WEEK 10: Finally Seeing Some Harvest-Elder Young in Guatemala

We've worked and worked and worked and we finally have seen some harvest. We have three people with different baptismal dates in October, so hopefully those will work out. We found a family in the junglish part of the mountain. When we entered there were menacing dogs all around us, barking like crazy, but we both felt like we should go ahead. We pressed on and eventually found a family who had some members that were baptized before! We gave the first lesson and a girl there the of age 9 said she wanted to be baptized on October 15th. We also found a different family, taught a nice lesson and he said he wanted to be baptized the 22nd of October! Angel, said he wants to be baptized and agreed to the 29th, but he thinks that will be too soon because 'he wants to get finished with all of his mistakes before he's baptized'' As he said that I started looking down at the ground and found a little stream of dirty water trickling into a nearby gutter. I then looked at my pure bottled water in my hand. The thought came to me so clearly: why do we find sin appealing? When we drift continually in the path of least resistance, we, like the water, will end up in gutters and filth. But when we sanctify ourselves, we live on exalted plains with nothing to fear, we receive a transparent soul, ready to be illuminated by the word of God! I testify with all my power that the happiest way is always righteousness. It's better to prepare and prevent than repair and repent. You kids that are preparing for a mission, and everyone alike: remember that.

I would like to say something here to those of you in the states. My message is this: DO SOMETHING: Learn French, how to juggle, read poetry, learn astronomy, go out and reach your dreams, quit watching Disney channel and Netflix and go make something of your life. I've started planning my hours and minutes of the day and I've found so much free time that I didn't know existed before. I'm now designate this time to missionary work, but those of you who are not full time missionaries! Use it! It's a gift! Read books, start business, talk to people! Life is so vast that we've barely skimmed the surface. People have amazing stories, there are books to be written and experiences to be had. Life is like a punching bag. You can just sit there and stare at it. Or you can get after it, take it places, and get stronger in the process.

Another thing, I want to say a few words about hope. There is always hope. When we make mistakes, we can repent and be completely rehealed. There is ALWAYS a way back. Don't think for a second that you are undeserving of God's love and unable to reach God's grace. Repentance is hard, but it's worth it. There is always a way back. Always.

I'll end with a little poem I scribbled in my notes after reading Alma 5 It's pretty cheesy haha. 

There are a million steps on the stair case

From hell to heaven's door

Unless you make your journey on Earth

In which case there are only four

The first step is recognition

And al that this step takes

Is feeling Godly sorrow 

And realizing you made a mistake

The next step is confession

Letting God and others know

That your heart is broken and spirit contrite 

And you're choosing to let it all go

The third step is forsaking

Replacing the bad with the good

Abandoning the path you were on 

And acting the way that you should

The last step is restitution

Restoring what you have lost

Assessing the damage you've made

And paying the coverage cost

And now, at last you've made it

You have a new identity

A person no longer defined

By who you once used to be

These four steps become much steeper

To take on after you've died

So what will you choose? The million steps

Or will you strip yourself of some pride. 

Repentance is the medicine that nobody really wants but everyone really needs

Misc: 

 I'm getting more accustumed to the culture and the climbing. All the walking has made my legs a lot stronger, so when we played basketball today, I could dunk it with ease. I even got a sweet dunk over this one Latino: great preparation day. Everyone is fascinated by the piano, so we are going to have piano classes on Monday nights at the church. The old ladies are hilarious. When we contact them they start saying ''no no no no no no'' really fast. I think it's hilarious and I sometimes I can't help but start laughing. One of these times I might start beat boxing and we can start an impromptu rejection song haha.

Love you all so much! 

Elder Young

Racanda

Elder Hawkins and Elder Young with their investigator

Elder Young playing baseball with a stick and a huge rock

Elder Young with a goat on his back -just a normal every day occurrence

Elder Young with his Tilley hat that he wears every day

One of the ways they travel

A Blake face

Riding into momoestenango with Blake's trainer, Elder Hawkins. This is one of the fist visits that Blake had to the more "civilized part" of his first area. This is actually outside of his area but he gets to go here every so often to buy food and water for the week.

Elder Young Tracting In The Mountains Of Racanda -Week # 9

This week has been soul stretching and rather rigorous, but so is every worthwhile experience. We've talked with everyone and we got over 10 lessons this week!  The highlight was when we went tracting in the mountains and found a man that can speak Spanish and knows the bible well. We gave him the Book of Mormon and he was enthralled! Hopefully he reads the Book and prays about it to know if it is true. It's awesome how that's all we have to do. We just invite them to come closer to God and He does the rest.

Also, we had about 10 new investigators that promised they would come to church but the church fleet (truck) broke down and so none of them were able to come, but that's okay because that means they'll come next week and I'm sure sacrament meeting is going to be great next time too. On Thursday, we went out to visit a member to talk with his family about the Book of Mormon. He lived about 10 miles away, in the thick of the jungle and we had to traverse unpaved paths most of the way there. It took hours of walking and asking directions, and when we got there they fed us breakfast but by the time we were there it was already past lunch haha. He's such a sweet sweet guy. He is one of the most active members in our little branch, but he's deaf and speaks only Quiche so we always yells at us and we write our answers back in Quiche haha.Come to think of it, the best members of this branch are either blind or deaf. Interesting I think in total on Thursday we walked near 20 miles and taught two lessons. My companion keeps telling me the only reason this place is still open is because president likes and and if the missionaries weren't here it would fall apart, but I still have faith that one of these people out here will realize that there is more to be offered, and so we preach on the back of the trucks and invite everyone to church. 

Rejection is normal, I just laugh it off now, but all the rejects got me thinking about my own life with God. I can really understand it now, it's palpable. How many times does God offer us blessings in our lives and we have refuse them and turn away just like the people do to us. 

Another cool experience happened. It was last Pday and my companion and I were both sick, but to be obedient we were required to proselyte for one more hour. We agreed that it'd be fine if we cleaned up the house and prepared dinner because we were both under the weather, but I thought of a random, guy that I passed the other day and we decided to at least go at least meet him. We did and we ended up teaching the first lesson and he was extremely positive. I wasn't even looking at the clock until we arrived home and our one meeting had filled up all of our proselyting time. I know that when we strive to be obedient, God will bless us and prepare a way.

I love teaching English class, and playing piano on Sundays is so much fun. The kids love hopping on the piano and changing the buttons. 

Well I really do love the experiences I'm having here. It's definitely a challenge, but wow, guys life is so vast. These people spend all of their time working for just enough food, and then afterwards, with what little money they have, they buy pots and pans and clothes. And yet, here we are, in the luxury of life. My friends of the states, we have been given so many blessings. We should always be thankful for things I've taken for granted until I've seen how these people live: floors, clean water, variety of food (they eat the same food almost every day), clothes, cars, education, tooth brush, socks, good shoes, etc. We have been given so much, and to think that we still squander away our time with things of little importance when we could be sharing our talents and goods with others. 

This mission has already changed my life so much. I don't have time to put my poem on here, hopefully I will have time next week. I love you all!

Elder Young

Elder Young hiking in the mountains!  Missionaries are pretty awesome -Especially this one!
We love Elder Young!

Working Hard in Racanda

This week has been incredibly difficult. It rained all week as we trecked up the mountains to find someone who wants to hear our message. I'm sending pictures so that you can see how far we walk each day just for a chance to teach a lesson. We are usually are lucky if we can get just that. Last week, one of our investigators, Blanca, agreed to get baptized on the 22 of October, but she can't go to church because her husband is almost always drunk and won't let her. We see that a lot here: the women are much more likely to accept us, but their husbands are often very drunk and don't let them go to church. It's extremely sad because the family lives in poverty enough already, and there's absolutely no room in the budget for beer. That just goes to show that we can always make room for our priorities.

Last night it was pouring and we were called to give a blessing at a members house. It was my first blessing in Spanish and was a very special experience. The family humbly gave us some corn to eat and we talked in Quiche. The whole time I kept thinking of the infinite nature of the open sky, and the love that God has for all his children. There, on the dirt floor, chomping on some corn and rice, I mused at the reality that this will be my life for the next two years. 

At church this week, a man came who hasn't come for a long time. We talked to him and agreed to visit that afternoon. We went to his house, and it was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. After a 30 minute trek up the mountain, he scurried away his chickens and asked if we could come share a message. He talked about his problem he has with drinking, and so I shared the end of Romans 8 with him, implying that no matter how many drinks he takes, there is always a way to get back to the grace of God. As I read that scripture in my broken Spanish, the spirit filled the room and he started crying. Then, In an ancient Mayan dialect, he wrote down some words on a paper and handed it to us, saying that those were the names of his children and he wanted us to mention them in our prayers. We left his house and made the long walk back the church: what an experience. 

The days are long, and packed with small, extremely spiritual experiences. We taught English class on Saturday to a bunch of kids. It was the best haha. I just want to pick them all up, put them on a plane to America, and give them a way out of their poverty. I know that leaving Racana is their only way to make money, so I do my best to teach them a new, relevant language. 

Much walking means much thinking, and there are times when I don't understand why these children are put in such bleak circumstances, but still, radiating in the back of my mind, I know that God has a plan for them the same way he has a plan for me. and then I think of their smiling faces, and loving gestures, and I start to realize that they might be happier than most of the people in America anyways! 

So, here I am. Writing on a computer in a small, random Internet cafe in some town in Momostinango. I took a fleet (back of a truck) full of 40 people (yes, forty people in the back of the truck) and drove for over an hour to be here and say these short words to my friends in the States. These two weeks in the field have changed my perspective on life forever. I've learned more out here than I have in all my high school years and previous years combined. I'm just beginning to comprehend the scope and breadth of life, and just glancing the surface of the unknown.

Godspeed, 

Elder Young

Look at the birds on each hand!

The Book of Mormon In Spanish

Elder Young and his companion Elder Hawkins (from Pima,Arizona)
Pima is right by Bryce Arizona where many of our relatives are from. Blake's Great Grandma grew up in Pima.

He really is living on top of the mountain

Blake is pointing to where he walks every day to visit people

Wow look at that

Racana