Crazy Week!

 Hello Family!  Well this week has definitely been on of the most eventful weeks that I´ve had for a while.  We had a lot go on, and I´m really happy about all the work that is going to go on here in Colonia!  We´ve got a lot set up here, and I know that June and July are going to be really special months here!

     Unfortunately, I have changes...  Yep, this week there are changes, and they are taking both Elder Pagán and I out of the area, something that we are really bummed about.  So apparently they are going to put Hermana missionaries in Colonia, so they are going to take us both out.  Needless to say that we were both really bummed when that happened.  We had worked so hard to get a lot of work here, and now they are going to take us out.  But I feel really good about my work in Colonia, and I know that I left my mark there.  I know that I will leave this area better off than it was before.

     Our biggest investigators are family members of a member in our ward.  Her sister, Roxana, and Roxana´s four children have been coming to church recently.  One of the kids is a member already, but three of them aren´t.  Yesterday, we had a very powerful and spiritual lesson with them.  We taught them the doctrine of Christ, and watched a Mormon Message called "A change of heart."  (Go look it up!)  Man, the Spirit afterwards was so strong, and Becker and Alvin, two of the kids, expressed their desires to be baptized!  We didn´t even have to invite them to do it!  They want to do it!  So this 21st of June they will be baptized.  Their older sister, Ceci, still isn´t sure about all of it, but I have a really good feeling that she will follow her brother´s examples.  Roxana has some problems with her husband, so she will have to wait for a little bit, but she´s really pilas too.

     We are also working with Merlin still.  Something that I have really realized while teaching her is the importance of teaching the doctrine clearly and simply so that others can understand.  There have been various times where she has said during a lesson something like this, "The missionaries taught me this before, but I didn´t realize how important it was until now."  She is progressing really well, and I have a good feeling that she too will be baptized in June.

     Argelio, a recent convert of about 4 months, is another person that we are working with.  He´s Luis and Esvin´s step-dad.  The thing is that the family has been coming to church little by little.  First Argelio was baptized and his wife.  Later his son.  And then we baptized Luis and Esvin.  Now we are focusing on the last two people in the house: Nancy and Saida, Argelio´s daughters.  Something I´ve learned from teaching them?  Focus on the head of the household.  Every time that Argelio has been strong in the Gospel, we have success there.  Every time that he slacks off a little bit, they don´t come to church.  So we are focusing a lot on making sure that the head of EVERY household is strong in the church, and they are being able to help out in the spiritual progression.

     Like Jeffrey said in his email, members are the most important part of this work.  Without their help, we are done for.  We have been seeing a lot of good things happen in this area because of the help of the members, and I know that the Lord is really hastening his work here in Guatemala.

     Our Zone this month have been calling this month a "Month of Miracles."  We are really focusing on the point of, "If God has performed miracles in the past, why not now?"  We are focusing a lot of being the tools in the Lord´s hands so that he will be able to work miracles through us.  And we have been seeing those Miracles.  I have recorded a good lot in my Journal, so I´ll share those when I get home.

     Basically, this week has been really great.  And to top it all off, I´m officially older!  21 years old...  When I first started the mission, I never thought this day would come, and now here I am.  I had a good birthday, with some members making me a cake and others giving me dinner.  All in all, I enjoyed myself!

      And now, I am officially going to start my last change in the mission.  I´ve been thinking a lot about how I want to end my mission, and I am going to give it my all to the Lord to make sure that He is proud of what I am doing here.  I know he is, but I just want to give that last push.  So here goes nothing!  Until next time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S. 1 Nephi 13:37

Crazy Week!

Hello Family!  Well, it is already this time again, it seems like these Monday´s come faster every week!  And as of yesterday, I have been four months out on my mission already!  It seems so crazy that four months have already passed!  That means that 1/6 of my mission has already come and gone!  Kind of puts it into perspective, doesn´t it?  But that just means that I have to work my butt off for the rest of it!  So here we go!

      This week was really crazy!  But I´m gonna start on Wednesday, because that was a really eventful day.  So Elder Maldonado and I had to travel to Momos for divisions.  I was going to split with our District Leader and take him up to Pancá for the baptismal interview that we had set up.  So we got to Momos Wednesday morning, and made the splits.  Elder Andrade (My district Leader) and I got in a car that was about to leave for Pancá.  While we were waiting, the car started to rock, which I didn´t think anything of it.  I just thought it was someone getting in or out of the car.  But then I looked at a building behind me, and metal poles on the top of it were shaking.  Everyone in the truck was saying that it was an Earthquake!  It went on for about 20 seconds, then stopped.  Nothing too bad happened in Momos where we were, but according to everything that we heard, it was pretty bad in San Marcos, where the Epicenter was.  So I was okay, but I definitely felt it. 

     We finally got to Pancá, and whenever we visited someone, the Earthquake was all everyone was talking about.  It was crazy to hear all about it.  Elder Andrade got a call from the AP´s, and they said that they definitely felt it in Xela.  But I guess I don´t know exactly.  Later in the day, we headed over to Antonio Pu Mejia´s house, where his neice, Victorina, was waiting for the baptismal interview.  Let me back up a little bit.  Last time that we visited them, Elder Maldonado said that we would cut the hair of some of the kids, because he has a hair cutter machine to do it.  Well you probably see the problem, that Elder Maldonado wasn´t going to be there.  So he told me to do it!  So while Elder Andrade was holding the interview with Victorina, I cut the hair of two of the boys there!  My first time, and it wasn´t to shabby!  Definitely not perfect though!  Haha but while I was cuting the hair, they turned on the news so we could hear more about the Earthquake.  It was crazy to see the destruction in San Marcos, and know that it isn´t that far away!  Crazy Stuff!

     The interview went all according to plan, and this Friday, we had a combined activity at the church!  First thing was the baptism of Victorina, which was absolutely amazing.  I still can´t believe how blessed I have been to have so many souls come to Christ already!  I hope that it continues!  Afterwards, the Relief Society held a welcoming party type thing for her, and all the Branch was invited!   It was so cool to see so many people in one chapel basically in the middle of nowhere, all together in Spirit.  It really made me appreciate the Gospel that much more in my life!

     So yeah, pretty eventful week!  Everything is good here, so you dont need to worry!  I´m continuing strong and doing the work of the Lord!  I love it here!  Thank you all for your support and care for me this week!  I love you all and will talk to you all next week!  Until Next Time!

     - Elder Stuart

 P.S.  I forgot to put the scripture in the weekly email, but here it is:  3 Nephi 13: 31-33. Also a Bonus!  1 Nephi 13: 37

from Jonny!