April 19,2010

Dear Mom and others,
This week was really really good. How did yours going? I had remembered that it had been 2 years since Matt died and that seems really crazy to me. I know he died doing the Lords work though and that being a missionary is the greatest thing ever. At least it is for me.
Its also crazy that Grandpa would be 90 this week. I know that i´ve never met him but in having his name i feel so connected to him. I know that you feel the conection as well. I am more greatful for my heritage than you can even understand. I owe it all to those who have come before me.
We had our baptism on Tuesday of the little kid Brandon. It was so awesome! I gave him a big hug after. He´s an awesome little kid. We went to his house after to have pizza for dinner and it felt realy good to have a family moment like that again. He can't be confirmed until this Sunday though b.c we had Stake Conference.
Stake conference went really really well. President Alvarado and Elder Clarke were there and President Alvarado was really happy which is good. He said it was the best stake conference he had been too. He was really really happy with us in our zone b.c we brought so many investigators and recent converts and less actives. Elder Clarke gave an awesome talk on the things we need in order to conqure satan. He used five stones from David and Goliath. 1. Obedience and a pure heart 2. Exceptional faith 3. Divine Help from the spirit 4.Preparation and practice 5. Understanding the power of God and his priesthood. - It went really well.
We also have 3 maybe 4 more baptisms planed for the 8th. Hopefully im still here. We´re having success but we need to work harder still and find more families.
The greatest feeling we can feel in this life is the Love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We should look for all the love he sends us in our lives and we should thank him continually for it.
LOve,
Elder Vincent

April 12, 2010,

Dear Mom and Others,
This week was really good. My companion got a little sick this week but we gave him a blessing and all is well. We baptized the little girl Fidelina and it was absolutely awesome! She was so happy. She´s an awesome girl her mom is a little specially and her little brother is handicapt and I don´t know whats really wrong with her dad but she helps keep everything in order with the family. She has trouble sometimes just b.c the way she´s been brought up and all the difficulties she´s been through. They´re super poor but are always so happy. I wish i could send you the pictures but from some reason they wont show up on the computer when i try to send them. Idk but its all good.
I Still love Guatemala. We have alot of progressing investigators here. I could see us having 10 baptizms here in our ward in may. I´ll probably get changed though but thats ok as long as they get baptized.
We ´ve been focusing on finding more families lately. I know that will lead to more success and help out the lives of many people and families for many generations.
We had a really good zone conference this week were we focused on faith. We also focus on not putting limitations on our potential. We talked about how we as humans put fake limitations over ourselves or the world or other people tell us we can do things and for some reason we believe them and dont even try. We are children on a God and therefor we should not restrict ourselves b.c God can do anything. I thought of 1ne 17 when we talked about that were nephi´s brothers tell him he´s crazy and cant build a boat. In verse 50 he¨s says God can do all things, if he commanded me to make the water in to earth i would be able to do it and then in 51 he asks them a question i absolutely love ¨How is it that he can not instruct me to build a boat-¨ I love that i can just see him staring them in the face ¨tell me what i cant do with the help of God! I can do it all. I need to have the same attitude here and know i can do all things and can baptize lots of people b.c it is what God has comanded me. I can and will make a difference here.
Im really glad you had fun in mexico at the beach. In taxisco at times i was like 5 minutes from the beach but i never saw it dang it haha i saw the ocean from the mountains though which was cool.
Im glad you´ll got to have such a cool expirience with so much family up at our house. Its always so much fun to be with all of the family cousins and what not. Really alot of my favorite memories are doing things with cousins over all of the years. Make sure to send me or email me pictures. Oh also for my birthday you can send me a USB memory stick so i can save emailed pictures on to it.
I love you a ton and keep working hard to share the gospel, You are the best mom i´ve ever had and never forget that. Dont forget to read john with me before my birthday.
Love,
Elder Vincent

April 5, 2010

Dear Mom and Others,

How are things going? How are you enjoying your vacation? Its it pretty cool there?

Things are really good here in Guatemala but the city was really really deserted for Holy Week. We got some good work done still though. We have one baptizm set for this week with a little girl from one of the poorest families in the world. Its really sad but she´s excited to get baptized. We also have 6 other people who have accepted our challange to be baptized we just have to set baptizmal dates for them. We are hoping to set all those dates this week and one more. We could really use your prayers so we can make it happen.

So i finished the Book of mormon too. It was cool to read it for the first time in spanish. There are still quite a few words i dont know but i understood everything which was really cool. So listening to conference we recieved a new challange that elder anderson gave us in the last talk. We are to read a study the gospel of John in the Bible so im challanging you to read it with me before my birthday as a birthday present to me, ok.

I absolutely loved conference. The last one i felt like they talked more to new members and investigators but this one was more the family and the parents. You all will really benifit to watch read and study these words of the holy prophets. They are our connection to the heavens. Since they were talking to parents alot and im not a parent yet i took notes for things that will help me when im a parent one day but i really tried even more to apply the tteachings to my present circumstances. I tried to apply myself to being a parent and my investgators the children. I learned alot about how to teach and help my investigators b.c of this.

I especially enjoyed Elder Wilford W. Andersons talk about the atonement bc it was almost exactly what i have been teaching on my mission and expecially and especially to one thick shelled investigator that we have now that went to that session. He said conference was just ok and that later he would tell me what he liked and didn´t like. It made me feel pretty sad. There is nothing bad about conference!!!! I also enjoyed Elder Martinos talk (he´s a 70 for central america and came and talked to us when i was at the ccm) It was about embracing trials b.c we need them and its our attitude that makes all the difference. These are two things I have been really focusing on the members i´ve been teaching especially less active so it made me feel good to think that i was maybe doing something right. I even tell investigators that i pray for trials everyday b.c i want things to be tough so i can have resistance and be stronger. More like my heavenly father.

So I have another specially birthday request but i´ll wait to write it to you until its closer to my birthday. Tell heath congrats on bball and i really hope that you enjoy your trip and are safe. Work hard to help others find our father i heaven. We are only selfish if we will not.

I love you a ton

Love,

Elder Vincent

March 29,2010

Dear Mom and others,

Things are really good here in guatemala. The new email is alot bigger so you dont need to save my emails anymore. You can just forward the ones you get from me to other people. I got ann´s wedding invitation this week which meant alot to me (the guy looks really nice). I also got the letter from Jackson which was really cool. Things I would maybe like for my birthday, first off letters from people, especially cousins who have served missions with experiences and what not. next for things to get me to just keep at home a new dog tag for the one i lost and the black football backpack from the highschool and a black football hat. Other then that idk maybe a small hymn book in english and books of mormon in italian and french and Pictures!!!! other than that i dont need much i just love to get spiritual letters.

This week was really good. My comp is getting nice and adjusted to the mission but he has a culture shock moment everyday. Im really glad that i got to go to the ccm (mtc) in guatemala. He´s really excited and motivated to be here which is really nice though.

This week our big acomplishment was that we followed the spirit to get the written permission from a crazy dad for a little girl to be baptized. Her name is fidalina escobar and we are going to baptize her april 10th. Her dad doesn´t know how to write his name so we just got him to write si (which means yes mom). She´s from probably one of the poorest families i´ve ever seen but she really wants to be baptized. Her moms a member.

This week I also gave a talk in church. They asked me to give a talk on mission work so I did that but focused on the real purpose of mission work, which is so that we can help others to use the atonement and how there are other our friends and family who are suffering b.c they dont have the understanding of testimony that we have. So we need to help them and show them how to release there burdens. I feel like it went really good but i don´t know if anyone listened except the investigators that were there which made it worth it. Its kind of crazy that me (quite little searle) gave a 20 minute talk in spanish. haha Im so glad to have a understanding and testimony of the atonement.

Im really happy about all the mission work that is going on back home. You´ll should really keep seizing this opportunity to share the gosple with so many missionaries out from our stake and especially our ward right now. Im really happy that mary is progressing. You should tell heath to tell her to write me a letter. Also invite as many people as possible to watch general conference.

Im healthy safe and happy so you should be happy. I love guatemala but i dont love how fast the time is going. I hope you have a ton of fun on your vacations and that you stay safe. I´ve been trying to write you all letters but we dont get alot of time. I should finish the book of mormon by tomorrow and hope that you all are close too. I love you a ton and tell all the cousins and friends i say hi.

Love,

Elder Vincent

March 24,2010

Dear Family and Friends,

First off im safe heathly and doing incredibly well so dont worry about me. Second, I only get one hour for email and a couple other hours to write letters. Its not as easy for me as you at home, but i hope you do enjoy what i send you and that you are sending them to others so they can benifit from what I write. If not it´ll make me sad that im not helping as many people as I possibly can. I did get your two pakages and thank you for the pictures and the other missionaries thank you for the food.

We had our transfers this week. I'm in my same area still and I'm training agian. This time an American from California. Elder Brunsvick. He seems like a really good guy and I really like his enthusiam. Now that I can speak spanish it feels weird to be with someone who cant though, his spanish is really good for only 9 weeks.

So we found this Jehovas Witness down here contacting the other day. There are alot of them down here and they are probably the hardest people to teach. They are kind of crazy. This lady was trying to show us up in her door. I'm not gonna lie I didn´t bring my best game but we listened to what she had to say for a while (she was just pulling out scripture and trying to show scripture knowlegde and what not) but after a while I was like ok now can we please share with you the messege of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and she said ok if it was in the Bible. I proceeded to share with her the first vison and she interupted and was like this guy isn´t in the Bible and I'm not going to listen. Then I told her true it doesn´t say Joseph Smiths name exactly in the Bible but it also doesn´t say Jesus Christ in the Old testament but does that make him any THe Savior of the of the world. She got kind of thrown off by that. We shared the first vision and testified and my comp wanted to contend but thats not my thing even though I'm money with comebacks I know the spirit is stronger. She then tried to got to go to scripture knowlege asking us all this lame questions. I told her I dont know all the answers to all the questions but I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet. She didn´t get it though but it was a good learning experience for me.

I also had another really cool experience this week with a Guy we are teaching named Manuel De Jesus. He was a reference to teach english but we´ve almost only talked about the gospel. I´ve challaged him to be baptized a couple times but he says he wants to wait but we´re working on that. He knows the church is true and said he will get baptized but wants a clear answer from God.

He also belives that my old comp and i were sent specifically to him because of our past experiences with my comps parents dying and the things I went through so he trusts us. I told him that he needs to see the same in respect to the Savior who understands his troubles even more then us b.c he suffered exactly for his sins pains and errors and that we were only representatives of us. He said he knew that but that when we left he probably wouldn´t go to church any more bc it was only us that brougt the spirit to him. I told him that that wasn´t right and that we were here only as representatives of Jesus and that he should go to church and get baptized for him b.c we are not representatives of ¨the church of the missionaries of the latter day saints¨ and that the Book of Mormon doesn´t say ¨Another testament of the Missionaries¨ on that cover and that he need to trust God more.

I also recieved a revalation on what the answer to his life problems were. It came to me that it was the same answer to my problems i had and i believe it is the answer to the problems of all. The atonement of Jesus Christ. I told him that a knowlege and really feeling of the power of the atonement changed and saved my life and that i truely believe it is the answer to his problems as well.

I told him that when i was suffering with all the pain and sadness that i went through that i didn´t understand why i had to suffer like i did but know i understand that i may have had to suffer like i did so that i could share with others and him the answer to all our problems. I told him that i may have just suffered so i could help him at this momment in his life. It was probably the most spiritual lesson of my whole mission.

Well i love you a ton and keep sending me letters and pictures. i´d love to have the one of heaths whitesox hair.

Love,

Elder vincent

March 1,2010

Dear Family and Friends,

So we should be about finished with Alma right now in our reading. Things are really good here. I didn´t feel the earthquake in chille here but i felt one here this week that was pretty big for me haha. It was cool.

This week was pretty good. I grew alot spiritually. My comp and i fasted this week and it payed off. We set two baptismal dates for the 13th of March. Im really excited. We are trying to set other dates as well.

Things are really good. I feel the love of the Lord everyday and am continually drawing closer to him. I can feel the love of my Heavenly Father so incredibly i just wish i was more worthy of it.

This week our Stake President came to our ward activity on wednesday night and talked about family relationships. I hope to write you a letter about it this week.

I dont have alot to say this week but will try to write you more next week. Know that God is with me walking with me and protecting me. I have put my life in his hands.

I love you a ton and please pray for me and for the people here. Let me know if i can help anyone.

Love,

Elder Searle McDede Vincent

February 22,2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Im really glad you finally got my package. Im glad you liked it too. I was really hoping you would.

This week was really good. We had our zone conference and the Stake

President from our Stake came and talked. He is such an amazing guy. He started being a steak president at 27. He is so in tune with the spirit. Then the new doctor/elder for central america talked with us about dealing with stress and staying happy. His name is Elder MacAurther and he's from Springville and served in Vietnam. Dont know if dad maybe knows him.

This week God really blessed us with new families to find. We found four really good ones all contacting. One of there kids have been coming to alot of the activities and they come with friends who wanted to go to church so we went and walked them to church. It was good preperation for being a dad trying to keep track of 5 kids all younger then 11 during sacrement. We hope their parents will come this next week. We also had one more investigator come to church. His name is Manuel and he's a really good guy.

The highlight of my week came Saturday and yesterday. We were walking back from dinner in the night Saturday and felt like we should take a way we normally dont go in the night. There was this lady with two kids and one of her kids was carrying a bag and without even thinking i asked them if they needed help carrying things. They said no but we talked as we walked and found out that they were coming back from visiting her niece who was recovering from surgery. She was born without ears and an lds doctor came here and did her surgery for nothing. They talked so highly of what our church does and how strong the youth are. We set an appointment to go back and meet with her last night and went our seperate ways.

We went back last night and it went great. We really got to talking and it went really well. Her story really touched me b.c it reminded me of you and your family mom. She has three daughters 12, 20 and 26. The oldest two are married and one lives with them and supports them b.c she is over 50 and no one will hire her for her age. She was also fired only b.c of her age.

It has just been the 4 girls and there families for a while b.c about 12 years ago her husband was kidnapped for a ransome b.c his parents had a big buissiness and this lady maria brought the people the money and so they pushed her husband down in front of her after she gave them the money and then they shot him twice in the chest in front of her. She was two months pregnant with her youngest daughter.

We talked with them about the plan of salvation and it went incredibly well. We explained that through the atonement of Jesus and the mercy and love of our heavenly father they will have the chance to live with their husband and father again. And that one day the youngest would be able to meet her dad. I shared your story and about how close i feel to grandpa even though i dont know him and how i love having his name. I told them how special they were to me b.c of how similar their story was to yours and that of our family.

They are so strong. She doesn´t go to any church right now but prays as powerfully as anyone. She said even though she doesn´t go to church she's never lost her love and need for prayer. Im really going to pray for them and these other great families that we've been blessed with. They are all so special to me and even more to our Heavenly Father. If they weren´t I would have never found them.

I love you all and hope all is well. Please pray and tell others to pray for me and these people. There is so much power in prayer.

Love,

Elder Vincent