New Area and New Adventures

So, everyone has just been asking about where I am and who i am with that this weeks blog post is going to be basically dedicated to just that. Also because I feel like not to many eventuful things happened this week besides getting a new companion and area. Anyways...

Las Americas

So this is the name of my new area, I am in Xela, so I am in the city and it is 100% different then the last two areas that I have been in.

For on, we get fed lunch everyday. And this is just totally new and different for me. Now I am just hoping that I dont get fat jajajaja because we just cant have any of that! Also, I will now be able to go to Walmart once a month jajaja sorry dad...

The temple is in my area. And before the Hnas in Xela were assigned a day to go and work in the temple every week. Which I was super excited for, since we only get to go to the temple every 6 months, i was excited to just be able to be on temple grounds. But of course, as my luck would have it, as soon as I get to an area in Xela Pte. Smith changes the rule and now Hnas will no longer be allowed to work in the temple... puchica!

But the people here in my area are just made of money! Like I think that I am in one of the richest areas here in Xela! The houses here are giant and so nice. Definitely different from Chichi or San Cris where a lot of the house that we entered in were dirt floor. Here in Las Americas it is totally different! In fact, most houses here have intercoms as doorbells, which makes contacting nearly impossible. Because the people ALWAYS just hang up on us or tell us that they are busy and dont want or need us to come and visit them. Puchica!

I feel like here I am starting from scratch. Especially because we dont have any investigators progressing or with baptismal dates. So we have a lot of work ahead of us.

I am also in a Ward, with a sacrament meeting attendance of around 210 people. So not Chichi at all with only 70. Bu the attendence at church neither goes up or down. But just stays the same, what I could see yesterday is that the members are pretty set in their ways. The bishop doesnt really work with the missionaries and doesnt want us wokring with less actives or recent converts. Which I am sorry, i will just not be doing. ALso, the members here dont really have much motivation to go and do visits with us or give us references. But I think that this also has to do with the fact that a lot of them dont know their neighbors... which is weird. Anyway, there is a lot of work to do here!

If there is anything else you want to something that I missed let me know!

Mi Compañera

My companion is Hermana Garcia. She is from Mexico D.F. and has 11 months here on the mission, she is about to complete a year. But we actually came in the same group but because I was in the CCM for 6 weeks and she was only there for 2 I have a month more then here. She is a convert to the church, her mom was a less active member when she was baptized and her dad isnt a member.

SHe has been in this area since January so she knows the members and the area pretty well. She wants to work and I feel like she has the desire to. She is great. But definitely not as crazy or as fun as Hna. Aguilar, but we are getting used to eachother and I am excited to see what we can accomplish here!

Xela Oeste

So I am always in a new zone, and on Wednesday we had our distrcit meeting but it was just to funny because all of the Hnas that are in my district were just saying things like, "no way you are hna Loo, I have heard so much about you" and " everyone loves you" and "so you are the famous Hna. Loo" jajaja it was just to funny. and then when i got up to bear my testimony everyone was just shocked at my spanish and one Hna even asked her companion if I was a Gringa or Latina jajaja woohooo 100% chapina! jajaja

Well, that pretty much sums up everything. If there is anything that I missed or anything that I missed or any additional information that you want le me know! 

I love you all! I wouldnt be able to do any of this without you guys!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

La ultima semana en Chichi....

Cleaning Checks

So, the mission has this new thing that every Monday before changes or like a week before the last Monday of the chages we have "Super Lunes Limpio" were we have to deep clean the houses that we are in. And so last monday was super lunes limpio and on tuesday one of the older couples came to check the house.

To say that they were amazed would be an understatement, they were just shocked at how clean it was and how organized everything was jajajaja it was just to funny. In fact the elder even went so far as to say that is was the cleanest apartment that he had ever seen in his entire life jajaja to funny...

Contacting druggies

So we went to go and visit this family that we had contacted last week, and who do we find standing in front of their door, none other then this middle aged dude drunked up and drugged up. It was scary at first but afterwards looking back it was actually kind of funny! 

He was standing in front of the door and we asked him if the family we were looking for was home and all he says is " I am the family" and then starts pointing to the wall telling us that this is family and his name.. umm what! 

Always a fun experience contacting jajaja

Edwin Monson

So we also had another great story while contacting this week. In fact it was the last door we contacted where we found this guy who is super prepared to receive the gospel. Not only was it great to meet this guy but it was also great lesson for me in learning about diligence. Because we found Edwin knocking on the last door of the street that we were contacting!

We talked to him for quite a long time and without us teaching him anythinga about the Restoration he tell s us that is there was and is only one Christ that there should only be one true church, that the fact that there are so many churches preaching so many different things is of the devil.. umm are you kidding me! And that the true church that Christ established was lost after He and His aposotles died! Puchica!

He also proceeded to tell us that it is a lie when people say that they dont have time to hear us or for us to visit them. That if it is something important to them that they will always make time! ugh! This guys was just plain pilas! And I was so excited to be able to teach him, but I guess Hna. Aguilar will have to start and finish it!

Gloria!!!

So, Gloria is an investigator that we have who is 100% progressing. She is the cutest thing and is 14 years old, so obviously we need permission from the mom to baptize her. The challenge is that Gloria´s mom only understands and speaks Quiche, and unfortunately I do not speak it. 

But this week we went with our Branch President, since he can speak Quiche, to talk to the mom. and as they are talking my companion and I are not understanding anything! But all we can see is a smile start to spread across Gloria´s face and her character totally change! And then the Branch president turns to us and says, "ya esta hnas..." jajajaja

WE GOT PERMISSION FROM THE MOM TO BAPTIZE GLORIA! And so her baptize is set for the 24th of July, of course, just as I am about to leave! But it was such a cool experience to see that spirit work within the mom and to see the light in Gloria´s eyes just shine when the mom gave us permission! 

The mom then proceeded to tell us that this is the first church that Gloria has attended where she feels comfortable. And on Sunday as we were heading to the church all she wanted to talk about was her baptism and when she could be baptized! It was amazing! And on Tuesday she is going to go on visits with the Young Women, to visit Less actives and she isnt even a memebr! ugh! Puchica! I am so excited for her, and although I will not be here for her baptism I know that the Lord has so much planned for her!

Well, yesterday I got the phone call that I have changes and will be leaving Chichi. I am so sad to be leaving and dont think that I will ever find an area or members quite like the ones that I have come to love here in Chichi. The news about leaving Chichi even brought me to tears! Yeah I know... I have changed jajajaja As hard as it has been and will be to say goodbye to the people here in Chichi I am also excited to see where my new area will be and meet the people there.

I love you all so much and am so thankful to have each of you in my life!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

Move on and Move forward

So this week was another hard one. Really this entire transfer has just been really hard. My companion and I have been having a lot of ups and downs, although it seems like a lot more downs then ups. But I also know that this is part of the mission and life. And that the work that I am doing is the Lords and in His way and His time.

Fogata!

On a fun note, the elders, my companion and I with recent converts had a bonfire this week. Where we had hot dogs and s´mores. Although the s´mores werent traditional s´mores because graham crakcers dont exist here so we had to use different crackers that just werent the same jajaja but it was a lot of fun and good to just relax and joke around with all of them! Take my mind off of the struggles that we are having.

One year!

So, this week I hit my one year mark! WHich was exciting and the time has passed by super fast! To celebrate i thought that I would eat real food jajaja so we went over to a members house and ate BBQ ribs, rice and salad which was so good! Oh how I miss food jajaja

The elders bought a cake, and even though it wasnt my birthday they sang to me and then as is tradition hear in Guatemala, as I went to take a bite out of the cake they smashed my face into the cake jajajaja awesome!

Contacting

Always a new and funny story with contacting, something always happens that just cracks me up! For example, this week while we were contacting we contacted this old lady who barely spoke Spanish mostly Quiche and so we were attempting to talk to and understand her. We were asking her questions about her life and then we in turn were asking questions to get to know her! But it was just to funny! She was asking us where we were from and when I went to tell her that I was from the states she just said, "Mentirosa" which means liar jajaja she didnt believe me! And then her grandson came and actually believed that I spoke Quiche jajaja ya no... I wish! But it was just to funny! At almost everything we said she responded "mentirosa" jajaja I dont know if she just didnt understand us at all or if she really did think that we were lying. Whatever it was it was just to funny.

Moving forward and growing

So like I said, my companion and I have just been having a really hard time this transfer in finding people to teach who really want to hear what our message or that are going to follow through with there commitments. It has just been really hard.

As my companion and I were talking about this yesterday we realized that our success may be in a different way. For example. when I first got here to Chichi the sacrament meeting attendance was like 30 people or less and now we are seeing more members coming to church more frequently and the church attendance has gone up. Where there are now 50 to 70 people coming to church every Sunday! And this Sunday 4 of the less active/inactive members we visited came to church. Although I would love to see baptisms I guess, if nothing else, I am coming to realize that this is the Lords work and in His way and that the Lord works in different ways through different people.

I hope that everyone had a great week! Know that you are all always in my thoughts and prayers! I cannot thank each and everyone of you for your support and love! It means the world to me! 

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

The Power of the Fast

Random Acts of Service

So, This week we had kind of an interesting experience providing service for an elderly lady in a wheelchair...

So my companion and I had just left the house after lunch and were walking up to go to the center of town, when we see this lady just parked on the side of the street in her wheelchair. SHe waves us down and asks us to go and buy her tortillas, and gives us the money to do so. So we go and buy the tortillas and come back to give them to her and shen then proceedes to ask her if we can push her to the center of town.

The thing about the streets here is that they are anything but level and to get to the center of town from where we were requires us to walk up and somewhat steep hill. My companion pushes her throughout the flat part of the hill and then asks me if I can push her up the hill jajaja of course.... as soon as I start pushing this little old lady only says " you are really strong, a lot stronger then the other one" jajaja

So, while I am pushing her up the hill, Hna. Aguilar goes to contact another lady that is walking besides us and this lady tells us that this lady who we are helping to push up the hill in her wheel chair can walk! jajaja are you kidding me! jajaj here I am dying pushing her up this hill jajaja Gotta love Guatemala!

Chabela

So Chabela is an investigator that we have had for some time now. She is really active in the church that she attends but always accepts us and listens to us. Not to long ago we taught her the Restoration and she was so interested in everything we were saying, asking a ton of questions, and at the end she gave the prayer, asking God to help her to know what path she should be on.

Well, we went to go and visit her this week and she told us that she is not ready and that she cannot leave the calling that she has in her church. It was so sad! Especially because my companion and I both felt that she knew that what we were sharing and teaching is the truth. And she basically said herself that she knows that it is true but doesnt want to or is just not ready to accept it... 

Fasting!!!

So this week has been one of the hardest weeks of my mission! At the end of the week my companion and I were just feeling a little frustrated and a little disanimated with everything that was going on here. Mostly because we are working our butts off, working with the members, contacting every person we see on the street and are just not seeing the results that we desire. This week we had a TON of people reject us, a ton of people cancel their appointments with us and are just not having a lot of people that are progressing or coming to church! So it has been a little frustrating! 

As you know, this week was fast sunday. And my companion and I both dedicated in praying to know what is haltering our success. The things that we are doing that are not allowing us to see the fruits of our labors. And you know what your prayer was 100% answered!

On Sunday, i asked our ward mission leader what we could do and he asked if we wanted to have our correlation meeting and of course my companion and I both responded YES!

Well during this meeting we got talking about the things that we were doing and what he though that we could change. And litterally everything he said spoke to us! And there are some things that we need to change. For example, we dont need to be so worried about numbers, but focus more on people! And try to gain a little bit more of their confidence! 

If anything, Sunday I was able to really gaina a testimony of the power of the fast and that God really does hear and answer our prayers! And although this week was hard I am looking forward to this new week and putting into practice the revelation I received and things that I learned Sunday!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

lunch with my zone 

Wow!!! Thats a BIG care package...

Suprise dinner for the president of the Branches birthday Friday! 

This is the way that almost all the people here carry heavy things. putting a strap around the object and then fastening it to their head. If this makes any sense.. i will try to take better pictures. But this little old lady is litterally like 80 years old! 

And... my novio Alfredo jajajaja

Happy June!

Wow! Is it really already June! How are we already half way through the year! To crazy!

"Yo Soy"

Just thought that I would share with you something funny that happened this week. While we were contacting a house this week, my companion goes to introduce herself and says "mucho gusto. Yo soy hna. Loo" jajajaja I dont know why she said that, but the funny thing is that this is the second time! jajaja

Contacting Testigos?

So on Wednesday, my companion and I leave the house and head to an appointment that we had with a less active member. No sooner did we leave the house, when we see two jehovah´s witnesses walking our way. Here in Chichi is it a really common thing to see a ton of JW´s. In fact, a ton of people get us confused and always think that we are JW´s.

Anyways, usually the JW´s are not friendly at all, however the two we saw this day were new and what do you know! They asked us if they could share a message with us and we said that it would be okay. 

They then proceeded to ask is who controls the world?? and we answer God.. to which they quite frankly tell us that we are wrong and that the devil actually controls the world jajaja they then proceeded to share a couple of scriptures with us but from there bible...

My companion and I thought that it was so funny that they think that the Devil controls the world. How can that be if God created the world, and if the devil controled the world why would he allow them to be here in Chichi preaching what they believe... it was funny.

In the end, my companion and I asked if we could share a message with them and gave them a pamphlet of the Restoration. Who knows if they actually read it or not...

Katerine

Katerine is 11 years old, and has been attending church for like 3 years, and so desperatley wants to be baptized but her mom never gives her permission to do so. No matter how many times she asks.

Tuesday we went to go and talk to the mom to see if we could get permission.. unfortunately the mom said no, although she did gives us permission to start teaching her the lessons. Something that she has never done before and quite honestly a miracle in itself.

Kariely

So Kariely is the sister of a less active member, i dont know if you guys remember, but the dad is inactive and a returned missionary?

Anyway, my companion and I this week were talking about whether or not we needed to leave Kariely behind because she wasnt really progressing because she could never come to church. Or the dad never gave her permission to come.

Sunday morning her mom called us telling us to come by and take her to church! yes! The dad never came home so she took it as an opportunity to send Kariely to church! IT was great! An answer to my prayers!

Eddy (Eduardo Alejandro)

So this is the investigator that we have been teaching for a little over a month now. And on Saturday we had a lesson with one of the members from the ward as well as the elders, who decided to come with us.

We went in with the lesson plan to talk about how he could recognize the spirit and that he has received an answer that what we are teaching is true. Because he has changed a lot since we have started teaching him!

The spirit was really strong during the lesson and he himself was able to understand that he has received an answer. At the end of the lesson he told us that he knows that the Book of Mormon is true and wants to be a missionary like us! Even though he is 37 years old jajajaja But he has the desire to share the gospel.

And if he comes to church the next two sundays he will be baptized on the 20th! Which my companion and I are really excited for! Please keep him in your prayers!

Thank you for all for your love and prayers!

Hermana Loo

With the Itzep family. Remember that I told you guys that the dad had died unexpectedly leaving the mom with her 7 kids. This is the family that doesnt have a lot and that when they moved houses all that they had fit into the back of a small pickup!