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 ...