Our Light in the Wilderness

Familia,

 

Talk about a shock.  My heart aches for Bryce Astle's family.  I can't believe it.  He is so great.  Keep them in your prayers.

 

THE RUNDOWN:

-We got fleas this week.  Oh the joys of clean investigators..........

-We moved into a new house.  A HUGE ONE.  Like, 3 stories huge.  But now the plumbing is having problems and the toilet was having issues.. and we didn't have a plunger.  We tried to get creative with trash bags and duct tape to try to make our own plunger.. yeah let's just say that didn't work out too well.  I think we will be looking for a plunger today

-I never thought I'd be dying of cold in Guatemala

 

Another rollercoaster of a week.  I love being a missionary so much, but man, is it exhausting!

 

We are working a lot with our families with baptismal dates.  As usual, they are having a hard time.  Whenever people make efforts to follow Christ, Satan decides to work a lot harder on them.  It's kind of a buzz kill really.  We did have an interesting lesson with Luvia.  She is living with her boyfriend who treats her horribly.  She used to work in the strip club down the road and she has had a very rough life.  We taught the law of chastity to her, her boyfriend, and her son.  She cried as she told us how badly she wants to change.  With a broken heart she told us that if she had had someone telling her this when she was younger her life would have been very different.  She pleaded with her son to listen to us and live the law of chastity so that he could have a better life than she is living.  It was sad but special to help her know where to turn for forgiveness and hope.

 

Yesterday we were having a rough day.  People are going through hard times and sometimes it is overwhelming to have a whole new set of people in every house tell you about everything that is going wrong, their regrets, and their doubt.  When our investigators are having a hard time, it's hard not to blame myself.  Sometimes I feel like if I could just do a little more, their burdens would be lighter.  We weren't finding people, the familia Ibarra was doubting their decision to be baptized, Luvia wasn't there, and we were frustrated.  We decided to visit a couple who were baptized last year.  They weren't too happy either and were struggling with their own set of trials.  We sang a hymn and I felt a prompting to read Mosiah 24 with them.  We had another lesson planned but I felt like for some reason they needed to hear that instead.  I asked my comp if we could change the plan and defeatedly she said that she didn't care anymore.  So I rolled with it haha.  After we read it they started telling us about what had happened that morning.  They are a very young couple with little boys.  They hadn't received money in a while and weren't expecting a pay check for another week.  They had no food.  The young mother started crying talking about how she had started sobbing in the morning realizing that she had nothing to feed her children before church.  She prayed and felt peace.  When her kids asked "Mama, aren't we going to eat breakfast?" she sadly gave them a drink of water and they headed off to church.  She came home and found some old tortillas, oil and beans and they were able to eat lunch gratefully.  She and her husband were so grateful for the scripture passage we read with them and with tears in their eyes they knew it was an answer to their prayers.  That tomorrow is another day and they would get by.

 

Sometimes God doesn't take our problems away, but He will always guide us, lift us, and lighten our burdens so we can learn, progress, and remember Him.  He tells us not to worry, that He will provide a way.

 

"And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." 1 nephi 17:13.

 

Our wilderness could be many things.  A bad day, a broken heart, a loved one lost, lost hope.  Our promised land could be a better day, hope found, repentance, happiness, eternal life.  No matter what our wilderness is, no matter what our struggle is, Christ is our light in the wilderness.  He will lead us to our promised land as we trust in Him and rely on His love.  We will always know that He is the one leading us to something better and more beautiful.

 

NEC

Hermana Yates

Happy New Year

Familia,

THE RUNDOWN:

-I think you could all guess by now as to how Guatemalans celebrate new years.... BOMBS.  and tamales.  woooooooo!

-Is it ironic that I shared a million lessons on new years goals and how important they are.. and I hate making new years goals?

-My last haircut was a big fail, so hermana Allen and I cut my hair yesterday.  yikes................. rewind button anyone?

I think the Lord has decided to be extra loving this week (if that's even possible).  We were able to place 9 baptismal dates this week with people who are truly progressing and have such a strong desire to change their lives and accept Christ more fully.  We are so excited to help them learn more, strengthen their testimonies, and make this important decision in their lives!

On New Years day we had interviews with President and Hermana Curtiss and the assistents.  It was great and they  helped us all self-evaluate and make new plans in order to improve as a mission and as individual missionaries in our individual areas.  To truly have a personal conversion.  To truly be dedicated to the work and get rid of any distractions.  We have been fasting every week for the past 6 weeks in order to get rid of our distractions and it has helped so much.  Who knew fasting could be so awesome and bring us so much closer to our Father in Heaven?? I sure didn't before the mission.

So for those of you who don't know, the mission is a pure emotional rollercoaster.  I swear my emotions go up and down and up and down and up and down at least 27 times every day.  In every lesson, really.  Someone is ready to accept a fecha, then someone doubts the answers they have already received, then someone read in their Book of Mormon, then someone found out their husband cheated on them and has another child, then that husband brings the patoja to live in the house with his other child, then investigators go to church, then recent converts go out drinking with their friends, then Luvia is FINALLY there when we place an appointment to come back, then her boyfriend is abusive and won't leave.  HOLY SMOKES it is exhausting!   But really great at the same time!  Haha sometimes I feel a little like Heavenly Father must feel when he watches us progress and then make stupid mistakes.  Having this limited view on eternity is a little hard sometimes, isn't it?  I feel like we are always here cheering on our investigators, guiding them, giving them what they need to succeed, and then it is heart breaking when they fall short of their potential.  JUST TRUST US!  JUST TRUST IN YOUR SAVIOR!  TRUST IN REVELATION!  I feel like that must be what my Father in Heaven wants to tell me sometimes.  We can trust Him.  We can trust our Savior.  We can trust in revelation and gain our own witness of the truthfulness of this gospel and the reality of God's love.  I hope to be able to do that better this year, as well as hope our investigators do the same.

I love you all!

NEC

Hermana Yates

Adios 2014...??

Familia,

Okay time just needs to SLOW DOWN for a little bit!

THE RUNDOWN:

-Christmas was filled with fiestas, bolos, tamales, bolos, ponche, oh and did I mention bolos??  Hopefully everyone is sobered up next week so we can have normal lessons/contacts again

-I am pro at mini ping pong

This week was filled with amazing moments and heart breaks.  You'd think I'd be used to it by now huh?  Haha love the mission. :)  It was an interesting week because everyone is gone and busy for Christmas, but we still were able to get a few lessons in!  We contacted like crazy with El es la Dádiva tarjetas and it was a great way to start talking to people and enter in their houses!  ...until we contacted a Jehovas Witness hahaha.  That was interesting.  But for the record, she did like the video!

Martes: We started out the week caroling!  The whole ward was invited to help us sing but only the bishop and 5 young men showed up... but it was still great!!!!  We caroled for our investigators and less actives and they were so happy!

Miercoles: Family time :) It was so great to talk to you all even though I couldn't hear 70% of what you said!  Haha Hermana Allen and I were talking after and realized that we look forward to the call for a long time, talk for 40 minutes, and realize that we didn't talk about much at all.  Haha but it's still great!  You are all amazing and sound old.

Sophie, i still haven't gotten any pics.............

We spent the day running between citas and dinner appointments with members! Literally running up and down hills all day long haha it was crazy.  TOO MUCH FOOD.

Jueves:  We spent the morning in the hospital with a sister that was sick.  Merry Christmas!  We then had a party / gift exchange with the office elders because we are always there doing nurse stuff.  I then won the mini ping pong tournament. We spent the rest of the night running between houses again. TOO MANY TAMALES. TOO MANY BOMBS.

Viernes: Christmas stopped all at once. Haha it's like you couldn't even tell it happened!  (well except for a lot more drunk guys passed out on the sidewalks than usual)

Sabado: Milagro! We are teaching a guy named Victor and he is an alcoholic. We're not sure if he's a member of the church or not because he just is really confusing, especially when he's drunk, but either way we are teaching him haha. A few days earlier we were with him and he was a liiiiiiiittle drunk... We gave him a book of mormon with alma 36 to read, and told him we would only come back saturday if he wasn't drunk and he promised he would clean up, put clean clothes on, do his hair, and be sober.  When we went on Saturday he was waiting for us outside and i could have sworn it was a different person! He was sober and looked very nice, unlike two days before. He sits down and tells us all about how much he loved the chapter, and started asking us questions that he had written down about it!  THAT NEVER HAPPENS. We were so so happy!  We explained who Helaman is, Alma, Mosiah, why the angel came, and that he can have that same conversion and change in his life and habits.  Christmas miracle folks.

Well time's up but I love you all.  Make some sweet goals and i'll talk to you next year.

NEC

h.llates

Feliz Navidad

Familia,

Wait, is it that time of year already?

Merry Christmas!! 

 

THE RUNDOWN:

-It's hot, sunny, and.. doesn't feel like Christmas here haha

-I gave a homeless man a birthday hug a few days ago...... it was involuntary but very funny and a long story

-I have the He is the Gift video memorized

-Somehow the ceiling was leaking water all night long even though it didn't rain.... I woke up a little wet and confused.

-I got to watch Frozen at the Christmas Zone Conference!!!

-Soph, we're teaching a 15 year old kid and he is THE BEST. and super cute... just sayin ;)

 

Another week of working, walking, knocking, and preaching.  It is nice not having to worry about a lot of the Christmas nonsense that goes on at this time of year!  All I'm worried about is helping our investigators live the law of chastity, stop using cocaine, stop beating their kids, and pray to the right Person in the Godhead.  IT'S AWESOME!!  I think it will be a rough week for working but at least everyone will be with their families, so that's good right?

 

On Thursday we had our Christmas Zone Conference even though the only part that had anything to do with Christmas was our musical number!  We sang a mix of Noche de Luz and Stars were Gleaming and it was so pretty!  I sang with Hermanas Gomez, Allen, and Faught, and some elders.  In the conference we talked a lot about the importance of the Book of Mormon.  President had us put our heads down, close our eyes, and asked us questions.  If the answer was yes, we put up a finger.

-I have read the Book of Mormon all the way through

-I read the Book of Mormon every day

-I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon

-I have an unshakable testimony of the Book of Mormon down to the bottom of my heart  (somethin like that, it's different in spanish..)

 

He was surprised to see how few fingers went up.  It was a really good moment to reflect about how deep our conviction is of the Book of Mormon.  I invite you all to ask yourselves that same set of questions and if you don't have 4 fingers up, to change something, whether it is a habit, priority, timeline, or desire in order to improve.  I know this book is true.  I know it has power unto conviction and salvation if we read it, ponder it, pray about it, seek personal revelation in it, and apply its teachings in our daily lives.  After all, by simple things are great things brought to pass, right?  Read it and love it :)

 

Last night was amazing!  There was a Christmas devotional in the Stake Center and everyone was there!!  From Chamelco, Coban, San Cristobal, and Canton.  It was amazing to see everyone.  I love them so so much.  One of the best moments was seeing Ana, our investigator we found right before I had emergency changes from coban to san cris.  She was baptized 3 weeks after I left and she was a changed person.  She was glowing with the Spirit.  She was so beautiful and she told me how happy she is.  She said how grateful she is to me for being the first to find her.  She said, "You planted the seed, and now look.  I am so happy.  I love being a member of the church of Jesus Christ.  I am forever grateful to you.  May God bless you forever."  I just was so grateful for missionary work.  I am just 20 year old Morgan from Utah, but the Lord knows how to use His servants in order to bless those searching for the truth.  I didn't do anything but walk, follow the Spirit, knock, and teach what I had dilligently studied, as did my companions.  God knows exactly what He is doing and it is amazing to be a part of His great, incomprehensible plan.  I am so grateful that Christ is the center of that plan, and for this time of year we have to remember Him and celebrate Him.

 

He is the Gift.  Discover the gift, accept it, share it.

Merry Christmas family :)  Talk to you later this week

 

No Empty Chairs

Hermana Yates

Oh how things have changed

Friends and Family,

Morgan's wonderful teacher from the Guatemala MTC (CCM), Hermana Andrea Alverado, is moving to Utah to go to school.  We have the privilege of having Andrea, her parents, and her younger sister, staying with us this coming week.  They are beautiful, gracious, kind, and grateful people.  We are enjoying having them with us and Isaac is really enjoying having the Spanish language fill our home:)  Having them here is helping us feel a little closer to Morgan during this Christmas Season.  Andrea's younger sister, Mariann, translated what Morgan said in Spanish for me:)

Thank you for all of your love and support and for your many prayers.  In a separate email, Morgan told us that she is feeling good and we are so grateful for that. However, after reading about her drinking water in this email, I'm wondering if it will last...

Love,

Shannon

Familia,

 

Ahhh estoy tan emocionada para navidad! (I'm so excited for Christmas!)

 

THE RUNDOWN:

-HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARRETT!!!!!!  I love you so much!

-Shoutout to la Familia Alvarado!  Que emocionante!! Espero que estan muy felices y estan disfrutando el frio de Utah!  Hermana Alvarado la extraño demasiado!  La quiero mucho!  Gracias por todo lo que me enseñó y todavía me esta enseñando! Feliz Navidad! (So exciting!! I hope that you are happy and that you are enjoying the cold of Utah! Hermana Alvarado I miss you so much!  I love you! Thanks for all that you taught me and for all that you teach me now!  Merry Christmas!)

-We almost got in a sticky situation with our investigators and the cops last night, but we're white :)  So we went and talked to the cops and then contacted them before they left all giddy haha it was great.

-I never thought the day would come... but I have started drinking the water from the pila.  Gross huh?  We haven't had purified water for a week so I had no other choice.  Don't worry, I'm using my water filter though!

-I am singing for the Christmas Conference this Thursday, but this time it's not a solo, thank goodness!

-The sister next to me has been singing "Feliz Navidad" for the past hour.  I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit now...........

 

Well it was a good week!  I am still getting to know the area but I am happy! We have some amazing investigators, new and old.  They are SO CLOSE to baptism and we are so excited to be helping them!  We have high hopes for this change.  I am getting along perfectly with Hermana Allen!  Actually, she is an amazing missionary and I know I am going to learn a lot from her this change.  She has a strong testimony and loves the mission.  She will be sad to go home next change.

 

This last saturday we had a Christmas activity at the church and it was awesome!  We spent the week showing the Dadiva video to everyone and inviting them to the activity... and the turn out was AMAZING.  We had 17 investigators at the activity!!!!  That never happens.  At least not to me or Hermana Allen.  They all loved it and felt very welcome and happy!  There was a good spirit present during the messages and pura fiesta despise!! (and then was a party)  Haha there was a dj and the crazy bishop lit huge fireworks!  It was a great night and really helped our investigators feel more comfortable at church and have desires to learn more.

 

I have been thinking a lot lately about my mission, why I am here, and how I have had to change in order to prepare, to start, and to stay.  This Thursday a year ago I received my mission call.  The moment I read Guatemala Coban my world changed entirely.  I had never planned on serving a mission, and now I was destined to die in the jungle, or so I thought ;) 

A year ago I was comfortable and oblivious to what the mission really is.  Now I'm in it and I am grateful for experiences that put me out of my comfort zone, because that is when I grow and learn.

A year ago I was scared of the temple.  Now it seems absurd because I love that place and miss it way too much.

A year ago I didn't give scripture study priority.  I now cherish it.

A year ago I walked by faith and not by sight in following promptings to come on a mission.  Now I know why.

 

I miss ya fam, but I'm glad I'm here.  And I'll get to talk to you in a week anyways :)  cuidense mucho y hasta luego :)

 

NEC

Hermana Llates

Changes Again

Familia,

 

So as Isaac once told me, change is good when you do it right.  I hope I can put that into practice this next week.  Changes came...

 

THE RUNDOWN:

-We hiked a mountain today to an old abandoned church.  Cool pictures to come!  It was a good last p-day in San Cristobal

-There was another earthquake the other night.. didn't feel a thing.  But I did feel the one in the afternoon!  It was sweet.

-Yesterday was the Day of the Devil and everyone cleaned out their houses of old papers to "clean out the devil" and made bonfires outside in the streets and burned piñata devils!  It was sweet and the air was almost unbreathable from all the fires

-Tonight should be super cool too, everyone goes to the center, soaks balls made of cloth in gasoline, lights them and plays soccer with them!  It is perfectly legal to burn whoever and whatever you want, so I was told to walk around with wet clothes.... hope no one has any grudges against us tonight!  Haha oh wait, practically all of San Cris does..

-We opened our stockings!  Thank you mama they were so fun!  Now the question is how to take it all with me in changes..

-The girl on the computer next to me is watching Chucky and it is very distracting......

 

So yeah I was convinced I would be staying in my area this change because I have only been here one change, but we got the phone call from Elder Fisher and he was dying.  " You are NEVER going to believe the changes!"  Hermana Weicks is headed to Baja Verapaz and I am going back to Coban.. With Hermana Allen.  The nurse.  ............................

ok.

wait what?

I think they are trying to tell me something.

 

I will be her last comp in the mission field. Wish me luck folks!

 

Chula, h weicks, and the elders threw a surprise party for me for my 9 month mark!  It was so awesome and made my day!  They sang, we ate, I got baloons taped to me, and baby powder showered.  Chula knows how to throw a party haha :)  I'm sad I won't be here with her for Christmas!

 

We had some crazy lessons this week.  Some good and some interesting.  We showed a video of the Restoration to Asusena and her sister in law Gloria and Gloria got pretty upset and wanted to read every verse in the Bible that talks about the Book of Mormon.   It was interesting though, because Asusena started crying in the lesson from feeling the spirit.  It's funny how we can all be in the same room but feel such different emotions.  If we are open hearted and willing to feel and listen to the spirit, things can be so different.  We have to be willing to humble ourselves and let Him in.

We had an amazing lesson with Vilma, our recent convert, and her parents who aren't members.  She had been reading in 3 nefi 11 so we watched the Testaments.  They watched it with us and the spirit was so strong.  Hermana Weicks and I testified of the Book of Mormon after it ended and it was so special and impossible to hold back the tears.  They are usually very cold and opinionated, but something changed yesterday.  They recognized that the spirit was testifying to them that the message that we share is true.  We gave her dad a Book of Mormon and he started reading it before we left the house!  I hope things progress with them!  We left the house and just looked at each other and said, Wow.  That is how every lesson should be.  It was very refreshing after a change with not so many lessons.

 

Well I don't have much time but I invite you all to pay close attention to the Spirit in your life.  How He guides you and prompts you.  For me it is in a very subtle way, but I am ever grateful for His help.

I love you all!

Go watch the "He is the Gift" video on mormon.org

 

NEC

Morgan

hello december

Familia,

hello december and hello halfway :)  9 months this week and it's all going way too fast.

THE RUNDOWN:

-I keep waiting for it to snow and then I remember things are a little different here..

-the dueña of the casa, we call her chula (we basically share the house with her), had her birthday yesterday.  So her crazy sister came too.  Let's just say she really wanted the canchita to share her tequila with her.  Don't worry, I didn't have any.  But it was sure a party. hahaha

This was an interesting week haha.  Last monday hermana weicks was having a weird reaction to a bug bite or something and her whole leg was very swollen.  She couldn't walk and it kept getting worse, so we ended up staying in the house for most of the week.  Talk about a long week!!  Haha I took advantage of the time and dove into the Book of Mormon again.  I love that book!  I am learning so much and I have to refrain myself from marking every verse.  Did you know it talks about Christopher Colombus or whatever his name is??  And ***SPOILER ALERT*** Nefi totally says what is going to happen in the whole book of mormon in chapter 12.  I had no idea.

Hermana Weicks told me she wants to go home.  We had a good talk and shed some tears.  I did all I could to help her and we got through the day.  I think she is doing better now, but it is hard when nothing is happening in the work.  She doesn't love it yet.  I hope to be a better example for her and help her love it more.  I think we will only have 1 more week together.

I am learning a lot about my shortcomings.  haha sometimes it's rough, but I think it's a sign that I need to make some changes.  I am at the point where I can talk to the people even though sometimes I still sound stupid.  So I don't have excuses there.  I have been thinking about the effort I have given, and what the Lord expects.  I definitely need to change some things that I thought I was doing well in order to meet His expectations.  We all do, really.  None of us are perfect.  We fall far short from perfect every day.  Some of us notice the gap that we need to fill and try to fill it.  Others notice it but don't do anything to change and to be better.  Others of us can't even see that we need to make an effort to please God and truly be His sons and daughters.  I have thought for some time that I was in that first group, but the more I learn, the bigger the gap seems.  I have a big gap to fill.  But I know I can fill it with the Lord's atonement building, lifting, refining, strengthening, and carrying me.  I am so grateful for Him and for my Father in Heaven who allowed Christ to atone for my sins and shortcomings.

Pray for Mario and his family please.  We hope to have his family baptized this saturday.

I love you all!

No Empty Chairs

Morgan

  **whoa almost forgot my name there