June 20, 2011

I don't know what to put as my subject lines anymore... there isn't anything fun or exciting to put there... so I might just start putting random things that have nothing to do with anything, just so you know...

So, this Wednesday I will hit FOUR months in the mission! That's 1/6 for you math geniuses :) So, there wasn't anything to say about last P-day, except that I got lots of emails from friends... well, not really a lot, but two awesome ones (DJ and Brock!) and then on Thursday I got pouch from family. Legit.

Tuesday was Spencer's (my brother's) birthday! So, Happy Birthday almost a week late, bro! I'm sorry, but I didn't have your email and so I didn't write you, forgive me? We had another meeting with Pres. Torres about the pilot program we are in and mostly we just talked about what we like about the program, the ways it has helped us, but our leaders think about the program, and any complaints or comments for improve we had. The leaders and the trainers all said that they could see a big difference between us and the missionaries who are not in the program, but for those of us who are in it it's hard to notice, because we don't know anything else. However, from what I've heard I really think that this program will improve missionary training forever. After the meeting we had a lesson with Elsa, Boris, and Alejandro, that was pretty good. The Mom, Elsa, is becoming more and more receptive and we got her a giant copy of the BoM so that she could actually read it, and it has helped a lot! We also finally had another lesson with Jessica Campos, the one who had a baptismal date for tomorrow, the 21st (not going to happen) and taught her the word of wisdom. The crowning event of the day was our visit to Familia Beltran! It was Hna. Marisol's birthday and we made rice crispie treats (using corn flakes) for them! I think they liked them, but I'm not sure, and then we shared a message about FHE! And, even though the parents aren't members yet, they sitll hold FHE every week! SO AWESOME! And, even better news, we should be getting the last paper we need to marry them! (the paper should come this week and they should be married mid july!!)

Nothing special to mention from Wednesday, but it was a missionary working day :)

Thursday was awesome! After weekly planning Elder Nelson and I did divisions with the zone leaders and I went to their area with Elder Lusty and Elder De Paz came to La Leyenda 3 with Elder Nelson (If I haven't ever mentioned it, my area is called "La Leyenda 3"). I absolutely love Elder Lusty. He is from Taylorsville and he has been out a year longer than I have. My day with Elder Lusty was great! We went and saw a couple less active families and had one lesson with a part member family in which we placed a baptismal date! And got super soaked in the rain, it was great! At night, we played ping pong on their kitchen table and shared wonderful stories from the mission and before! Elder Lusty and I are super tight!

Friday morning was awesome! I was still with Elder Lusty so we did our studying at their house. Oh, and Elder Lusty made pancakes for breakfast! They were delicious! For comp study we read from Chp 11 of PMG and then read Mosiah 3 in Spanish and then Elder Lusty and I talked about the importance of reflecting on our missions to learn, or rather try to learn, what Heavenly Father wanted us to do or learn in each of our areas and with each of our companions. We ended the division at lunch, and Elder Nelson felt really sick, so we stayed inside and I got some great study time in! We spent 7:30-10 pm cleaning the house though... and it was just our kitchen! It was disgusting because there were a TON of cockroaches! We probably killed over 100 and it was DISGUSTING! And even worse, we STLL have cockroaches crawling around our kitchen! On our shelves, our tables, in our fridge, and INSIDE our microwave. But, oh well. Life goes on.

The rest of the weekend is just regular missionary work, nothing special or exciting to share, I'm sorry! But, I wanted to share an awesome quote form Elder Lusty that he said during our division, and I think it can help all of us! (It is in relation to Mosiah 3, so you could read that first for some context...) "God loves you. He sent His Son for you" (see also "Condescension of Christ")

Love, Elder LaPray!!

June 6, 2011

I  have almost officially finished one transfer (6 weeks) as a missionary in the field! Obviously I've been a missionary for much longer, but 6 weeks in the field tomorrow/Wednesday. That is as long as I was in the CCM! And at the end of this change, technically half way through it, I will have been out in the field longer than I was in the MTC and CCM combined!! It's crazy to think about!!

I will start with last Sunday since I forgot to do that last week/ran out of time! The biggest thing from that Sunday that I didn't share is that I gave a talk in church! In Spanish! and it was over 5 minutes! I thought it was a fairly decent talk, but nothing outstanding like my ones in English are ;) jk! I also realized that I miss teaching Sunday School! I learn a lot when I teach Sunday School as well as that it is really fun! And the Gospel Principles teacher here... does his best and I'm glad that we have someone to teach the class.

This last week I was reminded about a lot of spiritual experiences I had before the mission/my first few weeks in the MTC that I would really like to share with you all, even though I may sacrifice being able to write some of the other things of the week.... but firstly... Monday nothing special happened, just P-day. On Tuesday we worked for the first half of the day and then I got a fever of 101.5 so we went home and spent Tuesday night in the house as well as Wednesday in the house as well. Luckily, I didn't throw up. But, you'll all be glad to know that diarrhea in Guatemala is absolutely AWFUL! going to the bathroom 5 times in the middle of the night is not fun, especially when you have to use a bucket to get water our of your cistern so that you can flush the toilet, all while you feel terrible because of your fever. But, I lived, no worries!

We found 11 new investigators this week! As in, people we contacted, eventually taught a lesson to, and they agreed to a follow up appointment. 11!!! Just this week! and we lost a day and a half of work! It was incredible! We are also working hard to prepare investigators for baptism and get people married! The marriages SHOULD SHOULD SHOULD hopefully! Cross your fingers! Happen by the end of July at the latest!! It would be so incredible! We also had 7 investigators in church yesterday! 4 of whom were there for the first time! All of whom will DEFINITLY attend church at least one other time! 1 of which currently as a baptismal date, and 5 of which will hopefully have baptismal dates SOON!! The work is real and is progressing!!!

Ok, previous spiritual experiences that I want to share!!!

The first one has reference to the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy.

I was reminded of an incredible experience we had when living in the Caribbean.
The first or second Sunday that we lived in the Caribbean, we traveled to the other island to be able to attend church. We had to leave our house by 8 am at the latest to get to the other side of the island to take a ferry at about 8:50 to make it to the other island before 10 so that we could to the church by 10 when sacrament meeting started. Church ended at 1 pm but the next ferry home wasn't until 4 or 4:30 and so we didn't really have much to do for the next few hours while we waited. We didn't get home until about 6 pm on Sunday. To boot, this cost about $50 dollars for our family. We weren't exactly made of money. It also was a VERY long day. My parents told us that they didn't know if we would be able to go to church every week because of the huge cost of going to church as well as the time. We spent a week at home. The next week we went to church we were HUGELY blessed. When we got to church there was a lady visiting from the U.S. When she realized the great sacrifice we were making, she offered to pay our ferry passage to come to church every week so that we had the great blessings that come from being able to attend church. This was an absolutely INCREDIBLE blessing, that we would NOT have received if we did not keep the Sabbath Day holy. Keeping the Sabbath Day holy once, led us to be able to keep the Sabbath Day holy for more than a year! We were also able to spend the time between church and the ferry time with another family from the United States who was there for Vetenarian school. I promise you that if you will keep the Sabbath Day holy, the abundance of the earth will be yours (D&C 59:9-18)

There isn't enough time for the other one, but, it deals with the power of bearing true testimony and that when you bear testimony, the power of the Spirit will carry your testimony to the spirits of those who listen and all will be edified (2 Nephi 33:1)

Love, Elder LaPray