent chasing the chickens out of our house time and time again. But one of the chickens tail was burned off and so he cant run very well.. poor thing.  We also have pet ants and spiders and geckos... and no mom, none of them are named twinkle toes. 

Last night we were in a Family home evening, and we were ending and the dad of the family had bought orange juice for the treat. So they were serving it when all of a sudden my companion passes me a note that said, [Orange juice gives me dirrarea.[ I had no idea what she wanted me to do.. tell her sorry.. drink it for her... tell the hermano... I had no idea but I was laughing so hard!! 

I am okay. I will do it. I will not suffer, I will choose to be happy. 

I love you all. Merry christmas pues.

Hermana funk

Another adventure

This week has just been awesome.

And when I say awesome, I also mean that I am very destroyed. WE ARE BOTH LEAVING OUR AREA! There just aren’t enough hermanas here in the capital to keep it open as a Hermana training leader area, so they are moving us... but you must listen... I might be going to the hottest part of the mission.. named Tiqisate. The HOTTEST part. But you know what?? I am so darn excited at the same time because it will be an adventure and it is where the Lord needs me right now for my last change in my mission.. here goes nothing. But I do ask for your prayers that I will be able to handle the heat, and will be able to sleep and that I will not get two sicknesses that right now are all over the coast, named chincucuna and dengue.. wooooot!

But I am really sad to be leaving this area, but I know that it is what the Lord wants of me and that he needs other hermanas here in Prados. But he sure blessed us this past week. Austin was baptized!!! And so was axel. These people are so special, and for that I want to tell you about each one.

Axel comes from a really really poor inactive family, and might just be my favorite little boy that I have ever met. The other day we were teaching them, and we asked him if there was something that he wanted us to ask in the prayer for him and he said, ¨Will you just ask Heavenly Father that he can give me more faith?¨

 At the end of the lesson, I found a Hershey cookies and cream chocolate bar.. the small kind, the kind you were disappointed about if someone put it in your trick or treat bag.... and so I decided to split the small bar up into four pieces to give to him and his brothers. When I put it in his hand he looked at it and just lighted up and said, ¨This is the kind I have seen on TV! It has pieces of broken cookie AND chocolate!¨ Then he took a small bite of it and said, ¨AND IT HAS MILK!¨ and the his mom looked at me and said, ¨He has only ever seen this chocolate on TV.¨ It just made me realize how ungrateful I have been my whole life and that really it is the smallest things that make the difference.

Well, the day of the baptism came of them both and what would you know, the elders forgot to bring the baptismal clothes for them.. typical eldesr. Anywho, we asked them if they could go back to their house to be able to bring the clothes... and well about 1 hour later they came back. And we realized something... WE FORGOT TO TELL THEM the size of the people who were to be baptized. We then proceeded to take out the clothes they brought and we find two of those jumpsuits that you use in the temple to do baptisms for the dead.. but what would you know.. they were both the size ¨´Extra Small¨.. for a 60 year old man and a 8 year old little boy.. let me just say that if there was a flood, the pantsuit of Axel would have been the first one to get wet, and Austins the last. You just have to see the pictures. I have such bad luck with baptismal clothes.

We also asked a couple of yard members to bring a cake because that was the only thing that Axel wanted in his baptism. Well, we did not know how many people were going to stay. We had two small cakes for about 70 people. But before we cut the cake, we said a prayer that this could be an experience like Jesus had when they was enough bread and fish for everyone. And then we realized.. we did not have a knife or anything to cut it with.. but we did have a pass along card for the movie ¨He is the gift.¨ With faith, we decided to cut the cake with the pass along card.. do not tell anyone that who ate the cake.. and incredibly there was enough for everyone, and more to spare. I was literally shocked.

I love you all. I have put a goal to every day put a note in my agenda that says ¨One thing that I am going to do better today¨ to be able to become the person that God wants me to be at the end of my mission. I really love the people here, but I love my Heavenly Father more than ever before in my life.

Hermana Funk

A Guatemalan Thanksgiving

I know, I know, the big question of the day... Amy, what did you eat on Thanksgiving? I ate a piece of bread and a milk drink... how is that for a thanksgiving meal. But yesterday, we did celebrate Thanksgiving for District Pday.. but someone forgot to bring something to cook the stuff in, silver wear, something to cut the turkey.. but if you are wondering, my district leader thought about using a can lid to cut the turkey, and it worked like a champ. Happy Thanksgiving Guate.

This week was an awesome week! Melany and Daniel did not end up getting the permission of their parents, but they are surely converted to the gospel, and I know for a fact that they will have the permission soon and that they can be baptized. Melany said the prayer in the last lesson that we had with her and she started crying and said, “Please help my dad to feel and realize the happiness that I have. I want him to also have the joy from the true church¨ It was incredible. She has changed me and has made me realize how grateful I need to be for being born in a home where the gospel was known and taught.. thanks to you mom and dad.

This weekend one of my favorite investigators is going to be baptized. His name is Austin and he is a 65 year old man that carries around a radio everywhere he goes. He has a fake stomach, due to an accident he had and his answer to everything is “Tremendous”. I love him so much and he is so excited to be baptized! And it is also activating his less active cousin, so really, it is such a blessing.

I don’t know what I ever did to be so lucky to serve here in Guatemala. These people have changed me, and have made me realize the important things in life. They have made me realize just how imperfect I am.

If you are wondering, yes, our next door neighbor did receive a violin. Yes, he is the first Guatemalan I have hear play the violin, yes, he is studying Suzuki book 1, and yesterday I heard him advance to “Gavotte”. Yes, he does love to play at 10 at night and yes, yes, these walls are not very thick. Thanks mom, for all the years of violin practice.

I only found one coakroach in my shoe, and yes, Mayra still wants to go to long beach.

I love you all.

hermana Funk, a representative of Jesus Christ.

Working hard and loving life

Family,

Happy Thanksgiving!! The answer is no, they do not celebrate it here... and the answer is yes a turkey here costs 200 quets... and so If I do not want to eat for 3 weeks, I can buy a turkey, we will just have to see what happens. But nonetheless, enjoy it for me, will ya??

This week has been a really cool and hard and last week. I got to go do divisions again in Villa Nueva, and got to see the Lord´s converts that I love so much! We did something a little different for divisions, and went the area of the Hermanas really early to be able to study as four of us, and then we went and worked the four of us in their area to see how they teach together, and then we spilt off. It was incredible! Our plans completely changed when we saw them teach together and the Lord could tell us who needed to go with whom. Really, I love being able to do divisions... and President may or may not have told me that I will also be doing it my last change... I had a dream that I was going to go to the coast and train a new missionary for my last change.. but the Lord thinks something different.

WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS. I am so serious. This weekend is the last weekend in November and so it is the last weekend to be able to complete our goals. We need your prayers for Daniel.. his mom will not let him be baptized.. even though she is a member, she wants him to be older, but he wants to be baptized so badly. So PLEASE pray for him, and his mom, Elbia.
Also for the Hermanita Melany.. she needs the permission of her Dad. Even though she is not a member, she came to teach with us and she is incredible. She starts crying every time she talks about the church. Pray for her dad that he gives her the permission to be baptized.
I have all the faith in the world that we WILL see these miracles. We are being obedient, diligent and are going to put it all in the Lords hands. But please pray for them, by name, in every prayer that you do.

Funny moment of the week goes to a boy named Royer. He is 19 year old kid that we had taught once and he could not get over that North American was talking to him.. anyway, we went back for a second visit... bad idea hermana funk.. and he asked if we could have the lesson in English. Well, my companion speaks a little bit so we told him that it was okay. So when we started, he interrupted us and said, ¨Look.. Hermana Funk.. I want you to know, that when you feel lonely, when you feel sad, when you don’t even want to talk to your own companion, I am here for you. I will be the one for you. I need someone too so that I do not feel lonely and I feel like I can count on you.¨ I looked at my companion and told her ¨We need to leave right now. ¨She pulled out a pamphlet from her backpack, threw it at him, and said, ¨read it. okay bye.¨´ haha it was so awful.

Also... Mayra... it just continues to get better. She is completely lying that she speaks english.. she told me she wanted me to see what she had read in her English Book of Mormon that she had just loved, she opened it to show me, and it was the topical guide where it says ¨clouds.¨ hahaha

I have realized the change that every missionary looks for in the mission is his own conversion. I have been converted to the gospel here on my mission, I know that it is true. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ.

I love you all!
Amedawg hermnana funk

Guatemala Learning Moments

Hey there fam!!

Well Yes, I did forget that it was Thanksgiving. Until this morning and I thought to ask my Ecuadorian companion when thanksgiving was... surprise, she was even more confused than I was! Who would have thought… but I guess it is soon. 

This week was a miracle miracle week! This week 2 people came to church who we had just simply contacted on the street, 1 that we didn’t even know, 3 that we had just taught one time and 1 that will be baptized this weekend. Really, I just feel so grateful. We did nothing! It was all the Lord. But every single one of them that came is ready for baptism, but it is going to take a whole lot of prayer. I am so serious. Satan is working hard, but we are working harder. But we NEED your prayers, well actually these people need your prayers so that they can be baptized the30th of November.... OFELIA, ALICIA, DANIEL, EDGAR, EILYN, DANIEL, FELIX, ANDREA, AND MELANY. Every single one of them could and will be baptized this month! I can feel it and I just know it. But please pray. And pray hard.  This week was really a miracle week. It is amazing to me how God does the part that we as humans cannot do. He is the only one that can testify and help them to make the changes in their lives. I know that when I am exactly obedient that he will do that huge part that I cannot do. 

Mayra..... the one whose dress ripped and we had to sew it up with missionary plaques... just continues to crack us up. She didn’t come to her confirmation because she got confused about the time and when we went to visit her, she said, ¨Hermanas, The Father wants us to go to Long beach California. The three of us. To the beach… long beach.¨ Well, if the Lord wants it, we must do it. But she really needs your prayers so that she can remember to come to her confirmation next week....

Scary moments of the week include almost face grabbed by a drunk man and also well... almost getting robbed by a man on a motorcycle, but I like to refer to these moments as learning in Guatemala moments, instead of scary ones.

I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. Here, I have come to know him, and because of that, I have learned to love him. 

I love you all!

Hermana Funk

A Missionary with a Goal

Fam,

This was the first week that you guys were baggy! (or trunky como you say it) Every single one of you reminded me of how much time I have left. Hahaha I am serious! Every single one. But yes, I am very aware of it, but I do not think about it! 

This week we had yet another miracle ustedes. I am so serious! So we have the goal of 400 baptisms in the mission this month, and 8 as a companionship. And so we have been praying, fasting, and working as hard as we could. 

So there is a hermana named Mayra, that has been in our ward for like ever. The first time I saw her I had the feeling to ask if she was a member, so I asked as she said yes. I saw her the next Sunday, and the same feeling came to me, so I asked her again, and she said yes. When I received my new companion I told her about her, so we went to her house. Again, she told us that she was a member. But when we left, my companion said, ¨We have to call the secretary and see if her papers are lost. I just have a really strong feeling.¨ 

So that started the process. We called our ward clerk, the mission secretary, our bishop, and just about everyone we could think of to see if really she was a member or not, because she had her three attendances and could be baptized that same day. Well, no one answered until FRIDAY! When they all called, and told us that she was not a member!! WHAT. The spirit had told us, and so we taught her every single little thing in two hours, she had her interview, and was baptized. It was truly a miracle, and I am so grateful for it. For the 23rd we have Hermana Ofelia, Daniel and MAgi, and so please please pray for them. I know that they will be baptized.

But the funny moment of the week, goes to Mayra. She is a little bit crazy, and is not completely there in her mind. She is from Los Angeles, and always talks about the states. She keeps telling us that in the states.. ¨I was a model. I was skinny. I drove cars.¨ (view photo that my comp sent.) She cracks me up. But anyway, we were really worried if the dress was going to fit her, and well, when she put it on, the dress completely ripped down the back. Completely. And here in Guate, there aren’t people who carry safety pins or anything, and so we had to get creative and take off the back part of our missionary plaques. Good thing it was stake conference and so we used all the Elders plaques too, and got that thing shut... blessing from the Lord. And then as we were just putting the last plaque thing in to seal up the deal, a member came in and gave us safety pins... gee thanks.

I am so grateful to be here. I love it. I love the people and I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. I have never felt so close to him in all of my life. If we want to know someone, we have to serve them. And that is why I am here.

I love you all so much!

Hermana Funk

The Story of Edgar

Hey there fam.

Pues les cuento algo.....

So I have a new comp, her name is Hermana VIllacis! She is the second one that I have had from Ecuador and she is really pilas. She really testifies and teaches with power. And we are seeing a lot of miracles.

SOOOO we had worked so hard all week so that our investigators would come to church. Eric and Edgar both had their interviews to be able to be baptized... which was a miracle in itself. Eric did NOT want to come to his interview, and it turns out that he had drank the night before... just like last time... and so he could not be baptized. We have now just realized the he does it so that he doesn’t have to be baptized.... we are going to give him a little bit of space. AKA break up with him.

But also Edgar had his interview, and he passed! But then he told our district leader that he just did not want to be baptized yet and that he was going to wait. We went with him and tried to convince him, but it just did not work. He just kept saying that he was not ready and that was it.

Well, on Sunday we were praying so hard that our investigators would come to church, and no one came. But we just kept praying and praying, and after the Sacrament, the doors opened and in walked Edgar. WE were so stoked! But he could only stay until Sunday School, and if they come after the sacrament and don’t stay for the other two classes, it does not count as an attendance, and he needed one more to be able to be baptized.

So he left…and right after lunch we had a strong impression to call our Mission President, and ask if there was any possible way that it would still count. After I explained to him what had happened, he paused for a second, and said, ¨Hermanas, I can feel that this is a special case. Baptize him. Today.¨ And so with that determination, we went to find him. And as luck would have it, he was sleeping! Rude. But then like 15 minutes later we went back and there he was out side of his door.

We explained to him all that had happened, and then told him that the Lord wanted him to be baptized TODAY, and not a day after, but he kept saying no and no and no and no. We didn’t want to force it, so we told him that the Bishop was going to pass in one hour and that he was to be waiting outside with a towel ready to go to his baptism... that isn’t pressure right??

So we called the Bishop and he said he was going to go, and I asked my companion who we should visit in the meantime, and she said ¨No one. We are going to the church and filling up the baptismal font.¨ So there we went, filled it up, and got everything ready, without an investigator to be baptized.

The bishop called us like fifteen minutes later and said, ¨Hermanas, do you have someone there to fill up the font? Edgar is with me right now, and he is ready to be baptized!¨ We both just jumped up and down and cried and prayed with so much gratitude.

And so he was baptized at 8:45 in the night time, and really it was truly and utterly a miracle. And I am positive that Grandpa Benson had something to do with it.

I know that the Lord always comes through when we do our part. And never in the way that we are waiting for it. I just truly feel grateful.

I love you all. And I am sure that the lizard who lives in our house whose tail got chopped off by a plate that I threw at it loves you too!

Hermana Funk

Our Miracle

Hello there fam!!

This week was just wild. WILD I tell you. This is only a four week change and so we have changes tomorrow.. they called us and told us that we didn’t have changes and we were crying we were so darn happy. Then at like 6 in the morning on Monday they called us and told us that President had revelation and that my companion was needed in a different area. And so.. well.. she is leaving me. I AM SO SAD. She has become one of my very best friends and together we have really given it all, but I know that it is for a reason and so I will just start praying now to have the same love for my new companion. I would appreciate your prayers as well.... woohoo. Just keepin my attitude high!

So, update from last week. We went to absolutely every single person on that list that I gave to you guys last week. It was seriously like the hunger games, with a divine help from God and from my Guardian Angels. It was incredible because when we would go to someone they would say, ¨If you are here to baptize me, I am not going to be baptized in your church.¨ When before they had just been so iffy about everything. But the Lord was guiding us out of the goats to be able to find the sheep. As we eliminated... which sounds really bad, but I do not mean it in a bad way... the only ones left on that list were the Family Beliz. On Friday we had a lesson with the dad and told him basically that the Salvation of his family was upon his shoulders, and that if he did not make this decision that the condemnation was also going to fall upon his head... I know it was a little strong, but this man needed it.

He said he would pray and that if God told him that he was to be baptized, that he would do it the following day. The next day, we went with him five times. Not one of the times was he there or available. My companion and I had no idea what the Lord wanted us to do. We went to a member’s house, kneeled down and offered a prayer. At the moment that we left, President and Hermana Markham drove by on their way to a stake conference. We called him to ask what they were doing. President ended with the words, ¨Hermanas, when we saw you, we saw you walking with determination and faces of dedication. If it is the Lord´s will, you will baptize.¨ We went with the fam beliz again, and they were not there. We left a note saying, ¨your baptism is prepared for tomorrow and we will wait for you there.¨ Well, they did not come. And when we went with them after they told us that they were not going to be baptized. We were only sad for .2 seconds, and then we got back up and worked even harder.

And then... it happened. NOT what we were waiting for, but exactly what God wanted us to do. We looked on the Church action plan for people to visit, and found a lady who had been baptized in 1999 and never got confirmed. No one knew anything about her, but we were determined to find her. She didn’t have an address, but we picked someone with the same last name… and everyone has the same last name here.. and went with them. WE FOUND THEM. A whole family that was sealed in the temple, with three kids who have not been baptized. They had not been to church in three years, and are now going to come back. We looked at each other and said, ¨this is our miracle.¨

Although we did not baptize this month, I can honestly say that we were obedient with exactness and diligent in every moment, and when we weren’t, we repented and kept going. Now we have a goal for 7 baptisms this month… I know we will do it. Actually, not us, the Lord will do it. The bigger the trial, the bigger the blessings that follow it.

Funny... As you all know, I sleep talk. I woke my companion up and I guess I was shaking my bed and just screaming, ow ow ow ow ow. She asked me what was going on and I told her that I had glass shards in my bed and that they were cutting me. okayyy.... Hermana funk. Winning.

A lady asked for our address in the states so that she can get to the US for free and can work for my parents. So I told her... yes. She will be arriving on Monday. Ha ha! jk. But really, she was just pleading with us and then after sang us a song to try and convince us of all of her talents that she could offer.

I love you all. Happy Halloween.

Hermana funk

We Can't Choose Our Own Miracles From God

Dearest Family,

The title of my email just describes this past week. It is incredible the times you can feel like you are falling down in just a day, but there is always time to get back up! 

Eric was SET to get baptized! Like set. We had an awesome lesson with him on Friday, and he was set for Saturday. But then when we called him to come to his interview on Sat, he wasn’t here, but we were just going to do it Sunday. Well, Sunday came and he didn’t come to church. We decided that we were just going to go to his house to drag him... to his own baptism… after church, so we went there to find him sitting in his house. We entered and I said, ¨Hermano, we have something for you.¨ and I pulled out his baptismal clothes from my bag. He screamed ¨NOOOO! I cant I cant I cant.¨ We were so confused. But then he explained how he had drunk the night before... at the same time he was supposed to be in his interview... we were so sad, not that we weren’t going to have a baptism, but just so sad for him. But he reaccepted his date for the 2 of November. Just pray for him. He learned his lesson. 

Edgar was also SET to be baptized this next weekend, and came to church, and everything, but then Sunday night as we were going to teach him.. we saw him.. drinking a beer. THE SAME DAY AS ERIC! WE were distraught. We just love them with all of our hearts. But he accepted a new date for the 2 of November too. 

Let me just top it all off with me losing my wallet... with EVERYTHING in it, and also the bird that pooped on my companion. ALL IN THE SAME DAY! But you know what we have decided, the harder the trial, the bigger the miracle will be at the end of the trial, so are going to be patient and grateful, and I know we will see the miracle.

We are determined to baptize this weekend, so we went and searched in our area book for all of the people who have attended church in the past 2 months and who could possibly be baptized. Here are our options.. we don’t know them yet.. but we will. PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM. WE WILL see a miracle. 

Susana

Familia Beliz

Rocio

Olga

JOrge

Maxi.

One or more is the chosen one. We know it. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary... no matter what happens. Even if my Jack o lantern that we carved a week ago molded up with black fuzz in two days, it is okay. haha

I love you all!!

Hermana Funk

Some awesome "only happens in Guatemala" moments

So sorry... surprise that I am writing today, but a man is coming to our house tomorrow to put in a fire alarm so we have to have Pday tomorrow... sorry... but at least we won't die of a fire anytime soon! Blessing, right?

Well this week was so awesome! I love my companion and she loves being exactly obedient and dilligent and so we are doing so well. We work as a team so that we can have the spirit as a team. I would send you pictures of us two, but I am pretty darn sure that the Bishop of this ward has sent you 5000. He literally is the best.

This weekend a man named Eric will be baptized. IT IS A MIRACLE! He has been an eternal investigator for like 500 years, and we had a very powerful lesson with him. While my companion was challenging him to be baptized, I pleaded so hard to Heavenly Father that he would allow andsend Grandpa to testify to him....  and he accepted to be baptized! GRANDPA IS THE BEST MISSIONARY I KNOW. Eric doesn't want anyone to know, he wants it to just be us him and the pèrson that will baptize him, but really, it is a miracle. But please PLEASE pray for him this week. I know Satan will try hard with him, but that the power of God is more powerful.

If you could also put in your prayers for Edgar. He is a 23 year old guy who has decided to completely change his life. He used to smoke 10 cigarrettes a day, and when we taught him about the Word of Wisdom, he said, ¨Today, today, I will stop smoking.¨ And you want to know something? He has not smoked a cigarrette since. He is so pilas and will be baptized on the 26th. He is a miracle from God.

This week I went back to Villa Nueva to do divisions. I saw Hermana Sonia and La Familia Luna! We all started crying, it was so special. And it made me think that that is a little bit what the celestial kingdom is going to feel like, and that I will never have to say goodbye to them. That is why I work and never give up every single day.

And now let me just share some ¨only happens in guate¨ moments.
1. Out of all the places to fall, a cockroach fell from the ceiling and landed on my head and started to crawl down my neck. It was the size of a small hotdog. It was awful.
2.I made a rookie mistake by leaving my shoes outside to dry during the night, what I didn't know, was that our ant friends were looking for a place to make their  next ant hill, and my shoes won the chosen place. Yes, ant bites hurt just as bad as they did in Villa Nueva.
3. Good news. The dog that bit me doesnt have rabies. Blessing. And yes, the wound is healing up.

We just keep going every day with energy and help we find from the Lord. I am a representative of Jesus Christ, I know he lives and loves you.

Obey with exactness, it is the only way to kill the natural man inside of us.

I love you all more than you know.
Amy

General Conference

Hey Fam!

Yes I did watch General Conference. Yes I watched it in English. Yes I ran to the Chapel when they were speaking in Spanish so we could hear it and yes I loved it with all of my heart!

Here I am. I got transferred... if that is how you say it in English..not sure. But I am in a place called Villa Hermosa! I am still Hermana training leader and I am so stoked because know I will do divisions with all the girls here in the capital.. including VILLA NUEVA! I am so excited. My companions name is Hermana Brewster, and she is from Idaho and we have the same time in the mission, and so it has been really fun. Sometimes we just get a little jumpy when we hear the 510,000 airplanes that pass above our house everyday but really we are just doing so well. She is so obedient and diligent and we both are just so tired and both our bodies are giving out on us, so we are just helping one another out.

This week I had a really special experience. I was actually supposed to train this change (to my surprise) but then they said that sister missionary was sick and that she needed to go home. Her name was Hermana Caballero from Honduras. President told me and my companion that she would be working with us for a couple of days while they figured out her flight arrangements. When we first went into the room to meet her, she would not even look up at us. She was crying and did not want to talk. We decided that we were going to love her up and make her have the best experience while we could.

She had to go home for anxiety problems that she was suffering. It was so hard for her to face that fact, but even with this knowledge that she would be leaving to go home. In one of our last lessons that we had with her, she looked up at a guy and said ¨If I did not know this was the truth, I would not be here in these few moments to represent my Savior.¨ The night before she left, and even coming from a poor family, she left all of the money she had so that we could buy shoes for one of our little converts who doesn’t have any. And she wrote one of the most heartfelt letters to a person we had only visited once. Like my companion said when she left, ¨I will never take another day of my mission for granted”. That is the motto I am living by now. Hermana Caballero, even though I only knew her for 2 days, changed my whole mission and life.

I am loving this area. The members are awesome and there are not AS MANY mosquitoes. When I say not as many, I mean that I only get bit 4 or 5 times a night. So that is really a privilege. I promise I will send you pictures next week mom, don’t you worry my fair mother.

I will leave you with something that President Markham has asked us to do. At the end of every single lesson, we say five things, and truly they have changed the whole spirit of the mission.

1. We are representatives of Jesus Christ. We testify that he lives.

2. The Lord loves you and wants you to be baptized by someone who has his power and authority.

3. We testify that this power and this church was restored the prophet that God chose, The prophet Joseph Smith.

4- Will you pray... read... etc.

5. When you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this is the Lord restored his power to baptize... will you be baptized.. etc.

We say it in every single lesson, and we have the goal to have a baptism every single week.

Being a missionary has truly gone from being in my head, to being in my heart.

I love Grandpa and thank him for being my constant companion in this last year. I could not have done it without him.

I love you all!

Ame

Many Changes + Video of Amy Singing

You will never believe it!!

I HAVE CHANGES! I am leaving Chimaltenango... and leaving Hermana Merrell... after only 6 weeks! Yesterday they told us and we thought that they were kidding, but then we noticed that no one else was laughing.. and we started to hug each other and ball our eyes out, we were destroyed. Hermana Merrell finishes the mission in 4 weeks and we were positive that I was going to be here with her, but the Lord has other plans. I just have no idea where he wants me. But I will do it. You know the feeling where you just hope that you have accomplished all the Lord has sent you to an area to do? I just want to be able to feel that, not that I made a huge difference, just that I completed what the Lord wanted me to do.

I am extremely sad to leave Chimal because I love this place so much. Elena got baptised! And she was so happy. She has a son who lives in Utah who just completed a year as a member... yes mom, you can invite him over to your family home evening.. no I do not know if he speaks English... But she had asked the bishop if he would baptize her, but he decided that it would be better if this young man who is leaving for the mission did it. At her baptismal service, he got up and said. ¨I knew I had to give the chance to Billy to baptize you because I wanted him to represent your son. He would have done it if he were here.¨ It was so special!!

Our investigador Jussef... yes Jussef and not joseph.. yes I laugh almost every time I say his name... is doing so darn well. He is such a chosen person of our Heavenly Father and he will be baptized this weekend, I am completely bummed that I will not be here, but it is okay. I am just so grateful for him!

I am so grateful to be a missionary. It is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done, but I would never ever remake this decision.

I will leave you with a couple of funny moments. Here we go.

1. We were in a Noche de Hogar and I was sitting on a plastic bench thing, I have no idea what happened but I moved it and I fell over backwards and broke the chair.. I definitely broke the spirit as my skirt flew up and my head went crashing into the floor.. sorry

2. I have also distracted from the spirit in this week as I have received 9 mosquito bites on the bottoms of my feet and in my armpits. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY BITE ME IN THESE PLACES. But man.. they are the worst.

I love you all. I truly do. really.

Hermana Funk

Here's a video of Amy and her companion singing:

Marvin Got Baptized + Pictures

Description of the Pics: MARVIN GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!

With Hermana Oliphant

Corte fairy princess dress up party!

Hey there fam!

Thank you once again for your letters. I just feel extremely blessed. I love you all and I do love the mission, we are seeing miracles. Miracles, miracles, miracles.

Marvin got baptized!!! Even though he had to stay in his work until Saturday... when he was supposed to return on Wednesday... but when people are trying to kill the mayor, apparently the police officers have to stay. Weird. But anywho, Satan did NOT want him to get baptized. Everything went wrong with the interview time, with his schedule, with his family, everything. But he got baptized! It was SO SPECIAL!! He invited his whole family, and the room was so full, it was a special day for him and all of us. I just felt so darn grateful. It all comes from obedience and sacrifice.

Elena and Evelyn will be baptized this weekend and they are both so excited. But we just need a whole lot of prayers for Joseph... whose name is not Joseph by the way... it is Juseph.... who knew right? BUT HE CAME TO CHURCH AGAIN! And boy was he the hit. And we are planning for his baptism this weekend too but his work just called him in.. and he works in the capital. But we have ALL the faith in the world that he will come home and that he will be baptized. We just need a lot of prayers.

I am way sorry that this email is very short... but my comp is going to send you the pictures from the baptism. It was so darn beautiful. This week I will have divisions with my mom, Hermana Satterhwaite. I AM SO STOKED.

Love you all!

Hermana Funk