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

May 5, 2014

This is going to be short this week.

Highlights. Although no investigators came to church this week we had several less actives that came: Lisbett, Marvin and Lorena.

We had transfers this week and I went to an area that is a little more up in the mountains. It was so great! Lots of trees, cool weather and rain! I felt like I was in Washington! We had to heat water on the stove to take a shower though...they don't have a water heater for the shower. But...still great.

We had an activity in the ward this weekend. We gave a short message and did an activity that really helps demonstrate how to listen to the Holy Spirit. Then the youth did a skit, “Whose Line is it Anyway”, style. It was a lot of fun. Later we ate Shukos. The word shuko is a word meaning dirty, but they call it that because it's something usually sold on the streets. But it's basically a hot dog with guacamole, onions, chile, ketchup, mustard and picante. Pretty tasty. :)

Love seeing the miracles here. I am growing fond of this area. :)

And...that's all I have time for today.! Love you all and hope you're all doing well!

Remember, send us your prayers! We missionaries want all the help we can get!

Love,

Hna Schultz

an example of the houses here, how they tend to have additional stuff built on top.

Stuffing plastic bags and old shirts in the door because we thought our house was going to flood with water in the night

Our goal tracker to see if we're below the mark, at the mark or exceeding our goals. 

April 28, 2014

My messages may start to be shorter...I received permission to start using some of my hour of writing to start searching for what I need to do to apply to Graduate school. Have to fly!

We have continued seeing miracles in our area. Normally the people who don't attend a church (and hence are more open minded) are few and far between. But lately we have been finding several! I know it's because of prayer. I've been praying for the Lord's help in finding people and we are receiving the blessings.

We've also been working really hard and it always feels great to return home at night and feel like we accomplished all that we could that day. No better feeling.

Also, we've been working with less active members. One of them, Lisbet, has not gone to church in 2 or 3 years. She has a testimony of the church but...just doesn't go. We had an amazing lesson with her where we talked about faith. She has such a great knowledge of the gospel, that really, we just asked questions and she came to the conclusion on her own. At the end...you could tell that she understood the importance of going to church. And sure enough...she went to church! We're going to keep helping her to feel that enthusiasm to go to church.

Things are going great here. It's getting hot here, but the afternoons are generally comfortable. Some interesting notes; I don't think I've yet mentioned....for the first time we have cellulars in the mission!! (4 weeks ago...:D) It was so weird getting used to it. I didn't know how to answer it.

Also, they have me playing piano in the ward...but, when I lifted the covering the first day...it wasn't a piano. It was an ORGAN! I had no idea what to do. Thankfully we arrived a little earlier so I could tinker around with it a bit. Interesting...very interesting, Want to learn now.

And last...the men here are not discreet in whistling or calling after women. Their indiscretion reaches SO far...that they even have a horn in their cars that does the wolf whistle...or I'm not sure how to call it. But when they pass a `pretty lady', they honk their...”whistle”. We normally just ignore it completely. :D Or laugh about it.

Ok, have to go! Love you all, take care!

Hna Schultz

April 21, 2014

Hola family and friends!

This week was...amaazing!

We entered with kind of low expectations. I was sure that we would not be able to do ANYTHING on account of it being something called Semana Santa. The vast majority of the population is Catholic (or was) so there's one week before Easter where almost no one works and they all go to the beach. The streets were barren, and a few days we found the street marked with squares of a carpet of wood chips and seeds in designs for a parade that would pass by. (We never saw the parade, although I was equipped and ready with my camera.)

We accomplished a lot this week despite the lack of people working. We set baptismal dates with 9 people this week. First, we are teaching a man who distanced himself from all churches after his wife left him for a pastor. It's something that cut him really deep, but he's learning to overcome it. He accepted a date, although we have to work with him to help him see the blessings of going to church.

Another is a family that has been preparing, but have not been going to church. Blanca and her two kids, Estefania and Estrella. Once again they accepted a new date to work towards. They too, have difficulties in attending church.

Challenged two kids of a less active family to be baptised. One of them, Jeferson (10) is super excited about it. The other, Abraham (13) is still a tad unsure. But, I know he will be baptized too. The parents, Flor and Gustavo also came to church this week! Yes!

We found a young woman, Mirna, who we always greet in the street and started teaching her. She wants to know if the church is true. She is preparing to be baptized as well.

Then...a family Luis and Dinora with whom we need to work a lot, but who accepted the date before they knew what we were asking. "We were thinking of a date..." " We accept!" Haha, love it.

It has been a miracle this week. Truly, it has. We have also found new areas where we should go look to find people. We taught a member who lives in something like a small Laguna Seca in the midst of the city! Hna Zelaya loved being there as much as I did! We decided we need to visit these areas more. I love the communities here. Not the neighborhoods of fenced houses and white houses....but of grey cement buildings, one room homes where a family of five or more live together and their neighbor's front door is two feet beside theirs. The streets are narrow, the youth generally delinquient. But the families are close knit. The neighbors know each other. And they rely on God. I love these places more than I love a comfy couch and tile floors. I feel like it's easier for them to understand what is important in life. 

That's all I have time for today! I have to get going, but know that I am so happy to be here. Love the new experiences that we have every day. Take care! Love you all!

-Hna Schultz