2 Months!

Can you believe that I have already been out for two months! I cannot! Time has really just flown by so quickly! ugh.. Where did it go?

I will admit thought that this week was rough. I struggled with Spanish and was so afraid and timid to talk. Which was frustrating. But I know that those feelings were from Satan and so this week I am determined to speak 10 times more. Putting my faith and trust in the Lord and knowing that He will help me!

Emmanuel

Saturday I had my very first baptism of my mission! Which really helped to brighten my week! Emmanuel is his name and he is 10 years old. But has such a strong testimony of the gospel and is so quick to accept our teachings and keep the commandments of God. Seriously though I wish you guys could meet this kid, he is amazing! If you could have heard his answers to the baptismal questions, he was quoting scriptures and I was blown away. He talked about God being the same yesterday, today, and forever. So why not have prophets on the earth today! OH my... his spirit is just so strong. And when he received the Holy Ghost he was just grinning from ear to ear. Anyone who says something or does something that we as members do not do, he straight up tells them oh I cant do that because I am Mormon. Even before he was baptized! He loves this church and tells everyone that he is a member. I have learned so much from him.

As you can see from some of the pictures I sent, we also had some challenges getting ready for his baptism on Saturday. And I know that that was because of Satan. He was trying really hard to stop this baptism from happening. But we persevered! We got to the church and there was no water! Anywhere, the bathrooms too! But we called a water company and they brought water in one of those huge tanks, so then we filled the font through a window. And then the water was freezing, and then the spouts or whatever in the font once it was all full. Spit out some nasty things. So the water was dirty. But Emmanuel didn’t care! I know that he is going to be a great member of this church and one day a great missionary! He already refers to himself sometimes as elder Aguilar and wont tell people his first name because missionaries don’t do that. Hahaha seriously he is so amazing!

Exchanges

I went on exchanges this week with the sister leaders. So my companion for the day was Hermana Estrada. Funny because I had an instructor in the CCM who was Hermana Estrada as well. And they know each other! Hahaha. But my area for the day was Momostenango. And it is really pretty as well but I love San Cristobal so I missed being there! Also the fact that I had to sleep in somebodyels bed and that they were sleeping in mine was really freeaking me out. And so I didn’t really sleep well that day. But I did learn a lot from Hermana Estrada. She is amazing and I can see why she is a leader. 

Dreams

Hermana Peña told me this week that I also talk in my sleep sometimes, and 90 percent of the time it is in Spanish! Which made me really happy! Although I was frustrated this week with Spanish it is coming slowly but surely.

New place of the week

I have already told you of all the place people think that I am from which is always funny to hear. And this week I had someone ask me if I was from France. Which was new and something that I have never gotten before but was funny to hear.

Investigator Update

We also found a new family this week that is always willing to hear and to listen to our message and they accepted a baptismal date for the end of this month if they find out for themselves that this gospel is true. Which I know they will if they ask and pray with real intent.

Although I thought that we were going to have 7 baptisms this week we only had one. But the good news is that they are still interested in learning more. They just each have their own challenges. So please pray for the following

Guisella and Brizna, they are the mom and sister of Emmanuel. But they are scared to get baptized because their dad or grandpa is a pastor in a different church and they are afraid that if they get baptized the dad/grandpa will run them out of the house. Because they live with him. So please pray for them to put their faith in the Lord and trust that through him all things are possible!

Sandra, Fernanda, and Sebastian. Pray that their parents will give them permission to be baptized and also have a desire to learn more about the church.

Oscar Garcia. Just that him and his family will continue to come to church, they are less active, and that he will have a desire to learn more about the church and be baptized. He just turned eight so we are working with him and well as his parents so that his dad can baptize him.

Service

We did a service project this week and so we had to wake up at 5, which was just so early I almost cried hahaha but not really. But I spent an hour of my life painting the trunks of trees white. Why you may ask? I have no idea. Because to me trees are perfectly beautiful the way they are. But apparently they do that here in Central America. Someone asked me during the project if we do that in Oregon... umm no not really. Plus there are to many trees to even begin doing that. 

P-day Hike

Also for Pday today we went to a lagoon and hike to a waterfall. Although their was no trail to the waterfall. SO we literally climbed up a side of a mountain. And then eventually found a trail. But that was definitely an adventure!

Love you guys all so much and think and pray for you always! It is such a blessing to be a missionary and representative of my savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ

Le amo mucho!

Hermana Loo

This is what happens when the church decides to have no water on the day of a baptism.

You call a water company and they bring you water and through the window you fill up the font ahha 

Baptism on Saturday!

This is emmanuel he is 10 yrs old and already has such a strong testimony of the church!

He is amazing and tells everyone he talks to that he is Mormon 

Elder peña he baptized emmanuel

Guatemala

The Hermanas in my zone today during Pday.

We went to a lagoon and then hiked to a waterfall

Hermana Palomion, yo, Hermana Peña, and Hermana Marcheschi

Photo from the top of the waterfall!

Badges of all the elders and hermanas in my zone

Guats Up!  Waterfall

The hike to the waterfall...