and then there were three...

Elder Maldonado left today! But just to Puerta de Hierro and he'll be back. I'll explain in just a second.

Hey yeall! So this week has been crazy! Let me explain.

Familia Alvisuris came to church again for their third time and now want to get baptized.... everyone except for the dad, Marcos. He says he just isn't ready yet, that one day soon he will.  The mother, Hayde and her kids, Marco Antonio, and Josue want to get baptized this Sunday. So we are planning their baptizm and they are really really excited. We also have Familia Pacheco. We challenged them to get baptized and they said yes, but it wasn't a 100% sure yes. It was a hestitant yes. They want to, but they just aren't totally sure yet. But they are ready. It is just satan that is putting garbage in their noggin and we are the trash men that are going to fix it. :) no os preocupéis. So we really want to have their baptizm this Sunday too. So pray for them too! porfa.

Elder Maldonado left today. Sadly, it was necessary to have emergency changes in one of the areas today and Elder Maldonado was chosen to fill the spot. BUT it is just until changes. He is going to be coming back next week when we have changes next week. So it is just temporary. Elder Garcia and Elder Montero and I are in a trio until next week.

Another cool thing this week was that we moved houses! We found a really really nice house in a new colony right by our church building that was asking for the same amount that we were paying. It is soooo much better but moving houses is a pain in the neck! I'll send pics of the new house next week :)

Finally, President Brough came to our sacrament meeting this week! It went great. I actually was in a special musical number and got to sing in front of everyone. I know what you are thinking, Elder Yates can sing?? The answer is YES! But its not pretty. BUT we are in Guatemala so to a tone deaf group of Guatemalans, my voice doesn't sound that bad. People told me good job and I was flattered and then remembered after that I still couldn't sing good so I was humbled haha. But it was fun, Elder Montero played the piano while I sang.

Things are going great here in Escuintla. Just trying to get all my goals accomplished before I go. My time is short and my goals are high. Changes are next week and then I only have 2 left. weird. My advice: laugh everyday. enjoy every second of life. don't regret a day. Even bad days can be the best learning experiences. Take advantage of those days so that you never have a bad day again :) keep reading them scriptures and write down your questions for conference. I love you all and pray for you! cheque pues!!!

Elder Jates

Miss Dina, Miss Dina‏

got baptised on Sunday! pictures to follow.

Hey! so Miss Dina got baptized on Sunday! The service was great and she bore her testimony after saying that we (the missionaries) came into her life right when she needed us and that she was grateful to her Father in Heaven for that. She was really emotional and it was great. She said that she is always going to endure in the church!

As for Familia Alvisuris, they came to church again! and they liked it again :) which is great. The mother Hayde is really great and wants to keep going to church forever and gets baptized and the whole shabang. But, the hubby is a bit more slow. He believes in God and everything but he has got some bad habits that he knows he needs to change but it is a little hard for him.  But we keep motivating him and helping him and he is progressing poco by poco. What a great family!

The other family that we are teaching is the Familia Pacheco. They are great and they are progressing nicely. But the mother, Patricia still hasn't recieved a firm answer if the church is true. So we keep animating them and helping them to recieve the answer that the church is true. After recieving the answer that it is, is when the blessings come. So satanás will do everything in his power to prevent people from getting that answer. I got my answer! Do you have yours?

This Sunday was neat because a returned missionary from Utah came to visit with his parents and wife. His name (was) Elder Beck and he was here in Escuintla about 3 years ago. It was sooooo cool to talk to him and his parents. His parents didn't know ANYTHING of spanish nor did his wife, but they were so happy to be here with their son and experience the culture, meet the people, and endure the heat of the coast. haha. His mother told me that in not to long, MY parents were going to back here to visit again just like they were doing. I know she is right. Decemeber baby! Parents, are you ready?!! :D

So overall it was a great week. Yesterday was our zone pday and we played soccer and bought pizza. I got sunburned and now I'm tomato red. Worth it? You betcha. I love playing some soccer. You should try it! How's the weather up there anyway in the states. I bet its getting better now right? nice and toasty. :) Play some soccer! It's good excercise and you'll have fun. Don't forget to laugh everyday. It makes the stress go away and always say your prayers. General Conference is coming up! Has everyone finished the book of mormon yet? I'm ALMOST done! 4 Nephi baby! everyone should read 3 nephi 11. It is my favorite chapter in ALL the book of Mormon. ask yourself, ''What would I have done if I was among the multitude?'' it's great :) love you lots and lots. Have a great week!!!!!!

Elder Jates

hey hey hey‏

I only have 23 minutes left. So imma gone make it a quick one.

 

Sorry this letter is giong to be short. The big things that happened this week is that Fam Alvisuris came to church and they loved it! But then their pastor started telling them a whole bunch of lies. That a pretty face doesn't lead to salvation and that gringos only come to Guatemala to steal little children and sell them in the states. mala honda va? But they didn't listen to him. They believe the message that we are sharing with them and now all of their neighbors hate us.....

We are going to have a baptism this weekend! First with a woman named Dina. I contacted her looking for the Relief Society President about 2 weeks ago. She didn't seem that positive but she has come to church twice and accepted the baptismal date for Sunday! We also have a family named Familia Pacheco. I think I mentioned them last week. They came to church again and are also preparing for this Sunday, even though they aren't 100% sure yet. They still have their duditas that they need to solve. So pray for them! They are great!

Being in a four some is getting better. Althogh the house gets dirtier a ton faster, it gets cleaner a lot faster as well. haha. yep. We cleaned yesterday and the Elder Montero and Elder Garcia made Peruvian food, delish. They are pretty good cooks I must say. I have no idea what it was that they made or what was in it, but it was yummy. haha.

Well, nothing more that I can really say. I am just working hard and enjoying my time as a missionary. Me falta poco. But the time is going by so fast. I promise. I don't even feel it anymore. Keep reading the Book of Mormon because I know it is true. My testimony has grown so much of that book during my mission. I want to read it one more time in Spanish before I finish my mission. It is true in every language! I also have a greater love for my Savior. He loves me and I love Him. I know He loves and knows me. I am grateful for that knowledge. Thanks for everything. Smile and keep laughing everyday. It's good for you. I promise, less stress. Love you all!

Elder Yates

a day with President Brough

is a great day indeed. And actually, he is going to leave and visit with us today! It's going to be so great! I'll let you know how it goes (next week).

Today we had a zone conference and it went so good. It was just us here in Escuintla and President Brough helped us a lot in how to have shorter lessons that are more effective lessons to help budget our time better. Many missionaries are having super long lessons and when they go back to visit they realize that the investigators don't rememebr anything that the missionaries taught the first time. So it was a great and effective zone conference and I learned a lot.

 

We have a new family that we are teaching (between the 4 of us) named Family Pacheco. They are really pilas and were able to attend church on Sunday. They REALLY enjoyed it and are progressing really well. The dad is William and his wife Patricia and their son Kevin who is 11. We also found another family last night that had been praying  that we would show up. They are Familia Alvisuris. The mother Haidé and her husband Marcos. She had always seen us pass by her house and she made the comment to God that if one day, we talked to her, she would receive us and listen to the message we bring. Well last week we talked to her and she LOVED the message as well as her husband. They have 4 patojitos (kids) and want to come to church this week!

 

We are having lots of success and lots of fun. Once we all got to know each other, things in the house go a lot better. We are joking a lot more with each other and working really well as a foursome. It is great. I like where I am right now and the things that are happening. I am happy. :) The mission is treating me great. I think I am going to have one more change in this area and finish my mission training or something. I feel that is what is going to happen, pero solo Dios sabe, and until then, I will keep working like a missionary.

 

Also, the volcano exploded again this week and it was so pretty, promise. My beloved companion, Elder Garcia, wanted to test his baseball skills by throwing a rock at a wasps nest. First try, he nails it. I have never ran so fast in my whole life. I promise. haha. But it was a fun experience. haha.

 

Welp, love you. Keep working hard. Have fun, study. Don't forget about me. Say your prayers and laugh everyday and remember that I love you. (that's a lot of advice!) :)

Elder Ya-tes

Elder Maldonado's Birthday Cake

 

a new mission...

is going to be made in Guatemala! Guatemala Coban Mission. Woop Woop!

Hey hey! So this past week has been good. We are trying to get in the swing of things here in Golondrinas as a 4 some companionship. It is fun actually. Kind of weird honestly, but fun. Living 4 in the house is good. It's hard because the house is kind of small but it's good. It gets a lot dirtier a lot faster but there are more hands to make the work lighter. It's going to take some getting used to, but I will figure it out haha.

So yes! There is going to be a new mission in Guatemala. They are making 3 in Central America (another in Honduras and another in El Salvador) so there are going to be 6 missions in Guatemala: Central Mission, South Mission, East Mission, Coban Mission, Quetzaltenango Mission, and Rhetahuela Mission. Yeah! The work is progressing! But what does that mean for us? They are going to be rearranging the boundaries of our mission. We are going to lose 2 zones in the capital to the South Mission (Zona Nimajuyu and Zona Mariscal) and we will be receiving another zone in the coast (Zona Tiquisate (which I would LOVE to go to haha)). All of these changes are going to start taking effect soon but the actual changes won't happen until July. So it looks like I will be in the clear and that I will be finishing my mission here in the Central Mission (phew!). So I am really excited for the changes that are going to go down. How special, huh?

 

Well other than that nothing too exciting has happened this week. We found and caught an iguana in our house this week. I named him preston. Then we let him go. It was a fun experience. Also, this last week, a nearby volcano began to erupt lava (at night!) and it was gorgeous. It was a small eruption, but it was so pretty. I promise. But I had left my camera at home so I wasn't able to take a picture. oh well.

 

Another big focus we have right now is making Escuintla a Stake! Right now it is a distrcit and therefore there are no wards, just branches. President Brough wants to send the request in before General Conference so there is possibility that Escuintla becomes a stake! How cool would that be? And I get to be part of the magic. Our challenge right now? attendance. So we are visting ALL the innactives in the area to get them to come back to church so that we can qualify to become a stake. So pray for the (future stake) of Escuintla!

 

We are working hard. Finding new people to teach always and setting high goals. It's what missionaries do. I love you all and I invite you to read ALL of Helaman 5. It is great. What an amazing chapter. Keep saying your prayers and don't forget to laugh everyday! I wuv you!!!

 

Elder Jates. (thats how they say it here)

 

Elder Yates and his Companions eating ice cream

Catholic Church in Antigua

Elder Lagos' "Family"