Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Every Day is a New Adventure

Hello!! :)

Well i have to be honest, i shouldnt know my change but i do because of the connections my companion has. I guess its just all about who you know :) normally we would find out the monday night before changes (tonight), but my companion called the assitants and found out. They are putting sisters back in the area, and Im headed up to the mountains to a place called Solola and my area is Patzicia. Ill be learning Cachikel, a native language. Thats about all i know and im still in San Cristóbal for now, so thats where i need to stay focused.

Its kinda sad to know that you are leaving an area especially when you are just falling in love with the people. My companion said that thats pretty much the mission life. Right when you are finding success and feeling comfortable, the Lord in His wisdom makes a change. Pres Stiemle in the CCM said that when you are comfortable, you're not progressing, and i feel that he is very correct. When we are comfortable, often times we become complacent and that is a way that satan works on us, thru compacency. If we arent moving forward, there is only one other way we can go and thats backwards. We must always put our shoulder to the wheel and press along.

Kort thats great to hear about your successful match. Im proud of you, but like i just said if your not moving forward, your falling back. Always keep trying to do better and keep working hard. Zack, sometimes forfeits are nice but dont float on it. Move forward and work hard. You have to always work to the best of your ability because in the end you're the one looking back in the mirror and you cant lie to yourself, let alone youre Father in Heaven. He expects the most out of us in everything we do. Zackary, listen to your mother. She knows!! Trust me i've been there and girls are trouble. Get your grades up boy!!!

Thats great to hear that Kya and Mark are doing good and its good that he got to know the family, and that dad was in a good mood :) Its good to hear that Kirsten is getting married too cuz i dont want Gpa Bench counting on me for great grandkids like he said! There's plenty before me!!

We have been blessed in this area and yes we are having success getting some people to church. Yesterday we ahd 3 families :) How awesome! I love to see families in church because that is where happiness is found, when the whole family is working together in a great cause. We're still working with a family, moreso the father of the family, because he hasnt come to church yet. Its very hard for him to make the decision between work and church, because if he doesnt work, his family doesnt eat. The circumstances for some people here are very hard. Imagine working for 12 hours a day and earning maybe 2 dollars for the entire day. Thats how hard it is here. In my area i see both ends of the spectrum tho and that makes it even harder.

Well theses Chapines (thats what Guatemalan people are called) sure know how to party!! Yesterday we went to a party for an investigators child who was turning 1, and let me just say, it was crazy! The piñata was the best part because they have a piñata for the kids and a piñata for the adults :) they made us hit it. When the little kids where hitting the piñata, there was a mom who was near breastfeeding her baby and when the piñata broke open she was the first one getting the candy. It was probably one of the funniest things i have ever seen.

Well this week has been great and we are seeing success, but of course i have to leave the area. I have began to fall in love and now my hearts going to break, but thats the cycle of a missionary. Im so grateful for you all and i love you all.

Elder Turner

Monday, November 22, 2010

Coming Unto Christ

I have to admit it made me a little sad when you talked about the boys wrestling. I really miss it. This is the first year in 8 years that I wont be on a wrestling mat and it really bumbs me out. Especially cuz im getting chubby!! One of the sisters that was in my district in the CCM told me that I am looking a little gordo. I couldnt tell until she told me but now that i notice it i gotta start working out more!! Anyways, enough of my chubbiness.

I was thinking about it this past week and thats right that Angus is going out soon. Angus goes in i think the day that my companion goes out. Thank you for that quote from President Eyring mom. I am trying each day to really focus on the importance of my calling and the power i have to change lives. Its so true that as missionaries we have been called of God to be a mouthpiece, to declare His word and be a light to the world. I dont say this to boast but I know that the Lord has placed His trust in me and now it is up to me to do with it all I can. I made it a goal to make my mission mean EVERYTHING to me and as i serve diligently, the Lord is blessing me with the feeling to know that my mission is becoming everything to me. Thank you for being an amazing mother who has taught me the truth. Thank you for having faith in me and praying for me when I steered myself from the path because I have now tasted of the sweetness of the Tree of Life and desire that everyone must taste the same! Jeus Christ is the way and He will ALWAYS be standing there with open arms to recieve His lost sheep even until the last one comes. He is calling us, all we need to do is follow His voice.

Our investigators are doing good and progressing but the challenge is getting them to come to church. The two familes that are progressing are pretty humble so the dads are usually working on Sundays so they will be able to buy food. Thats the biggest challenge is getting them to come to church. Our other challenge is just finding families. I guess this is my taste of what it might be like to serve in the states because everyone in this area drives so its hard to contact people when they are driving by you. But the great thing is that no matter how hard it might be to contact people, the Lord blesses us with members who are willing to support us and give us references, and in fact one of these references just got baptized yesterday :) The first baptism :) Its so great to see people come to Christ.

Kort and Zack i need you to do me a favor. When you step on that mat tomorrow you be relentless. Like you have been coached, become a machine.

Love
Elder Turner

Monday, November 15, 2010

Today in Guatemala City

I was reading in Mosiah today, how Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah were converted to the gospel and i was thinking about the conversion happened. They were visited by an angel. Wow! how awesome would it be if we could all be visited by an angel and become converted to the gospel like the Sons of Mosiah and Alma the younger!? But I was then drawn deeper into the story. What really was the cause of their conversion? The prayers of their fathers. Because their fathers were praying for them the Lord in His infinite mercy allowed them to repent and come unto Him. The prayers of parents and those who are righteous can truly work miracles.

Ill be waiting for the package mom. Thank you so much :) You are the most amazing missionary mom! My companion says thank you for the package too. (hahaha he enjoyed sharing the rules that when you get a package, you share with everyone :) We have been getting along great and he has been teaching me so much in regards to the gospel and also in regards to life. He told me the other day that he is hard on me because he knows what potential i have and it reminded me of dad. We have people put in our life who have more experience to teach us so that we can be better and reach a little higher. In the moment i never understood why dad was so "mean" but now i know and i am so grateful for it. I wish i could be there to help out the boys sometimes because i know what it's like but now it's their turn to see what they will make of themselves. To see if they will work to the top or just fall to the side and quit like satan wants them too. Satan knows that if he can get us to quit something small that he will be able to work at us and get us to quit something big.

That's great to hear that you are working on the Ward Mission Process. Remember that it is revelation from our Father in heaven on how we can really feed His sheep. We're trying to get it started here in San Cristóbal and i know that if we do that's when were really gonna be seeing the fruits of our labors. Keep working to push it mom, I know you will see success too if you do :)

Oh man :( im gonna miss the Christmas program. I love singing those songs and feeling the Spirit of the Lord through the beautiful music. Christmas is gonna be different this year, but not too bad because me and Elder Hatch bought a Christmas tree and decorated it last week :) It's never too early to start the Christmas spirit!

That makes me so excited to hear that the work is progressing and that the Gilbert Temple is started! Here in Guatemala, the Quetzaltenango temple is getting closer and closer to being done and from what i have heard it will be dedicated in 2011. How amazing is it to know that the Kingdom of God is growing here on the earth!! I love the gospel so much. The gospel truly is the only thing that can bring happiness in a world full of sin and troubles. The Book of Mormon is amazing and so true. I dont find it the least bit ironic that it was composed onto plates of gold because it is the most precious thing that we can have and read and share with everyone.

This week has been great and i am loving every second of my mission. I know this is where i need to be and the Lord is blessing me for it.

Love
Elder Turner

Monday, November 8, 2010

Learning and Growing

Hello All :)

Well to start off, i have to be honest, this week was a little rough for me. There were a few days where I was just wonder what i was doing wrong or what do i need to do better and like you said mom, i realized that i just need to serve. I was too focused on me. I was struggling with the language and speaking and it was frustrating, and so i decided to pray for help. I got my answer. I was too focused on learning the language for my own benefit and trying to make myself sound more fluent to gain the confidence of people. I heard the Spirit speak to me and tell me that when i realize that im learning spanish so that i can share the gospel and not to be a native, thats when i will find success. So far the Spirit has been right and the great thing is, the Spirit will ALWAYS be right. Thank you for teaching me the importance of prayer, mom.

I know that the boys are having a tough time now because of wrestling but i can tell you that wrestling has helped me be a better missionary because i finished every season strong. I had coaches and a father who pushed me because they knew i could give more and i cant thank them enough for making me work harder. The boys will get there one step at a time.

Mom i got my greenie package!! Thank you sooooooo much!! it was uplifting to get that and have some candy to snack on :)

Well about the dogs, i havent had too bad of a problem. I only had one incident where the dog of the people living above us tried to attack me and i just kicked it and ever since then he has kept his distance. There are alot of nasty dogs around and my companion said that these are good looking dogs for Guatemala.

This week has been great and very helpful to my growth. Thursday we had a Zone conference with Elder Martino of the 70 and that was edifying. He told us that we need to step up our baptisms and focus on getting people to make and keep that commitment. Friday as me and my companion were walking home from the bishops a lasy who was driving by stopped to asks us when church was and said that she had been thinking about church all week. She is a less active who wants to start coming back to church and wants her family to come also. She came to church Sunday :) What a blessing that the Lord just placed in our hands.

The Church is true and i know without a doubt in my heart that this is the Lords church. The Book of Mormon is the most true book on the earth and by reading it anyone can come closer to God and Jesus Christ.

Love, Elder Turner

Monday, November 1, 2010

He really is in Guatemala!

Always a show-off... :)

This Week in Guatemala...

Hello :) Life is AMAZING. I couldnt have it better!! I am growing so much and learning so much everyday. I have seen blessings so much in these past two weeks that i have been able to recognize and i know that is because i am growing closer to the Spirit. We can truly learn so much when we center our lives on Christ and do as He said "come follow me."

Pinares, and Balcones are all part of my area, but i think you might get closer with Sector B-1. It took about 15 min to get to my area from the chapel where we did change conference so im not too far from the main "hub". And the good thing is, is that since my companion was in the mission office he is friends with everyone who has a car so the secretaries gave us a ride to the house. My intestines are holding up great and i thank the Lord for my health because i truly rely on Him to sustain me. This work is tough but I know that i am able to do all the things i have to do because it is the will of the Lord and He is counting on me. We have to ride the bus so much and Wyron and Danielle were right, they can fit about 200 people on a 50 person bus. The other night we were on our way back home and we go up a big hill to get there and the bus just shut off about 3 times (on the third time we just got off and walked cause it was faster).

The families we are working with are doing good and we are just doing the best we can to help them understand how important this is for them. One family in particular, not the family we commited to baptism, a different one, are doing great and we almost got the whole family to come to church, but the husband had to work. This family is very humble and lives in very humble circumstances so for him to not take the job wasnt even an option. It broke my heart because he really wanted to go to church but he had to support his family. Its amazing how satan works to keep families from the gospel because it doesnt even have to be something bad to pull people away. Like it says in the scrìptures, with a flaxen cord he will lead us away until he has us bound with chains.

Thank you Sumners and Gwinners, i love you so much and thank you for your support!! Last night as i was walking down the street at 8pm i realized that it was halloween and it made miss being with the family and kids but i knew that you were all having a great time and loving your candy :) They dont really celebrate halloween here because they dont understand the meaning or so behind it and they think we worship the devil on that day. kinda crazy if you ask me.

Mom i was wondering if you were doing anything in ward mission with the Mission Process? If not i think it is something the ward should really work on because it is revelation on how we can work more effectively, missionaries and the ward.

I love you all so much and i am so grateful for your support!! Serve the Lord.
Elder Turner