Quite the Week!

    Hello Family!  Well, I can say that this week has definitely been a very interesting week, not to mention a little bit frustruating, but that`s how life is!  Haha but I`m still loving the work here, and it`s going great!

     Sooo..  First things first, Isabel.  Well, bad news is that she wasn`t totally prepared to be baptized this week, so that didn`t happen.  We were really discouraged after the lesson that we had with her, and we were about to give up hope...  BUT!  We had a ward baptism this Saturday, and Isabel said that she would love to come to it, and she did!  So she isn`t completely a lost cause, because she is still interested, but we are going to have to work a bit more with her so that she can gain a stronger testimony.

     Other than her, really we don`t have anyone that really wants to keep their commitments...  We have been trying really hard this week to find some new investigators, whether by knocking doors, contacting references, or who knows!  We have been focusing on that a lot, and it seems to be working a little bit.  But it`s just not the same as teaching a lesson to someone that is progressing.  But you have to start somewhere, right?  I guess that`s why this week wasn`t that exciting, but the next coming weeks should be promising!

     I`m loving the Conference Editon of the Ensign that you sent to me, thank you so much for that!

     On Sunday, we watched that Worldwide Leadership Training Transmission, which was awesome!  I learned a lot from it, and of course, it made me just that much more excited to work in the greatest work there is, preaching the gospel!  I also saw a couple of my friends in the choir which was awesome!

     Just sitting here in a public internet place, where it is playing nonstop Lil Wayne.  Gotta love it.. ;)

     I GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE TOMORROW!  WOO HOO!  Since I`m nearing a year in the mission, I have the chance to go to the temple here in Quetzaltenango!  We have to get on a bus tomorrow at 3:30 in the morning, but it is going to be worth it!  So glad that I have a temple in my mission!  (Sorry to those who don`t...)

     Well, that`s about all for this week!  Love you all so much!  Until Next Time!

     ¡Nojim K`ishb`ek!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S.  D+C 100:5-6

Photos!

All the birthdays in June in our Zone!  We celebrated it all in one day just to save money...  haha!  (Sorry if it´s a little blurry..)

 I was in Chichi this week for divisions, and it rained like none other!  This is my comp jumping a "river" from the street to the sidewalk that all the rain made!  It sure does rain here, that´s for sure!

 In Chichi right after the storm.

 In Paquinac again!  I decided to take another picture in the same spot for the heck of it.  And way out there is good old Chinique!  Gotta love the hike!

We walked back from Paquinac with a guy that we knew.  He went up there just to do his job...  A.K.A. killing cows!  How cool is that?  He kills cows for a living!  About 3 cows a week he says!  And he is just carrying down the skin like a boss, with blood all over his clothes!  What a guy!

 I GOT THE PACKAGE!!!  WOO HOO!!!  I´ve seriously been reading the Ensign magazines non stop this week!  Thank you so so so so much!  

A really old church in Quiché, which I thought that I would take a picture of for the first time in my 3 1/2 months here...  ;)

General Conference Weekend!

     Hello Family!   Well, what a good General Conference weekend that we had!  This one was definitely a lot better than the last one, not because the messages were better or worse, but because I actually understood it this time...  Haha but seriously, I hope that you all had a great weekend, and enjoyed the conferences so much! 

     I just want to talk a little bit about what I learned this weekend during Conference.  First off, what an amazing time for missionaries!  65,634 missionaries in the field, 20,000 or so with their calls waiting to go, and about 6,000 working on filling out their papers...  How incredible is that?!?  What a time to take advantage of the chance that we have to be missionaries.  Even for those who aren`t full time missionaies, I hope that this spirit of excitement is working on everybody!  I really liked Elder Cook`s talk on Satuday afternoon about peace.  What greater feeling can we feel than constant peace from our Savior?  Also, President Uchtdorf`s talk during Priesthood session was incredible.  He talked about titles that we have in the church, and how important they can be to us.  He named "Children of God", "Diciples of Christ," "Healer of Souls," and "Those who inherit all that the Father hath," just to name a few.  Also, President Monson`s talk on Sunday morning about odedience was really good, especially for me in the mission!  I hope that when the Ensign comes out you can all read it and study the talks again!  (And if you could, send me a copy of the Conference Issue of the Ensign!  Thank you!)

     Not only were the talks during conference great, but we were so blessed with how many investigators that came to conference this week!  We had 8!  We had Jimmy, the boy who hopefully will be baptized this week (We are going to make sure tonight!), a new family that we have an appointment with on Tuesday, and a couple of others.  What a blessing for us that we had eight people come to the best Church weekend!  I really hope that they learned something, and it makes them want to learn more!

     Not much else, just an amazing weekend full of General Conference!  Just a couple of things before I close:  I finally got the valetine`s day package this week, so don`t worry, I got it and I am enjoying all my United States junk food!  So it took about a month and a half based on the letter that was inside, so it takes a while, but I did end up getting it.  Also, I`m so glad that you all had a great time in St. George!  I can`t wait until I can come with you guys again!  And lastly, I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!  Thank you all so much for everything that you have given me.  Thank you for you support and you prayers, I can definitely feel them helping me be a better missionary!  I love you all!  Until Next Time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S. The scipture this week isn`t really a scripture, but a saying.  I heard it from a letter from James Rudd, and then Elaine S. Dalton said it again during Conference.  It says. "What e`er thou art, act well thy part."  Something to really think about.

     P.P.S.  How about Elder Christofferson quoting Les Mis in his talk!!  Awesome!

A Week of Celebration!

Hello Family! I don`t know why, but it seems like it has been forever since I`ve talked to you guys! I guess talking on the phone does that to you! It just seemed so normal, but now we are back to just emailing, which is just okay, not the same though! But I should tell you guys that this week has been really great!

So we didn`t get to get back to Pancà until Wednesday morning, so the 25th was actually kind of boring. We did go contact a bit in Momos, but it isn`t the same as being in your area. So yeah, it kind of sucked. But on Wednesday, we went to a members house to celebrate Christmas, and we bought fireworks to set off! It was way fun! And to top it all off, I finally got to open my presents, about a day and a half later than I wanted. But better late then never! I loved the presents! I have been craving American candy for a long time, because the candy here just isn`t the same. But one of the best things you sent was the Conference Edition of the Ensign. Thank you so much for it!! I`ve already read it cover to cover twice now, that just shows how much I have been looking forward to it! Thank you all so much for the presents!

But after that, it was time to get back to work. This week, we still focused a lot on the birth of Jesus Christ, because it is still the Christmas season, and we thought it would still work! It is so amazing to talk about the birth of Christ with the people here. Because even if they are members, less actives, investigators, or just random people on the street, almost every person here is willing to talk about Christ, especially the birth of Christ. So it has been a really successful week, and spiritual too!

We have been working a lot with a family a member reffered to us. They are a mom and two kids, with the Dad in the States. But they are really open to us, and we even mentioned baptism this week, and they weren`t totally off guard! So we have a goal for a date on the 26 of January, so hopefully that will work out!

This week was a little rough at the beginning, because after talking to you guys, and Christmas and everything, I was a little homesick. But like President Hinckley`s Dad said, "Forget yourself and go to work." That really helped me out, and I got through the week fine! It really has been a great week here, and I am ready for a new year here! Happy New Years everybody! Until Next Time!

- Elder Stuart

P.S. The scripture for this week is Ezra 10:4. I thought I should throw you guys some Old Testament goodies!