Monday, January 31, 2011

Never Lose The Faith Because Of What You Don't Know

This week I got the package that you sent me for Christmas. Finally!! The pens came just in time as I ran out of ink in my last pen. The candy was great and the little toys and stuff too. Thank you so much for all of the Love and support that you have given me in these past months. Getting packages and letters really helps lift my, already lifted, spirit :) I love you all so much! I also got the package from Chloe too. Thank you all.

Thank you for sending out my birthday package too. I'll start praying for it now :) I'll be waiting for it. Thank you Chloe for sending the jump rope. Thank you for supporting her in the gospel. I know that the relationship that you have with her now will really help because these were my rough years and I imagine that they are rough for all. Keep inviting her over to spend time and support her please. I got another letter from Kort this week. Thank you Kort. I wrote back and will probably get to sending it tomorrow so keep your eye out these next two weeks for a little package.

KORT and ZACK: THIS IS IT!!! THESE LAST TWO WEEKS ARE NEVER GOING TO BE GIVEN TO YOU AGAIN!! DON'T LET YOURSELF DOWN BY NOT GIVING IT YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST.

This week was great with the two baptisms we had. The two boys that were baptized were happy kids, but after they received the Holy Ghost on Sunday, I could tell an even greater happiness was in them. I know that the baptism must be done by the proper authority or it is not valid. I know that in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints exists this authority, restored by John the Baptist. What a blessing it is to know that the Lord loves us so much to restore His power and authority, the Priesthood, to the earth so that we can minister the ordinances of salvation. I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration and that this church is Christ's church and that He guides it today. Never lose the faith because of what you don't know. Keep the faith because you trust in God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

¡Segid adelante con firmeza en Cristo! [Press forward with steadfastness in Christ!]

I love you all,

Elder Turner

Monday, January 24, 2011

Hello this week! It's hard to change companions when you begin to get comfortable, but that's why the Lord changed my companion. I was getting complacent and content when I shouldn't have. I know that with my new companion The Lord will help me learn in ways i haven't learned before. It's nice to know that the Lord does all things for the benefit of His children. I'm blessed to have humbling experiences that teach me and help me to become a better missionary and a better person.

This week, Thursday, The mission was blessed to have the presence of Elder Ballard. He came to the capital, and I am in the mountains, but as a zone, we rented a bus and went 2 hours from our area to the capital to hear him. It was great to have another apostle of the Lord speak to me on my mission. I came to realize, while Elder Ballard was talking, that i need to be more direct when i talk to people. I have to lose all fears and preach exactly what I know, and what the Lord has called me to preach.

It's great to hear that everything with great Gma Bench went well and that you were able to enjoy your time in ID and UT. It's good to hear that you caught the family history bug mom :) something that i would like to do is family history, because there is a part in my patriarchal blessing of family history work and temple work for my ancestors. It would be great to know some history of our family too and how my ancestors joined the church. It's great to be here in Guatemala helping people begin the blessings of the gospel for generations to come. This Saturday my companion and I have a baptism for too young men age 13 and 12. I'm so excited to be able to help them enter the gate and begin their path back to our Heavenly Father.

Man that's frustrating to hear that the boys are having a tough time. It's great to hear that Zack was able to close the gap with the kid from Dobson. That's how you end up beating the kid, little by little you gotta get in his head. Kort don't let down, you are coming into the most important part of the season. Keep your head up and finish strong. Finish strong for yourself. You both worked hard before the season so that when the end of the season came you could leave all that work out on the mat. Let that work show.

The work is continuing strong and The Lord is blessing us here in our area. I know that if you will continue to do the work of the Lord no matter where you are, He will bless you. I love you all so much. Thank you for your supprt and for all the letters i have recieved!! You are great.

Elder Turner

Monday, January 17, 2011

Thank you so much for writing me and supporting me in this endeavor. I know that with out your support and love i wouldn't be able to do this. Thank you mom for raising me in the gospel of Jesus Christ and showing me the way that Jesus Christ established. It's interesting how many people here are accepting because they would "never reject the word of God" but when it comes to following the only way that Jesus Christ showed us to follow, it becomes difficult. People feel that if they have accepted Jesus in their heart that they will be saved, but that's not what Jesus Christ taught. He taught faith, which faith is accion, accion (haha what a great spanish-speaking missionary already! spanish...english...it's all the same to him!!) that brings us to repentance. Thats what the gospel is. Repentance brings us to have a desire to change and that change comes thru baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost and then enduring to the end. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings true happiness to all those who search with a willing heart. I am so grateful that the Lord thru His prophet has called me to preach His gospel to the people here in Guatemala. I know that the Lord is blessing me and you also thru our obedience to His call.

This week i got a new companion. My old companion had been in the area 7 and a half months and was burned out of the area. My new companion has a fire and desire to work and we are doing a lot here. I'm still in Patzicia. My new companion is Elder Diaz from Chicimula Guatemala and he has a year in the mission. This change he just went up as District Leader. It's interesting to be with another new companion because i was just starting to really get along with my other companion and then we had changes. It reminds me of what my trainer told me, "just when you start to feel comfortable things change". I'm really having to work with this companion to get along with him because we are very different, but i learned something in my last change with Elder Calona that when you pray for your companion in all things, the Lord will help you become friends. I know that i just need to be humble and rely on the Lord and He will help me.

In my area we are doing a little of reactivating and working with investigators. We have a lot of families who are inactive with children who are older than 8 and so we teach them as investigators. We are teaching two young boys who have a baptismal date for the 29 of this months and they will both be priesthood holders. It's great to see progress in families because that's what the gospel is all about, families.

It started to warm up a little bit for about 2 weeks but now it's cold again and the wind has been blowing like crazy. One of the members told me that it has been snowing in the states and that cold air is blowing down to here.

It's good to hear thats Kort's nose is getting better and that it wasn't as bad as you might have expected. It's getting to the last part of the season and i'm sure that the boys are starting to wear out. That's sad because it's not over yet. We can't give up when the time gets close. We must go all the way to the end. Even though we feel beat up and bruised and worn out like we can't take it anymore, remember that there is someone who knows EXACTLY how you feel. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered everything so that we might humble ourselves before Him and ask for His help and that He might know how to help us. Alma 7:11-12

I had the opportunity this past week to share with an investigator that i had recently lost my great grandma but that for me it was so relieving to know that i would be able to see her again because of the power and blessings of the temples. It's so great to know that our Father in Heaven has created a plan so perfect that no matter what might happen in this life, if we remain faithful, we will be able to be with our families again. I love the gospel :)

Elder Turner

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sounds like this week was a little crazy but it's good to hear that you are handling things well. Its sad to hear that Great Gma Bench passed away, but its a happy thing in a way too. Like you said, the plan of salvation is what brings happiness and it makes sacrifices worth while. It's so great to know that we will all be together again enjoying each other's company and love for all eternity.

I'm a little jealous of Kort's broken nose! I miss being agressive and getting nice battle wounds from wrestling. I miss competition but I am learning other attributes that will help me in my life so i'm willing to sacrifice competition for a while. I hope that everything turns out good with Kort's nose and that it's nothing too serious. It's good to hear that they are fighting hard and being agressive. I pray for the both of those two patojos (youth).

It's weird to think that there are elders in the ward again, but it's good and hopefully the ward will progress in the work of the Lord. I know that there are alot of members in the ward, but there is always more to be done, "wo unto him who says all is well in Zion". Keep working hard with the missionaries and help them have success.

Another 6 weeks has gone by which means that it's time for changes again. Tonight i will find out if I am going to have another companion, if I am going to change areas, or if things will stay the same for the next 6 weeks. This change with Elder Calona has been great and I have learned so much. The Lord teaches us in many different ways and thru many different people and Elder Calona has been a great part in that aspect of my life. My spanish has increased immensely this change also thanks to the Lord and to my companion. It's amazing what the Lord will bless us with if we pray to Him in faith. I have started the Book of Mormon for the second time in my mission and just finished second Nephi this morning. Every time i read ch 31 i learn so much more of the doctrine of Christ and it amazes me how simple our Heavenly Father has made it to be able to return to Him. Alot of us fall short but we can always repent if we have faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, and is we desire to be better. We must endure to the END to recieve the greatest blessings and the Father himself saith that we will have eternal life.

Endure to the end and i promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that you will inherit eternal life.

Love
Elder Turner

Saturday, January 8, 2011

It's been a pretty good week this past week and im just loving the mission! There is no place i'd rather be than here in Guatemala serving the Lord's children. In church this Sunday one of the wards had a class on sacrifice in gospel principles and the scripture Matt 19:29 was shared. I had never before hear that scripture, but it hit me that the Lord was speaking to me and telling me to focus myself and he would bless me.

I heard from another Elder from AZ that fireworks were legal now and i didn't believe it but that's pretty cool. I'm sure the boys were super happy about that. The school here in Guatemala is a little different because the kids here have their break, equivelant to our summer break, in the winter but they are all getting ready to go back to school here soon. I'm really gonna miss Aztec Duals this year, but tell the boys to be machines and let them know the Turners are kicking butts and taking names :) I got a letter from Kort this week and i wrote him back and sent it today. Thanks Kort for that letter. It lifted my spirits alot. It's good to hear that you found out about that package because my companion went to the office this week and told me he asked for all of the pouch and there was no package. I'll let you know when i get it. Thank you for the offer on the garments, but the weather is already starting to change. Thank you all who have sent me packages and letters and what not. They have been greatly recieved and I am so grateful for your love and support. :)

Yes mom I have gotten to do a few sessions in the temple here. I did one every week in the CCM and one when I was with Elder Hatch. Since then no, but I'm so grateful for the times that i have been able to go. In fact the temple in Quezantenango Guatemala is coming up on the dedication, this summer i believe. When that one is dedicated they will close the Guatemala City one for remodeling. I'm glad i brought my own temple clothes because the area authorities have said that all members need to have their own temple clothes because Quezaltenango will not rent clothes. It is so true what you said about the temple mom. It is our safe haven here on earth and we are so blessed to have temples in our day. It's amazing the you had that dream mom. It's even more amazing that dad was protected thru all of that. He was protected by angels in that instance. I am so grateful to know that he is ok and that nothing too serious happened to him. Even though im so far away from him my relationship with dad has grown so much. I was thinking about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Even when Jesus felt so far away from His Father phisically, that is when He was the closest, suffering to do the Father's will. Im so grateful to have an earthly father who has raised me in the ways of my Heavenly Father.

I love you all so much :) Have a great week. ¡¡¡Seguid adelante con firmaza en Cristo!!!

Elder Turner