I don't know what to put here

Familia,

THE RUNDOWN:

-I think I have another parasite but I don't want to tell the nurse because I don't want to do any more tests.  after 20 of them it kind of gets old

-my companion thought we had  the priesthood until yesterday.. that was an awkward news break

-the lady we eat with is determined to send me home fat.  Literally.  she told me.  please pray for me....

-the man next to me has chicungunya so if a mosquito bites me within this next half hour I'm toast

Hey, in case you didn't know, I love being a missionary.  Not sure if I've told you before.

Well we came back from Guatemala city and we were super sleep deprived but we made it through the week!

This week we visited Sylvia again and it was so great!  She loves learning about the plan of salvation and she wants to be baptized to be able to live with her family forever.  Next stop: her husband  who doesn't seem to like us very much.....

Sorry I don't have much time but I just love you all.  Keep being amazing, porter congrats for going to the temple you are amazing, soph i always knew you were a mermaid, isaac you can't get married yet, dad have fun in china, mom throw your own party on the 4th of july, barrett erin and sobrinos when are you going back to the states?  lily is so old now!  and luke, are you still alive?

cuidense,

the church is true,

No Empty Chairs

Hermana Yates

Guate

Familia,

Greetings from guatemala city.

THE RUNDOWN:

-so sometimes the new people have to go to guatemala city to sign some papers if they didn't do it in the CCM... we got a call from the office elders 2 nights ago letting us know that we had to go.  Last night we got on a bus at 10 and got here this morning at 6!  Longest night ever.  bright side:  THERE IS A TACO BELL HERE!!!!  We conviced the hermano who came to pick us up to take us there and we paid for his meal so he'd take us.

-i haven't had a voice since i got here. not quite sure what's going on but i sound pretty ridiculous

We are finding some really cool people here in San Benito!  I am always so amazed by these people.  In coban i was always taken back by the immense faith of humble, poor people who believe so much in miracles from a God they have never seen.  Here in Peten it's different because it is a more modernized place.  Here I am also taken back by the faith of the people but now it is because they are willing to humble themselves and trust in God more than themselves or their money.

We have a new recent convert that just moved into our area.  he is 20 and has an interesting story.  he lives alone, he just completed a year in the church, and before he was set on serving a mission until some things happened and he lost himself.  We were able to get to know him this week and it was really special.  he has seen the difference in his life from when he was active and how he is now.  After talking with him for a while I asked him if he was still praying. he answered that he hadn't prayed for months.  He doesn't have words and doesn't feel worthy to pray.  We helped him feel like he could offer a prayer to end the lesson.  He was hesitant but offered the prayer.  It was beautiful to hear one of Heavenly Father's sons talk to Him again after a long time waiting, not knowing what to say.  After the prayer he just sat there with his head down and cried.  he thanked us and told us that he would do his best to figure things out, get help from his leaders, and come back to church.  We helped him get a job with the young single adult leader in the branch on saturday so we hope that things will start heading uphill for Elvis :)

We had another lesson with Sylvia.  she is the BEST.  She is truly seeking guidance and answers from God and wants to forgive Him for taking her son away from her.  We were teaching her about the Plan of Salvation and that her family will always be hers.  We talked about God's plan for her and the things she has to do in this life to be able to have her family forever.  As we were telling her to pray and ask God if what we were teaching is true she stopped us and said "I believe you.  I know what you are saying is true.  These are the answers I have been searching for for so long and I have never found peace until now.  I believe you."  Legit, I just wish you could all just sit in on our lessons with her.  The Spirit is so strong, she is so prepared, and experiences like these are life changing for our investigators and for us.   It reminds me of the scripture in dyc 50:

19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

 20 If it be some other way it is not of God.

 21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?

 22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.

I love this gospel and I know that this work brings souls unto Christ.  I love Him and I love my mission.

Love you all too I guess :)  cuidense

NEC  Hermana Yates

a whole new wooooorld.......

Familia,

holy. smokes.

THE RUNDOWN:

-so our mission really is split up into 3 missions: coban-check. polochic-check. peten-let's do this

-coban houses=cockroaches. peten houses=lizards

-mom sorry but I laughed when you said that it's hot in utah... I can't even explain how hot it is here

-nos mantenemos mojadas

-my watch broke. again

-there are pigs running around everywhere, we are writing on an island, when it rains the streets steam, and it is HAWT.

So peten is legit.  My companion is Hermana Bueso and she is fresh from Honduras.  Haha it's super funny to be training at the end of my mission because she reminds me of me when I got here.  I cared about my hair, my clothes, my food, and I had no idea what I was doing.  It's cool though because I get to teach her everything and see her grow, learn and improve quickly.  She is awesome and willing to work.

It has been an interesting week (as always) because neither of us know a single person here.  We have been knocking doors and accidentally finding members haha.  The members here are amazing and are helping us find people to teach.

Once again I have seen that the Lord knows what He is doing.  Every person that we contact has been placed in our path for a reason.  I stopped believing in luck and coincidences a few months ago.  We have found people who are searching for guidance and meaning and don't know where to find it.  They are open to learning and their humility will allow them to feel the Spirit and I am SO EXCITED.  We met a young guy who was so interested when we told him that Christ came here to the americas.  We gave him a book of mormon and marked 3 nefi 11 to read.  I have never seen someone so excited to read that story.  

We found another woman named sylvia who just lost her job a few days ago.  If she had been working still we wouldn't have found her in her house or have been able to return yesterday to teach her for the first time.  It was amazing lesson.  She opened up to us and told us about her family problems and that she had lost a baby and was mad at God.  She listened to what we had to share with her about the importance of the family, forgiveness, and patience.  As we read a scripture in the book of mormon with her we could tell she was feeling the spirit.  We testified that the book of mormon would change her life if she was willing to read it, pray about it, and act on the things she would be invited to do.  When we told her that we would give her the book she was holding she started crying and couldn't believe it.  She hugged it and said, "When you read the scripture it scared me!  I thought, could it be that this scripture is for ME?"  Then of course i start tearing up.. she felt the spirit teaching and testifying to her without even realizing it.  "Yes, that scripture was exactly for you because God knows you, loves you, and knows exactly what you need."  We left her a section to read that would help her with her family relationships and she promised to read it and talk to her husband about going to church next week.

I really don't know much.  But I love being able to be an instrument in God's perfect hands and seeing people come to know Him better.  The same thing happens to me every time.

This morning we went to some caves and it was pretty cool!  It also taught me a few things, believe it or not.  There were some parts of the trip where I would get tired of using my flashlight, and decided to turn it off and just follow the rest.  Borrow their light.  But as we went on there were bumps and holes and when we got to some stairs the rest were rising and progressing with ease.  I on the other hand, was tripping and wasn't able to get up the slippery stairs without my own flashlight.  It taught me a lot about our own light, or testimony.  Sometimes we are okay to borrow others' light.  When life is easy and there aren't too many stumbling blocks we can make our way through the dark okay.  But if we want to progress on our own and be able to keep going when things get hard, we need our own light.  Our own testimony is what keeps us strong and faithful until the end.  Sometimes our light is small but a little light can make a big difference in a big, black cave.  If your light is a little too dim, put in some new batteries, recharge, and use it.

I love you all.  If I don't die this week of heat then I will talk to you next week.

NEC

Hermana Yates

Bring It On

Familia,

Killing a comp is sooooooo BAGGY

Tomorrow is change day.  I will FINALLY be headed to Peten!  I will be training and cleaning an area... so looks like that is where I am going to die.  Literally and figuratively hahaha.  I am excited!!!  It will be a little crazy, peten is INSANELY hot and infested with deadly mosquitos, but it will be cool to start fresh in an area.  I have only heard good things about my area so I am happy!  My area is called San Benito, and I will meet my companion tomorrow.

Sorry we are writing super late today because hna hernandez is going home this week so things are a little out of control.. and we have to go do more things right now so I guess I'll talk to you next week!  haha love you all.  Read your scriptures, say your prayers, DON'T FORGET FAMILY NIGHT, and look both ways before you cross the street.

NEC

Hermana Yates

Trio Swag

Familia,

So I got emergency transfered last monday about 3 hours after I wrote home!  I am now with Hermana Hernandez (mi mama) and Herman a Riley (9 months in the mission, from Minnesota, super cool). I will probably be with them until changes next week unless something else crazy happens this week!  Hermana Hernandez is going home next tuesday!!!!  I have to kill my mom!  It's super baggy but asi es la mision de los viejitos.  I'm in the Coban Barrio area, Coban 1b.  I am happy though.  and safe.  Oh p.s. another sister who is going home next week informed me that her cousin was isaac's trainer in the mission.  whaaaat.  Small world.

So besides being in complete depression that I had to leave my last area after 6 months there without getting say goodbye to anyone... it was a good week.  the AP's had an amazing baptism, and surprise... i had to sing.  It was pretty though, I sang the alto part in If You Could Hie To Kolob in a duet with Hermana Riley.  The couple who got baptized is an older, classy couple.  They are very different from pretty much anyone you will meet here where we are teaching.  They are amazing converts and it was a really special baptismal service.  Hermana Curtiss spoke and Elder Zavala (who went home to honduras last change) came back to speak as well!  So crazy!

Anyways, I am doing great!  I hope you all have a great week with all of the craziness alli!!  Porter, congrats on graduating, your seminary graduation talk was amazing, and you all better send me pictures!

NEC

Hermana Yates

 On Mothers Day when we got soaked (Hermana Escobar)

Mothers Day call