6 Months Down

Fam!!

This week has been a good week, and ya know what it is even weirder? I have less than a year left on my mission.... wooo crazy. Way crazy. But you know what that means, I just need to work harder and put in my all because I have a feeling that this year is just going to fly!
This week I would like to tell you about some experiences that have really made me realize just how great Guatemalan people are... now here it goes.

1. I had expressed to a member that one of the things that I missed most from the United States was carpet because nobody has it and I had not seen it all my mission and I missed going barefoot on the floor. Well, it was just a small conversation and I had forgotten about it. But the next day when we were walking back to our house one night, the guard stopped me and told me that he had something for me. And walked backed into his office and brought out a little patch of carpet! He told me that a lady had dropped this off for me! She had searched and searched to just find this little patch. I truly was so touched.

2. There is a lady in our ward that sells fruit outside of her house because she does not have a job and is trying to make a little bit of money to support her kids. One day we were walking past and I told her how much I loved watermelon, but just kind of like a passing statement. The next day we walked by again and the lady told me that she had something for me and brought me out a whole watermelon and told me that she had bought this for me at the market because she wanted me to have it at my house! She literally has nothing but did this for me. Truly touched again!

It really just teaches me that I need to be a whole lot less selfish. I just feel so grateful for all of the love these people have.

Our investigators.. well.. all of them are having a problem with the Word of Wisdom or the Law of Chastity, but you know what? I am not giving up on them! I have more faith than ever and I know that if we are obedient, but more importantly, if we pray for them that they will be able to progress! I would appreciate your prayers for hermano Jonny, Javier and hermanas Joseline and Julisa!!

Funny moments of the week:

1. We went to the house of our investigator and his wife told us that he wasn’t there because he was out in the street drinking... what a pleasure. Anyway, she told us that we could go find him and so we went out looking. We knew that he would be close to a store and so we were looking for all the stores that were near to that place. When we couldn’t find it, our member that we had with us suggested that we go and ask someone. And so she went up to this guy that was smoking and said... "Hey, we are looking for a place that will sell us beer. Where can we find it?" hahaha I WAS DYING!!! I ran up and kindly explained to the man that we weren’t the ones who wanted beer but that we were looking for someone that would be drinking beer close to a store. Haha it was just so funny.

2. We were teaching the guard that is outside of our residential where we live. Well, we went over there and started talking with him and this other man just appears out of nowhere. He asked me where I was from, but he asked me in English! I told him I was from Utah and he was like "No way! I used to live there! What part?" I told him in Salt Lake and he was like, "Oh like 39th south?" I was shocked! hahaha I have never met anyone who knew Utah in this place. BUT THE BEST PART. HE asked me, "Oh, do you know about the Good ole Chinese Gourmet"? hahahaha I knew he was a true Utahan because not just anyone knows about that place!

My companion is doing better! Still cries.. but hasn’t had an asthma attack! We are getting somewhere!
6 months... woooo. Love you all!

Ame

Hermana Funky Town

Familia!

My Pday is back to normal, but we always write Tuesdays! It is just some weird days when we don´t, but for right now, it will always be on Tuesday!

Well, I have tried to slow down my pace a little bit this week so that my little daughter did not have any more asthma attacks, and it worked, she only has them when we do exercises, and a few times when I make her run, just so she can become stronger. Its all for the cause, dear. All for the cause! So no I tried not to kill her this week, but all is well! She is learning and is doing so much better. I have only had to wake her up 6 times during our personal studies and told her that if she is sleeping during studying, we are going to wake up at 4 to have extra extra time to study. All for the cause dear, all for the cause. I can see a lot of myself in the first of my mission in her, and so I am trying to be patient and understanding, oh the joys of being a mother, right? Ha, no but really, we are doing just fine!

We had a baptism this week! It was one of the greatest experiences that I have had! My companion will send you the pic because I did not have my camera, but man, it was so awesome! She is a true convert and is already sharing the gospel with her friends and family. It had really made me realize that for me, I do not want numbers of baptisms, I want converts. And really, I have seen that this woman is a convert! I think it was a good experience for my companion to have too, so that she could see that not all of her suffering goes in vain! So ya, I would definitely say that that was the highlight of the week!

Here it goes for the funny moments, because after all, that is all that matters, right?

1. I got bit by a dog. A big dog. A huge dog in fact. I was just walking casually and all of a sudden he just jumps up and bites me right on the elbow... but THANKFULLY I had a sweater and so really it did nothing. Not really funny, but hey, you got to get bit by a dog at least once on your mission, right?

2. I was just knocking doors casually when I decided to knock on a big blue door. A man answers and starts listening and then after a couple of minutes, another man comes up and starts listening, and then another and another. I was amazed and so confused of what was going on! Well, they were listening but were very sort of confused. After the lesson, I backed up on the street and realized that it was a church that is called ¨los nosticos¨ I have no idea how to explain it in English, but it is just a group of men who gather to talk about how they can change people’s beliefs in God or something. Man, major points for this Hermana here.

All in all, it is going well. I feel a lot more happy and dedicated to the work. I only have 1 year left so I got to give it all that I have. I am trying to become a dedicated servant of God. I love you all more than I can explain!!

Hermana Funky town.

Growth comes through trials

Familia!!!

How I have just so much to tell you all! wooooowww.

I am training a new missionary.. yes. a brand new missionary! I feel like I am a new missionary myself and really do not feel capable, but ya know I will put all I have into this! You really just want to crown yourself with the world’s best trainer ribbon when she starts crying in the morning of the second day and then has two asthma attacks because you are walking too fast and she is running behind trying to keep up.. dangit.. give me the reward, huh? BUT it is okay! haha I got to let her suffer a little bit so that she can grow. Really, the only way we grow is when we suffer. 

But her name is Hermana Flores de El Salvador, and is very nice! She is willing to do anything and try anything I ask, especially contacting the buses! I just feel like I am still being trained, so I do not know what president Brough was thinking there, but I will continue to do my very best. I could use all of the prayers that you would give!

BUT this past weekend my companion and I, HAD A BAPTISM!!! Yes, a miracle one at that. A true and absolute MIRACLE! It was a girl who came to live in our ward this past week with a family. She had received all the lessons but had never accepted to be baptized. We met her on a Sunday and had an appointment with her Wednesday. Well, they called us and said, Hermana´s you guys need to come because Isabel wants to be baptized as soon as she can.. WHATTTT. Anyway. we went over there and she said, ya know Hermanas, I know this is true and I am done waiting, I am ready to be baptized and I have my baptismal clothes... um okay angel from heaven! So she had her interview and was Baptised! Truly was a miracle! I felt oh so grateful and I knew the only reason we had it was because we were obedient with exactness and had a perfect faith in Christ. Because alone, there is no way we could have done it!

And you know what? We got another one for this weekend!! WHATTT. I really cannot believe it. IT is la hermana Sonia who we have been teaching for a while. Well, she said that she would like to be baptized but would want to wait until her husband could be there because she works away from the house and works for like 20 days at a time. Anywho, We went there last night and we were talking about the importance of fasting and how we knew that is we fasted together, we could see a miracle. She sat there for a minute and then said, ya know hermanas, the reason I am postponing my baptism are superficial, and you know, I need to follow the Lord´s will for me. I will be baptized this Sunday. WHATTT. WE were all crying crying crying. Oh it was so awesome!

Yesterday Elder Cook came to talk to us and two other missions here in Guatemala. He gave us an awesome message but something that impacted me more is that he took the time to shake every single one of our hands, all 750 missionaries. It was so neat.

Well, here I am, just killing another missionary.. but really, that is your job as a trainer. I think I am a trainer because Heavenly Father thought that I needed to be trained again.. yep. that is it.

I love you all and thank you for everything. Pray for me, pero mas importante, ore por mi hija!

Hermana Funk

Until after the trial of your faith

Hola familiaaa!

Thank you for your emails, it really is a great highlight of my week! Well if I had to give this week a name it would be, ¨you never receive a witness until after the trial of your faith, and sometimes the trial of your faith lasts a really really long time.... like a really long time.¨ Yep, that is the name of this week! As a mission we have a goal that every companionship will baptize in this month of January and so we have been working so hard. SO HARD. WE had 19 lessons the other day... a new record, right?  and just never really sleep and pray and pray and fast, But all of our investigators just have their own lil thingsssss.

Por ejemplo, our investigator Roldolfo told us that the Lord spake to him in a dream and told him that he had to wait 8 months to be baptised and also to enter into the church again because he had to many sins to be able to enter the church. He told us it was a commandment from the Lord and that he couldnt do anything about it. But did this stop us? heck no! We had his interview anyway! And now we are having all the faith in the world that he WILL be baptised this weekend. And I know that with your prayers that this will happen!
And all the rest of them just have like little things, like permission from their parents, or just need to get married... little things, right? haha I just cant lose the faith! I would appreciate as many prayers as your lil hearts can handle for this area in Villa Nueva!

But nonetheless, you always need to take the time to laugh, right? And this is something I never forget to do, especially when we are frustrated, I just talk to my comp in my Miranda voice, and we are good to go!
This other day we were walking and there is this man who probably is about 95 years old that is ALWAYS walking, just carrying his little wagon around and always wearing a little helmet. It is the cutest thing. Anyway, I told my companion that we were going to stop to talk to him and he was so happy and told us that he was going to go to church, but he could not understand me for the life of him. He wanted to write down our names and so I told him my name and he wrote it ¨erman fanca¨ well, it is all worth the try. The gift of tongues comes sooner or later, right?

Here in Villa Nueva the members always give you food and I was telling my companion that I feel like I am just gaining so much weight. but then we decided that the day that the men stop yelling for us on the street will be the day we will know we have gained to much weight. hahaha all for the self esteem.
PLEASE pray for a miracle in this area! I know we can see one! Oh and I will not be writing until Thursday next week, so just a heads up.

Much love, much love.
Ame

My favorite rejections

Editor's note...Amy will now start e-mailing on Mondays. Also, the pictures...the ornament is one she made in 3rd grade that we sent her to remind her of home.  The girl she is hugging is Morgan Oliphant...a great friend since junior high that is serving in her same mission.

Pues Hola mi familia!!

Gracias for all of your emails, they always brighten up my week so so much and I always just start cracking up in the middle of them and everyone looks at me, but I know it is just out of jealousy! 

Well, this week nothing too exciting happened, but we are just fasting and praying that this weekend we can see another miracle baptism with our investigator that is in a wheel chair, Roldolfo. He has now completely lost his sight due to his diabetes but we got him the book of Mormon on disks and he spends his whole day just listening and listening, he absolutely loves it. He has one of the strongest testimonies I know and I know that with fasting and prayer he can feel worthy to be baptized this week. That is the struggle we are having is that he just feels like he has committed to many sins to be able to be baptized, but really, I KNOW we will see a miracle! My companion and I are just being more diligent and obedient and are fasting 3 times a week to be able to see this miracle and I know that it will come!!

Since there isn't any great news from this week, I decided that I will share some of my favorite rejections that I have received this week, I usually write them down in my journal just to remember how loved I really am here. ps, these all sound way better in spanish, but for your sake, I will write them in English!

1. ¨I am sorry Hermanas, but I really do not have time, I must cook an egg. ¨ WEll, we wouldn’t want to take time away from that egg, now would we. 

2. This was after someone had given me their address,  ¨Okay great hermano, now what is your name?¨ ¨you know, sometimes I just do not have a name.¨ 

3.¨my name is pedro... actually I just remembered.. I forgot my name.¨

4.¨I am not coming to your church because your church is false and I do not like it.¨´

These people here, full of such love. haha really, what a journey.

OH I forgot about great news! Do you remember Alan? The cousin of Enio? He got baptized! I am so stoked. 

I love you all and promise I am giving my all to this and am being exactly obedient!

happy five monthhhhss wooooo!

Ame

Miracles from our Heavenly Father

Family!

Well, if I can tell our one thing, it is that God lives. We saw an absolute miracle this past week with our investigator Arroldo.

He was like an eternal investigator because although he had the desire to be baptized, he lived with the4 mom of his kids because he did not have work to be able to have money to move out. This past week we had tried everything everything everything, but really he did not have any place to live and said that he was just going to wait until his cousin came in January to go and live there. But we knew that he was ready and so we fasted and fasted and fasted and prayed non stop and knew that if it was the will of God that he would be baptized this week.

Well, Saturday came around and he still did not have a place to live or any sign of it at all. We decided to have his baptismal interview anyway and were just going on complete faith that by the next day a magical house would appear in his driveway. After his interview, our district leader told us that he was so ready to be baptized but that he had to move out and that we had three options. 1. we could wait until he found a house. 2. WE could find a member for him to live with 3. WE could build another entrance to his house and so it would count as two houses and so he wouldnt be living with his wife. So we said great, where are the tools! We will build a house right now... now take in mind that this was 9 at night on Saturday and his baptism was supposed to be the next day. Anyway, the Elder told us that we would just have to wait but we did not take this for an answer.

Sunday we decided to fast again and knew that we would see a miracle of miracles. Sunday we woke up verrrry early and went to about every ward member asking if they knew of a house or a yard or at tent or something that this man could live in. Literally everyone said no, but then we would tell them great, well pray for a miracle!

At 12 55, literally five minutes before the end of our meetings one of our recent converts came up to us and told us that he could LIVE WITH HIM!!!!!! It was the craziest and most grateful feeling I have ever had. and so we RAN to tell Aroldo.

Well, we got to Aroldo and he told us that he didnt know anymore and that he did not want to be an inconvenience on Melvin, the recent convert. He told us that he was going to go to the house of Melvin and talk to him, and that he would return. WE WERE DYING!!! we were praying and praying and praying that he would return. 

Well, we waited at the church for almost three hours when at 3 o’clock, he came walking into the church and told us that he was ready to be baptised!!! We called everyone that lived near to the church and got a baptism put together and then who walks in but President Brough himself to congragulate Arroldo. 

He was baptized and confirmed and really I have never felt so darn grateful in my life. I have such a huge testimony that obedience with exactness, diligence and faith are what bring miracles because really, we saw a pure miracle. I am just filled with such gratitude and I know there is nothing we can do in this life without God. 

Thank you for all of your prayers!! I love you all and hope you have the greatest new year!

Love, Ame

A Very Funky Christmas

Familia!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE!!! Here in Guatemala, they celebrate everything on the 24th and no one does anything on the 25, so that is a little bit different. 

So I had some pretty humbling experiences this past week and really what it did was made me so darn grateful for every single thing that I have in my life.

First of all, with our investigator Roldolfo. This man, wow. He told us the story about how he lost his leg last year due to an accident he had and then how after that he lost his eyesight due to his diabetes. As he was telling us these stories he told us, ¨you know hermanas, never once did I feel sad or bad for myself. Because I am just so grateful for all that I do have. It doesn’t matter that I do not have a leg and that I cannot see, because there are people who do not have anything to eat or a house, and I have both. And now I have this chance from my Heavenly Father to change my life and  just feel happy.¨ Wow, what an an example that was for me. He absolutely loves to hear people read him the Book of Mormon and just loves the church.

Last night we had a reference from a member and so we went to visit this family with him. When we got there the lady told us that we could come in but she felt horrible because she had nothing to give us and she didn’t have anything in her house but she would love to have us enter. We sat down in her house and literally they had nothing, all they had in their cupboard was one piece of bread left and a packet of oatmeal type mush. We started talking and her daughter who was sitting there was not saying anything, the mom told us she was deaf but they did not have money for hearing aids. Anyway we kept talking and the daughter left. After some time she returned with three glasses  of mush and a plate in her hand. They had cut up their last slice of bread into four pieces and used their last packet of mush. Nothing in my life had ever meant more to me. This literally was the last food that they had and they gave it all to us. I have never felt so grateful and humbled in my whole life. 

We are doing better in this area! We are trying to get to know the area more, we have only gotten lost 7 times this week and have only gotten followed by drunk men twice, so hey that is a good and new record! I love it when people say, man, if I was going to steal, you two would be the first I would still from. Why thank you hermano, how comforting!

We might have a miracle baptism this week, de uno de our investigators, Arroldo! PLEASE PRAY for him! He wants so badly to get baptized but has to move from his house first  because he is living with a woman and find a job, but he doesn't have any money right now and I know we could see a miracle. 

I really this Christmas just feel so grateful. This experience here has made me realize the importance of gratitude. We really have no idea how blessed we are. 

I love you!

Ame