We had divisions this week. I was with, for the first time, a gringa with less time than me! It was weird and very awesome. Her name is Hermana Knudsen. She´s from Utah. And is fantastic. It was a blast being with a gringa again and being able to help her with the language a bit and give her some support, etc. We got to teach one of our investigators in English actually. It was incredible.
We´re doing great here in San Pedro.
I´m really sorry for this short one... no time.
Love you all!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Feliz Dia de Cariño/Feliz Dia San Valentín!!!
I was in the States yesterday... les explico... We got a call Sunday night saying that we had to be in the cap at 7:30 am the next day, because Hermana Garcia had to sign some documents for residency (or something like that). We left the house at 5:15and didn´t get there until 8:30 (I hate traffic... I haven´t had to deal with it AT ALL in any of my areas...). Those are just little sidenotes.. the real deal is that there were a group of 10 ish newbies that had to sign, but that had to go to a government place to do it, and we (their companions) had to stay behind in the office... or so we thought at first. We were going to have to wait for more than 5 hours... so they secretaries told us that we could go to the mall instead!!!! It was awesome. Hermana Winder´s (one of my comps from the CCM) comp had to be there, too, so while our comps went to sign... we went to the mall ;) Bad news... I hadn´t brought any money, because they hadn´t told us beforehand, and we don´t like walking around in the big city with a lot of cash or credit cards... But it was weird... Don´t worry... I knew Hermana Garcia was going to be way jealous, so I bought her a few nicnacs with the little money I had for Vday :)
We were visiting an investigator family for the second time on Sunday. We asked them if they had prayed to know if what we shared was true, if José Smith truly was a prophet... Nereda (the mom/wife) surprised us with a very upbeat
"Well... hermanas... I did! I asked and I got an answer..." You better believe that at this point we were almost jumping out of our seats.
"Really? And how did you feel youP answer was." "Well, he told me that it was good and that I should keep listening." We congratulated her and started talking about how asking God and not cualquier persona is the key to finding something out for yourself and then she said..."Well, I didn´t ask cualquier persona, sino someone really close to the things of God..." What!?!?! Yep.. my hopes fell down real quick... but we were grateful that she didn´t ask someone that would have told her to stop listening to us... hahaha.
Love you all! Don´t be baggy!
We were visiting an investigator family for the second time on Sunday. We asked them if they had prayed to know if what we shared was true, if José Smith truly was a prophet... Nereda (the mom/wife) surprised us with a very upbeat
"Well... hermanas... I did! I asked and I got an answer..." You better believe that at this point we were almost jumping out of our seats.
"Really? And how did you feel youP answer was." "Well, he told me that it was good and that I should keep listening." We congratulated her and started talking about how asking God and not cualquier persona is the key to finding something out for yourself and then she said..."Well, I didn´t ask cualquier persona, sino someone really close to the things of God..." What!?!?! Yep.. my hopes fell down real quick... but we were grateful that she didn´t ask someone that would have told her to stop listening to us... hahaha.
Love you all! Don´t be baggy!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
I love the mission... (February 7, 2012)
Well, we had a great week. Sorry about the delay in emails, but we had interviews yesterday, so our internet time was changed to today :)
Don´t worry... Dad´s given me chicote for not being a good communicator... here goes ;)
I adore La Antigua. Hermana Garcia and I have been trying to take as much advantage as possible of all of the great places to see, eat, etc.... and at the same time, trying not to look like tourists :) When we come back to visit... I´ll know all the great places to eat. There´s even a chocolate musuem!
I´ve also answered a question of my own that I have had for a very long time. I never understood how it was that all the gringos could adapt so much more easily to the food here (maybe not health-wise, but actually liking the food) than the latinos. It´s because in the States we eat so much of everything... we eat chinese, mexican, italian... everything food! I don´t know.. it´s just a small thought, and not always true, but it´s a little of what I´ve found with some latin missionaries here.. some can be so incredibly picky and not like the food of a country that is 2 hours away from their house.
Things are going great with Hermana Garcia. I love having little flashbacks and realizations and enlightenments that have to do with the time that I was being trained with Hermana Wetzel. I am still so incredibly grateful that she was my mom. She´s a legend. President Brough even mentioned her randomly in a zone meeting yesterday.
We are working with a few young men that are our age (with much cuidado! don´t worry). It´s actually a great story.... remember the men that I mentioned a couple of months ago that always said stupid, offensive things to us when we walked by? Well, we´re teaching two of them... haha. And we actually got a reference from a different one that is actually turning out to be pretty positive, too. The two that we are teaching are brothers, Byron and Walter. Byron takes things lots more seriously and actually has a good amount of interest in the Church and message. Walter is a bit more of a pest, but yesterday we had a great lesson with them. We were just teaching Byron at first, getting ready to challenge him to baptism, when Walter walked in, so we thought that we had lost our chance... but Walter actually expressed his thoughts and feelings about how he wants to change and stop sinning as much, but that it´s hard. We ended up challenging them both... we are hoping to see true and real changes in them.
The other one (the reference I just mentioned) is named Hector. He is from Guate, but actually lived in the States for more than 20 years, so he´s kind of an Anny case... he knows the two languages perfectly, but his strong point is actually English. I love having quick conversations in english (usually just over the phone... we teach in Spanish, because my comp´s English is a work in progress :))... and I love it!! I love missionary work in English! I love Spanish and can communicate just fine, but I just feel so much more free in English. But this time has also helped me realize the purpose I have in being on a Spanish-speaking mission and the Lord knows what He´s doing and does everything in a way to benefit us... but it ends up being our choice to let our situations effect us possitively or negatively.
We are also working with a great family. Familia Franco. They´re positive, but it´s just the same old story with our area... it´s real tough to help them understand. It´s just incredible how truly blessed we are to live in a country where education is so important and necessary.... Es una lucha... but we´re pressing forward and trying to be more patient and improve our teaching abilities.
Love you all!!!
Don´t worry... Dad´s given me chicote for not being a good communicator... here goes ;)
I adore La Antigua. Hermana Garcia and I have been trying to take as much advantage as possible of all of the great places to see, eat, etc.... and at the same time, trying not to look like tourists :) When we come back to visit... I´ll know all the great places to eat. There´s even a chocolate musuem!
I´ve also answered a question of my own that I have had for a very long time. I never understood how it was that all the gringos could adapt so much more easily to the food here (maybe not health-wise, but actually liking the food) than the latinos. It´s because in the States we eat so much of everything... we eat chinese, mexican, italian... everything food! I don´t know.. it´s just a small thought, and not always true, but it´s a little of what I´ve found with some latin missionaries here.. some can be so incredibly picky and not like the food of a country that is 2 hours away from their house.
Things are going great with Hermana Garcia. I love having little flashbacks and realizations and enlightenments that have to do with the time that I was being trained with Hermana Wetzel. I am still so incredibly grateful that she was my mom. She´s a legend. President Brough even mentioned her randomly in a zone meeting yesterday.
We are working with a few young men that are our age (with much cuidado! don´t worry). It´s actually a great story.... remember the men that I mentioned a couple of months ago that always said stupid, offensive things to us when we walked by? Well, we´re teaching two of them... haha. And we actually got a reference from a different one that is actually turning out to be pretty positive, too. The two that we are teaching are brothers, Byron and Walter. Byron takes things lots more seriously and actually has a good amount of interest in the Church and message. Walter is a bit more of a pest, but yesterday we had a great lesson with them. We were just teaching Byron at first, getting ready to challenge him to baptism, when Walter walked in, so we thought that we had lost our chance... but Walter actually expressed his thoughts and feelings about how he wants to change and stop sinning as much, but that it´s hard. We ended up challenging them both... we are hoping to see true and real changes in them.
The other one (the reference I just mentioned) is named Hector. He is from Guate, but actually lived in the States for more than 20 years, so he´s kind of an Anny case... he knows the two languages perfectly, but his strong point is actually English. I love having quick conversations in english (usually just over the phone... we teach in Spanish, because my comp´s English is a work in progress :))... and I love it!! I love missionary work in English! I love Spanish and can communicate just fine, but I just feel so much more free in English. But this time has also helped me realize the purpose I have in being on a Spanish-speaking mission and the Lord knows what He´s doing and does everything in a way to benefit us... but it ends up being our choice to let our situations effect us possitively or negatively.
We are also working with a great family. Familia Franco. They´re positive, but it´s just the same old story with our area... it´s real tough to help them understand. It´s just incredible how truly blessed we are to live in a country where education is so important and necessary.... Es una lucha... but we´re pressing forward and trying to be more patient and improve our teaching abilities.
Love you all!!!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
FOTOS!!
9489 - We just have the dad left....
9518 - 13 year old, very spunky and feisty and amazing Ingrid.
9437 - Washing in a public pila... I refuse to go home in 3 months.
9527 - Hermana Wetzel... do you like my shirt? To all, enjoy this, because I would never put this outfit on at home.
9536 - Everyone.
Jorge, the teenager that got baptized two weeks ago, baptized his mom and sister with the proper authority of God. He was so nervous and had to do everything a couple times over, but he did it and it was incredible!! They are an amazing family... we just have to really work with their dad... he doens´t listen to us at all.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
What will be my fate?
Well, we weren´t affected by changes. It was the most calm experience when we got the phone call informing us if we would have them or not, because we knew that with this new training program that we would stay together, but you can never know for sure! Now, however, I´m just a little bit conscious of how I will end my mission. This will be my fourth change in the area, and that training program will be ending, and Hermana Garcia is my third companion in this area. Ugh... we´ll see. It would be a little bit sad having to end in a different area where I would only be for 6 weeks.
We´ve been meeting some really interesting people who have shown good interest, but church attendance is always the true test, but we´re hopeful for this coming Sunday.
Have I mentioned how amazing people can be sometimes? We truly know amazing people in our branch. They are just so humble and always willing to do anything that is asked of them. For example, we are working with the mom of Jorge and Mario, Mercedes... she wants to get baptized, but is having a hard time giving up coffee. This morning we called her to talk to her about possibly getting a blessing of strength and assurance and she said that it sounded good, we called our branch president at 7 a.m. and said that he could be at her house within 20 minutes. That is just one example of many. It´s just such a relief to see those tender mercies of the Lord shown through humble people to make up for all of the disappointment and ridiculous things that one can deal with in a day.
Oh yeah... the other week, I got real, real sick with vomits and diarhea, but all is well now!! The Priesthood is truly the power of God held by worthy men of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Heavenly Father requires that we have faith... at times, that´s all He asks. As humans, we are so weak and can be very hard-headed, but He loves us and treats us with MUCH patience.
Don´t worry, I still haven´t gotten this whole emailing once a week thing down... I still sit down and draw a blank about what I should write about. Sorry. Oh and... I haven´t written in my journal since September... there is no time anymore! I feel terrible about it and know I will regret it (and already do), but I just don´t know how the time passed so quickly or how I got so far behind!!!
Hermana Garcia is doing great. She is honestly a hilarious fireball and I love her to death. She is so good at being straight up with people and getting to the point. At times, I can see that I am actually helping her with some things, but so often I find that I am the one that needs and is learning from her.
Hope all is well. As the mission goes on, my prayers get longer and longer, because I always try to pray for you all at home, for the mission leaders, for the people in my area, the people in my old areas, forgiveness, thanks for all the miracles and blessings that God gives, etc... And I just keep on getting to know more and more people and making more and more mistakes! So... I can´t imagine how long my prayers will be in about 50 years... and to think that Grandpa George always prayed for each and every one of his kids and grandkids, etc. I love that man.
Know that you are all in my prayers. Con mucho amor,
Hermana Marin
We´ve been meeting some really interesting people who have shown good interest, but church attendance is always the true test, but we´re hopeful for this coming Sunday.
Have I mentioned how amazing people can be sometimes? We truly know amazing people in our branch. They are just so humble and always willing to do anything that is asked of them. For example, we are working with the mom of Jorge and Mario, Mercedes... she wants to get baptized, but is having a hard time giving up coffee. This morning we called her to talk to her about possibly getting a blessing of strength and assurance and she said that it sounded good, we called our branch president at 7 a.m. and said that he could be at her house within 20 minutes. That is just one example of many. It´s just such a relief to see those tender mercies of the Lord shown through humble people to make up for all of the disappointment and ridiculous things that one can deal with in a day.
Oh yeah... the other week, I got real, real sick with vomits and diarhea, but all is well now!! The Priesthood is truly the power of God held by worthy men of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Heavenly Father requires that we have faith... at times, that´s all He asks. As humans, we are so weak and can be very hard-headed, but He loves us and treats us with MUCH patience.
Don´t worry, I still haven´t gotten this whole emailing once a week thing down... I still sit down and draw a blank about what I should write about. Sorry. Oh and... I haven´t written in my journal since September... there is no time anymore! I feel terrible about it and know I will regret it (and already do), but I just don´t know how the time passed so quickly or how I got so far behind!!!
Hermana Garcia is doing great. She is honestly a hilarious fireball and I love her to death. She is so good at being straight up with people and getting to the point. At times, I can see that I am actually helping her with some things, but so often I find that I am the one that needs and is learning from her.
Hope all is well. As the mission goes on, my prayers get longer and longer, because I always try to pray for you all at home, for the mission leaders, for the people in my area, the people in my old areas, forgiveness, thanks for all the miracles and blessings that God gives, etc... And I just keep on getting to know more and more people and making more and more mistakes! So... I can´t imagine how long my prayers will be in about 50 years... and to think that Grandpa George always prayed for each and every one of his kids and grandkids, etc. I love that man.
Know that you are all in my prayers. Con mucho amor,
Hermana Marin
Thursday, January 19, 2012
George got baptized!!
Well... Jorge and Mario got baptized. They´re brothers and we are currently working with their mom and sister, too. In the picture: Jorge is the one to the left of his mom, Mercedes (the woman in the bright pink shirt), and Mario to the right. The girl between me and Hermana Garcia is their sister, Ingrid. They are an amazing family. We are just praying lots for the dad/husband, because he isn´t so keen on changing his habits or life.
I have learned so much from Jorge in these past 2-ish months of knowing him. He´s 17 and has made so many changes. He was going to get baptized 2 weeks ago with Domingo, but had to wait because of some worthiness issues, but he made lots of sacrifices and has been so strong. A few days before the baptism, we were checking up on how he was doing with his goals and he was just beaming with joy the whole time. He has been working since he was 14 years old, repairing cars, so wasn´t going to school. Today he starts he studies. He talks about wanting to go on a mission. And lots of good stuff... I love seeing people change their lives and being HAPPY about it.
Have you noticed the same guy in all of the baptism pictures from San Pedro, and always in white... yeah, that´s Rafael. He´s our branch mission leader and is a rockstar. He basically does a ton. He is the one that introduced us to Jorge, who then introduced us to Mario, and the rest of the family a little bit afterward. Have I mentioned how essential the members are in the work of the Lord?
Can I also just mention how incredibly appreciative I am to know that the priesthood, the power of God, is here on the earth, held by worthy, faithful men? Miracles exist, but we must have the faith necessary. We are so incredibly fortunate to have an incredibly loving and merciful Heavenly Father whose goal is to bless us, comfort us, and help us return to Him.
All my love,
Hermana Marin
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Mas.... (January 10, 2012) 2 of 2
211 - Guatemalans go ALL OUT when it comes to Nativities. Seriously. It´s huge here. Almost every house has something more-or-less extravagant like this. Awesome, huh?
246 - Domingo´s baptism!! Not as many people could attend, because it was New Years and there were NO buses (have I mentioned that no one has a car in our area?). It was very peaceful and fun.
202 - Yep... that´s our branch president trying to give me bunny ears. And yes... I adore my area.
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