because i'm happyyyyyy

Familia,

So you are going to hate me again but I don't have much time.

Turns out.... I'm allergic to ibuprofen!  That wasn't a fun thing to figure out.  Hermana Bueso and I are pretty wiped out honestly but we are on the mend.  After spending the day in the Bakes house (the senior missonary couple), listening to the Les Miserables sound track with Hermana Bake, and a few thousand pills later I am feeling much better.

A quote that a good friend of mine shared with me a few years ago has really helped me in my mission, especially this past week when things got a little weird.  "Your day is going to go the way of the corners of your mouth.  So Smile!"  I love that.  I love positivity and optimism.  I think it is a Christlike attribute.  Can you imagine the Savior of the world walking around with His head down, complaining all day about little things that don't really matter?  Haha I sure can't.  So BE HAPPY.  We are here to have JOY and to help others be JOYFUL too.

Marvin and his family will be waiting another week or two to be baptized because President Curtiss has to do their baptismal interviews.. TO BE CONTINUED...

Hey porter, send me a copy of your farewell talk!  SO PROUD OF YOU!!!  LOVE YOU!!!!

IM SORRY I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M YELLING MY WHOLE LETTER TODAY.

Love you all.

NEC

Hermana Yates

watch out for those lizards...

Familia,

THE RUNDOWN:

-so this morning a lizard attacked me right after I woke up

-the other day I was just minding my own business using the restroom and a lizard pooped on me from the ceiling.  nice

-i accidentally stepped on a lizard and killed it.. or so i thought.  It resurrected.

-I WILL NOT MISS THESE LIZARDS.

-I have h pylori or whatever that is.  looks like I'll be spending a bit of pisto on meds today wooooo

-these days the roads are steaming because it rains and doesn't cool off

-hna blanca (the lady that feeds us) says hi

-I had to give the closing prayer in sacrament meeting yesterday.  I was already naseous from my illness and put nerves on top of that I thought I was going to pass out on the way up or something.  But hey everything went great

So sorry I didn't write last week..... I had enough time to read everyone's letters and I was writing mine when the power went out in internet.. again.  But I'm alive!  No worries shannie!  Sounds like you all had a good time at the family parties!

This last week we had interviews with President and Hermana Curtiss and the Assistants.  It was so great to see them!  I was so used to seeing them all the time in Coban so it was a real treat to have them here in Peten for a few days.  President was also able to interview some of our investigators who will be baptized next week because there are some kind of sketchy situations so it was perfect timing.

Marvin, Sheralin, Conner, and Ismenia will be getting baptized next week!  They are a super awesome family and we are excited for them.  Marvin has a hard time concentrating and usually the lessons are 90% story time 10% teaching.... but hey things are coming along slowly but surely.  Haha he has had a crazy life but is super awesome because he is raising his 3 kids alone.  Guys don't do that here in Guatemala.  President was impressed and was already ready to sign his baptismal papers!

Lately I have been reading the first and second books of Nephi and PUCHICA Nephi is my freaking favorite.  I have read those books no se cuantas veces (I don’t know how many times) but this time has been really special for me.  He is an amazing example of obedience, charity, knowledge, service, forgiveness, and has a beautiful, unshaking testimony of Christ.  I love the Book of Mormon and I know it is true scripture.

Les amo mucho.  Ya se que estoy en mi ultimo cambio pero no lo quiero acceptar.  entonces gracias por no recordarme tanto.  Son los mejores.  Yo amo estar aqui, yo amo a estos chapines, y yo se que estas ultimas semanas van a ser muy especiales.  hasta la otra semana!  cuidense mucho!!!

I love you very much.  I already know this is my last change but I don’t want to accept it.  Therefore, thanks for not reminding me so much.  You guys are the best.  I love being here, I love these people, and I know that these last weeks are going to be very special.  Until next week.  Take care of yourself!

NEC

Hermana Yates

I'M OKAY MOM

Familia,
So i am just sending a quick note from hermana Curtiss' phone to say hello and sorry for not writing yesterday! The power went out in internet so after reading your letters i wasnt able to send a letter home. We just had interviews and they were wonderful!  We also had a great week and we have several people preparing for baptism-familia Villanueva, eraldo, and Francisca.  Please keep them in your prayers!  I am so happy and i write more next week! Love you all!

No empty chairs
Hermana yates

No email:(

We did not receive an email from Morgan today, but she did send this picture! She must be alive and well. Perhaps she forgot to push the send button:)

oh say can you seeeeeee

Familia,

I swear I just wrote you guys yesterday...

Today we played volleyball and had a water fight

So I am not sure why everyone keeps telling me that I'm going home.. they must be confusing me with someone else.

Haha so this week the elders had a baptism in the church so they went to fill up the font.. and left for a while.  It overflowed and the whole church flooded!!  We ran to the church to help while everyone was in the baptism.  3 hours later, a few blisters, and covered in sweat, my comp, a member, and I finished mopping everything up.  Happy fourth of July!!!

There is a less active member in our area who was baptized a year ago.  He is 20 and is going through some rough times. I think I told you a little about him two weeks ago?  But we went to visit him and he reminded me so much of when we were helping Gustavo come back to church after his baptism.  He is very humbled and wants to change but doesn't know how.  We had an awesome lesson with him and he is making big improvements!  He even came to church yesterday!!  He was so nervous to go back to church but the members welcomed him with open arms and were so awesome.  I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the hope that He continually offers us.

I have seen so many blessings from fasting here in my mission.  This weekend we were fasting and things just started changing left and right!  We went to visit a family that we have been teaching for a while.  The dad sells alcoholic drinks from mexico-tepache, and he hasn't been willing to stop selling that and go to church.  He has been sending two of his kids to church for about 2 months.  He used to go to church when he was little and likes general conference, but just hasn't been ready to change some habits.  When we went to visit them he said that he is starting a new business and will start selling tacos and other food, he and his whole family would go to church the next day, and they are all getting baptized.  Hahaha moments like that make missionaries stop and think, "Am I dreaming?"  The next day they walked in to church together!  And his neighbor and their family showed up too!  And his neighbor leaned over to me in sacrament meeting and asked me when the next baptismal service is because he and his family are getting baptized too.  Hahaha legit it's crazy.  They also announced it in the gospel principles class that we were teaching.  So fasting brings miracles people.  Pray for marvin, sheralin, conner, ismenia, geraldo, and sylvia.

NEC

Hermana Yates

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