Well... the other day on the bus I contacted a man with a great story....
He´s Jewish. He is also German.... but from like 6 generations back. He looks like a gringo, but has perfect Guatemalan Spanish, because he has lived here all his life. He also speaks Hebrew and German. His wife speaks all those plus English. I will just say that this never happens in Guate....
Also, we got a phone call the other day from Nacho Cabrera from Barcelona. I was convinced at first that an Elder was pulling a prank... but it turned out to be real. He had a reference for us.
I love the mission.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A couple pics...
5156 - Welp.... I said goodbye to Hna Ayala. She had to move yet again, so she was a bit sad, but she´s a great sport. This is her last change.. She´s with another gringa in the capital.
5155 - My new, gorgeous, tiny, incredible hija.
Hermana Garcia is from Ahuachapàn, El Salvador. She is 21. Her brothers, sister, and dad all served in this same mission. She´s been a member her whole life. And... she´s fantastic in every way. She just entered, but most of the time, I feel like I am teaching with someone that has a good amount of time in the mish. She is fearless and hilarious. She told President Brough before we got put together, that she wanted a companion that would kill her (as in... work so hard..). She´ll do lots of incredible and amazing things in her mission.
Monday, December 12, 2011
December 9, 2011 - email
Well... I´ll just confess that I will not be able to give a good amount of info about what has happened in this past week and a half... that´s a long time to cover... sorry.
Super pday: played and ate lots. Last night we saw (for the first time for 99% of us missionaries) the new pioneer movie by the Church, "17 Miracles." Wow... it´s incredible. Everyone must see it... even if you´re not a member of the LDS Church. They had an incredible amount of faith in Jesus Christ. They trusted in Him, His Atonement, and His promises. Wow. I just love pioneer movies and stories, because they´re true and life-changing. You know it´s powerful when you hear a room full of 20-ish year old men sniffling and crying.
We went to the temple this morning and it was so refreshing. I was able to think a lot about families and realize how essential they are to God´s plan. I need to re-focus my goals as a missionary. We need to find and help everyone... but the families are so so important. I was also able to ponder about the covenants that I have made with the Lord. I have a lot to live up to. The Lord expects so much, but really so little from us.
President Brough talked yesterday about the "privilege" to suffer (or at least what we think is suffering) for Christ and his Work. We really don´t deal with very much at all, but when times are hard, we must realize the incredible opportunities that the Lord gives us to grow, trust in Him more, see miracles, and receive blessings.
A few days ago, we were with Anibal and Jenifer. We were talking about faith (he has told us many times that he is a man of faith and that he believes that he has more faith than even us), when Anibal asked me," Hermana Marin, do you believe in God?" It was a little surprising, but I responded in the affirmative, of course, and he said, "Because I know that God exists, but sometimes I feel like you just believe that you believe." I was caught so off-guard and it actually hurt for a milli-second and then I got my head on straight, asked for the Spirit, and responded.... boldly. I told him that I know without a single doubt in my heart or mind that Jesus is my Savior and that God is my loving Father and that nothing could change that. I told him that if he truly had more faith than I do, then he should be able to give up drinking, because he would know that God can do anything and everything and that his faith would be enough. I truly feel like I felt, for a moment, Godly anger. I felt as if he was mocking God.....
Well, I´m out of time :)
Love,
Hermana Marin
Super pday: played and ate lots. Last night we saw (for the first time for 99% of us missionaries) the new pioneer movie by the Church, "17 Miracles." Wow... it´s incredible. Everyone must see it... even if you´re not a member of the LDS Church. They had an incredible amount of faith in Jesus Christ. They trusted in Him, His Atonement, and His promises. Wow. I just love pioneer movies and stories, because they´re true and life-changing. You know it´s powerful when you hear a room full of 20-ish year old men sniffling and crying.
We went to the temple this morning and it was so refreshing. I was able to think a lot about families and realize how essential they are to God´s plan. I need to re-focus my goals as a missionary. We need to find and help everyone... but the families are so so important. I was also able to ponder about the covenants that I have made with the Lord. I have a lot to live up to. The Lord expects so much, but really so little from us.
President Brough talked yesterday about the "privilege" to suffer (or at least what we think is suffering) for Christ and his Work. We really don´t deal with very much at all, but when times are hard, we must realize the incredible opportunities that the Lord gives us to grow, trust in Him more, see miracles, and receive blessings.
A few days ago, we were with Anibal and Jenifer. We were talking about faith (he has told us many times that he is a man of faith and that he believes that he has more faith than even us), when Anibal asked me," Hermana Marin, do you believe in God?" It was a little surprising, but I responded in the affirmative, of course, and he said, "Because I know that God exists, but sometimes I feel like you just believe that you believe." I was caught so off-guard and it actually hurt for a milli-second and then I got my head on straight, asked for the Spirit, and responded.... boldly. I told him that I know without a single doubt in my heart or mind that Jesus is my Savior and that God is my loving Father and that nothing could change that. I told him that if he truly had more faith than I do, then he should be able to give up drinking, because he would know that God can do anything and everything and that his faith would be enough. I truly feel like I felt, for a moment, Godly anger. I felt as if he was mocking God.....
Well, I´m out of time :)
Love,
Hermana Marin
Sunday, December 4, 2011
14 Months Tomorrow (November 28th, 2011)
I don´t understand how time is flying so fast! This change with Hermana Ayala has seriously felt like a dream. I´m scared that time will just keep going faster and faster.
Well, the next time I will write will be Friday, the 9th. President Brough is planning a Super Bday... two days long! He has assured us that it will be incredible and I know it will be... especially because the second day we are going to the temple in Guate! There are nine zones in the mission, so we will be doing it in pairs. Our zone, Chimaltenango, will going with one other zone.
Dad... I forgot to tell you last week that I received your package! Thank you thank you thank you. We are especially in love with our arbolito. Members and investigators always visit us while we are in the house... they come to the window and talk to us. Right now, we have the tree on the tree in front of the window, so they are always commenting on how much they love our decorations. We hope to put even more up!
Also, Grandma... I got your card, thank you so much! That was a nice, sweet surprise.
I just need to mention how much I love the honesty of all the Guatemaltecos... I can ask any person I know here, "Estoy engordando, ¿verdad?" and they tell me honestly and without vergüenza or hesitation, "Sí" jaja. What will I do when I get back to the states and no one tells me the truth, but they all think it!
The members here are incredible. So many of them have been sharing the Gospel so much. One hermana, Maria Elena, is constantly introducing us to her friends and sharing her testimony with them. Another, Rafa (Rafael), has brought his friend to Church twice and is really helping him learn and understand. He says that he wants be baptized. I´m telling you... the members are the key! We cannot see nearly as many people brought to the truth of the Gospel without the members.
The lucha is still going with Jenifer and Anibal. He didn´t drink for a few days, but then fell otra vez. She is so frustrated. She wants to be baptized, but she isn´t 100% convinced about marrying her husband. She is willing to do it, but the situation is hard and wants the best life for her and her children.
We are working with a widower, Juan. He is incredible. He´s around 65 or 70 years old or something and is so joyful!! He went to church for the first time yesterday and was so incredibly happy afterwards, when we went to visit him. He assured us that he would be going the next week.
We are hoping to have a white Christmas :)
Johana received the gift of the Holy Ghost and became a member yesterday! I love that girl. We are working with her mom, too, mostly by trying to get her to support her daughter more, but when it comes to coming to church there is always an excuse.
Have I mentioned how much I love my area... even if all the rocks kind of kill your feet and everyone claims to be hard-core Catholic... I imagine that my area is as close as you can get to a Rome, Italy, mission... ;) But, honestly, there are a good amount of Evangelicals, too.
Well, hasta el nueve de Diciembre!
Love,
Hermana Marin
Well, the next time I will write will be Friday, the 9th. President Brough is planning a Super Bday... two days long! He has assured us that it will be incredible and I know it will be... especially because the second day we are going to the temple in Guate! There are nine zones in the mission, so we will be doing it in pairs. Our zone, Chimaltenango, will going with one other zone.
Dad... I forgot to tell you last week that I received your package! Thank you thank you thank you. We are especially in love with our arbolito. Members and investigators always visit us while we are in the house... they come to the window and talk to us. Right now, we have the tree on the tree in front of the window, so they are always commenting on how much they love our decorations. We hope to put even more up!
Also, Grandma... I got your card, thank you so much! That was a nice, sweet surprise.
I just need to mention how much I love the honesty of all the Guatemaltecos... I can ask any person I know here, "Estoy engordando, ¿verdad?" and they tell me honestly and without vergüenza or hesitation, "Sí" jaja. What will I do when I get back to the states and no one tells me the truth, but they all think it!
The members here are incredible. So many of them have been sharing the Gospel so much. One hermana, Maria Elena, is constantly introducing us to her friends and sharing her testimony with them. Another, Rafa (Rafael), has brought his friend to Church twice and is really helping him learn and understand. He says that he wants be baptized. I´m telling you... the members are the key! We cannot see nearly as many people brought to the truth of the Gospel without the members.
The lucha is still going with Jenifer and Anibal. He didn´t drink for a few days, but then fell otra vez. She is so frustrated. She wants to be baptized, but she isn´t 100% convinced about marrying her husband. She is willing to do it, but the situation is hard and wants the best life for her and her children.
We are working with a widower, Juan. He is incredible. He´s around 65 or 70 years old or something and is so joyful!! He went to church for the first time yesterday and was so incredibly happy afterwards, when we went to visit him. He assured us that he would be going the next week.
We are hoping to have a white Christmas :)
Johana received the gift of the Holy Ghost and became a member yesterday! I love that girl. We are working with her mom, too, mostly by trying to get her to support her daughter more, but when it comes to coming to church there is always an excuse.
Have I mentioned how much I love my area... even if all the rocks kind of kill your feet and everyone claims to be hard-core Catholic... I imagine that my area is as close as you can get to a Rome, Italy, mission... ;) But, honestly, there are a good amount of Evangelicals, too.
Well, hasta el nueve de Diciembre!
Love,
Hermana Marin
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