January 28, 2012

"Dios es lindo"

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You'll never guess what I did this week... I got caught up in my journal!!! After a MONTH of being behind, I am finally up to date. I doubt it will stay that way, but at least I'm up to date, right?

Dan, Steph, and kids, thank you for the package, it is GREATLY appreciated! I love getting to open stuff like it's Christmas! I'll see if I share with my companions ;) JK I definitely will, and already have. A little...

 

I didn't write a lot in my journal from the beginning of the week, because there was a lot, so I'll give you the quick run down... "On Monday, the 23rd, I hit 11 months. Crazy. On Tuesday the 24th Elder Barahona and I had a lesson with familia Valle. I've never mentioned them before because they are investigators of the assistants whom they found about 3 weeks ago. However, since the assistants are gone a lot of the time with conferences, interviews, divisions, and what not, they passed them on to us. They are what we would call in Guatemala, a "pilas family" or in English, "Golden Investigators". In the assistants first visit with them, they put a baptismal date. I have now taught them twice as well, once with Elder Cantillo and today was my second visit with them (written on Tuesday). They are a super prepared family. Their biggest challenge, however, is coming to church. But they definitely have a desire to follow Jesus Christ. After our lesson with them we met up with a member named Omner to go contact a reference he had for us. He reminds me a little of my late uncle Dave McCulloch, I think that's what I like about Omner. On Wednesday the 25th we had district meeting. We started with hangman which spelled out : "RREECCNOO LA REEPTASUS which is nothing in Spanish, or English. In english it's "RGCZIEONE HTE SRAWNE". So it comes out to be "RECONOCER LA RESPUESTA" in Spanish which is "RECOGNIZE THE SNAWRE" in English. Now the point was to put it in a scrambled order, and no one guessed it right off the bat, which was the point. Sometimes we don't recognize God's answers in our life because we aren't prepared for what's coming (i.e. no one had ever told us what it might be like, just like I didn't explain the letters would be jumbled), the answer didn't come how we expected it (everyone expected me to put the letters in word order) or perhaps we're just not accustomed to seeing that way. We must prepare ourselves and our investigators (or families) for the revelation that our Heavenly Father gives to us, and with practice it becomes easier and easiter to RECOGNIZE God working in our lives on even a daily basis."  

 

Now, speaking of Heavenly Father working in our lives on a daily basis, I have a story to tell that isn't even two hours old. On Pdays, we usually come to Zone 4 in Plaza Cuatro. However, when we get here at about, 11:30 we usually use internet first and then go to eat. Also, we usually never carry hand out copies of the Book of Mormon, sometimes nothing at all (I know, super well-prepared missionaries, thanks). Anyways... today we decided to go upstairs to eat lunch first... as we were walking towards the food court, a man stopped Elder Cantillo and Elder Welch and asked them if either of them had a copy of the Book of Mormon they could give to him. Oops. Looks like today was the day to bring that. They didn't have a copy. Luckily, Elder Barahona and I had stopped, noticing that Elder Cantillo and Elder Welch weren't with us and they yelled to us "Do you have a Book of Mormon". Now, I did have one. In English. My personal copy. That doesn't help 99% of Guatemalans. However, Elder Barahona did. Like I said, no one ever carries around a hand out copy of the Book of Mormon, and Elder Barahona almost grabbed his personal triple, but he thought to himself "No, what if someone wants one?" and grabbed good ol' blue. So, it just so happens that this man, Juan Ramon, is a member of the church (studied and graduated from BYU) told a friend months ago that he would get him a copy of the Book of Mormon and never did. A few days ago this friend, Freddy, said to Juan, "You never gave me that Book of Mormon". Well... it just so happens that of all the places to meet up in the world, Juan and Freddy met up today, here, in Plaza Cuatro, and it just so happens that WE were here and that SOMEONE had received and followed the prompting to carry a hand out copy of the Book of Mormon, and Freddy now has his Book of Mormon. But wait, it gets even better. As we ended lunch, we went to say goodbye to Juan and Freddy for a few minutes. As we were walking towards internet this young man inside a story looks at us and gives us the Guatemala sign for "What are you doing here?" and then says "Elders". Now, none of us knew this young man, but he stopped us, said hi, and we said, hello. Now, I thought that Elder Welch knew this kid. Nope. So we said, what's your name "Nefi"... go figure, it's a member of the church. So, Nefi, where do you live? Zone 12. Really? Do you want to try and guess where Freddy lives? Freddy had just given us his direction and lives in Zone 12, the same ward where Nefi attends. We gave Nefi Freddy's address to pass along to the missionaries. It just so happens that Freddy lives in the Central Mission of Guatemala.

 

Now, if you think that there is such thing as coincidence... think again. God exists. He loves us. He is concious of EVERY SINGLE child of His, and He wants us to be happy and successful in this life. If there was ever a doubt in your mind, let this be a testimony to you that Heavenly Father influences your life for good, and he puts you in the right place, at the right time, so that He can bless you and bless others. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

Love,

Elder Andrew A. LaPray

January 21, 2012

Another week not writing in my Journal

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It's really hard to write in my journal now! First it was the holiday season, and now it's being District Leader. Every night we get home, plan, and then I have to take dats for the district and then give the dats to the Zone Leaders and then I need something to eat, and then I talk to the other missionaries in the house for like, 5 minutes, and then it's time to get ready for bed. There is NO time! But, I'm trying to get better. I did some catching up this week, but I'm still behind. Maybe once I leave the office things will calm down a little bit and I'll be able to keep things a little more up to date.

 

Seeing as I don't write in my journal, it makes it really hard to give good emails, I'm sorry. But I'm sure you guys don't really like hearing play-by-plays anyways, right?

 

I'll start with what I can remember. Last night as we were on our way to the area we called the assistants to ask for permission to leave the mission. How often does someone get to do that, right? The Elders Quorum in our ward lives literally on the other side of the street of our mission. Supposedly they chagned the ward boundries so that he would still be part of the ward, but I don't know if that's 100% true or not. Either way, the APs gave us permission to go see them. They haven't been to church since The last Sunday in October. That's three months. Last night when we went to see them, President Garcìa (name changed) told us that since he and his family haven't been to church not a single member, the bishopric included, has called to talk to them or even passed by. I felt absolutely terrible. I would have passed by a while ago, but since he lived out of the mission I couldn't before... They have had such a hard time in the last year and a half and I can't really explain the whole situation, but it was a wonderful opportunity for us and for him to just be able to talk. I know there are a lot of things he's been thinking about and he has just needed someone to talk to besides his family and last night he got that opportunity. After that we went and saw Lester and Marelin Garcìa and kind of gave them a little bit of cincho (chastisement...). We talked about faith using Ether 12 and how we don't recieve a testimony until after the trial of our faith and asking them if they really had tested their faith and shown Heavenly Father that they really will do what it takes to get an answer. Marelin just got out of the hospital on Thursday from an apendectomy though. Which is rough in Guatemala. Anyways, it was a good lesson and I think it really helped them. Like the missionary saying, you have to give cincho with love :) Afterwards we helped them put covers on their kids' books for school and then they gave us dinner. Scrambled eggs with hotdogs and tortillas with cheese to go with them. SUPER good. Oh, and to drink, arroz con leche. Rice with milk. It sounds weird, but you have to try it. It was a good day.

 

I guess I could talk about my birthday, huh? It wasn't anything special, but not bad at the same time. I'll give you the brief rundown as said to another friend... As far as my birthday goes... I woke up, got ready for church, got told happy birthday by my companions, went to church (no one knew at church), came home for church and waited for like an hour before anyone gave up a spot in the kitchen to make my lunch (which was delicious, FYI) and then after we ate lunch and studied, back out to work. hooray. We had our english Book of Mormon class and at the end, we played hangman and I spelled out "Happy Birthday Elder LaPray" (fishing for compliments too much?) but, what the heck, it was worth it. After the class we did divisions with some of the youth and knocked out a couple lessons and got to know some houses of some inactives, which is always good. And then some members who found out it was my birthday invited us over at 7:30 for some food. They didn't know beforehand so they gave my comp and I some how and cheese sandwiches but put some candles in there to make it special. It was a super nice gesture and I great appreciated it :) and then I went home and had to take dats... hooray! That's your typical missionary birthday on a Sunday in Guatemala. I don't mean to make it sound negative, if that's how it comes off. It really was a good, productive day.

 

I think that's pretty much it for stories for the week. I wish I had some other awesome story, but I don't. I'm still reading the Book of Mormon in English marking every time there is a r eference to Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ and I am on page 264, Alma 22 or 23 and there are only 6 pages so far that don't make any mention at all. Crazy! The Book of Mormon truly does testify of Jesus Christ, that He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. It's easy to see why Joseph Smith said that a man would draw nearer to God by following the precepts set forth in this book than in any other book. It's true. I know it.

 

Love,

Elder Andrew A LaPray

January 7, 2012 ---oops didn't post this one before the 14th one...

Change week!!

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I don't want to bore you with information you may already know, but oh well...

Last Saturday night at midnight I was woken up again by BLASTING fireworks outside of my bedroom and throughout the ENTIRE city!! It wasn't quite as cool as it was on Christmas, but still pretty cool. Who knows what next new years will bring...

There's not much to mention as far as Sunday is concerned, we did our Book of Mormon class in English again, which is always cool. On Sunday night we got changes, and obviously since I'm writing on Saturday, I didn't get a change. Neither did my companion. Elder Llewleyn, like you already know, is training and staying in his area! Elder Nelson is also staying is ZL in Coban, which is sick. On the downer side.... this is very likely my last change in the office. I guess I don't really know if it's really a bad thing. I don't think so. It's just weird to think about. I've spent the last 4 months in the office. It's hard to think that 4 months have gone by in the blink of an eye! It seems like just yesterday I was beginning my companionship with Elder Spilker!

Monday and Tuesday went by like nothing. On Monday we were finally able to make payments again, which was super nice, because we've had SO much to do and we haven't been able to do any of it yet! Well, until Monday! On Monday night Colton and I had a sleepover on our couches, which was super fun! I hadn't seen Colton in 3 months! Which really isn't that long considered to how long it's been since I've seen the rest of you, but it's different when he's the only family member I'm allowed to see.

On Tuesday the news came in to the office to receive the training and the run down of the mission as well as to have their first interviews with Pres Watts and get their trainers. One of the news, Elder Easton Hansen, just happens to live RIGHT down the street from my Uncle Dave and Aunt Annette in Sandy, UT. Talk about a small world, huh?

Wednesday was change conference and when we got there I found out that I had an interview. I knew that there was a possibility of having an interview, but I didn't really think too much about it. When you are already in the office, you don't have a change, and you have an interview, it means only one thing. District Leader. So, on Wednesday morning President Watts informed me that the Lord has asked me to be the District Leader of the Cipresales District (which is our district). Definitely not something I highly anticipated coming, but knew it was a slight possibility. So, there's that big shock out of the way.

On Thursday I gave my first district meeting. It was pretty similar to the email I sent last week focusing on Matthew 4:19-20 but including missionary work. As missionaries there are a lot of things that keep us from following Christ and focusing completely on missionary work. It's really hard. But the Missionary Handbook reminds us that when we accepted this calling, we agreed to live by the rules in the mission handbook as well as to leave in second place all of our personal affairs, putting first the priority to invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them received the restored gospel through faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. We invite others to do what we have already done. We must invite others to make the change like Christ has done unto us, and we must help them keep their commitments. Their desire to keep the commitments we live them will increase as they see us keeping the commitments we have made.  I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I thought it was a pretty good district meeting.

This morning I spent over 3 hours cleaning the house! It was MUCH needed. When old missionaries go home, they leave our house an absolute DISASTER and we have to clean up after them, which really stinks, but it's how life is. The kitchen was mostly our fault. There was stuff in our refrigerator that expired last year. And a bottle of some honey mustard dressing that expired in September of 2009. Now THAT is disgusting. I wish I would have thought to take a before an after picture, but I didn't. It was absolutely gross. Hopefully we can keep it as clean as it is right now!

So, that's the exciting week of Elder LaPray! My journal entries were REALLY rough last week.... I didn't write actually from the 29th of December until yesterday or two days ago... but I'm gonna be better! Last weekend was crazy and the beginning of this week was even worse! My testimony to you all is that the gospel is true. I wouldn't be out here if I didn't know it. I know the Book of Mormon is true too. I've really always known it, but there have been certain experiences that have made me know with an absolutely surety, and it didn't come after reading the whole book. I knew from just reading parts. And if part of it is true, it's all true. Sometimes we may feel like we have a lot on our shoulders, and that we're not qualified for the assignments and callings we have in this life. But, there is a quote that I love, "He whom the Lord calleth, He qualifieth". I do not doubt that and I know it will hold true with me being called as district leader.

Love,
Elder Andrew A. LaPray

January 14, 2012

Hello Everybody!!

 

The week after changes is never very exciting.

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... I haven't written in my Journal for about 2 weeks now, and so I have zero stories on the tip of my tongue, so I'll be able to give some brief overviews based on my agenda, but even that is kind of iffy...

 

We'll start with what I remember for SURE.

 

District Meeting on Wednesday was SICK, if I may say so myself. Not because I gave it or because it was my message, because it wasn't my message. On Tuesday the Zone Leaders had concilio with President and so on Wednesday morning before District Meeting the Zone Leaders talked to us, the district leaders, about what President talked about in concilio and so we talked to the missionaries in district meeting about what was talked about in concilio. President Watts has presented to us the Lord's desire and goal of 4 baptisms a month per companionship. So far there as been 1 missionary in almost 200 who has done this for more than 1 month in a row (he did it for 5 straight months) and he just went home. The question in concilio was that if they believed they could do it. They all said yes, and President said "So why aren't you doing it?". It was a very bold, straightforward question with no answer. To be honest, I haven't believed the whole time that it's possible for every missionary to baptism 4 people for month. Call me a doubting Thomas, but that's a LOT. Its not that I didn't want to do it, but 4 people a month every month comes out to be 48 people a year, 96 people in your mission. I haven't heard of that for a long time, and definitely hadn't seen it in my mission. So, yes, I didn't believe for a brief time that it was actually possible. Or better said, I doubted rather than didn't believe.

 

President then asked how we could demonstrate faith to achieve the vision and goal of 4 baptisms a month and presented 12 points of how to exercise faith to achieve our goal. I don't have all 12 points here with me, but I would like to share some of them with you.

 

1) Search and Follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost

2) Obedience in everything

3) Pray specifically

4) Repent and Change

 

It's kind of a a chastisement, really. But it's a building and growing process that I hope to be able to follow. Even though I'm in the office, and my time in the office is almost up, I know that as we work and follow through these plans with faith, believing that we can achieve all that the Lord has asked us to do, we will succeed and we will bring His children, once again, back to His presence.

 

Love,

 

Elder Andrew A. LaPray

December 31,2011

So, New Years isn't QUITE gone, but basically... And besides, I don't do anything to celebrate it either! Sidenote, one year ago from today, my uncle, Dave, paid me $5 to take Joel to his friends house cause he didn't want to do it, and then I went over to my friends house to hang out for the rest of the night. Easiest 5 bucks I ever earned. Score! 

This week hasn't been to bad in the work, not amazing either. We have one family right now that is really progressing! Their names are Lester and Marelin García. They have been investigating the church for, púchica, a long time! Their biggest challenge or stumbling block has been reading the Book of Mormon, but slowly we´re getting rid of that stumbling block. They have lots of good questions and they are looking for the path that God wants them to follow and just need that answer to know that THIS is the direction for them to go. We had a couple good lessons with them this week. 

I would like to share a journal entry with you this week, as I feel it fits perfectly for the New Year and maybe a "New Years' Resolution". and it goes a little something like.. "The other day when we were teaching, I had this thought come to my mind that I wanted to share back from my CCM experience. Mabye I already shared it, but twice a story doesn't hurt. In Matthew 4 we read taht Jesus calls to some of his disciples who are casting their nets and he says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt 4:19). Their response is immediate and without words. Verse 20 tells us, "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him". Jesus calls to us saying, "Drop your nets and come follow me." What, then, are our nets? They are the things that keep us from following our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What nets are you holding on to? What am I holding on to? It could be sin, money, anger, hurt, pride, or any number of things. The call to all is the same; Leave it behind. Now. We can't wait for tomorrow. We can learn from the example of Peter and Andrew and immediatele leave our nets and follow him, because nothing the world has to offer and prevents us from following Jesus Christ is worth it". 

In district meeting on Wednesday we talked about goals, like last change. I realized that I didn't complete a SINGLE goal I set for myself at the end of last change. Why? I would say the biggest reason is because I had NO idea what goals I set. Sure, I wrote them down. But I wrote them down and NEVER looked at them again. Goals are a lot more attainable if you have something to constantly remind you that you are working towards a goal. Example, I have a goal to serve a full time mission of two years. That goal is impossible to forget right now, but before I was serving it might have been a little easier to forget had I stopped going to seminary, stopped praying, stopped giong to church, or any number of things. So for this next change, I put my goals in a place where I will actually SEE them :) One of my goals is to wake up at 6 am and study for half an hour, before anything else. Really put priority to study time. Another goal is to read all the way through Alma by the end of next change, which should be possible if I complete my other goal of reading 15 chapters a week in the Book of Mormon. Right now I'm in Mosiah 13. Goals are important, but like I said, unless you have something reminding you of your goal, it's hard to return.

I would say that each of us has the goal of living with God again. It has been compared to a race. In a race there are 3 medals given. 1 of Gold. 1 of Silver. and 1 of Bronze. These can be compared to the glories Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial. Now, does anyone start a race with the goal of getting the bronze medal? No. how about the silver? As we say in Spanish, tampoco. We all start a race with the ultimate goal and desire of reaching first place, the Gold Medal. The good news about our Heavenly Father's plan is that we can ALL get the Gold Medal. We all started this race, life on earth, with the goal of returning to the presence of our Heavenly Father. Let us not forget our goal, as we study the scriptures, pray daily, and attend our regular church activities we can keep our ultimate goal in mind. Happy New Year!!

Love,
Elder Andrew A. LaPray