May 19, 2014

Dear Family,

So the big news of the week is that WE GOT CELLPHONES!!!!!! thats right. Guatemala got cellphones. Granted, its not my iphone, but it doesnt change the fact that I love it haha.  It seriously will help the work out so much, we wont have to waste so much time walking to someones house only for them not to be there. Or waste as much pisto calling people who dont pick up at public telephones.

We had an absolutely amazing zone conference this week, when we got our beloved cellphone. But seriously, I have been praying so hard in these days for Heavenly Father to help me. To help me to find the strength to get through our desafios and to be a better companion for my hija. I want her to have the best experience that she can. Literally my prayers are answered every day, with divisions or district meetings or videos of the church that we watch or my scriptures. But I just know Heavenly Father is here with us.

My hija is getting so much better with her spanish! She is participating in our lessons more and more and really coming along. She will randomly tell me soemthing we should do for our investigators and its so exciting because I know that she is thinking about them trhough the day. Its cool to see how excited she gets about the new experiences. It reminds me of when I started and its cool to get back that spirit.

The ward is starting to work a lot more with us. Now is the time to work with members, so I hope you all are helping out the missionaries, leaving with them and giving them references :) Also, this week was teh week of the family and so we had a bunch of activities in the building, where I learned a lot about the family. It was funny because they were talking about marriage a bunch and one hermana was like...alright...whos baggy? hahaha.

I cant believe I only have 9 months left...thats insane! I love this work, even when its hard. I feel closer to my Savior than I ever had before! Love you all! Happy birthday this week dad!!

May 12, 2014

Dear Family,

Welp, talked to you yesterday haha so I dont have a ton to say really except I have an investigator who is EXACTLY like Uncle Greg, like serioulsy exactly like him only he speaks spanish. I didnt know what to do, I was just like...what is this? haha. 

Also, today I met someone with the last name Bullough, an hermana, and it turns out she is a cousin of the Bulloughs from our ward! It was so crazy! And in her mission is an Elder Roach who has family in a stake in Indiana. It is a small Mormon world.

So Ill share with you a short thought. The mission has opened my eyes to a lot about myself. Like I am learning so much that I didnt even realize that I did. Some things I like, others not so much, but its interesting because soemtimes it makes me feel really down, but I read this scripture Ether 12:27 and its a scripture that I have always liked but I read it in a new way. The only way that we see our weaknesses is when we are closer to God, so when we see the things we are doing wrong, its because we are coming unto Him and getting closer to Him. So really, its a good thing, as long as we are willing to change. Change is hard, but it is possible! 

Also, with my spanish I have learned that I just rely on Heavenly Father, knowing that He will help me and He does. And I have to do that now with every single aspect of the work. I mean I was before, but with training, even more so. I am really just trying to grow my faith and get rid of all of my fear and doubts! 

Love you all! Hope you had good mothers days!

 

Not sure, but looks to me like she is just posing!!!!! LOL

4/28/14

Okay well first off I have to start with some worldly things haha. I was eating in walmart the other day (it has a cafeteria...will never be going back there haha) but anyway discovery channel was on and I wasnt watching it persay but I did happen to see on their commercials that there are several new shows...are you watching them? haha. Also, i have decided that at times the mission is like going to open houses. You go to peoples houses to talk to them and they give you food. And I remember those days I just went home with a giant food baby and thats about everyday here, especially because theres an elder that we share the ward with who is going home on wednesday so a bunch of people invite him to eat and us too so we go and its so much food! haha

Onto a more spiritual note. We have this investigator and I mightve told you about him. His name is Jorge and he is a journalist and he is super duro, terco, i cant remember the word in english right now, forgive me. but anyway so the last couple of lessons he keeps relating his life to us and everything that happened and he has passed through some crazy, awful stuff, and he starts crying and then i start crying haha. But the last lesson was super spiritual because he said hes afraid of starting to find God again because everytime he makes a real effort, bad stuff happens, and hes afraid of losing his daughter and his mom. I was able to bear my testimony to him of eternity and how we have the ability to be able to be with our families forever if we do what were supposed to do which is the basis of everything I do in my life and it was one of those lessons that I wont ever forget. The spirit was there super strongly. I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have of the plan of salvation. It truly is an anchor to the soul. He came to a baptism on Sunday and my comp invited him to baptism to which he said he would pray about it. We will see what happens the next lesson.

So Hugo got baptized on Saturday!! Wooh!!! Well the baptism was supposed to start at 2 but he didnt show up until 4 haha....so. But a little girl from the ward was also getting baptized that day so they went ahead and had hers at 3. And then on Sunday the elders had a baptism in the morning. It was super awesome to have the baptisms like that in a row because it was something I needed. Everything we do here is for that moment. The rest are only steps to get to that moment. I loved the spirit that is always in the baptisms! But Hugo gave his testimony at the end and was like Satan didnt want me to be here today, he put a lot of obstacles in my path but I made it here, even if it was 2 hours late. He said he felt an emptiness in his life that was filled when he started coming to church. I am grateful that I get the chance be here and experience these moments with these people.

Love you all, have great weeks!



4/21/14

Okay so this week was the Semana Santa and so all of the members were like its going to be so hard, you poor things and it was just like...thanks haha. But our zone leaders were like no, you guys are going to have a good week, a week of success. So i think I told you that last week they set the goal of 18 news and we found 19! It was a pretty awesome to see that when we tried to keep our spirits up that we were able to have a successful week despite the fact that seriously, all of our citas fell haha because no one was at home. They celebrate easter for an entire week and all go to the beach and what not, well if they have money. My area here, we have people with some serious pisto (money), like they live in gated communities where you can only enter if you have a cita with that person before hand. There are several places here where we have to give our copies of our passports to enter, but then we have the poorer parts too.

So on Saturday we called our investigator that is bgetting baptized this saturday (wooh!) but he didnt pick up. and then our phone ran out of minutes (seriously idk what it is about guatemala but nobody ever has minutes on their phone) so we couldnt call him more. we left the house early and went to bring him to church but nobody came to the door. It was disappointing because we were doing everything we could, but nothing, so we get to church and I am just sitting there silently praying that he will come. And a minute into chruch starting, I see him booking it on his little bike and I cant tell you how happy I was! It is seriously the best feeling ever, knowing that another child of God is coming unto Him through baptism and ahhhh!!!

We watched a video on Wednesday about the Atonement and missionary work and I love it. President Eyring said that everytime he thinks about taking a well deserved break, He thinks about the Savior and how even after He died, He preached in teh spirit world until He was resurrected. And President Holland says that missionary work isnt easy because savlation isnt a cheap experience. Why would we ever think it would be easy for us when it was never easy for Him? I loved it because I am proud to be a representative of Christ. I am happy for all of my trials as a missionary and a person because it helps me to understand Him better. I know He lives and I know thorugh Him we can gain exaltation. I know He has given us the way to gain that.


I love you all have great weeks!

4/14/2014

Okay, so I just want to tell you about yesterday!! So we have this investigator who will get baptized on the 26th!! and he is so awesome. His name is Hugo and he has 20 years...okay thats spanish...hes 20 years old. But he has been coming to church but we needed someone to be his friend because well, yes, its just a necessity. So we stumbled upon this member family where every single member is a returned missionary and we had a family home evening with them! It was so amazing!!! The spirit was so strong and they taught the lesson so he could be friends with them more and also we had a less active recent convert who is 18 come with us and it was good for her too! And okay, it probably sounds dumb to you guys because typing it out doesnt make as much sense, but i promise you that afterwards, i couldnt stop smiling because it was just so great for him and her! And also, the rest of the day had been kind of bad, most of our citas fell and so we werent really able to work as much as we had planned but then it ended in that and it was so good! So get involved in the work and help the missionaries!!

This week is called Semana Santa and i think its mostly a Catholic thing but everyone who is christian celebrates it. Most people leave town for the whole week to go to the pools or the beaches and yeah. So its one of those weeks when people are like, well this week will be a bad week, but our zone leaders were like no. If you dont believe that this week will be a week of success, then you arent showing your faith, youre doubting. They prayed and received the revelation that we should find 18 new investigators this week. It was super cool because the spirit was there and I just know this week is going to be an awesome week and despite the fact that most people will be gone, we will have a lot of success, but we will have to rely on God so much this week! Well, every week we have to do that. I am just excited.

Well, not a whole bunch else happened that I can really think of, but I hope you all have some great weeks!!

Oh, I have decided that since we are all Gods children, God must be very stubborn because all of His children are haha, including myself, but seriously. He has got to be so stubborn haha.

4/8/2014

Dear Family,

OH MY GOSH THIS WEEK WAS SO FLIPPING GOOD!!!! okay, ive calmed down, but it was. We had interviews with President and it was so amazing. I was able to be very open with him and I felt the Spirit so strongly afterwards. I know he is inspired of God. And then conference. Oh heck it was so good. If you guys chose not to watch it, I am practically pleading with you to go back and watch it online. It was so good. The talk by Elder Uchtdorf about us being eternal beings. It just makes so much since yet I had never thought of it like that at all. We are eternal beings. We are children of God. We knew all about this life before and chose to come here and we can all be together again after this life. Thats why its so important to use this time which leads to the next thing that i loved. This is our time!!! This is my time. Today and not tomorrow. Its incredible and I want to use my whole time on this earth to do whatever I can for the Lord. Ah, I am so excited haha. And then when President Monson almost straight up said that He saw God right there. Or at least thats what I think. So cool. Prophets and apostles are real guys.

I got sick this week and I didnt want to stay in the house so I slept until like 10 and then got up and had comp study and we left and visited bishop and a less active and the lady was like you have the look of death on your faith...haha so we came back to the house and i slept for another 3 hours and a nice couple in the ward brought me stuff to keep hydrated and it was so nice!! and then we left in the night to visit again!

We have two fechas right now and theyre both about the same person. Both young guys who have thier answers already, but are scared of baptism. I am super excited to show the power of God through our faith and our prayers. I cant wait for that moment when they overcome thier fears and just say okay. I have faith, I know its true. Lets go. Only in spanish obviously. I know itll happen, just need to be patient.

I hope you guys have great weeks and I love you all!!!

Okay. SO this week was a lot better because well, we actually know where we are...mostly. We still get lost every now and then but not every single day for hours like before. Having actual directions is super nice. In zacap it was like...oh the house on the corner then you pass the dog and then theres a store and then theres some old guy that you can ask for me haha so yes.

Also, as a sidenote. I dont know whats gotten into me, but lately I have started liking doing the dishes and making my bed. I dont know what it is. Maybe liking is an exagerration on making the bed but you know, I do it and I dont like leaving it unmade anymore...I know...theres something wrong with me.

Okay so last night, our last cita of the week was so awesome!!! So this guy used to be a jehovahs witness and so we were like idk if this family will progress but they were nice so we put another cita and yeah. we show up last night (it had been a week) and this guy had read until ALMA in the bom!!! ALMA!! I have never read that much of the bom in that short amount of time. and he was like it impacted me a lot and i really like it and im going to keep reading it. We have an appointment with them on Tuesday. I am so excited. This area has so much potential and we have found some awesome investigators!!!

Just so you know, my car is all over this country. Like I see it all the time and every time I just remember that its not my car. But thats okay. And someone told me our last name is from the indian tribe sioux. So thats exciting.

Tell Grandma Sandy I said happy birthday! Also, i dont know when the temple open house is going to be but you guys need to go when it happens!! And also GENERAL CONFERENCE IS THIS WEEK!!! woohhooo! everyone go watch it. mom, ken, dad, steph, anyone who reads this. watch it. itll be great. go in with a question and it will get answered!!

I might have to move again. I hate moving so much haha.

Last story. Here, theres guatemalan time which is an hour later. We had a baptism that was supposed to start at 5 and started at 6 haha but the thing is the Spirit was so strong that it didnt even matter! This girl was so prepared. Apparently she came into the church one sunday and said im not a member but i would like to know how to become one. When we taught her the word of wisdom she was like oh i used to drink 8 glasses a day but then my boyfriend explained to me the dangers of it...so i stopped. We were like...alright then haha. but shes great.

Love you all! have great weeks!

March 24, 2014

Okay. Well. This week has been crazy. So like I told you I had changes, and it was so super hard to leave Zacapa, everyone was crying and it was so sad!! I love the people there and its hard to accept that I might not see them ever again, but hopefully one day I will get to come back, plus there is always heaven haha. But as sad as I was to leave, I am so happy with my new area.

Okay so we meet up with some other hermanas that had been outside of the capital and we are talking and im like heck yes, I will get to just relax for two days because my comp will know the area and I wont and I wont really know what Im doing, but she will teach me. Well they come up to me and theyre like oh hey, Hermana Wilcoxen and Venegas (she has only ever been outside of the capital too) good thing you came together! You are comps opening an area. We were just like what?! haha. I was pretty nervous because neither of us know the capital at all nor any of the investigators or members or anything. We were pretty lost for the first couple of days, but we are getting a lot better and we understand it a little bit more now haha...I think.

But the area is called zona Bosques and we are in zona 4 mixco if you want to look it up. My ward is called Nueva Florida and yeah, its great! It is a really big ward and the members have already started giving us references (good thing because street contacting and knocking on doors isnt working super well haha) and now the women in the ward can start working with us because before it was only elders. There are also a heck ton of returned missionaries here, which is good because they are really excited about the work! Our area is huge and we share the ward with elders which is really different, but we will get used to it.

I hope you all have great weeks! Love you :)

Fun in the Rain

 Eat here almost everyday

The boy reminds Ash of Ethan