July 11, 2011

Dear Mom,

How´s everything going back home? I can imagine that Jerri is exstatic with beau coming home today. Maybe you can be exstatic too and get it out of your system!! Fat chance right. And no im not calling you fat. I know you really well dont i.

Things are going good here. Im just trying to give as much as i can to the people here in the time i have left. The lady that we are suppose to baptize saturday is going out of town again so we wont be baptizing her until next saturday now. We might try for two others though if we can get them married. My goal is five more before i get home and im going to get it done.

So im glad to hear that you have been praying for me. I had felt this week like the fam had been slacking on fasting and praying for me and the investigators here so im glad to hear that its not true. I would like to ask you all though as im kicking it to extra gears as the time goes on if you will please do the same and step up your prayers so i can acomplish even more that would be greatly appriciated.

I still havent met my new mission president but i should this week so i will have more to tell you. From what people tell me he´s very spiritual and very focused so i know that he will help the mission progress greatly.

I was re-reading Alma 29 this week. I really love that chapter, espcially as a missionary. It is so beautifully written and expresses sincere desire to bless the lives of our brothers around us and help them return to our heavenly father. Verse 9 is one of my favorites ¨I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.¨

Im working hard but can give more and am going to give more. Im trying my best to handle all that i have to do. We´re working well with the members and i really feel like ive done a really good job to help unit the ward and strengthen it. God is helping me to grow greatly but i must not be content and must get out of my comfort zone to keep growning.

I love you all very much and am very grateful for all that you do for me. Remember to do the basics and to serve others every day.

Love,

Elder Vincent

PS I love the primary children in my ward.

PPS Heathe need to get his eagle!!!

July 4, 2011

Dear Mom,

Happy 4th of July!!!! Im hoping that you are all enjoing your vacation in Chicago. What have you done besides going to baseball games? What´s it like there?

Today we had a 4th of July pday in the zone. We cooked hambergers and hotdogs and played baseball, soccer and some other games. It was really fun.

Things are going good here. We didnt have a baptism this week but we have a couple schedualed for the 16th. We should have a good month. Im really hopeing and praying to finish big. Leave nothing ¨in¨ the field. I really want to baptize a family before i go home. We´re still working with Hna. De paz and she is going to be ready for the 16th. We have a bunch of really cool families that we are working with as well but its really really hard for the adults to keep their commitments. The kids are so sweet and awesome and do everything we ask but their parents impede their progress greatly. I wish they could see the importance of the gospel and love it as much as their children.

I also forgot to tell you that last week were our changes but i didnt have changes so i will be in Lo de Fuentes one more change with elder phillips. Im stepping up my game even more even though i dont know where its going to come from or what else i have to do. I just know that i am going to have nothing left when its all over.

Also this week we got to go give service at a school with the ward and i love giving service so i was having the time of my life. It was fun to work with the members to help bless the lives of others in a different way. We also went to a member baptism this week of a kid named aldo. His older brother (Hector) got back from his mission on thursday and baptized him. He was also called as our ward missionary leader on sunday so we finally have one!!!! We were able to bring alot of investigators to the baptism so that was great and lots of people showed up. It was very enjoyable.

So now for a surprise. After the baptism the celebrated the kids birthday and they had a clown and wouldnt you know but it didnt scare me. I actually enjoied watching it while we were waiting for some members. It was really funny. Man how ive changed right.

Also this week i had an encounter with a dog and to make a long story shoot i busted my old school football moves on it and went sand lot and jumped over the dog as it ran at me and then i striaght jumped over a gate that comes up to my armpits. I wish i could have got it on camera!! My comp said it was really cool though.

Well i love you all very much and i want you to know that i love what i am doing! I know this church is true and that through the gospel we can become an eternal family. Work hard in all that you do. Reach your goals!

Love,

Elder Vincent

June 27,2011

Dear Mom,

First off i love you very much and am very very grateful for all the you have taught me in my life. How are things in the good old M-T? Great im guessing.

Things are going great here though it was a crazy week. I enjoied working hard in doing some different things. We get our new mission president this week and there was alot we had to help get the mission ready.

This week i was able to return to Carolingia (one of my old areas) and show the elders there some old investigators that we were teaching there. As of right now they have started re-teaching two families i was teaching. One is Maria del carmen who i told you husband was kidnapped and murdered. I really hope shes ready for the gospel now. I was also able to see many of my converts and members and motivate them. It was awesome to see the progress that they have made. I was able to visit brandon pidir and his family and they have grown alot!!! Especially the little girl brianna. There are so many people here in Guatemala that i love.

We were able to have one of our baptisms this week. Hno De Paz. It was so sweet and felt so good. The wife had to go out of town and couldnt be baptized but he said he wanted to get baptized anyways. He said that he had waited long enough and that his wife can get baptized next week and maybe he can even do it. They first started listening to the missionaries about 8 years ago off and on and an elder that was here in the area a year ago came and baptized him.

We are working with some other great families right now. One that i really really special is the Guerra Hernandez family. They are so awesome. After the first lesson the wife said she prayed and recieved here answer that joseph smith was a true prophet. Their son samuel is incredibly smart to. he helps explain everything to his family (he´s only 11!) The little kids are awesome as well. Im especially in love with paula. she´s such a specialy little girl. Please pray for them. I want to baptize them!!!!! Im going to baptize them!!!!

I love you all very much. Please keep working hard and remeber the importance of the little things!!!!

Love,

Elder Vincent

PS. Im wearing my transformers shirt today! haha i know im a nerd but im probably the coolest nerd ever!!!!

pray for

fam guerra

fam saravia

fam de paz

fam blanco

fam aparicio

and that we can find new families!!!

June 20,2011

Dear Mom,

How are you doing mom? How´s life been treating you? What have you been doing with your time? Im guessing that you are pretty excited to go to Montana. Its a great place to been to relax. I have many great memories of montana. So what did you all do for dad for fathers day? They celebrate it here too but i think that it was on friday?

This week went really well but at the same time it wasnt my easiest week. Thats ok though b.c. it helps keep me on my toes and not get complacent. We werent abelto have the baptism this last week but we have it planned for this saturday and i know its going to happen this time.

We have also lately been focusing alot on talking to as many families as possible and it has shown incredible results. Last change i was fighting to find a hand full of new investigators in a week and now by talking with every family i see we are finding new families daily. We started teaching a family this week that i contacted a while ago in the saravia family´s house but we hadnt gotten an opportunity to teach them yet. All i have to say is that they are awesome. They are the Guerra Rodriguez Family and have 4 incredibly cute little kids. Especially the little 6 year old girl paula. The mom said she already prayed and got here answer that Joseph Smith really saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and the oldest son Samuel, 11 (super smart) said that he did as well. He said he just kept praying and praying with all his heart until a great peace came over him. They even invited us to eat dinner with them last night which was a huge act of kindness. The grandma was teaching us more Qui-che all night too which was really cool but its so much harder then spanish. She was sick and we were able to give her a bless and the spirit was incredibly strong. After trying to learn qui che and feeling the spirit so strong, i thought the spirit was taking over and was going to make me speak qui che in the blessing but i only spoke in spanish i think, haha. It was really cool though and after the blessing she blessed us and thanked us for coming to bring the gospel to her family and for helping them all. They are going to go to a family night with us tonight so hopefully i can take pictures. The only problem is that we have to get them married but we´re going to get it done.

Also in contacting families i found a house with about 10+ little Guatemalan girls and it was like a dream come true to me. They are to Lorenzana family and are really accepting but we need to help them escape the bonds of evagelical roots. The grandma had a stroke last we and we got in to the house through her when i was on divisions. She´s doing alot better though which is good. I really suprised myself this week when my comp left the area of how much i´ve grown and how comfortably i can talk to the people now. It just feels natural which wasnt a truth before the mission.

I was able to go a give a baptismal interview this week to a man in another area and it was really cool. His wife and kids are active members and he has alot of family members that are members of the church but he had had a rough life and hadnt made some very smart decision. It was incredible to see the power of the atonement in his life however. He has changed completely and is focused on being the best person and father possible. He said the change came mostly b.c. at work in his lunch hour he use to take a nap but he took a book of mormon one day and decided to read it instead of sleeping and he´s been doing it ever since. He said the book of mormon helped him make the change to be more of what his heavenly Father wants him to be. The book helped gradually change him until he made the decision to get baptized. It was great to be a witness of repentance and the power of the atonement and declare him ready for the covenent of baptism.

Some other news is that elder clark baptized a young man in one of my old areas (carolingia) on Saturday. It was a reference that he gave to the missionaries there. I didnt get to go even though its in our zone but im sure it went really well. I think he leaves Guatemala in the next week or two.

Just thought i would also tell you a story from the week I´ll make it short though. So i contacted an evan lady on the bus and she was pretty crazy. I just started talking to her and she was shouting and telling me didnt like the church and what not. I just talked to her casully and it got to the point that i asked her what she thought god wanted her to do. She said love god and her fellow man. I then asked her if she loved me. She said i love everyone! (waving her hands crazily around in the air) then i asked her is she love Christ and me enough to allow us in her home one day to share a message of Jesus. She said. No. Kind of sad. Atleast she didnt hit me though. I thought i was gonna have to through down on a sweet little old lady in the bus. Just joking but it was a funny story to tell.

I love you all very very much and am very thankful for all of your prayers and especially for the prayers of the people here in Guatemala. Work hard and remember that i love you. I know this church is true and that christ lives. Dont miss me too much.

Love,

Elder Vincent

Ps make sure heath gets his eagle done. Please please talk with dad and eric about where is should live.

people to pray for.

Family de paz

Guerra Rodriguez Family

Lieva Family

Lorenzana Family

Familia Saravia

Blanco Family

Aparicio Family

June 13, 2013

Dear Mom,

How are you doing? Its good to hear that things are heating up there. Things are going good here. We didn't have our baptisms this week but we´re shooting for this Saturday. I am working really really hard and my comp is too and we are working smart as well (working with the members). I know that we may not be having as much success as i would like as far as baptisms but we are doing some great things (especially in helping the ward adjust to a new bishop and with helping other missionaries) and i know that the efforts are not in vain and that God can magnify my efforts far beyond my own ability.

We are working with the saravia family (that called you and the little girl in the dress with me in the picture i sent). And they are really really special. They have come a long way but they have been having a hard time lately b.c. the dad that has lived in Las Vegas for the last 8 years (hasnt even met the youngest daughter) in evangelical and has told them that they cant get baptized and that they cant even go to church with us any more. He says that if they get baptized it will be the end of their family and that he will no longer exist to them and wont send them money. Its been really hard for them b.c. they have a lot of doubts now. I know that they know that the gospel is true but they are filled with fear. The mom says that she doesnt even care if he ever comes back but that she just needs the money he sends them. Its really really tough but we´re going to keep working with them every once in a while and fast and pray for them. I know that they are going to get baptized. I just dont know when and i hope they dont miss their opportunity.

Also this week my Elder Phillips went on divisions with some members to teach the husband of a member. He was born and raised in Korea and speaks broken spanish. He goes to a korean christian church here but i think that its mostly just a social thing so he can talk and socialize with people that speak his language and understand his culture (there are actually quite a few koreans here). Were going to back this week and eat Korean food with them (he wont eat guatamalan food) and hopefully it goes well. You should tell page and see if she can email some pictures of korea that she took. I dont know what part he´s from but i´ll find out.

This week we also helped with the baptism of a little 8 year old girl who´s parents we´ve been helping to stay active. Her name is Jasmin and she is such a special little girl. We did a family home evening with them last week and she had alma 32:21 memorized to teach about faith. She is also very caring and after here baptism she was getting chairs for everyone and cleaning up and looking after little kids. I gave her a CTR ring and one of the bunnies you send me for easter and she was very very grateful. She even brought the bunny with here to church. After i gave here the stuff she kept looking at me with a big beautiful smile on her face. Well if you cant tell im absolutely in love with the little girls here in Guatemala and i really dont know what i´ll ever do without them.

Well i love you all very much and i am very very thankful for all of your thoughts and prayer. I am working to be a better missionary every day. Work hard always. Oh and also make sure heath gets his eagle.

love,

Elder Vincent

Pray for the De Paz family please.

June 6, 2011

Dear Mom,

How is everything going back home? Is it going to snow again this week?? haha. How are you handling the end of the school? Not to stressful?

Things are going great here. The hardest thing right now is that there is not enough time to get everything that we want to get done. Its tough. There is so much that we need to do and there is just not enough time. We are trying to do divisions as much as possible (everyday if we can) so we can work double time but it still seems like there is not enough time. There is so much that we need to do. There are so many people that i need to help but im just going to do my best every day. My very best and then seek to improve my best daily.

The De Paz Family is doing really well. We´re hoping that we can get them baptized this saturday or the next. They passed the interview with president and now we just have to help the testimony of the wife grow as far as that we have a true prophet and that he is the only person with all the keys of authority of the priesthood on the earth. We had a good lesson with them yesterday though and we and going to do everything to help them keep progressing. They need to get baptized. I need to help more people get baptized. I have to baptize more.

This week we also had a meeting with Pres. Alvarado and some of the missionaries and it went really well. We talked alot about how to help the mission get better. I learned alot about how to be a better leader and get the best out of others. We talked alot about the importantance companionship study every day. Its so important to study the gospel together and prepare so that we can really help others to change their lives. However the first life that we have to change is our own and that comes from studying the scriptures.

We also got to go to the temple this week and it was awesome. I am enjoying going to the temple alot more. I feel more comfortable. The first few times were a little overwhelming but now i am coming to understand the true importance of having temples on the earth and how they are a place of peace and as the scriptures say a place where we can comune with god.

I love you all very much and am very appriciative of your prayers. Please pray for the people here in Lo de Fuentes.

Love,

Elder Vincent