Lightning!!!

Lightning!

So like I said in my last email, the rainy season has officially begun here. It is so hot here during the day and then in the late afternoon it just starts pouring! 

Tuesday night while we were walking to an appointment, i swear that a lightning bolt flashed right in front of us! It was crazy! And so bright! It was also kind of scary. I dont know how close it really was to us but it blinded both my companion and I for a second or two.

Alicia

So President Smith called us this week to tell us that Friday afternoon his grandaughter would be leaving to go on visits with us. Both my companion and I were so scared thinking that she was going to be like his spy or something jajajaja but everything of course turned out just fine.

Alicia is 14 years old and a short little thing. I couldnt help but think as we were walking with her that it was like I was with MomiLei going out to teach lessons and tract. We were able to do a little bit of everything with her, get rained on, get rejected and teach a lesson. You know, missionary work jajaja

in fact, during one lesson we had a crazy dude try to convince us that prophets dont exist and that they are no longer needed, but then he went on to say that God doesnt change. So he was a bit lost and confused. He accepeted a Book of Mormon so hopefully he will read and learn from it.

Titi

So, everyone always wants to know how Titi is doing jajaja and of course she is doing just great! Her baptism is set for this Saturday and she is both excited and nervous.

Of course, as her baptism date approaches she is being faced with more and more adversity. For example,her mom is not happy at all that she is attending church and being baptized. HEr mom even called some catholic people to come over and visit her this week, asking her why she wasnt coming to church and why she was attending a church that isnt true. But she continues to hold true to what she knows and to continue to strengthen her testimony. But please continue to pray for her! Her mom has totally taken her car away so she is starting to use the busses even though she has never used the before. But she doesnt even care, she is just so happy that she has the gospel in her life! such a great example to me!

It was funny though, on Tuesday we had a FME (NDH) with her and another family. We planned on talking about tithing and fasting and as we started talking about fasting Titi just gave a little chuckle, and when we asked her what happened, she told us, "I already fasted" jajaja what! She is amazing! And on Sunday she even paid her tithing! Even though she isnt even a member yet!

But, I am so excited for Titi and know that this gospel is just going to bless her life so much! She already has such a strong testimony and i know that she will continue to bless the lives of all those around her! I am so excited for her baptism this Saturday!

I love you all so much! Thank you for all of your support, prayers and love! They are felt, even though I am miles away!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

Ups and Downs

Titi (Maria Isabel)

So Titi, our golden investigator, is still progressing and rapdily. Honestly I feel like my companion and I arent doing anything at all, we are just teaching the lessons but she already knows them and understands. She has had a lot of friends who are members and has been able to learn from them. So this just goes to show how important our examples are to all those around us! We honestly, never know who is watching!

So this week we got things a little more planned out for her baptism, she was eager to know everything! The time, place and what she needed to bring and wear! She is so sweet and just has a amazing spirit! The Lord really has prepared her to receive the gospel! She told us this week that her family, her mom especially is starting to soften up a bit, although she still doesnt want anything to do with the church. Titi invited her to the baptism but her mom told her that she would not be attending anything that had to do with the church, her baptism or wedding. Nothing! Her dad, who lives in the states, is supporting her and even has the desire to read the Book of Mormon as well!

But Titi is just great! She is basically a member! Inviting everyone to her baptism yesterday, and for her to attend church we dont have to call her and remind her or anything like that. She just comes! I know that the Lord is pushing forth His work and that He is preparing people all around us! Titi was a reference from a member, so I encourge all of you to look at the people that surround you and pray to know who is ready and waiting to receive the gospel!

Ya me enferme...

So this week, i unfortunately got sick. I think that this new change of being in an area where we get fed everyday is doing some weird things to my stomach. I mean for a year i was basically used to eating eggs and beans everyday and being on a forced diet. But it was just awful! I had chills, wanted to throw up, body aches and a major headache. 

So Tuesday and Wednesday in the afternoon we went to the house so that i could sleep it off. I am feeling way better now and dont feel sick at all! my companion told me that i was like a bear in hibernation because I just slept all afternoon and didnt get up or out of bed until the next morning, that is how awful i felt.

its raining, its pouring

Okay, so the rainy season now has offically start. Everyday around 2 or 3 it starts pouring down rain! and I mean pouring! Huge drops of rain and lately is has also been hailing! Just another lovely part of being in the mission, is being used to being soaking wet all day and just going with it!

It was funny though, because one day we ran into the elders, who were on divisions with the zone leaders, and the zone leader that was with the elder from my area goes home in December with me. Well, about the time that we start walking, it starts pouring, and like typical elders they are not prepared, without jackets or umbrellas, so they just get soaked. This elder only looks at me, smiles and says only four more months jajajaja crazy!

So this week i learnt that there are a lot of ups and downs in the mission as well as in life. Ups and downs that we may not understand but that are all a part of our personal and spiritual progress. A lot of times we may not understand why we are going through all that we are going through, but we do have to just trust in the Lord. Keep our eye on Him and push through, knowing that the Lord knows us better then we know ourselves and that we are to learn and to grow from everything that we experience. Know that Christ himself is right along side us, carrying us in those times of difficulty. And when we push through and perservere we will be able to look back, smile and thank the Lord for everything that He has done to help us reach our divine potential! We should not let a day go by when we are not progressing spiritually!

I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and support! It means the world to me!

have a great week, know that I am thinking and praying for you all always!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

sorry... no photos, need to get better at taking them! 

Golden!

Familia Saenz (or signs)

This is the giant family of 10 kids, who moved here from the states like 3 years ago...

Last Monday we had a FHE with them all, and it was in English jajaja so that was a lot different then anything that I have been used to for a year or so jajaja but it was a very interesting lesson. Mostly because the dad was giving the lesson and basically to us, my companion and I.

And the topic was marriage and family, he basicallyt ended up telling us that we need to go home after the mission, get married and have a lot of kids jajajaja umm ok.. it was interesting to say the least.

But the family came to church again this Sunday, everyone except the dad so we still have a lot of work to do with him. Slowly but surely! We will get him back to church!

Rejections

This week, as is usual on the mission, we also had a lot of investigators reject us. Telling us that they are fine in their churches and dont want to change or even pray to find out of the message we share or the church is true. So that was sad, but just means that we got to find more people who the Lord has prepared, which requires a lot of work. But work that I am ready and willing to do!

Maria Isabel (Titi)

So, I dont know if you guys remember but at the end of my blog letter last week I talked about a chick who had called us while we were writing, telling us taht she wanted to meet with us. Well, this week we had two lessons with her and she came to church and honestly she is just pilas!

She is 20 years old and a medical student, but she is just soaking everything in! She is one of those golden or dream investigators! SO far, we have taught her The Restoration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and she understood it all perfectly! At the end of the lesson she was asking what she had to do in order to be baptized and at the end said, "oh okay, then the 1st of August I am going to get baptized" (in Spanish of course jajaja) WHAT! She set her own baptismal date!

In our second lesson, when asking her if she was reading the Book of Mormon she just laughed and said yes, and then we asked her if she was praying to know if it was true and she talked about the feelings that she gets when she reads and prays and that she knows it is true! ahhh! well, that was fast! The Lord has definitely prepared her!

We have talked about the temple a lot with her and everytime we do her eyes litteraly just light up! I swear, sometimes I think that she is going to cry! She loves the fact that one day she will be able to enter into the temple and that she can have an eternal family!

She also asked us about music and if she could have a copy of the church music that we listen to as missionaries and if she could take us out to lunch jajajaja she is so sweet and has such a special and tender spirit!

Her family isnt very happy with her that she is listening to us and coming to church. And so they have taken away her car, and wont allow her to use it if she is coming to meet with us! But you know what! She came to our second lesson walking! And she lives far away! and came to church too, walking! Chose coming to church over a birthday party in her family! She is amazing, did i say that already??

We also ended up talking a lot about the mission with her and she was asking us when we would probably be leaving the area, and when my companion told her the 4th of August all she said was "well then that is good that I am getting baptzied the first of August!" jajajaja

I was so sad to leave Chichi and all the work that I did there behind, but the Lord sent me here for a reason and because we were able to find Titi it has all been worth it!

I just want to let you all know how much I love you! How grateful I am for each of you and for what a blessing it is to have you in my life. Thank your for you support and prayers! THey are felt!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

Xela

So, this week was a lot better. We had interviews with President Smith on Wednesday, which always make me so nervous. But it was good, and I left the interview with a lot more energy to go out and teach. We contacted a lot of people this week and as a result we have a lot of return appointments for this week. So we are progressing and the work is picking up! 

...And that is a crazy lady

So we contacted this one lady on the street who is probably in her mid 50´s and she told us to come and visit her so we did Thursday afternoon. We had planned to teach lesson 1, the Restoration, but as we met with her and started getting to know her she talked about her brother who passed away earlier this year. So we decided to change the subject and talk about the Plan of Salvation.

Well, as we start talking about the Plan of Salvation we talk about the premortal life, and my companion asks her if she remebers it and she says that she does... umm what! Actually no one remembers it. and so I then ask her what it is like. and she just starts to close her eyes and lift up her hands and talk about how it is beautiful and no one wants to come to the earth once they have lived there.. umm, yeah exactly the reason as to why we go through a veil and dont remember the premortal life.. crazy lady

Then as we are talking with her about Adam and Eve she talks about how it was good that they ate of the fruit because if not we would all be walking around here naked and there would be a lot more babies in the world jajaja she was litteraly so crazy! The people you meet in Guatemala...

Fam. Poroj

So as you know, I am finally in an area where i have lunches. But there is this one family here who always wants to have us over for lunch. Even though they dont have very much money at all. Like they are poor, like sometimes they dont have any food in there house, not a single egg!

But, they always love to have us over for lunch. And the Hermana was explaining to us that it is because whenever we come over for lunch there house is always filled with food, and then next day, there is nothing. But when they feed the missionaries there is always plenty of food. It was a cool thing to hear!

Also, they have this daughter who is like 15 years old, half my size, but thinks that she could beat me up jajajaja and just because she has grown up with brothers. It made me laugh and all I could think was.. umm you dont even know! jajaja

Fam. Signs

So this famly is actually from the states, they moved here to Guatemala 3 years ago, so they all speak perfect english. Anyways, are a family of 12 but inactive. Apparently they dont like the way that the bishop directs the ward so they dont come to church. And whenever anyone goes over to visit them or try to talk with them they dont let anyone in! Elders, the missionaries that were here before me, members of the bishopric, no one!

My companion and I were the first ones ever! So we had a small lesson with them, and when we went back to visit them the hermana told us that she would like to have us over for lunch! What! Miracle! I was in shock, and they even invited us to have a FHE with them tonight! It was just so crazy! And you know what, on Sunday... they ALL came to church! For the first time in years! It was a miracle! 

So, I am slowly but surely getting used to being here in Xela. It is a big change but I am getting to know the area and members better. But I am excited for this week, excited to see what we can get going here. In fact, just a few minutes ago a friend of a member who came to church last week called us and told us that she wants to visit with us! So that was super exciting!

Thank you all so much for you support and prayers! It means the world to me that I have such a strong support system of people who have such strong testimonies of this gospel. I love being a missionary and love the things that I have learnt!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Loo

p.s. sorry, there are no photos this week because i left the cord for my camera in the house.. until the next! lo siento.