Baptismal Font Proposal

Familia!

COMMMO ESTANN! Man, I feel so important every time I get on the computer and have an email from each of the people that I just love so much in my life. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I hope you know that this is what keeps me going throughout my week and I am just so grateful for all of you. Really, thank you so much.

1. My companion is leaving me tomorrow... how rude. and my district leader.. emily's future husband. So basically my world is crumbling down tomorrow. You know what this means? It means that a new trainer is coming into my area with me and I have to remember where every single person lives and what bus to take to where and just the whole 9 yards, so you know what this means? WE are going to be finding a whole bunch of new investigators if you know what I mean! But I think it will be good for me to have to take the initiative and do these things for myself! I will give you all the deets next semana.

2. Now, we have had some FUNNY experiences this week, and so I think I will just tell you all about them. They hil'hair'ious.

1. The PORK. Now, it is a rule in this mission that we cannot eat pork. I am not sure why, but it is just a rule. a big rule. Anyway, we were teaching this  new family who makes tortillas in their house. and while we were teaching, they were making tortillas the whole time. Anywayyyy, after we were done, the husband insisted that we eat tortillas, I kindly obliged. Anyway, they gave us tortillas, tomatoes and some sort of meat that looked like chicken. Hma. Marroquin asked what it was and they told us oh, do not worry it is food. Well, okay. So I started eating and I chewed for a second and I was like... ohhhh dear. This is not chicken. This is pork. I did not know what to do and so I thought it was a good idea to stick the chunk of meat that I had on my plate in my backpack.. very slyly.. without offending the family. Anyway, my chunk o meat was hidden away when I noticed that my comp was still just enjoying hers more than ever. She got to her last bite and asked again what kind of meat it was. The lady replied, pork. I have never seen someone make the face that my comp made at this moment. it was to die for. After, we ran out of the house and threw my chunk o meat to a dog and called our DL to repent. What a day, what a day.

2. Now for the romantic part of my week. WE were at the church waiting for a member to come with us for a couple of visits. Well, she didn't come and it started raining.. well nothing new there, but ya know. Anyway, one of the other ward members came because she had to do something in the church. She had her nephew with her who is not a member and we talked to them and asked if we could teach him a short lesson inside. We went in the room where the baptismal font is and we gave him the first lesson, which is a really awesome lesson. Anywho, WE decided to give him a tour of the church and start with the baptismal font. We were standing by the baptismal font and I knew I had to ask him to be baptized, I was to nervous, but I did it anyway. AND GUESS WHAT! HE SAID YES! WE will be baptised on 10 de noviembre. SOunds like an engagement story huh? ya, romantic. But really, please pray for him! His name is Enio and he is bien pilas. Pray pray pray.

3. This week we had 27 new investigators! That was just great! And even though we did not have any baptisms, I feel great because I know we are giving our all to this work!

Well, I love you all and pray for you constantly, thank you for all of your prayers!!!

Hna Funk

Miraamy makes an appearance

FAMILIA!

So A lot of you have been saying, Miraamy, please so us what it is like to have Hermana Marroquin as your companion, so I am going to tell you! But she might only be my companion for one more week because we have cambios next month... which means I am half way done with my training hoooorayyyy!

Now Hermana Marroquin, she is from El Salvador and is a very intense person. She loves loves loves to talk and for this reason our lessons are almost an hour every time. She knows how to teach and she knows how to talk. She is a really good missionary and we have the same desires for our investigators. She has helped me alot and we get along. Sometimes she is a little intense for me, and lacks a little faith, but I just talk to her, we work through it and then everything is just fine. She comes from a family of non members and doesn’t know he dad, but she is very close to her grandma and her brother. She is a really good missionary who knows her stuff!

Today though, I have divisions with the leader of training. I am so scared, especially because she just told me that they have really really important appointments today, well isnt that comforting, let me just speak with my incredible Spanish and wow the crowd. I am a little scared, but at the same time, I have faith that I can do this!

SO this place is a roller coaster, and last week again was on the down hill part of the roller coaster. Our investigator Oscar, who quit his work for this church and is completing all of his commitments and has a testimony, told us that he does not feel that he should be baptized  He has been assisting another church, because he has a ¨friend¨ who invited him... okay his girlfriend and he says that he feels the spirit the same. We had one of the most powerful lessons with him Friday night and we were sure that he would tell us Saturday that he wanted to be baptized. We had fasted 3 times that week for him and prayed our hearts out every day. We went on Saturday and he told us that he needed more time. 

I was completely devastated. I really have never felt so sad before. And it was not for me, but for him. He had given up so much an didn't recognize his testimony. But at the same time, I felt peace. I felt peace because I knew that we had given our all to this and that it was not in vain. That he would come around and that he would be baptized, maybe not now, but I have no doubt in my mind about later. I am not giving up on him!

And about Christina, well, she did not come to church and this means that she cant be baptized on Sunday, which breaks my heart too, but we are going to visit her today and I know that she will come around.

IT is kind of hard because they focus on numbers a lot here. And this week that was all my mind was focused on. Because we have a goal as a zone to have 27 baptisms this month and we had not been contributing and I just felt really bad. But then I realized something. IF we are focused on the numbers, we are only desiring the praising of man. But when we truly focus on wanting a true convert, even if it is just one, we are focused on the praises of God. This has helped me a lot this week. I know that I am being obedient and that it after times of trial that we will see miracles. I am praying for miracles! Thank you for all your prayers for our investigators and I KNOW that they are going to help them , and it will be this week!

Now for some funny moments of the week...

So remember how I am famous for sleep talking? well, every single night this past week I have woken up in the middle of the night, sitting up, giving a lesson in Spanish. Do not ask me why and do not ask me how but I do it, every single night. Ya know, my mind just doesn't need a rest I guess. It really is hilarious!

Also this week contacting has been hilarious. I am not sure why, but I really think it is the funniest thing this world has to offer. we were contacting this family and the guy told me well, you can come... but I will not pay one speck of attention. Well, alright Mr. honesty.  Also, people just love to touch you on the shoulder as if you are some Holy being that will bless them by touch. I is really neat especially when the old men do it.. hmm.. ya. 

In the package that I got I received the PICTURES! I have been showing them to every ward member, and just anyone who will look at them. Man, have I received some compliments on our family. I love showing you all off!!

Thank you for your letters, packages, prayers, and everything. I could not do this without you all. I know things have to go down before they can come back up and I pray every night that Grandpa can witness to my investigators the truthfulness of this message!

I love you all!

Ame

     

Heyyy Babbby

Familia!

 I promised I would send pictures, so here is one of me and my companion and then Amy´s creeper photo of the week, I hope you enjoy them... and I am so glad to hear that Grandpas funeral was so beautiful, I was thinking about that all week long and how I could not be there, but I could truly feel the spirit of grandpa with me and I just had to plead with the Lord to be there for me because I couldn't.

I had to go on divisions with a girl from our ward, ALL BY MYSELF. With no trainer, in an area that I did not know my way around... I literally thought that I was going to die. But I did it! I did it! and I got 4 new investigators and I taught 4 lessons, I did it all with the help of the Lord. But the girl I was with is 18, but she looks like she is probably 12 and so man..... the men in this area called San felipe.. man. There were a lot of drunks and they just really love people from different countries. I was walking and there was this one and kept calling, ¨HEYYyyyyyyy babbbbay!¨´ and I just put my head down and ran. And then one those same divisions I contacted the same lady 3 times without knowing it.. and so that was just real neat.

I had to give a lesson in english this week to this family who knows spanish but foer some reasons wanted it in english.. do not ask me why. Oh my goodness, you would have thought that I have never spoken english in my whole life. I struggled to find words for so long and it was hilarious. I literally could not give the lessons in english! And at the end, I was saying goodbye to the family and I shook the hand of the 24 year old son and before I could do anything, he pulled me in so fast and kissed me on the cheek. I ran out of the house and just could not even breathe. It was not funny at the time, but now that I look back.. hmm.. weird things happen in this place.

We also were coming to give a family a lesson on sacrifice, and share a video with them on sacrifice. The girls of the family were outside playing with a group of kids and so we told them to come in so we could share a message with them. We had to go and get a member to come with us and when we came back, we walked in the houise and all 11 children were in their awaiting the lesson. It was so funny! They all wanted to pray, they clapped and clapped when the movie about sacrifice was over and just loved it. And when it was over they all chanted, ¨otra! otra! otra!¨ so we might have 11 baptisms of children here pretty soon...

So our investigador Oscar is doing well, but he has a lot of doubts and it does not help that his girlfriend is evangelico and invites him every sunday. He has a testimony, but his friend is also giving him anti mormon literature, which is not helping either. WE have a goal to baptize him this sunday, and I know with your prayers that we and the Lord can answer his doubts and he will be baptized this week!

We also have a girl named Crisitna who is 17 years old and comes from a really rough family. But she has the desire to change and be baptized. So we need your prayers that we can find her family in order to get the papers signed and she can be baaptized on the 27 of October.

I know that with your prayers and help we can do this, and now especially with the help of Grandpa, there is nothing that we cannot do! Thank you and I miss you all more than words can say. HOnestly and truly. I love you all!

Ame

As I promised, a creeper Amy picture

Still alive and still running...everywhere

Family!

I have made it another week! I have done it. This has been a crazy and busy week, but I have done it. It is true that this time is like the longest weeks of your l;life, but I am trying my best and trying to keep my head up! Your emails and advice help me more than you guys know. Every day I pray for each one of you and I know without a doubt that your prayers are helping me so much! So thank you!

Like the pictures said, I had my first baptism! It was a really neat experience! But I had an ever better experience this week! I will tell you about it! Oscar is a friend of a man who recently came back to the church. Oscar is 28 years old, and lives with his family here in Antigua Guatemala. Never in my life have I met a man with more faith then Oscar. We have had several lessons with him, one of which was about sacrifice. The sacrifice of Abraham and how sometimes in our lives we are required to give sacrifices ourselves. The spirit was very strong, but little did we know the impression the spirit had made on Oscar's heart.  Oscar has a job that has committed him to work every Sunday during the hours that we have church. He has attended one time, and had the desire to be baptized, but did not think it was possible because with his work he cannot attend.

This past Saturday night we called him and asked if he thought it was possible that he could come to church that next day. He said there was absolutely no way, and that he would try to come the week after.
Sunday, we decided to pray and fast for Oscar and for his work to change. At the beginning of Sacrament Meeting, Oscar walked in! We were amazed! We were overjoyed that somehow he had gotten off work to come to church. At the end of the meeting, we talked with Oscar and he told us that his work schedule did not change, he decided to quit his job. he said that God was more important then money, and that he needed to sacrifice this for the Lord. Never have I met someone with such great faith. barbecue of his decision and faith, Oscar will be baptized this Sunday.

This has taught me something this week, this time is a sacrifice, and if I am not willing to make sacrifices for this work, there is not way that Heavenly Father is going to help my investigators to make sacrifices. The thing that has been most difficult for me has definitely been sleep. Because we normally wake up and 5 or 5 30 and it is truly really hard. but I made Heavenly Father a promise this past week that sleep was something of the world and I was willing to give it up. I just prayed for the strength and the health that I need. But I realize that when we make sacrifices, we are blessed and out investigators are blessed.
SOOOO news from this week.

Let me see, OH we moved houses. Thank goodness because we were literally living in an apartment for 2 and we had 5 girls in there. But here is the fun part. WE live up a really really steep hill and we had to carry all of our beds, closets, and everything else... so that was really fun and also it is really fun when the hermanos from your ward say they are going to come help you and no one shows up.. good thing I am really strong though, huh!

The men here... they just really like notre americano chicas.. and it is quite hilarious. Especially on the buses because after you contact the whole bus, you have to pass through seat through to obtain their address and so the men think that you just really love them and want to sit by them, and so they always give me their address, which is great but I think they think I am using it for something else other then preaching the gospel.. so that is just really fun!

I am still alive, I am still running... everywhere, still contacting 40 personas a day, still have the goal for 3 baptisms, still wet all the time, but for the most part I am happy! Which is a great thing! I love you all and am so grateful for each of you!!!

Amy

My first baptism! 

This picture speaks for itself...

I had my first baptism this week! This photo is of the family of the little boy who was baptized! It was a great experience!

In the mission field

Wow, so much has happened this past week I cannot even believe it. I am going to try and share a few things, in what order, I do not know. But PLEASE I am so sorry if I do not respond personally to emails this week, I am trying my best!

First of all, THANK YOU. This week has been pretty darn hard, and all of your emails just made me so happy so thank you, really I could not feel more blessed! And also, thank you for sending a package, we do not get them until like once every six weeks so I probably wont get it for a while )if it makes it here, but thank you. I really feel so loved!! 

Okay..... here goes nothing!

I am here in Antigua Guatemala. It rains so hard ALL DAY. And it makes contacting hilarious! HILARIOUS! Because we are trying to run and catch people in the rain, anyway hilarious. And also, it is pretty darn cold, believe it or not! So if you ever want to send me like a sweater.... I am not holding you back! 

My companions name is Hermana Marroquien and surprise... she does not speak English! You are probably thinking, oh what a blessing, you will learn espanol! And yes, she is a blessing, but my Spanish is worse than it has ever ever been! It is quite funny actually, but you know I am just having faith that the gift of tongues will come in my package in six weeks! But she is a good trainer, so it is just fine!

The mission qualifications and standards here are pretty crazy! We have to have 3 baptisms a month, 8 investigators attend church every week, 11 lessons con a miembro, 11 other lessons, 12 new investigators every week and 35 contacts every day, with 10 of them being families. WOW. ya, I know! 

So the best place to contact here is on buses. Now you are probably thinking, oh a bus, just go talk to a couple people, how sweet. NO. What we have to do is stand up in front of the bus and contact the whole bus, which is HILARIOUS because there are no traffic rules here in Guatemala and so you are being tossed to and fro while trying to invite all of these people to church in a language that you do not know! AND THEN you pass through each seat and ask for directions to their home to share this message, AND THEN you don't understand any of the information they give you and so you have to have them write it down and then the bus makes a sharp turn so next thing you know, you are sitting on their lap, how special huh? IT is pretty hilarious, but effective because then you get a lot of contacts!

The other day, it was pouring rain... and I am mean pouring rain. But we needed 7 new investigators, which means that you have had a 1st lesson with them and they accept a second. So we prayed and got to work. Oh and did I mention, they do not walk here... THEY RUN. Literally, I am going to win the award for the greatest calves when I come home. But anyway, we were able to teach 7 new people in the pouring rain, so I am grateful that the lord provided!

OH. Alright, 6 30 is a lie. I am thrilled if I get to sleep past 5 oclock in the morning.... it is really neat!

But our mission president told us that he wants us to suffer, so I guess I am doing what he wants. I mean, I am not really suffering, it is just the hardest adjustment I have ever had to make, but I know I can do this!

Another thing is that we do not eat dinner here. WE eat breakfast before we leave, have lunch with our cook around 2 and then do not eat again until after planning at 9 30. It is actually pretty effective because then people are home around the hours that you would be eating!

We have a couple of investigators right now, and if you could pray for them that would be so awesome!! One is named Crisitan. He is 12 years old and is a cousin to a family recently baptized. His parents wont let him be baptized, and so we need all the prayers. Another is JOse, he is 21 and needs the inspirationa and the testimony and faith to be baptized. The other is Oscar, he has work on Sundays so he ant come to church and therefore cannot be baptized. But, I know that if we pray he will be able to find a new job!

One thing I have learned here is just how lucky we are. We are so lucky. These people have literally nothing. Each house is a tin roofed, cement floor room .With one or two beds for the whole family to share, no light except for if the door is open and it they are lucky they have a stove. But if not, they cook on a fire outside of their houses. They literally have nothing, and it has just made me so grateful and has truly humbled me. 

I know without a doubt that this is the Lord´s work. So many times I have prayed for little things and my prayers have been answered right away. Other times, he lets me suffer. But I know that it is only through my suffering that I am going to grow and become closed to my Savior. 

This is truly the hardest thing I have ever done, you really cannot prepare for a mission, it is something you just have to experience. There are times when i just cry, and just want to come home, but I know that this will  eventually end and right now I need to give all that I can to this. I just have to try my best. 

Our mission is the highest baptizing mission in central America because we believe in EXACT obedience, which is hard sometimes, but I know that it is going to bring miracles.

I can do this, with your prayers, I know that this is something that I will be able to do! Thank you so much! I pray for each of you cada noche, and don't know how I would do this without my family. I wish I could be there for so many things, and I just hope you all don't forget the girl over here in Antigua Guatemala who cant speak the language and has blister the size of who knows what mountain and looks like a tornado just hit me at all times, but who is trying her best to give it all to this work!

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

Survived an earthquake!

Familia!!!

Oh how I love your letters. I am so sorry if I don't get back to all this week, because I just wanted to take the time to read them all thoroughly this week. Really, thank you so so much! So many exciting things. WOW! I was thinking about how much I think about home, not in a bad or a distracting way, but I think it is because I love and miss you all so much! So I have figured out that I think air mail is the fastest, dear elders sometimes work but I don't get them for a couple of weeks. 

Alright, this week was pretty wild. here is the RUN DOWN:

1. I survived my first earth quake! did you hear about that? It was a 5.9, but the worst of it was not felt here. But man, the whole room was shaking and it was pretty scary! and yes, if you do not remember an earthquake is indeed my childhood fear, so well isn't that fun. So after, they evacuated us, they told us about how there would probably be an after shock.. as if I wasn't already traumatized enough. And they said it would probably happen while we were sleeping... equally as comforting. So they said that if it did happen, we needed to get underneath our beds. I asked if he thought that they would collapse, and he said "well, if they did, you would never know." OKAY. So that night after searching for places I would hide in case, and finding there were none.. I just decided that I probably should not sleep that night.. but good news, there wasn't an aftershock! 

2. I placed my first real Book of Mormon! there is this guy who serves us food and I had just been having a feeling that I needed to talk to him about the church, but I had been to afraid. So I told my companion that I was going to do it on Sunday. So Sunday came and he happened to be the only one in the serving line, and so I figured that this was my chance. I went up to him, more nervous then I had ever been and asked if he was a member. He said no and I asked why not. He said he didn't really know about the church so I asked if he would like to learn more! he said YES! so I got him a Book of Mormon and brought it to him at dinner and he just looked and grabbed the book and said, "oh oh oh, this is so precious. thank you so much!" It was awesome, I don't know if he will ever read it but I knew I had to follow the prompting!

3. So in our leader meeting the other day, president told us that the general young womens president and relief society president were touring central american and wanted to come to the CCM that night for dinner. He asked me and the other hermana leader to pick 15 hermanas to have dinner with them. So we were all excited! And then we got there and my companera and I were at a table of the young womens general president and Latinas. They told us that we would be translating... um alright... four weeks of spanish. Yep, so that was really exciting, trying to translate. Actually it was quite hilarious really, but hey we tried our best and it turned out to be a really neat experience! We took a picture with them, so maybe they will show it is GC? jk :)

4. I leave the CCM on Tuesday! I AM SO SCARED! But hey, I am just praying really hard, and even if my trainer does not know English, which she probably will not, I know that somehow I will be able to do this. SOMEHOW. hahaha My Spanish is actually a lot better, especially during lessons. I am just so grateful for the spirit and help that it brings! But with me leaving on Tuesday, I don't think I will be able to email that whole week so I am so sorry! But I will be fine, and will have the help I need to make it though my first week in the field :)

5. I have realized this week that people are going to start caring about the gospel when they know that you care about them. You must prepare a lesson, always with their needs in mind but then the spirit might direct you in a different path. More times then not, we have taught a different lesson then we had planned. It is amazing how the spirit works.

6. This week we had to give an impromptu lesson about the Law of Chastity to a Latino distrito... that was fun. You never realize how little spanish you know until you are asked to give an impromptu lesson about the Law of chastity.

All in all, I am doing well, I am not sick anymore, and I know that is all thanks to your prayers and the Lords help. It truly was a miracle how fast I was healed, I am so grateful for it! The next time I email you I will be out in the field!! WOOT! I could use all the prayers I could get, but I know I can do this! I love you all and pray for you constantly.

Amy

Since Amy will be leaving the CCM next week, until we know more, the address to the mission home is:

 

Sister Amy Elizabeth Funk

Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission

Apartado 921-A Zona 9

01009 Guatemala City

Guatemala

Guatemala

Hurrah for Espanol

Hello!

I know I know, I am writing on a Monday again! But it is because new missioneros are coming in this week and we are going on a field trip to.... WALMART. I have never been this excited or thought I would be this excited to go to Walmart in my whole life! But yes, the older missioneros are leaving, so you know what that means? We are going to be the oldest kids here is the CCM. Anyway, yes we are going to be the oldest and then we leave in two weeks! WHAT! so if you are sending any more letters, I would start sending them to the mission home. Also, with this next group of missionaries we are getting, we are getting only 8 Norte elderes, no new hermanas and 70 LATINOS. yes. I am actually really excited because I love latinos. Speaking of Latinos, actually, not speaking of Latinos, pero are you getting my letters I am sending? I have sent ones each pday.. I think. anyway, I have received a couple of your letters and I LOVE THEM! They make my whole day. They take about two weeks, and them sometimes they are very scattered! Anyway. I love your letters and I love you all!

Okay okay news from this week, not to much to tell but I will try my best to give you something!

Me and mi companera taught the plan of salvation to our invesigador this week. It was a really special lesson because I was able to use a picture of our family to tell about personal families. It added so much more to it and made me so grateful that our family can be together forever. 

We have learned a LOT of vocab this week, like ALOT. I have no idea how I am going to be able to remember it all, but I am just really trying my best! I try to use the things I learn in my conversation and so we will see, it is getting better and I know that it will just take time!

I have been also trying to strengthen my own testimony because I know that it is very important to do that in order to have the power you need for conversion. It has been a good experience and I know that it will pay off when I am teaching out in the field. I also had the thought this week, what if I have a trainer who speaks NO english?! ya, I am kinda scared. HURRAH FOR ESPANOL.

I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday in espanol.. that was pretty exciting. Also.. fast sundays at the MTC... MAN ARE THEY LONG! From 5 saturday night to 5:45 sunday... Ya.. hm. BUT I did it, and that is all that matters.

Okay.. now for the funny moments of the week!

1. our teacher has taught us that when our investigator tells us he or she has not been reading el libro de mormon, that we needed to be and act devastated. So We were teaching our investigator (our teacher) and I asked him if he had been reading his LDM, and he said that he was too busy. So then I proceeded to be devastated, just like he had told us too. It was kind of funny, but hey he commited to read cada noche :)

2. The girls here love love love to talk about home and about their future weddings with their prince charming at home. The other day at lunch, that was all they were talking about, about what wedding colors, etc.. and so me and my companion, trying not to get distracted from the work on the subject of boys, started talking about our funerals, like what colors we wanted and stuff. hahaha it was hilarious!

3. Latinos do not understand American phrases. THEY DO NOT. it is hilarious. A girl in my distrito asked our teacher if she "got a kick out of being an investigator" and our teacher was like, " well.. no, I do not know who is supposed to be kicking me." hahaha to good. these things happen every day.

That really is all from this week! I am just trying to learn espanol, strengthen my testimony and put everything into this! I hope that you all know that I pray each night for you and just love you with all my heart!!!

Hermana Funk