Feliz Navidad!

Espero que tenga una feliz navidad! Pero siempre recordar que celebramos navidad para celebrar el nacimiento de Jesucristo!

Voy a casarme?

So Hermana Raquel´s brother, who is the same age as me, recently broke up with his girlfriend. And hna. Raquel was asking him if he was sad. TO which he replied, ¨no.. because i am going to marry Hermana loo¨

jajajaja oh dear... yeah sorry buddy not going to happen!

Branch Christmas Party

This week we also had our branch Christmas party! And like all partys here there was food and piñatas! And there were three piñatas. One for kids, one for the youth, and one for adults.

But it was so funny to see people of all different ages, even old ladys, diving on the ground and crawling on the ground for candy! jajaja

The activity was great as there were more investigators and less actives then members!

Elder Duncan

This week we also had a multizona with conference with half of the mission with Elder Duncan. Who is a member of the 70 and the area president!

He basically started out his entire talk of lecture saying that all of us are not living up to our potential.... wait... is this my dad talking or Elder Duncan? jajaja

He kind of matcheted us all but it was good and i learned a ton. It was seriously pure revelation and there is so much more that i can be doing. It really just gave me the motivation to work harder! And i am ready and willing to do so!

LZ, Juanito, Guisela

So this week we also had a lesson with our zone leaders, Juanito our mission leader and hna Guisela. To try and figure out exactly what it is that we can do to help her out! 

The spirit was so strong during the lesson and hna Guisela just came out and said that she wants to be here in the church and be a member with her kids so that one day they can be an eternal family!

But to do so she has to talk with her pastor, to leave her church calling and the church behind. Obviously this is quite the task and a bit scary, so we are working and praying with her to have the courage to do so and the faith in God that He will help her and put the words into her mouth that she needs! 

So please keep her in your prayers and pray for her to have the courage she needs! We have a baptismal goal for her to be baptized on 27th. SO we are really praying and fasting that the courage she needs will come! and i know it will!

Plam- Testigo... Cantan Santos Angeles

All the missionaries in my branch and members went out and caroled on sunday night to all of our less actives, recent converts, and investigators.

It was actually so great as we had the help of a lot of members! we gifted copies of the Book of Mormon and contacted a ton of people and found a ton of potential investigators.

funny story. At 8pm the elders apparently had an appointment with a refrence from members, in the members home. But the elders forgot and were about half an hour away walking, because they were also singing and handing out copies of the Book of Mormon.

So this member called really really angry because the refrence lives an hour away and the walk is apparently really dangerous... so she calls us super angry. So the 10 of us who were singing had to run to her house. Like literally sprint down the road. and I am sure that everyone passing by were just thinking how crazy these mormons are! 

jajaja it was a ton of fun though!

I dont have a lot of time today to write as we have a big activity with my zone. But i just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I love you guys so much and am so grateful for all your love and support! You are all always in my thoughts and prayers!

Hermana Loo

Hermana Canales y yo!

Branch Christmas party 

Some sort of Catholic thing in the middle of the street...really have no idea 

Zone Christmas party

Christmas caroling and contacting

¡Donde Estan!

Creepy Old Men

As always, i have stories about creepy old men jajajaja seriously! WHY!?

Anyway this week Hermana Canales and I Had this creepy middle aged man begin to follow us and ask us questions about where we were going. It was both funny and just creepy. Also had a creepy old man tell me that i was "precious"... uhh thanks jajaja and finally i had another old man shake my hand, but then he wouldnt let go! Litterally had to yank my hand out of his! puchica!

Mafia

So in our zone meeting this week we played mafia. And if you remember or know what this game is everyone is in a circle, and there are assasins, detectives, and an angel. And everyone has there eyes closed while the assassins choose who they are going to kill. 

One of our zone leaders is narrating or directing the game. And everytime someone dies he comes up with a creative story as to how. 

There is one black elder in our zone, and as my zone leader begins to tell the story of how this elder dies after trying to come up with a story he just ends up saying, "the murderer was a racist and well... elder you died! It was seriously so funny and everyone was just like what! Did he really just say that!

Escogidos

So as a zone and district we are really focusing on finding those who are ready and prepared to receive this gospel! To find the "chosen". Right now we have a lot of people who are fine with us coming to visit them and will listen when we do, but really dont have a desire to change. SO we are really trying to focus on finding those who are prepared, and waiting for the message of this gospelª

And let me tell you! It is not easy! But i have faith! We have been doing a ton of contacting and really trying to find these people! Like on Sunday i think that we contacted like 30 someting people on the street! It was crazy!

Familia Sapon

On Tuesday we had a FHE with the familia Sapon. And they planned everything out, the agenda, lesson.. everything!

It was so awesome and the Spirit was so strong! Hermana Guisela even talked about how grateful she is for the gospel in her childrens lives and that if they can be happy in this gospel then she can too! She is seriously so much better prepared and so close to being baptized! I know that she has a testimony of this gospel and in her heart knows it to be true! She has so many friends in the church and is even beginning to participate in the lessons during Relief Society!

Also another awesome thing that happened this week with them, or specifically with Adonai. Is that he was talking about his mission and how in a year he will be preparing his papers! What! YES!!!

So excited for this Christmas season! For the opportunity to celebrate His birth! If you havent gotten the chance watch the "He is the Gift" video. I hope that this Christmas season we can all remember Christ, our Savior and Redeemer and the real reason that we celebrate!

Love you all!

Hermana Loo

You know just your random pig on the side of the road jajajaja

My Christmas Tree! Not the real thing but close!

Mi cumpleaños! Gracias! A Hermana Raquel!

Guatemala

Hola! Hello!

Diablos and Monos!

So there is a tradition here in Guatemala, and specifically in San Cristobal where men dressed up as diablos leave throughout the day and night and roam the streets... really don't understand it at all but it is a tradition that they have here to celebrate the devils birthday or to just celebrate him in general. Anyways, it is really weird and quite simply scary.

So there are monos and diablos. And the monos dress up in just really weird costumes and go around asking for money. Or rather shaking a jar in front of your face, because they don't speak, just grunt. And they also carry around whips in their hands, so that if you don't give them any money they whip you.. and hard... and it hurts!

The diablos leave with only underwear on, so basically nude. And they paint there entire bodies! SO when they find people on the street they slap them or get there clothes all dirty with paint! Now the diablos are even scarier then the monos because they are abusive!

Both the diablos and monos leave with masks on, of the devils face. and they just run around acting crazy, and well...like devils.

But don't worry, we have permission to enter into our houses early whenever they leave. Thank goodness!

The only thing is that on Sunday Hermana Canales and i wanted to go to the Christmas devotional and got a ride from a member to go to the church. But when it ended we walked back to our house with the elders, which is about 15 minutes walking. However, on our walk back we ran into both monos and diablos! I was so scared but nothing happened thank goodness!

Oh... Sweetie

SO everyone in the mission all got flu shots. Because apparently here in Guatemala around this time of the year there is a nasty flu that goes around. So the nurses came and gave us all shots!

But before we got the shots we had to fill out some paperwork. Just simple stuff like allergies, etc. Anyways, this paperwork has both a Spanish and an English side. 

When i finish filling out the paper work, on the English side, i hand it to the nurse to which she replies;

"Oh sweetie, you filled out the English side, but on the back its in Spanish..." jajaja

at this point both the elder next to me and i just start laughing so hard. And this poor nurse finally realizes why we are laughing and says .." oh, your Loo" jajaja to funny. Yeah i filled out the English side ...  I AM NOT LATINA!

But it is funny because every time anyone asks to see pictures of my family or when i show them pictures they always comment on how we look like pure latinos, especially mis padres jajaja. and whenever i talk on the phone whoever i am talking to always has to ask if it is me or Hermana Canales jajaja ... to funny!ç

Zone Meeting

So we also had our zone meeting on Wednesday and we talked a lot about contacting and how to do it. Which of course included a lot of role plays... yay! No but it was actually really good and helpful and also really fun!

One of the ways that we talked about was how to contact people on the bus. But what was even cooler was that about half of our zone has to take buses to get back to their areas. And after the meeting we were almost all on the same bus. And all sitting next to different people.

SO there was about 10 missionaries, all talking about the gospel to a bunch of different people. It was seriously so awesome to see! There were pamphlets and pass along cards being handed out everywhere! 

Such a cool experience to be a part of and to witness. Putting into practice what we had just learned! And contacting nearly an entire bus!

Hope that you all have a great week and continue to spread the Christmas Spirit! What a great time of the year it is to share the wonderful gift of the gospel. and of course to remember why we celebrate Christmas!

Love you all so much! Have a great week!

Hermana Loo

Brizna got her temple recommend!

She can now enter into the temple and do baptisms! So exciting!

With Sandra and Fernanda!

These pictures dont really do it justice but this is a funeral...

Really just a bunch of people dressed in black walking on the street...

Super... slowly 

Okay so these are diablos and monos!

Most of these are pictures of monos...

They are so scary and creepy! 

Happy Turkey Day!

What?! How is it already December! Where did November go! TIme really does just fly so fast! But i am really excited for Christmas and to be able to talk to you all!

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be out here on my mission! For the opportunity to serve and be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. To be able to preach the gospel and share my testimony. I am so thankful for the gospel in my life. For the plan of salvation and for the opportunity to be able to return to live in the presence of the Lord together as a family! I am so grateful for each and everyone of you, for your testimonies, love and support as i have been out here! You are all such great examples to me and i couldnt be more thankful to have you guys as a part of my life!

Sooo... cold!

Okay seriously, i know that it is cold in the states too but i am seriously dying over here. And the weather is so weird.. in the afternoon it is hot and then at night the wind picks up and it is so cold! 

Didnt think that i was in Utah.. jajaja no it´s not that bad and i guess that i should be more thankful that i am not in the snow!

Contacting members?

So for the first time ever on my mission we went and knocked on doors! Must say that i was quite nervous as I really didnt have the slightest idea what to do or say, but putting my trust and faith in the Lord we knocked on our first door...

and who answers the door... well a member jajaja. apparently we knocked on the door of a house that belongs to a member but they are preparing to rent the house out, it is their old house which is why i didnt know that it was the house of members.. jajaja but seriously! Well at least they know that we are working right? 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite day of the year! So much food and just relaxing! What more could you ask for!

This thanksgiving i was just glad that i got to eat real food! 

Hermana Canales and I had a reunion with President Smith. It was a meeting for all of the new missionaries who completed 6 weeks in the field and their trainers. And afterwards they suprised us all with Thanksgiving lunch. Wasnt really anything like home but hey it was food and i will take it!

Missionary Work

I had to give a talk in sacrment meeting on Sunday. I was really nervous but not about talking but about my spanish. The topic was missionary work and i just really wanted the member to be able to feel the spirit and the importance of sharing the gospel, as every member is a missioanry.

But the topic was easy, well because it was missionary work, something that i have been living and breathing for (almost) 6 months!

It was also the first talk that i gave without having everything completely written out and just bullet points. But i think that it went really well and like i said before can only hope that the member were able to feel the spirit and have a desire to share the gospel as well.

From what i can tell it sounds like each of you are having your own missionary experiences and opportunities to share the gospel! Which is amazing! And you are all amazing for having the desire to share the gosepl as well!

I am so thankful for each of you and for your testimonies! 

I love being a missionary and am so blessed to be here in Guatemala!

Love you all so much and hope that you have a great week!

Hermana Loo

My Thanksgiving lunch :) 

Guatemala...

Strange week....

Well lets just talk about all of the weird things that happened to me this week.... and there were quite a few!

Contacts in the street

This week was really an interesting one for contacting people on the street! First of all I contacted two olds ladys on the street who really couldnt hear at all! And i mean at all! And of course i contacted them one right after the other. Anyway with one of them our conversation went a little like this... "soy Hna Loo" to which she replies... "¿Que? Prima? ... no... soy Paulina" jajajaja seriously not even close but so funny! and then we had a drunk old men come up to us and start talking, and during this entire time he is smoking his cigarette.. anyways we humor him for a little bit before telling him that we need to go. He then puts out his hand for a handshake... and afterwards kisses my hand! EEWWWWW!!!!! Seriously so gross! And seriously come on! All i wanted to do was wash my hand!

But on the upside this week i have really come to gain a testimony of the promise we receive in D&C 100: 5-8. I really never have any idea what to say or how to start a conversation when we are contacting in the street, but the Lord always puts the words in my mouth that i need and i always know exactly what to say! And i know that He will do the same for you guys as well as you try and share the gospel with all of those around us!

Enduring to the end?

Okay, so another interesting experience this week. We visited a recent convert who is also inactive with or ward mision leader. Anyways, we begin teaching him about the importance of enduring to the end and how we endure to the end. To which he tells us that he is enduring to the end because he is attending church every Sunday and going to church activites... but all of these things he is doing in the CATHOLIC CHURCH!... umm what! 

I do find this a lot here, a lot of recent converts or less actives who realy dont understand the doctrines and principles of the church, and it really is so sad! But all of the missionaries in my branch are really focusing on the less actives and recent converts in the ward, because how can we expect the Lord to bless us with new people to teach if we are not taking care of the ones he has already given us?

The Book of Mormon

I had and interview with President Smith again this week and he told me in my interview that i really need to be focusing more on the Book of Mormon with my investigators. That i should be reading it with them everyday!

So we started doing just that especially with Guisela. And on the days when we are unable to visit her we call her and her family to have them tell us what they learned and understood. And it is really amazing to see the things that she has learnt and even to see again, the slight change that she has made!

The role of the Book of Mormon is to convince that Jesus is the Christ. It is the keystone of our religion, if the Book of Mormon isnt true then our religion really has nothing to stand on. I have really come to strengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon. It is seriously so true! and i am so thankful that I have it in my life!

I love you all so much! Hope that you continue to build your testimonies of the gospel! I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is true! How could it now be! I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know that He loves is and knows each of us personally. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and restored the fullness of the gospel to the Earth. I know Thomas S, Monson is a living prophet today. And i know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God!

"The Kingdom of God.. or nothing." - John Taylor

Have a great week! You are all always in my thoughts and prayers!

Hermana Loo

Would you believe me if i told you that these are kites...

and that these kids made them!

Insane what you can do without TV or computers to occupy you throughout the day! 

Just some more photos of tuc tucs

litterally they are so awesome

and i am currently trying to convince president smith that we need them in the mission jajaja 

Two volcanoes here in Guatemala.

Apparently the smaller one is still really active!}

Guatemala! Dont know if you can tell but this is pretty typcial of houses here.

There is like a yard in the middle of them and then the bedrooms and kitchen

are just little rooms off to the side that surround it.

Casacas!

This week i think has really been the hardest week of my mission by far! I think that at least twice this week i had the feeling of just wanting to cry, or feeling inadequate, or that i was just wasting the Lord´s time. Which made me really frustrated. But this week everyone just seemed to be so full of lies! And I dont think that there is anything that I hate more than lies!

Manifestation

There was yet another protest here that blocked 4 caminos. Which is a major point of travel in Guatemala. And since the protests here block the roads, there was no one coming or going anywhere. And because 4 caminos is so close to my area, well its actually in my area, everyone seemed to be in 4 caminos, just watching the protest. Which lasted 3 days, 72 hours. 

Needless to say, there was no one in their homes or on the street! Which is really not ideal when we are needing to find new people to teach!

Gran Cambio

This week we went and visited with Guisela and I was able to see such a great change in her, it really was a miracle!

While we were sitting and talking with her she started asking us questions about the mission, and what she should expect if and when Adonai, her 18 year old son, chooses to serve a mission. She had a ton of questions and at the end of it all she said that she will support him 100% in his missions and any of her other children if they decide to serve! Amazing!

She then went on to talk about how one day at work, some of the women she works with were asking her questions about the church, and why her kids attend the Mormon church, becuase the Mormons teach false things and drink and smoke. Basically they were just talking about a lot of things about the church that were just not true. But Guisela was defending the church and explaining what we believe in! It was crazy to hear! Explaining about the Word of Wisdom, law of chastity, and even some doctrinal points! WHAT! I couldnt believe it!

Un Moñton de Mentiras

I dont know why but this week everyone seemed to be lying to us this week. Someone would tell us a story but then we would hear a different story from someone else in the family, or we would knock on doors and they would say that the person we were looking for wasnt home, even though we knew they were because we could hear their voice from within the house!

For whatever the reason, everyone seemed to be lying! And it was really frustrating! And i really dont know why! But I have come to absolutely hate lies! I dont think there is anything that i hate more!

My patience was really tried this week because of all the lies that i heard, but at the same time i realized that i was doing what i have been called to do, in inviting others to come unto christ. And if they dont want to accept it then that is there own decision and use of their agency!

In the light?

Had a really interesting, and quite honestly hilarious experience this week. There is a member in the ward named Pedro, he is blind, and really doesnt understand much about the church or believe in the Book of Mormon. (Something i find really common here, members who really dont know or believe in the gospel and its doctrine)

Anyways, Hermano Pedro attempted to tell us that all Christians are in the truth, that it doesnt matter if you are a member of the church or not! All Christians walk in the light, he really doesnt understand that there is only one true church!

But perhaps the best and most funny part about this experience was that Hermano Pedro basically told me that I wasnt a good missionary because I dont visit him! jajaja What! When i tried to explain to him that as missionaries, and hermans, we are not allowed to visit men by ourselves, but that we need another member to be with us. He then told me that this was a lie because he had other hermanas visit him before and that i needed to get the bad thoughts out of my minds that bad things were going to happen! jajajaja too funny. But if I get told that i am a bad missionary because i am being obedient, that is okay with me!

Needless to say it was a very interesting and funny experience! One that i will never forget!

I was reading through my notes this week that i took while in the CCM and for some reason this quote from President Cox really stuck out to me

"90% of your blessings come from the last 10% of your obedience"

I truly know that the Lord loves each and everyone of us! That he is willing and waiting to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing into our lives.

I love you all so much and am so thankful for the blessing it is to have each of you in my life!

Hermana Loo

How they was there clothes, just a rock slab and water.

Seriously so much time and kills your hands!

Los seguidores de jesus... jajaja christian concert in the middle of San Cris!

This is a Tuc Tuc!

GUATEMALA! 

5 months!

WOW! really where has the time gone! It really is true, the time out here on the mission just absolutely flies by! It has all been such a blur, but i am so grateful for the sacred blessing that it is to be a missionary and representative of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Time does really fly and I am doing my best to make this short 18 months count!

Fe

What is faith? Is it power? Knowledge? hope? belief? what is faith?

We talked about faith this week in our zone meeting and I thought that it was a really interesting conversation. In our meeting the zone leaders posed this question and i am interested to know what you think?

Here is the question: Does God have faith?

Something that i really dont think i have ever thought about before but interested what you all think. si o no?

Fernandito

This week while in our zone meeting i received a call from my ward mission leader, letting me know that an 8 year old boy in our branch had passed away, and that the family needed our help in getting things ready for the funeral. It was really sad to hear especially because he was only 8 years old, so young. But he was born with a heart defect and so the family also knew that they only had a short amount of time to be with him.

So we spent Tuesday providing service for the family and Wednesday helping them with the funeral service. And although really sad, through all of this i realized how grateful I am for the knowledge of the gospel, for my testimony of the Plan of Salvation. And for the worthiness of my parents to enter into the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity. I know that families can be together for eternity, and am so grateful for the opportunity to be with my family forever!

What was really great about the family of the boy who passed away, Fernando, was that he had just gotten baptized and the family had just been sealed in the temple! And to hear the testimonies of the parents as they spoke of the Plan of Salvation and their testimonies of how they will one day return and live with their son again!

The Gospel is so true! Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for us! And how great and marvelous is His plan!

Opposition in all things

It seems like these past couple of weeks we are always facing a challenge, and the Elders in my area too. As we are both really struggling to find people to teach, people that are truly interested in hearing about the gospel. Satan is really working hard in the hearts of the people here, everyone we talk with really isn´t interested at all in hearing about the gospel, or changing their religion. Ther are a ton of evangelicos (i cant remember what we call them in English jajaja) and they really want nothing to do with any other religion. I have also come to realize that Satan works in mysterious ways, like through dogs.... so that we cant contact houses becuase the dogs will attack us! Speaking of which, i almost got eaten by a dog this week... but this has become a normal thing.

Anyway, Satan is really working hard. But as i reflected back on this week i realized that everyone i talk with isnt going to want to hear about the gospel. But my job, what i have been called to do, is just work hard and be diligent, give everyone the opportunity to hear the gospel and then use there agency to accept our message or not. But it is my job to teach them and invite them, in a way that they understand our message. And this is our job/duty/role as members of the church. This is what we have been commanded to do! 

The gospel is such a blessing that we have in our lives. It can bring so much peace to families. It is the only true church on this Earth, the only place where the fulness of the gospel can be found, the only source of true and everlasting happiness!

¨after all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel¨ - Joseph Smith

I pray that we may always recognize the blessings that we receive in our life, that we may come to know the goodness of God. And once we recognize these things, that we never forget to give thanks to Him for all that He has so gracioulsy blessed us with! But more importantly I pray that we always remember that we are missionaries for the rest of our life. It does not matter if you have been set apart to be a missionary, if you have a plaque or not, it doesnt matter how old you are, how much you think you know about the gospel, or how much you think you lack. As members of this church we are COMMANDED to Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Lord needs more missionaries! Look for opportunities this week to serve and share the gospel, and I know the Lord will bless you!

Love you all so much! You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers!

Hermana Loo

Really i dont have any fotos for this week... sorry i really need to work on taking more pictures. I always remember after we finish whatever we are doing jajajaja Puchica!