Feliz Año Nuevo!

  Hello Family!  And Happy New Year!  We have officially entered 2014, the year that a Prophet of God called Elder Stuart to come back home...  How weird is that?  Can you believe how fast the time has gone?  Incredible.  Now it`s just time for us to make the best of a whole new year!

     New Year´s was just like how it was for my family:  Quiet.  New Year´s Eve was just a normal day for us, and then we had to be in our apartments at 9:00.  So Elder Josec and I played some games for a little bit, until midnight, and then went up to our roof to watch the fireworks. And then I went to sleep.  Fun right?  Honestly, for me it was.  I was dead tired, so I just wanted to rest.  So yeah...

     Actually, thinking about it, that´s how our week went for us.  This week was really slow.  We had a really low number of lessons taught, and some things just didn`t go our way.  It definitely was a week of really thinking about the mission, and how it has blessed my life.  I know I`ve said it before, but I know I was sent here in Quetzaltenango not just for the people here, but for myself.  And it`s been great.

      Anyways, we have had some problems with Cruz and Sharon.  Sharon ran away from home to go live with her boyfriend...  So we haven`t seen here for about a week.  And Cruz isn`t feeling that good about his fecha.  So we pushed it back to the 18th.  But we really need to work with him to have him gain a testimony about the Gospel.  Without a testimony, we aren`t getting anywhere.  So we are really working on that.

       Wosvelí has been in Momos all week, so we haven`t seen him yet.  But we`ve started the process to divorce him.  We haven`t been informed on how long it is going to take, but we are shooting for about 3 weeks.  But we`ll see how that goes.

     Because a bunch of people didn`t want to follow through with their citas, we had the opportunity to find 15 new investigators this week, one of the highest I`ve ever had.  Now we just need to make sure that we follow through with them so that they can all progress.

      I just want to tell you guys a really cool experience that happened yesterday.  We were having one of those days, where no one comes to church, and every single thing that we had planned fell through.  It was 7:30, and we were so tired.  We had just walked through a bunch of guys making fun of us, and went so far as to kick a soccer ball that hit me in the back.  Needless to say I was really frustruated.  I was thinking, "Let`s just go home, nothing good is coming out of today."  But we decided to go visit one more person.  We decided to keep on going.  

     When we got to the house that we had planned to go, some little kid answered and informed us that the person we were looking for wasn`t there.  But then some older lady came to the door, and started talking to us.  We presented ourselves, and she almost sent us away.  But then something changed.  It was like the whole atmosphere got calmer.  She suddenly just said to come in, and she gave us some leftover tostadas from their dinner.  We chatted, and figured out that she is really in need of the Gospel.  We left her house with plans to stop by this Wednesday.  I left that house thanking God for giving me the strength to keep going.  If I would`ve just given up and gone home, we never would have found that lady.  But we did.  God works in mysterious ways, and I am just now starting to see that.

     (That ended up being longer than I thought...)

     So yeah, Happy New Year´s to all.  Here`s to 2014!  Until next time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S. John 15:2 and 4

¡Feliz Navidad!

    Hello Family!  I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas!  Filled with fireworks and everything!... Oh wait, that`s just us in Guatemala...  So yeah, that`s just for Jeffrey and I.  (Unless my limited knowledge of other countries comes into play here...)  But anyways, I hope that all of you had an amazing Christmas, filled with a bunch of Christmas Spirit!  I hope that we all did what President Monson said, and make sure to take off that last syllable of Christmas to remember what it is really about.

      I really like what my brother Jeffrey said this week, that all of us missionaries that are serving are giving the best birthday present we could to the Person whose birthday we are celebrating.  (That sentence is probably really weirdly structured.  Just bear with it.)  

     But now we have moved on, and it`s time for us to think about the next year, 2014!  (Wow time is going by way too fast...)  People always talk about resolutions this time of year, and honestly, I`ve never really done them.  But I think that it is important that we think of ways that we can be better people, and really stick to what we committed to.  Especially with a spirit of Christ in mind.  We all can be better, now it`s just up to us to do what we can!

     The mission`s got a really good idea with resolutions and all that.  We are trying out a 40 day and 40 night fast of things that we know we have to change.  Every one of us has something to change, so now we are promising to fast about it, and make sure that we are better missionaries.  We need to make sure we have the spirit with us at all times, so this should help us out!

     Now I just feel like this letter is just a bunch of thoughts about this time of year.  Let`s get on to what`s going down in Guatemala.

     Just to start off, we had 6 people in Sacrament Meeting this week.  That`s tied with my all time high.  I guess people are just in the Christmas Spirit!

     Our most positive people are Cruz and his daughter Sharon right now.  They are coming to church, and are still set for their baptismal date on the 11th of January.  They`ve got no real problems right now, so we are just still preparing them for their date!  I`m really excited for them.

      And now I`ve got to tell you guys about a man named Miguel.  He is a really good friend of Cruz`s family.  He`s about 70, and he`s really got no family around.  And on top of all of that, he`s almost deaf.  Well, he`s been around whenever we teach Cruz and Sharon, but we haven`t really been paying attention to him.  But on Sunday, we had started church and everything, with everyone inside already.  But after the Sacrament, who else walks in but Miguel.  He came on his own!  He just walked in like he knew exactly what he knew he was doing!  So we are definitely going to see what`s up with him this week!  Man I love miracles.  Sometimes I feel like I should deserve them, but when we are on the Lord`s errand, everything is possible.

     We also had a mom and her three kids come to church this week.  Her name is Cindy, and she is the wife of an Antonio that we had been visiting a couple months back.  Antonio now doesn`t want anything to do with us, but Cindy does.  She really wants to know about the truth, and where to find it.  So we are really going to help her out.  And after about 2 and a half months of knowing her, she finally came to church!  I`m really hoping and praying that she will keep acting on the faith that she has!

     I don`t know, it`s been just a really good week this week.  I was just talking to Elder Keele about it, and Sunday`s are what makes or breaks your success in the week.  You can have the best week in the world lesson-wise, but if no one comes to church, it feels really hollow.  But when people take that step of faith and come to chruch, it`s like walking on air.  There is no other feeling quite like it.

     Sometimes I feel like I am being blessed way to much than I deserve.  I`ve realized this week that I have a lot of faults.  I am a very imperfect person.  But God takes those imperfect people, and has them do what they do best.  There is a spot for all of us in this world!  We all have our part to play, no matter how small.  I think it was President Uchtdorf who said one time, that the world is like a Symphony, and we are the players.  If we don`t do our part, the show will go on.  But with our help, everything is just better.  We need to remember that always.

      Wow, this letter`s a honker, that`s for sure.  I just feel like putting all of my thoughts down, so you guys know what I`m thinking.  Above all though, I don`t know what I would`ve done without the mission.  I would`ve been a completely different person, and not for the better.  I am infinitely grateful to my Heavenly Father for this chance that I have.  He really is our Father, and Jesus Christ is our Brother.  We are SO blessed to be a part of this Gospel.  I know it.  And I love it.

     Until Next Time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S.  Malachi 3:3  This one takes a bit of explination.  A refiner and purifier of silver purifies his silver in a very special way.  He has to take the silver with tongs, sit right next to the fire, and hold it in there while it is being purified.  He knows it`s done when the silver shines and he can see his reflection in it.  Now we just need to compare ourselves to the silver and God to the refiner.  And look up Alma 5:14 while we are at it.

     P.P.S.  I really hope that last paragraph makes sense.

      P.P.P.S.  If any of you make it to this point in the email, you deserve a hug.  Just wait seven months and it`ll come!

Feliz Navidad!

    Hello Family!  Feliz Navidad!  Espero que se encuentren bien.  Ha.  Don´t you all love it when I write in Spanish?  It´s just to change up me emails here and there.  I need some different ways to start these off.  So there you go.

     Well, it´s Christmas!  I´m so stoked!  My second Christmas away from home.  That´s really weird to think that a year ago I was all the way back in Momos.  But time flies by so fast, you have to take advantage of it.  Especially in this Christmas season.  This is a really good time to sit down and just think about life.  It´s been a great life for me so far, that´s all I can say!  And I love being able to help these people out have Christ more in their life!

     As far as investigators go, we are still focusing on Wosvelí.  The thing is that he isn´t divorced from his "ex-wife," and isn´t married with his current "wife."  Go figure, right?  Welcome to Guatemala.  (Guys, don´t ever break the law of Chastity.  Along with screwing up your salvation, it messes with missionaries.  Do it for the good of them.)  So he´s set on his desire and the doctrine, we just need to get him divorced and married.  So much fun.  But we are hoping the process goes by quick.

      We also have Cruz and his daughter Sharon for the 11th of January.  (The end of my girl mission!  Woo hoo!)  They got hit hard this week with the death of their mom/grandma, so we haven´t seen them for a couple of days.  But they are still really positive, and want to join the church.

     That last part, when we figured out the lady had died, really made me appreciate the knowledge I have of the Plan of Salvation.  There are people all throughout the world that believe there is no hope after death that we can be with our family again.  But we can!  I was thinking about it, and I am so grateful to be a missionary to be able to help people understand the meaning of this life and the life to come.

     This Christmas is going to be so sick!  Since tomorrow, the 24th, is when everyone celebrates Christmas here, no one is going to want to receive us.  So we are going to go stuff our faces with a bunch of members, and just enjoy ourselves.  (We might also go Paintballing, but that´s not for sure yet...)  Also, I found the game Tetris Link in the MegaPaca, so we are going to play that in our down time!  And on Christmas day, we are going to go caroling for our ward and our investigators!  So stoked, I can´t even explain it.  Not to mention I´m going to open my package on Christmas morning!  I can´t wait to talk to you guys!  I´m so happy!

     But all in all, I´m just grateful to be part of Christ´s Kingdom here on the earth.  We really do know what the real meaning of Christmas is, celebrating our Savior´s birth.  Let us all be able to do that this Christmas.  Love you all!  Until Next Time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S. Luke 2

Changes!

    Hello family!  We are getting closer to Christmas every time I talk to you guys!  It´s been really special to be able to really feel the real meaning of Christmas this season.  I love the gifts and stuff, don´t get me wrong, but really focusing on Christ makes this season really worth it.  And how much better can it be when I am lost in the service of the Lord?  Not much.  So let´s see how I´m doing.

     Changes were this week.  Elder Calero is gone, and now I´m with Elder Josec.  He´s from Perú, and really funny.  And another cool thing is that he is also my Grandson!  (O sea, Elder Mar, my son (the Elder I trained) is Elder Josec´s dad.  How cool is that?)

     The most important person we are focusing on is Wosvelí.  He was set to be baptized this Saturday, but there were some complications.  On Wednesday, we were finishing up with him by passing off some commandments.  But when we came to the Law of Chastity, well, long story short we figured out he isn´t married to his "wife" yet...  (You´d be surprised how big of a problem that is here.  Especially because his "wife" is a member...)  So we had to push the baptism back until the 28th of december...

     But something really special is that I´m going to have my first marriage/baptism in the mission!  We are going to have the wedding in the afternoon on the 28th, and immediately afterwards he´s going to be baptized!  I´ve heard that is really special, so I´m stoked to be a part of it!  He´s a little nervous, but he´s participating in the ward and everything, so it´s going to be a really special day.  Christmas Baptism!!!

     We´ve also got another baptism set up for January!  Martha is a recent convert who was baptized in August.  All of her family was baptized besides her husband Cruz (who was in the States) and one of her daughters Sharon (who´s 16 and got pregnant...) The cool thing is that Cruz is now home, and Sharon had her baby.  So we decided to talk to them when they got back, but they didn´t want anything to do with us.  Bummer.  But when we had an activity at the temple, they both came, and ever since then, they´ve loved the church.  They´ve come to activities, and they came to church this week!  They want to be baptized, and we are going to work with them for January!  Miracles really do happen, especially when a temple is involved!

    We´ve got some other good looking prospects that are liking the church.  We just need to bust our butts to make sure that they progress as much as they can.  

     Not much else for this week.  Just looking forward to Christmas!  I´m gonna miss all of you guys, but I´ll be home for Christmas next year!  Meanwhile, I´m gonna enjoy my time here in good ole Guatemala.  Until Next Time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S. Jacob 1:19  Gotta be dilligent!