Letters from Guatemala

Conferencia de Zona

I would not call it a perfect week by any means. My companion and I had a couple of rough days, but things have been much better this week too. There's a new found respect between us and I have finally begun to feel like a real missionary? Why the change? What happened?

Opening my mouth is what happened. Taking the lead in some of our activities, making calls on what we should do and initiating more impromptu contacts with people in the street or at their house to talk about the gospel....with that responsibility, I could feel myself being guided. I could feel the importance and purpose of my being here. It was so wonderful! I gained a new perspective too on how difficult it is to be in charge and lead in everything. New found respect for what my companion has been doing for the last 10 weeks or so while training me. We're understanding each other more and more and make quite a few jokes with each other now. Love it!

The highlight of this week was a Zone Conference with our Mission President. He and his wife had so many great messages that inspired Hermana Sanchez and I with new ideas and new enthusiasm for the work in our area. Truly, we were so moved. It was specially designed for us, we were sure of it. One of the things they talked about was that the Lord KNOWS that the mission is not easy. He didn't tell his disciples to go spread the gospel and sit in a lounge chair. He told them to go and suffer with patience. Yikes! But suffering with patience really means to submit to the will of the Lord and when you do that, you can have the confidence and joy in knowing that He has a greater plan. In that we can find so much joy! We really don't understand what impact we might have on someone. Everything counts.

What else, oh yes, Hermana Sanchez was sick again and I did a small division with a member to go to our Noche Mormona. Every Saturday we have to come up with new games for this. This time they were something of a flop. Oy! If anyone can think of some games that are incredibly simple but fun, please let us know! We need inspiration! They like things with a little bit of a punishment too...elimination or something like that. Please. Help! We need new ideas!

It was interesting being without Hermana Sanchez for that short time, but I think a good experience too. We're going to try doing more divisions in the future to give me more similar opportunities.

In church, Hermana Viki, the President of relief Society organized the women into pairs to go visit some of the women in the village in the next few weeks to invite them to our stake conference in a couple weeks! Hopefully this is a great new idea to help people interact more and invite others to church. I think it'll be good for them to have other people knocking at their door besides us. See, it's not just the missionaries who go to church!'

That's all I have time for today! Here are some pictures!! I hope you enjoy!.

Love you all!

HES

Making a dessert with Yeimy and her family/friends. Ingredients include a sweet cream lime juice and cookies. Delicious!