18.

Familia,

So I guess this is the part where I tell you everything I have learned and how I have changed during this past year and a half as a missionary....

yeah that's really impossible.

I love love love my mission.  I love my Savior.  I love the Atonement.  Without the Atonement or a slight understanding of it I would be lost.  I would have no purpose and I would have no hope.  I love my Father who has provided a perfect plan for me and everyone to return to His presence if we are faithful and obedient.  I love knowing that Christ's true church has been restored through a prophet of God.  Joseph Smith was called to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.  The Book of Mormon is perfect scripture and it contains the fulness of the gospel.  It truly testifies of Christ and has blessed my life beyond belief.  We are still being guided and directed every day by a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson.  God's work will continue on and I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to take part in the preparation for the second coming of our Lord and Savior.

I love Guatemala.  I feel so at home here, especially being back in Coban today.  I love the people I have served and served with.  I am so touched by the love from all of the members, investigators, and missionaries here.  Sometimes it breaks my heart thinking about leaving everything here but I find comfort in knowing that this is the Lord's perfect work and it will keep on keepin on!  I love my mission president and his wife.  I am so grateful for my experiences as a missionary.  Now I just need to apply what I have learned, felt, and experienced in my "normal life".

"Ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are."  Mosiah 2:34.  

I also love my family :)  I guess I will be seeing you all pretty soon here!  I have an interview with president right now so I gotta head!  I love you all!

No Empty Chairs

Hermana Yates

Sharpie that.

Familia,

ELDER YATES!  Poco a poco is the way to do it!  Be super patient, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, they were always the longer, more frustrating days for me.  Spanish is awesome!! wooooooooooo

SOPHIE happy birthday!!!!  freak, grow down!  All the missionaries here saw the picture of all the kids that went to the house to celebrate with you.... they say you're really popular.

BRI I can't wait to meet you!

OLIVER I can't wait to meet you too!

Haha in internet my computer wasn't working so the guy who owns the place let me use his computer.  Everyone keeps coming up to me and asking me stuff and I have to awkwardly tell them that I don't work here....

This week we had some cool meetings!  The doctor for all of the central america missions came to visit every zone in our mission because everyone is so sick here haha... awkward.  I had the chance to meet with him and thank him for taking care of me my whole mission!  I thanked him for you too mom haha :)

We also got to see a conference broadcasted from Guate.  President Nelson from the quorum of the 12 apostles spoke to us with Elder Duncan, our area president.  They were very encouraging and helped us more clearly recognize the importance of our callings and the importance of working hard.  They talked about how we may be the missionaries to find and start teaching someone, we might be the missionaries to keep teaching someone when we get to an area, or we might be the missionaries who get to be there 20 years down the road when they finally decide to be baptized.  We never know how far our efforts will go as disciples of Christ.  We need to do our best in whatever phase we are in so that in the Lord's time, all people will recognize and confess that He is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

I love Him and I love serving Him.  I love putting on my missionary badge every day because it helps me remember Who's representative I am, and it helps me keep my covenants because it constantly reminds me of Him.  I also love serving Him because this time that I have had to serve has helped me not only wear his name on a black square on my shirt, but as it says in Mosiah 5:12, His name is written in my heart.  I want to always have it there because as it says despues, if His name is written in my heart I will recognize His voice and I will know Him.

The other night I had a dream that Christ came but no one recognized Him.  It scared me because it made me think.. will I know Him when He comes?  What do I need to change and do better to get to know my Savior better?

Is His name written in your hearts?  If so, is it written with pencil or with a permanent marker?  ;)

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!  I will talk to you next monday I think!

Saying bye to Hna Gloria Matheu

NEC

Hermana Yates

Pentencito

Familia,

THE RUNDOWN:

-This morning we got up at 4:40 to run to the Island Flores to see the sunrise with 4 other sisters.  SO BEAUTIFUL!!  It was so perfect.

-2 days without water makes for 2 smelly sister missionaries....... awk.

-That awkward moment when I have to buy things for that special time of the month and I have to put everything on the counter at the grocery store... in front of all the elders.  awk x2.

-We ate with some members the other day and their pet parrott casually walked on to my plate and started eating my food with me. And they really didn't seem to care at all. awk.3.

-Today we went to a zoo!  It's really like a huge jungle and you have to walk a few miles to find a cage with an animal.  Haha it was fun!

Well family, today I have to write my goals to send in to President, so I will probably just send a bunch of pictures and start my goals!  But quick cool experience!

We are teaching our neighbors and they are super sweet.  The mom, Olga Marina, can't read and it's kinda hard for her to understand.  The other day we were trying to explain about the Book of Mormon and she wasn't quite getting it.  I decided that she just needed to see what the book is like and hear a story to understand.  We read half of 3 nefi 11 to her and it was an amazing experience!  As we read we helped her understand the story and she started interpreting it before we did!  We felt the Spirit and she was able to understand very well.  I am SO grateful for the Spirit because he helps us learn, understand, remember, and feel.  I was grateful for the inspiration He gave me to help Olga Marina have a spiritual experience.  She and her son came to church with us yesterday for the first time and they enjoyed it!  Her son, Juan Luis, is 20 and we gave him a Book of Mormon the other day and left him the introduction to read... he ended up reading to 2nd nephi!!  PILAS.  We are excited for them!

Also Rosalydia got baptized!!!  She was so cute and it was a great night!

Love you all!

NEC

Hermana Yates

Making tortillas

District Conference

Be strong!

 Familia,

-We played soccer today and we all got FRIED

-I think it is 130 degrees here these days

-well that's probably an exaggeration, but that's how it feels

This sunday we had our district conference here in Peten and it was awesome!  All of the branches of peten came and it was SO FULL of people!!!  I have never said hi to so many people.  (Here in Guatemala it is rude to skip anyone.  When you walk in you have to walk through row by row kissing every woman and shaking every guy's hand, then go to the door to greet everyone else!)  Elder Morales came with President and Hermana Curtiss and they all delivered messages that were very helpful!  We had several investigators there, including Rosalydia who will be baptized this Saturday!  After the meeting Elder Morales and President Curtiss wanted to meet all of the investigators.  They had all of the missionaries with investigators go to a room where he shook all of their hands and encouraged them to keep investigating the church, praying, reading the scriptures, and keeping the commandments.  Then he spoke to the missionaries there present in the room.  He got very emotional and just looked at us for a very long time.  He said that the Lord is very aware of us, our needs, and our efforts.  We are His representatives and we will be blessed for all we do.  He told us to serve with all our hearts and give everything to the Lord.  I know that he is a special representative of Christ and that he has His authority to preach, serve, promise, and love in His name.  To have a testimony of the Restoration of the Priesthood we have to have a spiritual witness that the Lord's servants really have the priesthood.  I have received that time and time again as I have been able to serve with worthy missionaries, work with an amazing mission president, meet, listen to, and learn from members of the 70, receive blessings, and preach of Joseph Smith and a living prophet.

I hope you have a great day tomorrow!   Be strong!  Don't be too sad, I know goodbye's are hard but this is really the best and biggest blessing Porter is about to receive!  How awesome!!!!  I love you all and good luck Elder Yates!

No Empty Chairs

Hermana Yates

Meek

Dear friends and family,

We received Morgan's return itinerary last week!  I'm sure it was a little heart breaking for her when she opened that same email today.  We are so grateful for the opportunity she has had to serve a mission and grateful to each of you for your love and support.  

Morgan returns home on Thursday, September 3 at 7:25pm.  Her homecoming will be on Sunday, September 13 at 9:00am.  I will post more information later:)

We are so excited to see her in just 4 short weeks!!!!!!!

Morgan's Mama

Familia,

-Happy Birthday Isaac!!!!  I hope you enjoyed it and had a great time with the family!

-So Marvin and his family moved to another area.... it is here close by, but it is just sad because the other sisters will be giving them their last few lessons before their baptismal interviews this friday with President Curtiss.  They will be baptized in the other branch nearby.  Please keep praying for them and their preparation!}

-We are teaching another woman who is AMAZING.  We met her this past week and are teaching her in her hair salon in our area.  She also lives in the other branch but technically it will be our baptism.  She is so prepared and ready to be baptized!  She already believes in Joseph Smith, the restoration, the book of mormon, and she just says, "My question is why didn't I learn about all of this sooner??  I have missed out on so many blessings!!"  She is awesome.  Pray for Rosalydia Lima.

Okay family.  I am so proud of my little brother.  I love him so much and I am so excited for him.  As I was reading what you said about his farewell talk and how he is, I was touched that people refer to him as "meek".  It is a perfect word to use.

As I have learned more about the life of Christ I have learned more about who He is and what His attributes are.  Meekness is a divine attribute and gift of our Lord and Savior.  In the Spanish guide in the scriptures is defines meek- temeroso de Dios, recto, humilde, presto para aprender y paciente al sufrir.  Los mansos están dispuestos a seguir las enseñanzas del evangelio.  Or in other words, the meek fear God, are righteous, humble, teachable and patient in suffering.  The meek are willing to follow the teachings of the gospel.  Is this sounding anything like Porter yet?  To me it does.

Porter, you will be able to develop this Christlike attribute in your mission and you will be grateful for this quality as you serve.  Christ is your perfect example and He will teach and guide you.  Matthew 11:28-30 says:
 
 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I love this because our Savior describes Himself as meek, and also invites us to do some things.  Elder Bednar helps us understand a little about His first invitation in his conference talk from last May:

"A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals that enables them to pull together on a load.  A yoke places animals side-by-side so they can move together in order to accomplish a task.

Consider the Lord's uniquely individual invitation to "take my yoke upon you."  Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ.  In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with his.  As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

We are not and never need be alone.  We can press forward in our daily lives with heavenly help.  Through the Savior's Atonement we can receive  capacity and strength beyond our own."

Porter you will experience this very personally in your mission.  Your Savior invites you to walk with Him and work according to the Father's will.

The other invitation is to learn of Him and become like Him.  There is no better place to do that than the mission, where you literally take His name upon you on your missionary badge and teach as His representative.

You have taught me so much through your quiet example of love and humility and meekness.  I know this will strengthen you on your mission.  Your meekness will allow you to find those who are prepared by the Lord to receive the restored gospel.  It's cool because those who are prepared also need to be meek and humble in order to change their lives and discover God's plan for them.  Your meek spirit will reach out to theirs and allow the Holy Ghost to testify to them through you and your testimony.  Develop this attribute by being obedient and humble.  Learn of Christ and become like Him.  You will find constant peace and you will fulfill your calling.  You will be a blessing in the lives of those you meet, teach and serve.  D&C 19:23: 
Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.

I am so proud of you Porter.  I hope you keep that letter that I wrote you, it has some good tips ;)  and like I also expressed in my letter, it kills me that I won't see you.  But you will soon find out how much of a blessing the mission is and you will see why I don't want to come home early.  I want to fulfill my duty to the Lord and I want you to do so as well.  It is such a blessing to serve Him and allow Him to teach and perfect us.  I can't wait to hear about your adventures and your special experiences.  Confide in the power of prayer.  Trust God.  Stay positive, dilligent, and obedient.  Be patient when you don't understand spanish, trust me, it will come.  I love you so much little bro.

ánimo!  te quiero mucho mi hermanito!

NEC

Hermana Yates