Puchica

Bombas!

Okay so like everyday on the Spanish Calendar is some sort of holiday to celebrate some saint. And this week was no exception.

I think for like three days during this week from 4:30 to like 7 in the morning they launch off what sounds like cannonballs every half hour. Really just makes it really hard to sleep! With them launching off what sounds like bombs in the morning. And once they launch off one after awhile I start to fall back asleep and at that exact moment they launch off another one! 

I have a really hard time sleeping and doesn't help much at when i am exhausted! But the Lord always gives me the strength and energy I need to somehow make it through the day!

Pizza! Pizza!

So we had a meeting and interviews with President Smith this week and had a lunch with him, and of course we had pizza!

Anyways, while we were sitting there eating Heramana Canales shares with some of the Hermanas that when we go to eat Pizza that i can eat and entire one by myself hahaha. And seriously none of the Hermana believed me! Asking me where i put it all hahaha! Woohooo! Guess that i am actually getting skinny!

Focused on others

During our weekly planning session, as usual, we start off with a prayer. Where we pray for each of our investigators, less actives, and recent converts specifically and by name. 

I don't know why this time was different, but for whatever reason as I gave the prayer to start i planning i felt the spirit so strongly! I was just overcome with some much love for each of these people that we are teaching and realized how much i just want and hope that they will accept this gospel, continue faithful and receive the gift of eternal life!

I have come to realize that when I am focused on others needs before my own there comes a spirit of love into my heart that I have never experience before! That when we truly are in the service of others we are serving the Lord. And i think for this reason we always have such a greater capacity to love all those around us!

Who are you?

So like I said before we had a zone meeting and interviews with President Smith this week. During our zone meeting he wrote on the whiteboard the question

"Who are you?"

As i sat there looking at the board and thinking about the question i realized that there are a ton of different ways that i could answer this question... who am i? I am Hermana Loo, I am from Oregon, I am dedicated, Disciplined, obedient. But then i could also answer I am a daughter of God, I am a missionary, I am an instrument in the hands on the Lord. There are so many ways to answer this question. How would you answer it?

After some thinking and sharing President Smith then had us turn to a scripture that can be found in 3 Nephi 5:13,

"13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

So who am I? Well I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! 

I hope that we can all take this scripture and apply it into our lives! That we can remember that whether we are full time missionaries or not we are all disciples of Christ, the Son of God! That we all have been called and commanded to declare His word so that all may have eternal life! This gospel is a grand blessing in all of our lives! I would even go as far as to say that everything that I have ever been blessed with comes because I have the gospel in my life. Which makes it all the more important to share this knowledge with everyone! So that "they might have everlasting life"

I love you all so much! I couldn't be more thankful to have such a great and strong support group and family! You never cease to amaze me!

Les Quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

Mayco! and his siblings, Maria and Luis!

Starting from scratch...

So after this past week we definately have a lot of work to do this week. Combined with this week that i had and the week before i think that Hermana Canales and I have dropped like 7 investigators. Who quite simply were just not progressing our keeping with their commitments or promises. (compromisios in English? I cant remember how you say that jajaja)

I always hate dropping people, just because i so badly want them to accept the gospel and message of the restoration. But maybe it is just not their time, and i dont and cant waste my time on people that really arent progressing when there are other people here in San Cris who are prepared and waiting to receive the gospel!

Guisela Sapon

Monday night we had a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) with Guisela and her family. We did a scripture chase game with all of the scriptures references talking about the importance of the scriptures. It was a lot of fun but we were also able to learn a lot and help them understand more clearly why they need to study and read from the Book of Mormon DAILY!

After we had finished with the scripture chase i felt inspired to ask them the baptismal interview questions. And i relly wanted to do it so that we could see what was Guisela challenge and why she wasnt committing to getting baptized. What was her doubt? But to my shock and great suprise she could answer ¨yes¨ to every single one of the questions! 

But after all was said and done she said that she still couldnt be baptized! That it was still out of fear of her dad, that she still has to attend church with him, and that if she does so he wont say anything about Adonai, Brizna, and Emmanuel going to church with us. Which is just really sad, to see what a stumbling block one person can be in the progression of another. Guisela even went as far to say that if her dad wasnt in the picture or the problem, that she knows that both her and her mom would be baptized! UGH!

Mission Goal

So in 2014 the Quetzaltenango mission had 800 baptisms.. the sad thing is that only 110 of these 800 are active! Wow! Every ward or branch here has so many less actives its crazy! This is something that I have really come to realize and decided is so important! In helping to rescue these less actives and bring them back to the church! In my rama here in San Cris there are maybe like 300 to 350 members, but every Sunday there is only like 60 people in the Sacrement meetin!

As a mission this year for 2015 we have the goal to have 2000 baptisms! Yeah! Thats a lot of people! But President Smith has the plan for every single one of the us to visit the members in the ward, ask them to make a list of all the families they know that arent members, and then pray to know which of these families they can share the gospel with!

Charesmatic?

So while contacting this week Hermana Canales and I knocked on a door. And the lady that came to answer told us that she wanted nothing to do with us because she is ¨Charesmatica¨. Which sounds like the word Charesmatic in english.. so i was super confused. Like isnt charesmatic a characteristic? hahahaha

anyway we later found out that ¨Charesmatica¨ means Catholic but they dont believe in the images and all of that stuff. Made a whole lot more sense afterwards jajajaja

Super Noche de Hermanamiento!

Friday night we had an activity that we had planned with our ward mission leader and all of the elders in the branch. We had planned to have a game night, but all of the games we played had a purpose and a lesson behind them all.

It was a lot of fun! But a little bit of a disappointment because we had invited a ton of members to come and a ton of them said that they could and would. But in the end, there was maybe like 2 or 3 member families. And not one of the members of the branch presidency came, which was a big disappointment and let down! Cant really expect this branch to grow into a ward if we dont have a lot of support from the members!

But all in all it was a lot of fun! The game that Hermana Canales and I planned was a relay race. But those who participated each were given a certain animal that they had to run or walk as. It was really funny!

Maria Jose

This is the mom of Mayco, who i wrote a little bit about in my last blog. Anyway, yesterday we had a lesson with her our zone leaders. Where we taught the restoration and at the end of the lesson we challenged her to be baptized and to pray to know if the things which we taught here are true. But to the challenge to be baptized and to pray all she kept saying was no...no...no!

Ugh! So frustrating! We then proceeded to ask her if she would be baptized if Christ were in the room and told her that she needed to be baptized in this church, if she would be baptized then? To which she still replied no!

EN SERIO! I just couldnt believe that!

So please pray for her, that her heart will be softened and she will accept the message of the gospel!

This week was a little slow and challenging, with so many of the people that we had been visiting just not progressing. But i have a lot of faith that this week will be better! And we have a lot of work to do! Which is totally fine with me!

I am so thankful for the gospel in my life, it is such a blessing!

A quote that i read this week that i really liked, and i cant remember if i shared it already with you guys...

¨our past does not determine our eternal progression¨

Love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Loo!

Getting my hair cut in a Guatemalan hair salon jajajaja ...

7 months! Time flies!

So i cannot believe that i have completed 7 months here on the mision! and that i only have one area and two companions jajajaja! Also really.... Ohi only has one transfer left! Time really flies! 

Guatemalteca Abuela

So the abuela of the Sapon family is seriously just the cutest thing! We were visiting with the Sapon family on Thursday and she comes in to visit with us as well. And begins to tell me that she is always worried about me and my safety. Especially during the days when there were diablos out on the street! She is so sweet, and also said that she was really worried when i was sick and throwing up! That she was praying for me to get better! 

Also she told us that she loves having us in her home because she always feels strengthened. She then proceeded to tell us that we reflect and represent Christ really well. Which I thought was a really nice compliment! And made me feel good and like I was doing what i was called to do. She is so nice and always wants to feed us and give us something to eat and drink because she feels like we are a part of her family! 

Noche de Hogar

So we had a Noche de Hogar or family home evening with both the Sapon family and Juarez mejia families, which was really nice and fun. We wanted to have an activity before they started school again this week. We had a lesson the keeping the sabbath day holy. And it was really effective because they all came to church on Sunday! Without us having to call them to wake them up or remind them!

But seriously the Juarez Mejia family are just plain awesome! I mean they are only 11, 12, and 14 years old and there parents aren't members. But they still get up all by themselves for church, are ready with there church clothes on by the time we got by to pick them up and come to all of the activities as well without being reminded! They are such a great example to me! So young but still know exactly where they want to be and have such strong testimonies of the church and absolutely love reading the Book of Mormon!

Now the Sapon family is really struggling as lately they have had a ton of problems with their family. So please keep them in your prayers. I cant even imagine how hard it is for them, being threatened by their family and those who you would think would love them the most no matter the choices or decisions that they make... pray for them!

Mayco and his family 

So Mayco is a recent convert, who is 9 years old and is disabled. He is in a wheelchair as he cant control his limbs so he cant walk. He is the only member in his entire family so Hermana Canales and I have started to teach them.

His mom is an alcoholic and it is really sad to see. Saturday we went to visit them and found Mayco all alone in his home... His mom had apparently left to the bar to go and drink and after 2 months sober! It was so sad! That she is such an alcoholic that she really cannot control it at all! Leaving her disabled son with her young kids, the oldest being 12 and the others only 7 and 4!

So please pray for his mom, Maria Jose, that she can stop drinking. But more specifically have the faith that through Christ she can stop drinking and be forgiven! 

Every week we seem to get new investigators, but after two or three visits with them they either aren't keeping their commitments, not coming to church, or really just don't have the desire to change. But i am really working on building my faith in the fact that the Lord is preparing people here to receive the gospel, and that there are people here in San Cris! I seem to be learning a lot about patience over these last couple of weeks! Guess the Lord knows that it is something that i really need to acquire!

Funny story though, while we were out contacting on Sunday afternoon and the first door we knock on this old man comes to the door. And begins to yell at us and tell us that we are just spreading lies, and begins to curse at us in Spanish (lucky for me i have no idea what the curse words are in Spanish) and then slams the door in our face! oh the joy of the mission! I just had to laugh at how angry he was at us for just trying to talk and get to know him. Oh well, when the Lord closes a door, he opens up 10 more!

Have a great week! it is always such a blessing to be able to talk to you all! and to be able to share my experiences out here on the mission! There is nothing that can really ever compare to being on a mission, I don't even know if i can explain how awesome it is! Although tough and challenging I have learnt so much about myself and have grown so much closer to my Heavenly Father!

Have a great week! Love you all so much!

Hermana Loo

Guatemala

This is a photo of my zone when we had the mission conference with Elder Duncan.

He is the is the area President here for Central America!

Obedience brings blessings...but obedience with exactness brings miracles!

Happy New Year! Hope that this year is the best one ever! and I hope that this year we are all able to strengthen our testimonies and come to realize what really matters in this world!

New Year´s Eve

Okay so just like Christmas here in Guatemala, New Year´s eve and day is pretty similar as well! As soon as it hits midnight on New Year´s eve a ton of fireworks start to be shot off! In fact in comparison to Christmas, there are 10 times more fireworks on New Year´s Eve. If Christmas was a war zone, then New Years eve is like another world war.. supposedly.

The funny thing is that New Years eve at midnight i didnt hear a thing! And if you know me at all you know that i am a VERY light sleeper. So the fact that i didnt hear a thing just goes to show how exhausted i am! Walking everywhere in the sun really just makes me sleep like a baby! 

Rice

The people here think that it is so weird that i like to eat white rice plain... without any salt or anything! ... What can i say... its an asian thing i guess jajaja

Dont know why i thought to share this but i think that it is funny. 

Divisions

So we had divisions this week with the Hermana Leaders, and i went to Momos with Hna. Busk, who is from Utah. Anyways whenever i have divisions with her we always talk a ton in English! Which is really fun for me and really different since all of the companions i have had speak Spanish!

But a cool thing about Momos is that apparently the people in Momos have the purest Lamanite blood! Something that i thought was really cool to hear and think about as i was walking in the streets in Momos! But then again this fact came from an Elder, so who knows if it is actually true jajaja

Polynesians

So all of the Polynesians that are in this mission are in my zone. And Thursday morning Hermana Peña sent me a message asking me the names of the Polynesian elders. I was really confused and sent her the names of the Elders asking her why she wanted to know... to which she replied that she had heard something weird about me and one of them!

I was seriously so shocked and just wanted to know what she heard! Well.. apparently she heard a rumor that me and one of them are going to get married after the misison! jajaja oh brother! Yeah! Not going to happen jajaja

Juanito, ward mission leader

So Junito is our ward mission leader and is seriously just amazing! I am so grateful to have him here and for all of his help in this work!

He went on visits with us Wednesday to visit a recent convert who is also less active. And after he left he ended up giving us a ton of references, and offered to go and visit all of them with us! SO out of all of this we got 7 new investigators! He is such a good example of how all members can be missionaries!

In fact, this week i even read a talk given by a 70 at a BYU Idaho devotional. And if you get the chance i strongly encourage you to look up the talk to try and find it so you can read it! His talk is about 4 or 5 important decisions that he has made in his life, and that have all made a strong impact! And one of these important decisions was that he sets a goal every year, a certain date, to find someone to invite to learn about the Gospel, to invite to take the missionary lessons, and to be baptized! He has been doing this for like 20 years and every year he has accomplished this goal! and two or three times each year!

So my invitation is for you guys to do the same! To find this talk, read it and set the same goal! And i know that with prayer and faith you can all do the same! That we are all missionaries! It doesnt matter if you have a nametag or not!

I hope that this year we can all grow to be a little better, grow closer to our Heavenly Father and come to be the disciples and children that He wants and knows we can be!

Love you all!

Hermana Loo

photo from of my zone from our Pday last week!

last one... from our zone Christmas party!

Another party in the street for New Year´s day!

All of these freaky things, like they have at Disneyland

that I am still sacred of. well not scared just really dont like!

Everytime I see one of these I think of the picture from Disneyland

when Ohi, Nica and I were all little and i am crying my eyes out

because i didnt want to take a picture with them! jajaja to funny!