what.

Familia,

okay hold on there is too much going on!

THE RUNDOWN:

-PORTER YATES!  CONGRATS BRO!!!  Peru!  Just so you know, I called it and wrote in my journal 4 days ago: "p.s. i think porter is going to peru."  Do i get a prize?  So so so happy for you.  I may or may not be bawling in internet right now..

I am so crazy happy right now because I know what is ahead of you.  I have so much to say and no time at all to say it.  p.s. the video didn't work, not sure if you can send it in a different form..?  Ask mom or dad how they usually send videos.  But wow, what did you think when you read your call??  If you are anything like me, you might not have thought anything.  haha i was a blank slate.... uhhh guatemala?  aight chill.  haha.  Probably because i had no idea what i was getting myself into.  Learn everything you can about peru but ill just tell you right now, it wont be anything like you were expecting.  You just have to go and live there.  More importantly, study preach my gospel and study your Book Of Mormon.  Pray your heart out.  The most important thing you can do right now is strengthen your own testimony and prepare for the work.  Isaac can and will help you :)  Give your heart to preparing and you will be grateful.  God knows you Porter, and He knows His children in Peru.  He knows what they need and He is hoping that you will be WORTHY, dilligent, and prepared in order to help His children come to know Him again. I love you so much! 

-Sophie good luck!!!!  You will kill it.  And if things don't go the way you hope, you already trust enough in Heavenly Father to accept His plan for you.  Seek Him in prayer and figure out what it is that He hopes you will learn from this experience, no matter what happens.

-Parasites round  7 woooo!!!!!  I think it's a blessing because a few days ago we were sick in the house and missed an appointment with the Familia Ibarra.  We found out later that night that people were hidden in the dark waiting to rob/kidnap people where we would have been walking.  Blessings in disguise?  I'll take it.

-I ALMOST beat the bishop in ping pong.... it was intense.

-Went to a wedding... it was interesting.

-Someone took our phone on the bus.....  went a week without a phone.  Worst thing ever.

The broadcast was so great!  I loved Elder Eyring's talk so much.  The Lord strengthens us through others, so that means the Lord needs our help to strengthen others.  We have covenanted to serve, comfort, and love everyone.  In our baptisms we covenanted to take upon us the name of Christ.  I am literally doing that in my mission when I put on my nametag every day with His name on it.  How grateful I am for this time I have to dedicate 100% if I choose to, to serve others.

LA FAMILIA IBARRA:

They are so so happy!  Their kids still don't want to be baptized, but that isn't holding them back from progressing!  Gustavo just got an assignment to help in the gosple doctrine class and he is STOKED.  He has been reading his priesthood manual like crazy and last night showed us a bunch of scriptures he found.  So happy for them.  Also, a few weeks ago there was a beer can in their back seat compartment... now they have a hymn book sitting there.  I about cried when I saw that.

LUBIA Y HIJOS:

I don't think things could get any worse in their home right now.  It is so hard because they have come such a long way, but the other night everything fell apart.  I don't even know where to begin talking about their problems, but I am so worried about that family.  Wesley didn't talk to us for a week because he was embarrassed for not behaving well, Dulce hates her mom and everyone was bawling, no one went to church yesterday, Lubia wants to sell her kids or give them back to their terrible father and leave far away to work, hitting and beating, stealing, accusing, screaming, everything.  I finally started crying.  I told them how much I love them and that it hurts to see them struggling when they know better.  We knelt and said a family prayer at the end and things were a little more calm.  It is hard to know what to do to help them, but please pray for them.  

This week I have felt much closer to my Savior and have been able to understand more about Him and His atonement.  I love to think of an example that helps me understand why the Atonement is necessary.  Every mother knows that when her little kid is in the grocery store and he knocks over and breaks a bunch of things, the mom is going to have to pay for it.  Her child is little, doesn't know better, isn't responsible, doesn't work, doesn't have money, and simply can't pay the price for the mistake they made no matter how sorry they feel.  Christ is perfect and we are so so far from it.  We agreed a long time ago to keep the commandments, do everything right, and return to our Father after this life.  But now we're here and we aren't doing so well haha.  Christ knows that, and He has given us the priceless opportunity to repent, be forgiven, and change.  He has paid the price that we simply can not.  I know He lives and I know He is fully capable and ready to help us in all things and in every moment.  Sometimes it's hard to know how to look for His help or see His hand in all things - it happens to me every day.  I know it is a lack of faith on my part though.  It is easy to believe in Him-believe that He exists.  It is a lot harder to believe Him-believe and trust in His mercy and grace.  Change our lives because He has allowed us to.  I hope we can all learn more of Him and His atonement.  As we do so we will be better able to believe Him and become like Him because we know and understand Him and His love.

Wow I am just so happy for all of you!  I love you all!!  Enjoy conference, I sure will!!!  Seek personal revelation, your salvation depends on it ;)

NEC

Hermana Yates

Auntie Morgie

Familia,

So I sort of feel like you are all on a different planet than me.  Thank you for sharing all of your experiences!   SO stoked to have a nephew!  I am so happy everything went well.  Also if Porter gets his mission call this week you need to send me a video of it!  So exciting!!

Mom, in that package you are sending, can you include a black and a white slip for under my skirts?  Something practical and don't worry about the length, if it is too long ill just cut it.  I'm a legit jungle woman.  I'm going to scare everyone when I'm home i think.  Oh and pictures :)

THE RUNDOWN:

-We were teaching a less active in a sort of disgusting house... I was just testifying and all, and next thing I know there is a huge cockroach crawling on my face.. okay get me out of here

-Summer has come and it is HOT

Hermana Escobar is from Panama and is the cutest!  She is so nice and kind.  I think we will have a good change together :)   So last week we had a bunch of baptisms, went to Senahu, and Hermana Allen went home.  Things went from a crazy time of stress.... to nothing.  Haha we are working hard to find a bunch of new people to teach so that others can have the same change in their lives that we are seeing in the Ibarras and Wesley and Dulce.

This past week we had our zone conference and it was great!  I learned a lot about the mission, my responsibility, and how I need to change.  One of the big things that I have been learning on my mission is the importance of taking responsibility.  For everything.  If things aren't going as we would hope, we need to realize that we always have the power to change or influence our situation.  If we stop making excuses, accept responsibility, and act and change accordingly, we will be much happier knowing that we can always make things better.  I really have so much more to talk about but I have so much to do right now.  Perdonen me.  Les quiero mucho y espero que siempre estan leyendo en el libro de mormon.  Yo amo ese libro.  Hagan sus oraciones familiares CADA NOCHE.  Y nadie me dijo que aprendieron en sus estudios de las escrituras...... que les pasa??¡ (Sorry guys. I love you a ton and I hope you're all reading the Book of Mormon.  Say your family prayers EVERY NIGHT.  And nobody told me what you learned in your scripture studies...what's up with you guys??!)

bueeeen

NEC

Hermana Yates

semuc champey. don't ever go.

Familia,

best / worst week of my life.

aaaand i have no time.  quick review.

-Gustavo and Sulma Ibarra, Wesley, and Dulce were baptized on Saturday.  It is really pointless to try to describe my feelings about it because I have never been happier.  I love this gospel and love seeing people change as they feel and recognize Christ's love and involvement in their lives.

Welcome to heaven

-regresamos de senahu y fue lo mejor.  queria quedarme alli para siempre.  si no regrese a la casa despues de la mision, van a encontrar me en las montañas del polochic.  nos vemos nunca  (We got back from Senahu and it was the best.  I wanted to stay there forever.  If I don't come back home after the mission you will find me in the mountains of Polochic.  See you guys never.)

-today we went to semuc champey.  google it or something.  it's the pretty tourist place with pretty water.  NO VALE LA PENA.  (It's not worth it) Was a 5 hour drive in rain, the bus got stuck, we had to walk half of the way because the bus couldn't get up a hill, then we climbed the mountain for 3 hours, all to see a bunch of large white tourists in bikinis.  Talk about an awkward zone activity.  Oh and the bus broke down on the way back.  And that is why i am writing at the end of p-day.

We made it up the mountain!!!!!!!

-hermana allen goes home this week and it is heart breaking for so many reasons.  i will miss her, she will miss her mission, and everyone here will miss her.

-new comp: hermana escobar

-erin, can't wait to hear about the baby!!!!  Love you all so much and hope all goes well!

-porter, you already know.  check your email

-isaac, you already know.  check your email

-sophie, you already know.  check your email

-barrett, you already know.  check your email

love you all!  NEC

Zone meeting in the Chic

MA SA LAA CH'OOOOOOL

Familia,

holy smokes i am on top of the world.   literally.....

THE RUNDOWN:

-Today i am finally a polochic sister.  CHINAUS

Lots to say, crappy keyboard to say it.  This one has dirt all over it so the keys don't work too well....

FAMILIA IBARRA -prepare yourselves

Holy smokes.  I love these people.  After going with Hermana Curtiss to visit them, they were going to pray about being baptized.  A few days later we went to visit Sulma, the mom, and asked how she felt about her baptism.  She said she felt very content and was excited!  On friday we went again though, and she was confused again.  Her girls are in a catholic school and they are worried about confusing them.  She was unsure again... but then we talked to her husband.  Gustavo had a dream.  (these people DREAM!!!)  He had a dream that he went up to the pulpit in church on the 15th and said "I just want to say that this is the true church"  and went to sit down.  He is now absolutely sure that he needs to be baptized, that it is what God wants him to do, and that he needs to do it THIS SATURDAY.  He knows it will bless his family and no matter what they decide to do, he is getting baptized.  We talked to Sulma and she decided the blessings that she will receive are much greater than her worries.  She wants to get baptized with Gustavo.  Her biggest worry is what she will wear hahaha.  one problem.  Gustavo has had struggles with the word of wisdom.  He was doing well but about a week ago he smoked and drank again.  He received a blessing from the bishop because he was going to his boss' party and would be tempted to drink.  He is so set on quitting though and he proved that because he didn't drink at the party and was at church yesterday as happy as could be!!!  Tonight he is meeting with President to see if he can be baptized this saturday.  STAY TUNED

FAMILIA GONZALES

Wesley and Dulce are getting baptized this saturday :)  Wesley is so excited!  He is so awesome and so ready.  They even took down all their scary pictures and put up ones that we cut out of the liahona.  Yesterday he almost didn't go to church because he was embarrassed because he didn't have clothes, but after the sacrament i left with a member with a car to get him haha.  no worries.

So Hermana Allen is headed home next week.  President Curtiss and Hermana Curtiss have been trying to figure out what to give her and I told them that they needed to send her to the Polochic.

Polochic (po . lo . chik).  -noun.  The part of the mission where only the elders get to go because they only speak q'eqchi', it's too dangerous, or there's no phone service, and it's in the mountains.  Unknown to the sisters.  A foreign place.  All the elders have their little pack there and everyone is jealous.

So they sent us to the polochic.  Sunday at 11:30 we got on a rickety old bus and set off for 5 hours to Senahú.  Let me tell you, the road to the polochic makes the ghost rider at knotts berry farm feel like a dream.  Do they sell back replacements in the market here...?  You think i'm joking...

After the crazy road we just kept going up and up and up and up and up........  We were driving in the clouds in the mountains.

We got here and it was the funniest thing ever.  If these people have ever seen white girls it must have been a long time ago because the stares are much worse here.  Two guys touched my hair at the health clinic we had to look at haha.  yikes.  We found our "hotel" and after seeing the elders, eating dinner, and giving dats, we crashed.

This morning I had the most glorious shower since the ccm.  Warm water and goodish water pressure!  I don't think i have been so clean since the ccm really.  We ate at the hotel and hiked up to a sweet look out spot.  It is GORGEOUS here.  I think I'm in heaven.  It is sunny and beautiful and green.  Ill send pictures next week, i am scared of the computer here.  We met up with the elders because a bunch of them came in from the aldeas for p day (they are all pretty excited that sisters are here in the polochic) and went to the church.  They played soccer but we got bored, so we went looking for a recent convert who used to live in canton but moved back to senahu.  We may or may not have gotten lost....... but we eventually found her.  Today we ate lunch at a sketchy place and got some ice cream!  Who knows what will happen next but it has been an adventure.  We will head back to coban tomorrow :(

I am happy.  I love my mission.  I probably won't ever come home if that's okay with you guys. ...but even if it's not, sorry.  not coming home.

NEC

Hermana Yates

FASTING WORKS PEOPLE

(From Morgan's mom)

Hello friends and family:)

Morgan's email today was completely in Spanish.  I have included the English version that Isaac translated for us and if you would rather read it in spanish, it is below as well.

March 5th will be Morgan's one year mark!  What a wonderful, growing year it has been.  Thanks to all of you for your prayers and for being interested in her life as a missionary.  We feel very blessed.

Family, 

I don't even know where to begin. We have seen huge miracles this week. Remember when i told you about the Ibarra family that was going to make their decision to be baptized? Well first off, they have received so many answers to their prayers. THEY KNOW that the church is true. It has saved their marriage, their relationships in their families, they have felt the Holy Ghost. I don't know when, i don't know how. But, they have their highs and lows; sometimes one will want to get baptized and the other doesn't. In these last few weeks, they have lost a lot of motivation and we stopped visiting them until they came to church. After all that is when they told us that they needed to make a decision. 

After our fast, Sister Curtiss (the Mission President's wife)  and I went to visit them. Like i said, she gave them "cinch" (Probably Guatemalan slang for "a good talk"). It was really good because she was catholic before and they are also "catholics". They said that they were going to pray to know if they will get baptized or not. The next day we went to visit them and they told us that they want to get baptized :):):) and that they know that this church is the church of God, that it can bring salvation to them, and that it will bless their lives enormously. Man, i felt so happy, but i mean SO happy!!! They are FINALLY recognizing their answers. God is so great, and has always been taking care of them. Haha it was funny because he said "I prayed last night and i said to God: 'God, if this is your church, tomorrow my daughter is going to feel better and will no longer be sick'' (his daughter has been sick with the flu, aches in her bones, and i don't know what else). The next day she was jumping and screaming saying "I'm better! I'm better!" I'm not sick anymore, i feel good!" Haha Gustavo and Sulma just sat there staring, and Sulma said to him "this church has to be the true church". Miracles people.

Also, we have been praying for gustavo for a long time. He has a problem with smoking and sometimes drinking. He told us that a week ago he tried to smoke but felt really sick! With nausea and headaches and all that nasty stuff. EVERY TIME that he wants to smoke, he feels really sick and now he can't smoke anymore. Man, miracles everywhere. We hope that they will get baptized on March 14 with Wesley and Dulce!

Please pray for them! I love you so much!

NEC

Hermana Yates

Familia,

No se donde empezar.  Hemos visto grandes milagros esta semana.  Recuerdan que yo les conté de la Familia Ibarra y que iban a tomar su decisión de ser bautizados?  Primeramente, ellos han recibido tantas respuestas a sus oraciones.  SABEN que la iglesia es verdadera.  Ha salvado su matrimonio, sus relaciones entre la familia, han sentido el Espíritu Santo, no se que, no se cuando. Pero siempre suben y bajan.  O uno de ellos quiere ser bautizado, y uno no.  En estas ultimas semanas han perdido mucho ánimo y les dejamos hasta que vinieron a la iglesia.  Después de todo eso es cuando nos dijeron que tenían que tomar una decisión.

Después de nuestro ayuno, fuimos con ellos con hermana Curtiss.  Como les explico..... ella les dio cincho.  Fue muy bueno porque antes ella era católica y ellos también son "católicos".  Ellos dijeron que iban a orar para saber si van a bautizarse o no.  El siguiente día fuimos con ellos y nos dijeron que quieren bautizarse :):):)  que saben que la iglesia es la iglesia de Dios, que puede traerles la salvación, y va a bendecir sus vidas enormemente.  Hombre, yo sentí tan pero TAN feliz!!!  por FIN están reconociendo sus respuestas!! Dios es tan grande y ha estado cuidando les siempre.  jaja fue chistoso porque el dijo, "yo oré a noche y dije a Dios , Dios, si esta iglesia es Tu iglesia, mañana mi hija va a sentirse mejor y ya no va a estar enferma."  (ella ha estado enferma con gripe, dolor de los huesos, y no se que)  El siguiente mañana ella estaba brincando y gritando "estoy mejor!  estoy mejor!  ya no estoy enferma me siento bien!!!"  jajaja gustavo y sulma solo se quedaron mirando... y sulma le dijo "vos, esta iglesia tiene que ser la iglesia verdadera."  milagros people.

también, hemos estado orando por mucho tiempo por gustavo.  el tiene un problema con fumando y tomando aveces.  El nos dijo que hace una semana el trató de fumar y sentía tan enfermo!  con vómitos, dolor de cabeza, todo tan feo.  CADA VEZ que el quiere fumar, el siente muy enfermo y ya no puede fumar.  hombre, milagros en todos lados.  esperamos que van a bautizarse en el 14 de marzo con Wesley y dulce!

oren por ellos por favor!  les quiero mucho!

ninguna silla vacía

Hermana Yates