Adios abril!

Hey, hey, he, so I am learning a lot this week. It has been tough. The Lord is deciding to test me one last time before I go home and I am thankful for that trial. Marisol still doesn't feel that she should get baptized yet BUT we are still loving her and helping her and praying for her to get baptized as soon as possible. Keep praying for her too please! Your prayers mean alot. I promise :)

 

We have another little investigator that we are teaching. His name is Marcos. He is 9 and his mother is a less active member who is lazy more than anything. BUT Marcos is awesome and super pilas. He went to church this last weekend with a member family and wants to get baptized. So we are planning his baptism for the 19th of this month. He is REALLY smart and understands things really fast. So keep praying for him too please.

 

Lastly, we had an investigator named Ingrid that started coming to church with her father who is a recent convert and she was supposed to get baptized this weekend. BUT her sweet NOT member mother came and took her away from her father this week (because they are seperated) and doesn't want anything to do with the church. poop. BUT we are still praying for her.

I want on divisions this last week with and elder named Elder Vallejos from Coasta Rica and we went to his area and I started contacting a man and this is what went down:

me - ''Hey! How are you?''

the man - ''you guys are Mormons right?''

me - ''thats what they call us! haha''

the man - ''well I don't believe in the Mormons.''

me - ''well thats ok because our message is about Christ. Do you believe in Him?''

the man - ''I don't believe in Christ either.''

me - ''what?! that's so sad. well this message is definetely for you because Christ loves you and we want to teach you why He is important.''

the man - ''no thank you.''

me (after a couple of trys) ''well you're always invited to church''

the man - '' I own your church.''

me - ''huh?''

the man - ''yep. I am the Elders Quorum President of the Cerro Grande Ward.''

me - ''.........''

 

Soooo turns out my divos comp told the guy to play a trick on me. haha. He really WAS the Elders Quorum President and jokes on me. haha. But it was pretty funny afterward when I realized it was all a joke. I felt silly but I was just more relieved that it wasn't real. haha. I started looking for Ashton Kutcher becasue I got Punk'd!

 

Well that was my week. I am learning more about being humble and accepting Gods will over mine. It isn't easy at all but its worth it in the long run. Thanks for everything. Keep saying your prayers and reading your scriptures. I appreciate every single one of you. If you have time, write me and tell me somehting spiritual that is going on in your life. oh! and don't forget to laugh everyday :)

 

ElDeR YaTeS

you (will) have a birthday‏

Everyone wish my good ol' Dad a Happy Birthday Please! He is a special man and deserves a special day. Happy Birthday Dad!

Well this week, Marisol did NOT get baptized. She drank coffee, blasted mcafé, anyway. So we are HOPING if EVERYTHING goes good to have her baptism this coming weekend. We are also planning the baptism of a little girl named Ingrid. Her father got bapitzed about a month ago and she has seen a huge difference in him because he gave up drinking and smoking and she has been really suprised and happy with his change. So be praying for them please. Elder Orrillo and I have been working like bumble bees around here and we need some prayer magic. :D

Interviews with President Brough were great. It was my last one :( and I thought it was going to be pep talk for my last 2 months but it was more of a how have you changed on your mission type of interview. It really made me look back and see how I was before my mission and I am now. I am still the same Mason Yates. But all my weak attributes that I had before my mission are a lot stronger now. I am the same person, just the traits I have are better than before. I have seeen the change and President Brough has also seen the change. He told me that he was very very proud of me. I felt good :) haha. He has been the best Mission President in the world. I know I came to this mission mainly for him. Because besides my parents, he has helped me become the person I am today more than any other person. He is great and I greatly appreciate him and his family.

 

Nothing TOO exciting is happening here. Getting ready for changes in 2 weeks. This change has gone by SOOOOOO fast. I promise and the next one is going to go by even faster and then where will I be? :)

Sorry my letters are boring, maybe I am just getting lazy at writing. oh well. :) See you soon, laugh everyday and read your scriptures. I LOVE YOU!!!

 

 

 Elder Yates

 

 

This has been a week of ''breaking'' news

raise your hand if you know what I mean... :)

So I heard about the Boston thing and the Texas thing, how tragic. My prayers and thoughts go out to those who were affected by these terrible incidents, as well as other ''breaking'' news this week. ;)

Well Marisol didn't feel quite ready this past Sunday so we are now planning her baptizm this coming Sunday. Actually the whole zone is planning to have baptizms this Sunday and we really want to do them together. It would be so cool! So please keep praying for her and for everyone else that we want to baptize! I hope to have some awesome pictures next week. Marisol is great and has even talked about going on a mission! how cool!

We had 2 pdays last week! best week ever? fo sho baby girl. On one of those pdays we were able to go to the temple as a zone and feel the spirit and be rejuventated espiritualmente. :) It was awesome. I promise. I have some pics that I am going to send home. Just pray that this computer doesn't give me a virus. Please and thank you.

I am working really hard and enjoying my last couple of months as a missionary of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I love him. I know that He is my salvation. He died for ME and MY sins, becuase He loves me. I trust in Him now more than I ever did before. Through Him all things are possible.

Have a great week and keep laughing, say your prayers and read the scriptures 5 minutes every day at least and you'll see the blessings. LOVE YOU!!!

 

Elder Yattttes

 

 

week 2 in Nimajuyu‏

 Hay girl hay! So I'm just living it up in Guajitos still. Things are going good here. We are hoping to have a baptism this Sunday of a young girl we found my first week here. Her name is Marisol and she has come to church every week but she just has some little tiny doubts as to the Book of Mormon. Pray for her! She's great!

I had an interview with my main man Mr. President Brough and he let me know whats going down. I asked him why I was taken out of Escuintla and he said he wanted to leave me there but the spirit told him no. We cant learn in our comfort zone and we can't be comfortable in our learning zone. So I was sent to a ''dead area'' he said to turn things around. haha. No pressure. I am having a great time with Elder Orrillo. He is so humble and receptive to the counsel I give him. I am almost positive that he is going to have changes and I will finish my mission training again. ahaha. So that will be good.

We didn't have pday yesterday! why? Because the temple is closed on Mondays! Yep we're going to the temple! and we are going on Thursday! and it is going to be so much fun and we we we so excited! (name that song) so I'll be sure to take pictures and send them home to all my homies.

As for other news, I talked to Elder Montero and Familia Pacheco was baptized and they are doing great. So that's awesome. I love them. also, Elder Maldonado finally got his visa to Mexico so he left this past week as well. Suerte en el calorcito I told him. He'll be great there.

Just know that I am working hard and having fun. I love each and every one of you and it's crazy to think that I am only going to email about 10 more times. Gotta make them count huh? :) Lots of love and lots of success. Remember to laugh everyday and follow the teachings of Jesus.

xXooOXx

little kiss, big kiss, little hug, little hug, big hug, big kiss, little kiss

Elder Yatesss

Happy Birthday Elder Yates!!

Knocking on a door on a cliff

Elder Orrillo and Elder Yates

YEAH!!

 

 

where in the world is Elder Yates...

He is in the capital! again! haha.

So my new area is called Guajitos and it is in the capital in the zone Nimajuyu. It's a good little area. It's small and dense; somehting I'm not to used to, but it's great. I'm training! My companion is Elder Orrillo from...... Peru, haha, another Peruvian. Being with Elder Montero and Elder Garcia for 6 weeks has helped me to understand them better haha. He is a great little guy, very humble and very ready to learn. He asks me permission to do everything!! seriously, but its fun. The first day we were walking and I heard him mumble to himself ''Wow! I'm with a real Northamerican as my companion.'' haha. We have high hopes for this change. So stay tuned!

I have to say I really miss Escuintla, that little city holds a special place in my heart. I love the people and culture there so much. I miss it. I can honestly say that it has been my favorite area so far. It was wonderful. I got word that Familia Pacheco was baptized on Sunday. yay! It's sad that I wasnt there but thats not really what matters right? the people were so sad to hear that I was leaving and honestly I was just as sad.  I know that I am in my new area for a reason. I just need to work hard and I will be able to figure out that reason.

Conference was spectacular! I loved the preisthood session talk by President Uchtdorf. wow! and I loved Jefferey R Hollands talk,and how about those announcements: a temple in Cedar City, Utah! How cool is that! and get a load of how many new missionaries there are! 65 thousand! the work is BOOMING!!! I was blessed to watch conference in my native tongue of English so I got to hear the words how they were spoken. I loved the talk by Enrique R Falabella, he is the area President here in Central America so we get to meet with him frequnetly and hear from him. I loved his talk and it was cool to hear him speak in English. He did a pretty good job huh? :)

So things here are going good. I have high goals for the end on my mission. I plan to work hard and baptize. I love you all so much. I appreciate your support. You're awesome. Keep being awesome and working hard and remember that every member is a misisonary. Help the missionaries! Be a missionary! Your'e awesome and will be blessed. See ya all in just over 2 months!! :)

 

Elder Yates

oh, goodbye palm trees‏

:( the secrets out. I have changes. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 

So tomorrow we have a change meeting and I will be showing up because I am leaving Escuintla. :(((( super sad face to the max. because that means that I will be arriving at my last area !!! side note. I got a phone call from Mr. President Brough this week saying that I am going to be training again. This will be my 5th time training and will make me one of the missionaries that has trained the most in his mission. What is the Lords will for me? I'll find out tomorrow!!!!!

So another big announcement! Familia Alvisuris got baptized! ...except for the Dad no. He didn't feel ready yet. SO Hermana Hayde and two of her kids, Marco and Josue got baptized on Sunday. Hermana Hayde and Hermanito Josue asked me to baptize them. :) con mucho gusto les dije yo. It was great. Also, remember Hermana Susana and her kids that got baptized in January? Welp, her second to youngest son, Jorge, turned 8 last week and asked me to baptize him! So his baptizm was Sunday too. It was great. What a great day. The weird part of Sunday, an investigator from the other missionaries left church on Sunday and headed for his house and went to cross the street in front of the church and got ran over. That was weird considering it was an investigator I found with Elder Acosta who is planning on getting baptized soon. BUT don't fret my friends because he walked away from the accident ok, very very injured, but ok. Please pray for him!

I'm so excited about conference. There are so many specualtions as to what's going to happen and other big annoucements that there will be. But I am so excited. I want to hear your thoughts about conference and what talks you liked and things like that please and thank you. Talking about big announcements, the First Presidency has announced that a missionary is now allowed to email ANY person, not just family, that means I can email YOU. But, dont get mad if I don't at first because well, I still don't have a lot of time. but it'll be quicker than a letter. With that said, my email is mason.yates@myldsmail.net. I'd love to hear how your doing!!!

Walp, that's about it. Familia Pacheco is giong to get baptized on Sunday, but I won't be here. :( but I'm sure my next area has tons and tons of work for me :) I love you so much. Keep reading the Book of Mormon!! and watch EVERY session of conference, they are all amazing. :) laugh everyday, and listen to the spirit.

Love,
Elder Yah-tes

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