Week 99: ABDS: Anti-Baggy-Defense-System‏

We are just that much closer to the end ladies and gentlemen...and I'm still not sure on how I truly feel about it. I've just sort of slipped into a sense of casual neglect, a passive-aggressive shout out to the way I felt when I was going off to the mission: neither nervous or excited, convinced that the future was more of an idea than a reality.

Then...boom! It hit me. 

..that was two years ago, now I'm just waiting for it to sink in...but it's like trying to put a cookie-cutter on a piece of memory-foam, it leaves a mark but never lasts.

I guess you could say that's a good thing though, I have a built in anti-baggy-defense-system. 

We should call ADT Security Systems, this could be a huge breakthrough...

This week that just passed by was especially good because so many things happened that seemed to be out of the ordinary in my life and in the lives of my investigators.

As far as they go, here's the update:

Dayna: She's ready to be baptized on Saturday! She's 18 years old and is studying at a certain "underground association of English Teachers" (the very same that I got lost looking for with Elder Alvarez a year and a half ago) called Fumbal. We have been teaching her in the house of the Gordillo Family, who have been helping her a lot. She told us that ever since the death of her father she had been an Atheist....but her Mother had always encouraged her to go to a church and draw nearer to God. She lives currently with her Aunt who is SUPER catholic...but on Wednesday we had an awesome lesson with her about baptism and the need to have someone holding the proper priesthood authority. Dayna then told us at the end of the lesson that she had received the answer that the church is true. She said that she could feel that it was.

That, in and of itself brightened my day more than anything.

On Sunday she came to church with her mother, who we later found out is an inactive member of our church....and she was thrilled that her daughter was going to be baptized too.

Jorge and Evelyn: they are making plans to be able to be married in July so that Evelyn and her 8 year-old son will be baptized together later next month. They are doing great and were engaged yesterday.

Marlon and Andrea: they are about the same too, they didn't come to church on Sunday but they are progressing (slowly but surely!) Andrea has been reading and praying every day since we started teaching them.

That's where we are at right now with our investigators.

Life is doing great.

We also had an awesome conference with Elder Jose Alonzo of the 70. He did a tour of our mission and pumped everyone up to be able to go and baptize every last person in their areas. He talked about the "desire to baptize" that it wasn't just something that we had to think about...but that we had to want more than anything else in the whole world. That we should ask for referrals from EVERYONE, and that as we help invite people to come unto Christ, that that desire and that light will help them to resolve their own errors and repent for their sins on their own.

The next day he was with us in our Mission Council with all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. he helped us to have the vision to plan to baptize WEEKLY (or even, daily). I loved all the stuff he talked about, and the saddest thing to me was that I won't be in the mission long enough to see all of the results of the conference...

Oh well, that's life.

Have a great week everyone, I love you all!

-Elder Monson

A thought I liked from Personal Study: "The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty. (Sixty-first Semiannual General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890, Salt Lake City, Utah. Reported in Deseret Evening News, October 11, 1890, p. 2.)

It matters not who lives or who dies, or who is called to lead this Church, they have got to lead it by the inspiration of Almighty God. If they do not do it that way, they cannot do it at all. …" -Wilford Woodruf, Offical

Week 98: Now is the Time...‏

President Monson in the October 2013 General Conference said, "The holy scriptures contain no proclamation more relevant, no responsibility more binding, no instruction more direct than the injunction given by the resurrected Lord as He appeared in Galilee to the eleven disciples. Said He, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”3 Some of you here today will yet remember the words of President David O. McKay, who phrased the familiar “Every member a missionary!”

To their words I add my own. Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work."

That was back in the beginning of my mission when that was said, during my first transfer with Elder Hernandez, my trainer....and what I have found is that in good times and bad times, the instructions of the Prophet have never been more relevant.

These past few weeks I have felt stressed over the progress of my investigators...seeing many people who I have grown to love literally freeze in the face of temptation and persecution. What could have possibly been the answer to such a riddle?

Actually it was right in front of my face...we were working HARD (literally, harder than I ever have in my whole mission) but we weren't working very SMART.

The secret lies in overcoming self and working with the ever-available cavalry of members.

Member Missionary work was captured well by Elder Quinten L. Cook:

"I believe with all of my heart that we are on the threshold of the most significant missionary success to date.

Our challenge is to share the joyous, eternally significant gospel with our brothers and sisters so they can find peace and happiness and exaltation.

With this in mind, how can we be effective missionaries?

First: Be a missionary all your life. President David O. McKay (1873–1970) taught that every member is a missionary, and it is as true today as when it was first declared.

Second: Overcome feelings of hesitancy or inadequacy.

Third: Do not be discouraged because missionary work is hard.

Fourth: Be a good example and take every opportunity to share the gospel (see 1 Timothy 4:12)."

(Elder Quinten L. Cook, "How to Be a Member Missionary" New Era Feb. 2015)

This week we focused a lot more on working with the members and it worked beautifully. We were able to help Jorge and Evelyn and others (Marlon, Andrea, Rolando, Felicia) in a way that we never really were able to do before.

Case closed: Member Missionary Work is inspired by the Lord.

It may not be news to anyone but a larger focus on the work of salvation through Ward Leaders brings the greatest blessings from heaven.

Life's good.

Have a great week!

Week 97: As Sisters in...Utatlan?‏

Its a great day to be a Monson.

Honestly, when isn't it a great day to be a Monson?

With School out, a Sister Graduating with a bunch of scholarships (p.s. Happy birthday), a brother taking 2nd place on his computer programming championship, an older brother working hard in Sportsman's Warehouse and a pair of great parents who keep cheering us on.

...aren't you glad that Families can be Together Forever?

Today I am just honored to be a part of such a great group of people.

It's been a good week, a long week full of surprises and mistakes and miracles...which sounds like a day in the life of a Mormon missionary. We have been greatly blessed to be a witness to so much change in the excitement level of our zone. This past week the missionaries have risen to the challenge of bringing their areas to higher ground.

On Tuesday we had our change meeting. I was able to see a lot of great friends get going on their way home, Elder Walton, Hermana Diaz, Elder Hughes and many others left the mission practically empty and longing for more leadership. President Caffaro told us in the last mission council that it was time for everyone else to "step it up" and he was definitely right.

Our zone was officially deemed with the fitting title of "The Relief Society" because now we have 6 sister missionaries and 6 Elders here in the Stake. Among them are, Elder Taya and I in Castillo Lara, Elder Barker and Elder Galicia in Centro America, Hermana Bonilla and her "daughter" Hermana Artola in Kaminal Juyu, Elder Villanueva and Elder Mejia in Monte Verde I, Hermana Valdiva and Hermana Bazan in Monte Verde II and Hermana Garcia and Hermana Hernandez in Utatlan.

We've been invaded by the "Sisters in Zion."

But I would say that's a good thing!

Its kind of a small group, but I know that we are going to be able to do big things this change.

On Wednesday we had a Zone Council, which was run by my comp and I, we talked about contacting and the importance of being a "Flechon" or, "Exactly Obedient."

L. Tom Perry stated, "In Doctrine and Covenants 130 we read: “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— “And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20–21). Surely there could not be any doctrine more strongly expressed in the scriptures than the Lord’s unchanging commandments and their connection to our happiness and well-being as individuals, as families, and as a society. There are moral absolutes. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. These things do not change. In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its individual members. We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God’s commandments. We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence in the Lord’s consistency and perfect trust in His promises.

If there is anything that I have learned in my mission I feel like obedience would be it....I have gained a testimony that, if we want blessings we have to obey, there is no way around it. The commandments are there to protect us and to help strengthen us. Our obedience shows our love for God and our willingness to love and aid others.

So, that was good.

Also, recognizing the passing away of L. Tom Perry, I was very sad to hear about his death. I know with all my heart that he was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and that the gospel that he defended and preached is true. I know without a doubt that this is the only true and living church on the face of the earth, follow the council of the quorum of the 12 and the 1st presidency and the blessings will come...they will always come.

And always remember to "Clean the Corners." 

Have an awesome week....and a great start to the summer season!

-Elder Monson

Week 96: The Final Frontier‏

Its the first week of my last change of my second year of my 24 month-long mission.

That, in and of itself is cause to leave me surprised and confused. This is the very last part...the time to shine and everything, I have spent so much time thinking that this time would never come and now I'm all wrapped up and ready to finish up things with a "reverent bang" in the words of my little brother (he is so cool).

This past week we made the effort to go on divisions with all of the Elders in our zone (which sounds like a daunting task but...we really only have 12 missionaries in our zone and 8 are Elders...). But it was a good experience for me to be able to learn so much from all of our missionaries once again.

On Tuesday we had our district meetings and I was with Distrito Centro America and listened to Elder Barker's workshops about working with members and working on unity with our companions. It was good to be able to do a refresher on those two topics....what was really fun though was how at the end we played a game.

In the game we had to write on a piece of paper something that we wanted the other person to our right to do in front of everyone...so people started writing stuff like "Dance the Bachata" or "Do 30 pushups." Then Elder Barker read a scripture: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12).

The game was turned upside down and we all had to do the things that we wrote down for the other people.

Once again the golden rule won out.

So, I got out of the push-ups...but if there's a movie floating around Youtube with me singing "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" by One Direction in the next 10 years...I really brought it upon myself.

It was really a great week though, there were so many things that we were able to learn from our missionaries and I was really happy that we were able to see more people progress and see so many miracles during the course of our labors....

A scripture came to my mind during this whole week: "For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory." (Alma 13: 24). What I have really come to think about more is how the Lord doesn't truly need us to bring his work to pass...but he allows us to help him, it's like a father letting his son wash the car with him.

"That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." (Doctrine and Covenants 1:23)

He has ALREADY prepared the hearts of MANY people...and it is up to us to find them and bring them back into the fold.

We saw that a lot during this week.

On Sunday we had Stake Conference as well, and an Area 70, also a member from San Cristobal, came to speak. I loved some of the thoughts that he gave, touching on topics that we really needed to hear as missionaries and as members of the church.

I love this work, I love this church and I am so excited to see how The End begins...

Love you all! Have a great week!