Week 32:Elder Young working hard in Totonicapan

President Rasband visited Guatemala. It was the first time in years that an apostle has come to this area. There were 300 missionaries in the room and I played piano.I was able to meet him in person.What a wonderful experience it was.

When I got home from the Conference  I bore testimony to a family that the father of the house should be baptized. The spirit LIT UP THE ROOM. The whole family then started to pour out their love for one another and the father of the house who still is not baptized. I told him that I loved him. And I did. I felt the greatest love in the world for him and that family. I told them that God loves them and I knew it personally. Scriptures came to my mind and I shared them, they all perfectly matched his concerns. The missionaries have worked with him for some time, but this Saturday he has agreed to fast for his decision to be baptized the next week. 

After the meeting the mom thanked me for coming to Guatemala. She said that I was an angel. And that she wanted to thank me because I was a ''special missionary'' She said I'm so thankful to God this day that we received a special missionary, a missionary with the power of the spirit. 

We cried together and I left feeling the most spiritual I've ever felt in my life. 

With so much love

Elder Young. 

Elder Young is having some ties made for his brothers

Enjoying the new city!

Elder Young in Totonicapan

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Week 31: Elder Young has moved to Totonicapan

Happy Birthday to the best mom in the world! I hope it was great. My new companion is AMAZING. He is soooo nice, kind, patient, and full of the spirit. He loves to sing. We sing all the time in the streets together and we contact by singing the prayer of a prophet at doors. He also plays piano and chess. We've played about 4 games and we go to the chapel on Lunes to practice piano. He is amazing, such a blessing to work with. I got sent to a place called Totonicapan. People still speak a little bit of Quiche but its a city so we can contact a lot. Its super big and the people are the nicest people I've ever met. We say Good morning, and they all say Good morning to you, Have a good day! What a welcome change that is. We also have hot water to shower in! and our house is nice, it has two levels, so that's pretty cool.

I got the package! Thanks so much, its too much deliciousness. No I have plenty of shoes. Some missionaries in the old area even gave me an extra really nice pair so I'm good. Yep. For the two missions and Elder Rasband.  I'm playing Jesus Is My Light and We Are All Enlisted. 

We found 16 new investigators this week. We are going to baptized 4 out of the next 5 weeks. The ward helps here and its good. 

Blake with his new companion Elder Linares from Mexico,Michoacan

Elder Young in his new area Totonicapan

We had a great bonding moment over this dinner. 

At a birthday part for Cristina Tzul 

Elder LInares. A great man. 

Week 30:Elder Young -What I have Learned in Racana

Hello, It's Elder Young. I've been living for the past six months in a little pastoral society out in the middle of nowhere called ''Racaná''. I've learned some things that I think might be of value, and instead of packing your bags and going where I've gone, walked where I've walked, spoke the Quiché I've spoken, killed the pigs we've killed, taught the lessons we've  taught, and ate all the Roman noodles we ate; maybe you, whoever may be reading this, would do well to apply the principles without the experiences. 

1: GOD LIVES. He does. I know it. You can't tell me He doesn't. When we pray to Him we should never be trite. He is our Father and we should always be sincere in never hold anything from Him. He is our friend. When we can't express how we feel to our companions, the people, or anyone, he is always there. One call away. Siempre (always).

2: We are spiritual beings. Life, in and of itself, is not fulfilling without God. You may think that the colorful, vibrant spectrum of life only shines in bright yellows and greens. But once you've lived in the beige and brown, talked with the poorest of the poor about God in their own language, you begin to see that without God, even the brightest times of our life do not out luster the bright, wonderful spiritual realities that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings. It's like we are living in only two dimensions, and only until we recognize the third spiritual dimension do we begin to see how glorious life really could be. We are spiritual beings with spiritual destines. Embrace it or not. Keep the commandments or not. It doesn't change that fact. 

3: The most important thing in this life is obtaining, retaining and following the Holy Ghost. With it our lives will literally be maximized completely. Trust in God. Have faith in Him. Make the first step and He will illuminate the rest. Ordinances are the entrances to the strait and narrow path. As we follow the Holy Ghost, live right, and keep the commandments, we will be guided in the safest and most JOYFUL and FUN life this world has to offer. I know that. 

4: Money is just a means to bless others. If used for selfish, unrighteous indulgence, it causes self destruction and unhappiness. When we buy things for others or lighten others' loads, we are making a long term investment in the bank of God. Help other people like you would want someone to help you. Lose yourself and you'll find yourself. 

5: It's easy to fall away and lose faith. It's so easy to not have faith. Belief is the harder, yet more meaningful route. 

6: You can't get something from nothing. This is a big old fat lie. Success takes work, effort, and time. Idleness brings nothing but the occasional random gift. The only good gifts anyway are the ones sealed by the stamp of intentional hard work. 

7: Life is too short not to do things. Create things. If I had decided to just idle away and not go out to visit people, I would not have had these experiences I have had, talked with who I have, and know what I know. Do things. Talk with strangers to see what they know. Love life, move things, shake things, get things going. There isn't a 4th law of Newton's law that cites idleness as a source of motion. Getting things done requires doing things. Doing things requires making decisions. Decisions require thinking, weighing the ups and downs, and good logic. But too often we get stuck in the thinking and don't do the doing. 

8: The Bible is my best friend. If you want to teach the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the bible is your best friend. It supports the truth, and we can use any and every scripture to support our doctrine and our mission. I know the church is true. 

9: We should never ever scoff at someone who is repenting. As long as you are repenting, no matter what you've done, you are a good man. If you are not repenting, no matter what you've done, you are a bad man. Atonement Calculus right there. 

10: God will never throw us down or discourage us. That's Satan's trick. Through prayers he will lift us up and kindly correct us but never discourage us. 

Last of all: WHEN WE KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS WE WILL BE BLESSED MORE THAN ANY OTHER EARTHLY ENDEAVOR. Keep the commandments. Have faith, choose the right. It will all turn out well for you now and forever. 

As far as experiences, this next week we will baptize Alexander, a 11 year old boy. He reads the book of Mormon every day for about 2 hours and has brought his mom to church every week. She will be baptized this month and hopefully his dad too. I think I attached a photo. 

We  contacted all of Racana in one week. We found new families who live in the middle of nowhere. I taught one man how to pray. I gave a sincere prayer and he said, ''whoa that's how you pray!'' he loved how the Mormons prayed and invited us back. He is the grandpa (man of the house) of 25 people and if he accepts, the all could be baptized. 

I got called after 6 months of Racaná to be a district leader in a different location, I'll find out where it is tomorrow. 

Hope all is well and that we can all focus on the MOST important things. 

With a crazy amount of LOVE, Elder Young. 

Julio and Paula. THey always gave us lunch even though it was hard for them to make ends meet. Such a beautiful family. The first time we went out there, we got lost in the jungle. THey are over 70 years old but still walk all the way to church. Julio can't hear but he loves it. 

On a piano tour to Konkishaha. Blake had permission to go and teach all the small brancehs how to sing. 

Elder Young Looking at Konkishaha. 

This is a picture of the family that I love  so much-they are hilarious, the mom only speaks quiche so she loves it when we talk. I always randomly see her picking up sticks to light the fires in the house and we have little quiche conversations. The father is great too. He works hard and has good values. The son is amazing. He has been coming to church and is now one of the most active youth in the church. Their cousins came to church too! With the will of the Lord, their whole family could be baptized soon!

This is a meal he makes a lot.

A crazy looking banana tree found in Racana. A dog bit me here. 

Elder Young's big tired feet with worn out shoes on them

Elder Young freezes bananas and puts sticks in them and sometimes has up to four a day.  He loves them and its a good healthy cheap treat

A nice picture after a family night. 

Week 29: Elder Young in Racana

This week has been interesting.

Alexander is going to be baptized on the 14th of February. It was the 20th but the Mom, Bascillia,  wanted to move it closer. Bascillia really wants to be baptized and comes every week with us to church but her husband, Antonio, has mixed feelings. We hope that after she is baptized, her family (about 25 people -they all live very close to each other) will start to hear lessons and progress.

Milka is having trouble getting the strength to come to church. She's still afraid as going to church here is a big political move that will set the stage for your family and their future. 

There are about 15 churches in our area. That's a crazy amount considering that the population of people to talk to is roughly 1000  people in all of Racan'a, Juticaw, Ixcoy, Chicruz, ChiCastros ChiHurnandez and Sacaumula. This means that everyone knows everyone and where you go to church is like the most important thing about you. 

This week we found two new young who were members of the church until they got in a verbal fight with one of the ladies at the church. They have plans to return after two years of inactivity. we went over to their house and talked and ate with the family. They are very nice. I sang them hymns, as we've been doing lately to meet and associate with more people, and they invited us back another day. 

This week about 15 new people came to church so that was exciting.

Not much has changed. I've started studying outside the house sometimes for personal study. I read the LDM (Libro de Mormon) as pick-ups pass and the shrieks of pigs being slaughtered fade into the peculiar, yet familiar, rural ambience of Racana. . 

Elder Young

This day went by SOOO SLOW