Companions, elders, and camera fun!

                                 

August 21, 2014

Buenas Dias familia! 

Lo siento qu no escribimos ayer.   Sorry that we did not write yesterday.  The computers were not functioning properly so we were not able to use them until today.  But, the important thing is that I am alive and writing.  Right? :D   

This week has continued to be marvilous.  We continue finding new people to teach who have a great desire to hear more.  One of them, Soila, said she's been praying for someone to help teach her more about God and how to change her life but no one had come along...until we talked with her.  She accepted a baptismal date for September 20th!   Another youth, Jaqueline, has friends and family that are members of the church.  She also accepted a baptismal date for 6th of September.  We are on fire (hechando fuego!)!   

We are teaching a family that has a lot of problems. The mom is almost never home because she's always working, but we're teaching her daughter, Suseli who also has bastantes problemas.  We ran into the mom the other day in the street and she told us how grateful she was that we were teaching her daughter.  She recognizes the blessing that it is for her to hear about it.

Other great things from this past week...we went to the temple yesterday.  I love, love LOVE the temple.  It seems so odd to say that I love going to a building to go sit for a couple of hours...but it's so true.  There is a very gentle, peaceful Spirit that just fills one's soul.  I never want to leave when we are there.  Such a special place.  

Also, we had something of a guardian angel the other day. While on divisions (I was in Mixco with another Sister), we entered an area that was possibly a little unsafe.  When we entered, a golden retrienver started following us.  But not like he wanted something.  If we were knocking at one door, he was a few doors down, watching and waiting for us cheerfully. If we turned a corner out os sight, he followed us with an expression like 'where'd you go?, are you ok?'    As soon as we left that area, he stopped guarding us.  It was something really simple, but I really do feel like he was protecting us from something that COULD have happened. Dogs are amazing. :)  

One other comment....I'm working on writing essays for Grad School....but it is SO hard!  I literally have to translate my own thoughts from Spanish to English!  Incredibly dificil and frustrating.  I apologize in advance for responding in Spanish when I get home.  :)

Love you all! HAve a great week!  I'll talk to you on Monday!

Hna Schultz

August 11, 2014

August has started off at a mad dash!   This last Tuesday we received our new companions....and I returned to my area!  I was so happy!  My companion is my second companion that is not new to the field.  Hermana Gonzalez is from Nicaragua and has 6 months in the mission, but holy smokes she works and teaches like she's been doing this for years!  We are working super hard and we both have high goals for this transfer.  This last week we found a ton of new investigators, eighteen new investigators!  From there we have to see who will actually progress, so we'll be weeding it down a little bit this week.  It feels so great getting to get out and work hard. 

We had a great lesson with one of my favorite investigars.  She is super sweet and wants to be baptized but she has to get married first.  We had a lesson with her 'spouse' yesterday and it was excellent. We got to understand why he is nervous about marriage. He's afraid of it falling apart. We told them that if a marriage is based on Christ and they constantly work towards improving their relationship with Him, their relationship will also improve and survive any trial.  They are going to pray about it.  Love them! 

One of the most interesting things that happened was talking with a man who wants to know our point of view about the soul.  He doesn't believe that it exists.  His logic is all science built, but as he explained the science of what he believed, I couldn't help thinking of how it is basically what we believe....just with religious words.   There's a mormon message that talks about science and religion, how they both testify of the existence of God.  The Bible says that by at least two witnesses will the things of Heaven be revealed.  So, science and religion are two witnesses of the same thing. 

It has been great being in my area again and I love being able to work hard.  Looking forward to what we can accomplish here in 5 weeks!   Love you all and take care!

Also...next week I will not write on Monday. We go to the temple Wednesday! So I will write on the 20th.  Don't Panic.  :D

 

Love you all!

Hermana Schultz

July 28, 2014

It has been a ROUGH week.  Emotionally more than anything.  

I have seen my companion suffer so much this week with severe abdominal pains.  We went to the hospital again two times this last week (three if you count the Sunday before) and she suffered a lot.  We were in the hospital the whole day Tuesday. I had no idea how much it could drain a person to just sit and watch over someone.  Being so worried about her and trying to be energetic and animated to keep her spirits up effected me greatly. 

 

The other day, right after planning for the next day (9:30pm) I zonked out from exhaustion.  Our leaders called us at about 10pm and I answered, but I'm not entirely sure I made a whole lot of sense in my responses.

She made the decision to go home which has been ANOTHER emotional rollercoaster.  More than anything, I am trying to help her be animated and full of faith in the decision, so she won't become discouraged if she does end up going home.   The President has agreed that she could see a specialist here in Guatemala, but her spirits are SO low with this recurring pain that she really feels like going home.  We'll see what happens.  She's going to talk again with President today to see what he says.   

With all this, we have not been able to go out and visit very many people, but I learned in my personal study of the scriptures that THIS IS a part of my mission.  Not all missionary work is to go teach those outside, but to serve as a disciple of Christ and serve God and His children with all our mind, strength and time.  The Lord knows why we are sent to experience different things, be in certain areas at certain times. It could be that WE need to experience something, or that we will be there for our companion, or to be with a specific Mission President. The Lord knows in what way we need to serve and learn.  

  Actually, through the difficulties with my companion, I have become very grateful for the fact that I was the one who was with her to help boost her up and keep her motivated.  It is certainly exhausting, but I know that the Lord put us together for this moment.  What is wonderful is how when we serve one another so much, we come to love one another more. And I have had the priviledge to see her strength through all of this. 

Finally was able to meet our new mission president, President Caffaro.  He and his wife are from New York....yes, they have accents. :)  They are wonderful people. I already love them so much.  I just want to share something that President shared with me, when we were talking about the hardships my companion and I have been passing through.   He coached football and he said that whenever they would lose he would tell this to his team, "When you lose, don't lose the lesson."   Things may be hard...but there is a lesson in every moment.

That's all I have time for today.  I will talk to you all next time!  Forgot my camera today so next week I'll send pictures.

Love, 

Hna Schultz

July 21, 2014

Hey everyone, I'm much better now (able to sing again without coughing) and we have had some great experiences this week.  

First off, we received a few references of potential gold from some members.  One has a huge need for the gospel, the other is searching for the true church.  It was so great to be able to teach them.

Later, as we were in between teaching lessons, I had a contact come to mind. I told my companion we should go visit her, so we did! It was such an amazing visit. She has such a desire to listen to us, to follow Christ, but her husband basically doesn't let her. (It's such a good thing I do not have the power to ZAP people...or I would send lightning strikes to all the men here who limit the spiritual growth of their wives)  Although it wasn't exactly a 'precise minute and hour' that we visited her, she was SO grateful for the visit and to see that we were thinking about her. Special, special spirit.  

Other was a question that an investigator asked me. The question itself just flooded me with the Spirit. She asked me "Why did you decide to get baptized?"   My heart swelled to remember the feelings I had at the time of listening to the missionaries.  Sharing this with her was a very special moment and had a very specail spirit.  I love sharing parts of my personal conversion with people.  Love the gospel so much. 
I love how the best experiences are those  that are small and simple and help us see or feel the atonement and love of God in action.  

A less spiritual thing that happened lately.  

Where we live there is a field that the government owns.  People here decided they wanted it for themselves so they started building their own little houses of tin sheets.  American Dream style, they wanted to have their own homes and not have to pay rent.  The government was not very happy with this so this last week they sent troops to kick them out!   We left our house this day and saw three police cars.  So many, we thought.  Then we looked to the right.  Five more.... then we looked to the left. about 30 cars!  Holy smokes!!   There was some violence, but those that obeyed were able to go unharmed, but now no one lives there....only cows.    We were super concerned because we were teaching some people there.  Luckily we were able to find them again.  Phew. 

All is well here in Guatemala. I love you all so much!   Oh and yesterday I celebrated 16 months here in my mission. How rapidly it passes!   Talk to you all next week!

Love, Hermana Schultz

July 14, 2014

This week I continued to be really sick. I kept getting a fever in the afternoons and wasn't able to do anything.  My companion called the nurse and may have exaggerated a little so that she feared I had pneumonia.  I just had lots of congestion with my fever.  Received medicine in the emergency room for the Influenza B a type of respitory virus. But...later in the week I got a nasal infection, so I have had pressure in my head for several days.   We've been the nurse's most frequent callers lately.  

I just want to make a short comment on miracles.  Lately I have been doing a lot of comparing with other missionaries and their successes or miracles.  I feel like mine have been so few.  In truth, I have baptised few (compared to others) and my miracles have not been super breathtaking or awe inspiring.  But, thinking about this...I considered that perhaps that is not what the Lord wanted me to experience.  Every day there is some small experience that I have been able to have, I have been able to see the Lord answer my prayers time and time again.  I have been blessed to help work with new missionaries and learn from them.  The mission, I am reminded, is not only about baptizing people...but helping US have a lasting conversion.  I think in many ways, I am being prepared for things that will come.  I am sure I have blessed people's lives, but maybe it has been in small little ways and not through grand, dramatic experiences.  Some people prepare the field.  It reminds me of the people in the Book of Mormon and the Bible who don't have names, but their actions contributed greatly to something that happened later on.  Not all people need to receive the recognition in the earth because it's written in the heavens.   :)   

Also, I just want to share that everyone should read Romans 12 to learn more on how we should act as Christians. It is an excellent guide and something to read again and again.  

I have to get going, but I love you all very much!

Take care!

Love

Hna Schultz

June 30, 2014

I feel uninspired with what to write today. Not to say we're not working hard and seeing miracles...I just am not sure what to write.   So I will write a few moments when we could see the hand of the Lord. Or small miracles.

First, with one family that we are teaching, we almost are always there WAY too much time because the woman shares long stories of her life. But...the plus side with this was that just as we started to teach, her husband walked in and stayed to listen. The lesson was super powerful and PERFECT for everything she had told us. 

Second.  We received a reference for someone who had lost both parents and both grandparents.  They told us that she was almost never home. But we tried anyway. I said a little prayer, hoping to find her.  AND SHE WAS HOME!  They were a little untrusting of us (who can blame them) but the message we shared struck home.  The Lord prepares a way to help those in need.

Third. Our investigator Thelma, came to church all on her own!!! We were so happy! And she had a great experience at church.

In other great news, this morning we went running 4 miles with a member. It was so great!  And I was animated that I could still run 4 miles without dying!  We're going to try doing some more running. Haha, that's what we said this last week and we didn't have the enthusiasm to leave. But we'll see.  

Ok, I know it's short, but those are some of the things that have happened this week.  :)  Love you all and hope you are doing well! Keep smiling!

Love,

Hna Schultz

June 23, 2014

Fifteen Months!!! 

 
This morning started off great with reading a lot from the Bible.  I love reading from the scriptures and especially learning more about the New Testament.  Reading in Acts just helps fortify my testimony of the power of God.  

This week we had the baptism of Maria!  We had several complications with this baptism that basically were due to not listening to the small promptings of the Spirit.  Yikes.  SO important to listen to the Spirit. Do NOT underestimate it's importance. 

  

We also are teaching a family who I absolutely ADORE!  Zoyla, her two kids and her 'spouse' are listening to us.  She went to church and LOVED it!  Cleared up a lot of doubts, too.  As many people seem to think, she had thought we had a statue of Joseph Smith in the church and adored it.  That's one of the marvelous things with people attending the church. They can see for themselves that we focus on Jesus Christ and everything is centered around Him.  Her two kids are super adorable. One looks like an american, even his eyes are blue green!  The other, 12 years old is very intelligent and bright.  They just soak up our messages.  Only obstacle would be that Zoyla and her 'spouse' need to get married before she can get baptised.  The spouse believes in God but not in any church.  But yesterday he expressed that he feels like God has something something planned for him.  He expressed his desire to have to power to  help people, especially to heal or counsel.  I leaned forward intently and told him that he COULD have this power because it is the power that God has made available to worthy men in The Church of Jesus Christ.   His attention peaked.  SO amazing!  Seriously, love this family!

We are teaching a young girl of 14 who also LOVES to listen to us.  There are a lot of activities this week for the youth and she is anxious to be able to participate. Only obstacle is that her dad is very strict and may not be very happy about her looking into the church.  But....she really wants to go. And her dad has given permission.  

Other great blessing this week is that we had an amazing lesson with the spouse of a member  yesterday. He is not a member, and he is in a process searching for spiritual answers. We watched a short video and at the end he just kept staring at the TV as though waiting for more.  I then shared my testimony that I knew it was true.  His face was different from all the other times we'd spoken with him.  He felt IT.  Still had doubts, but we told him simply to pray and he would understand.  My companion only had one word for this experience. 'Increible' and she repeated it over and over. Haha.  I love great lessons!

OK, it has been a great week, but have lots to improve on.  I hope you are all doing well!  Talk to you again next week!

Hermana Schultz

June 16, 2014

Hello!  

Things are going so great this week!

One of our investigators received her answer that the church is true.  How did she do it? The magic formula of Reading, Praying and Going to Church.  We're so excited for her!  Other investigators came to church this week and they had a great experience!  Once again...we're super excited for them. And I am so grateful to all the members of our ward for helping them have a great experience.  Had some other great and interesting experiences this week.  First, a woman who the Elders before us had been teaching, but we never met, called us one night.  When I called back she told me that she needed the help of the missionaries. She had a misscarriage and her boyfriend left her for it.  Heartbroken and feeling broken herself, she needed the help of someone who carried a joyous message.  I had to call and pass the reference however because she's outside of the mission. But my heart just broke for her. We sent her a few messages of encouragement but I haven't heard if the missionaries in her area have visited her yet or not.  

Had another amazing experience when we were talking to people in the street.  I was talking to a woman about families being eternal.  She said, "Oh yeah I know how to have one. Obey, server god...etc"   But I pushed a little more, " But do you know how to have the PROMISE of this?"  She fell quiet. By her expression I could tell she did not.  After a long pause she finally challenged me doubtfully, "And you can tell me?"  Without pause I replied, "Yes."  There was such a power in that one simple word.The conviction. I felt the Spirit so strongly and I know she did too. Because once again her face changed. Shocked, surprised and I think a little interested.  But she still denied the opportunity to listen to us, so we just invited her to come to church to learn more.  It was amazing feeling and seeing the effect of the Spirit on her and in me as I stood as a witness to the important messages we share.  :)

Along with that, we found someone in the street who almost instantly accepted us to come visit her.  Turns out that she is very anxious to learn about the gospel and we discovered that her greatest question is 'what happens after death'. One of her kids died at 6 months and it's a question she still does not know the answer to.   We're going to show her this wonderful video and explain to her that she will have her child again.  :)

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/because-of-him?lang=eng

Also, we woke up to an Earthquake the other day. It was very interesting to feel your bed moving like that as though someone were trying to wake you up.  My companion and I just stayed in bed until after it had passed.  In my mind, I was calculating the magnitude and judging if it was necassary to duck under the bed.  Nope.  :) All good. 

The only other news to report is that our Mission President will be sticking around for another few weeks before we receive a new Mission President. I'm very excited about this. I love President Stay and his wife.  

Ok, that's all to report this week. Love you all! Have a great week!

Hna Schultz

May 26, 2014

Going to try to make this short this week.

Scriptures and miracles of the week.  1 Nephi 3:7

    A member of the church had promised to go take us to visit an area in our area the next day,...but he was very, very ill the day before. We had to walk a lot to get there and while he was afraid he wouldn't be able to go, he also believed that he would be able to.  And...sure enough, we hiked up to the Aguacate (translated to Avacado) and had a lot of success in finding a number of people who are rarely at home. 

    We have been making progress in teaching a number of our investigators, almost all are very receptive, but almost always something happens those Sundays that do not permit them to go to church.  Ugh!    

    Had a zone Conference this week-the last with our President Stay.  In June we will have a change of Mission President.  As always, it was something very uplifting and powerful. Loved it! He made an analogy to a train.  We're all on a train (the mission) and when we just begin to understand how to steer the train they kick us off.  Haha, it's so true. I'm only just beginning to feel capable in this work (although still not always completely sure how to do it) but I'm on the downward slope!  But, that's why the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants1:19,23  19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—  23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by theweak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kingsand rulers.

Love this gospel, love this work!  

Take care!

Hna Schultz

May 19, 2014

Today I heard a lot of sad news.  The same sad news, but over and over.  It's super hard to read it all, but I was prepared.  Being distant from family is especially hard when someone in the family dies.  Hearing about the funeral of my cousin was definitely something devastating.  When I found out, I sobbed, hoping it was a dream, wanting to go be at home to comfort those I love.  But...I found a couple of scriptures that helped remember my purpose here and fortify me.  First was in Luke 9:59-60 :  59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. .  Usually, upon reading it, I think how hard-hearted it sounds.  But reading it in these circumstances gave me a new energy to press on despite the tragedy.  It's true. There is nothing I can do here...but I have a purpose here in Guatemala and that is to share the joy of the gospel with others.   Another is found in the Book of Mormon Mosiag 16:8  8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.  purpose  It's so true...  we really can feel more at peace because Christ overcame death. He resurrected and we all will too.  So, we will all be able to see our families again.  It still hurts to think about it, but at least I know how to find a peace in it all due to the gospel.  I hope my family is doing well. I keep sending prayers for everyone at home.  

As to how I am doing in my new area.  GREAT!  I am once again training. I have my fourth 'daughter', Hna Vallecillo.  She's from Honduras and is really great.  Has a bit of a thick accent and I have a hard time understanding her at times, but she's PILAS!  (motivated) Our area is beautiful!! I seriously love it!  We're up on a mountain and have to drive in a mini bus through trees and twisting roads to get to it!  The members are animated to help and they are SO nice!!   I feel like I died and went to missionary heaven. I hope I finish my mission here.

The only other funny thing I'm going to add is that a drunk called us racist because we wouldn't teach drunks.  Haha, we were laughing a bit about that.  That's not quite the definition of racist.  Oh well. :D

Ok, I have to get going. Love you guys! 

Have a great week and keep smiling. There's always sunlight behind the rain clouds.

-Hna Schultz

May 12, 2014

This last week was great!  

We went to the zoo!!!  Oh my gosh, it was so much fun!  It was like Christmas...only hotter. And without presents...and not in December.  I took a ton of pictures.  Including a picture of the TINIEST monkey I have ever seen!  It was ADORABLE!  And I never say that about monkeys.  

We came up with an idea for some members to go out at night to help us when we were not able to work, and it worked great!  

We found a new investigator, his name is Andres.  Wow!  Haha, we went to visit him for the second time after a couple days. We had left him a chapter in the Book of Mormon to read. He said he had only had time to read a couple of lines.  But he had a ton of questions and through them all we could tell that he had read at least 20 pages!  Haha, amazing!  

For our Birthday (I say our because Hna Zelaya had her Birthday May 7th) a member took us out to lunch.  The menus here give the option to have tortillas or bread with your dish.  Only in Central America...    Then, the same member bought us an entire cake!  Someone bought us a huge pizza for dinner....and my companion tried to make a cake.  Haha, it was a great day! 

Well, my companion and I are both leaving this area. We're super sad although my concerns are mainly for the people we are teaching. I don't want them to fall in their progress.  But, I know everything will be fine. The Lord's going to prepare a way for them to continue to grow.  

I'll let you all know this next week on where I'm at.  

Love you all, hope you're doing well!

Hna Schultz