7.24.12
This week was a week of miracles and blessings. I love the heat, as far as the temperature goes and also the heat that I feel as I'm working to find the chosen children of the Lord to bring them to the waters of baptism. This Sunday my companion and I had a miracle with the baptism of a man that my companion had been working with before I got here and with that baptism we completed a family. Another great miracle from this week is that we put a baptismal date with a sister that my companion has been teaching since he got to the area 4 months ago. I see the hand of the Lord blessing me in many ways especially in the fruits that He is allowing me to gather in the short time that I have left. I love being a missionary and I love working in the Lord's vineyard because I know that there is no other work more true and essential than that of missionary work. Not only do we work to convert others, but we work to convert ourselves. I am working day after day to strengthen my own testimony as I share it with others. I know that Christ is our Savior and that He suffered for our sins so that we will not have to suffer if we will just be obedient.

That's crazy that school starts here in 2 weeks!!  Time is just cruising and there's nothing that we can do about it other than just take advantage of the opportunities that the Lord gives us. I hope that the boys wrestle. I miss wrestling so much in fact I don't know how, but I need to get on a mat when I'm home. I am grateful for the experiences that I had in wrestling, as hard as they were because they prepared me to man up and take the challenges head on. I'm excited to wrestle when I get back because my attitude is different and my confidence is stronger. I know what I have in front of me and I'm gonna take it down shot by shot. That's cool that the boys are gonna have classes together and that one of those classes is piano. I wish that I could have learned piano when I was younger but I never really had the desire. Tell the boys that they better do all they can to learn it and to practice it because if they don't they are gonna get old and regret it.

Well the work here in Escuintla is moving forward and we are trying to help a lot with retention because a lot of people get baptized but they don't stay very active. That is a big problem here in the coast but we are working with the leaders in the District (we're not a stake yet) so that the missionaries will work hand in hand with the Branch leaders. Every week my companion and I go to a different area to do divisions with the other missionaries to help them work better. Are focus is on the missionaries and companionships who aren't baptizing and so far we have been seeing success with the divisions. I'm glad that the Lord trusts me to be able to help missionaries reach their full potential and to help them be more outgoing and direct with the people we talk to. It may seem strange, but here in Guatemala the people are being prepared and so often times it may be the first time we talk to them and we challenge them to be baptized on a specific date, that way we can see who are the people who are going to progress and who are the people that are truly prepared.

Well time is running short but know that I love you. Your prayers are felt. Thank you.

Love,
Elder Turner