April 1, 2014

My family!!

I love you!  And happy april fools!

Wow!  This week... are you guys ready?!  Because here it comes! 

So I lost my day planner... worst nightmare.. but we are surviving.. not to worry.  I have faith that i will find it.. someday... maybe in heaven.  But that also means that I dont remember a lot of what happened last week.. 

I remember a few chunks though.. for example, Rene.  So Rene has been doing good.. we challenged him again to be baptized and again and again and he wants to!  he just has to come to church!  normally we dont keep visiting people for so long if they havent come to churh by now.  But he is so pilas!  And this week he was going to go to church!  he even asked what he had to do to get ready to get baptized.  And he was totally on board.. and then he didnt come again.. he had a big project in school.. But guys, here is a life lesson that i am learning.  TRUST GOD!  He really will help us if we do what He asks!  Sometimes we do this silly thing where we trust ourselves more than we trust in God... but heres news, that doesnt work.  So Rene will get baptized on the 20 of this month, and he will come to conference this weekend and love it.  

Did i tell you how excited I am about conference?!  I wanted to make a paper chain to count down the days, but I didnt have time.  Its ok though.. because this weekend we are going to see the prophet that Christ has chosen for these days! And his apostles!  And they are going to talk to all of us!  And I think I will watch it all in english!  And I am so excited!  also, on friday we have zone conference!  Boom!  Huge weekend coming up! 

ok.. thats all i remember.. lies.  Ok so an hermana named Maria de Jesus came with to us to church about a month ago.. but she cant walk.. and she has got a few mental problems, but we past her in the street and she said, "you guys, havent visited me in a while... and i waited for you to come get me on sunday..but you didnt come." I felt so bad.  so we got her to church on sunday and now we are working out plans to get her to conference... she just needs permission from her mom to get baptized.  But she is so cute!

And Beatrice!  so get this, she wants to get baptized.. and she came to church again.. but she also wants to choose her date.  and she doesnt really want us to visit her.  Not a prob. We will just have to be clever about it and invite the third member of our companionship, the Holy Ghost.  Did you know that He really helps?  Because He does.  He really is a Comfortor.  

Ok, now thats all.  I love you all!  Be safe and happy and i love you!

Love, Hna Evans

March 25, 2014

My family!!!

I love you guys!  

Ok, this week... are you ready?  Because I have some GOOOOOD stuff to tell you.  

For example.. Hna Aguilar and I were in Santa Catarina.. a little part of our area... we found a road that said it went up to a cemetary... we took advantage of that opportunity quickly.  Not because we wanted to go there, but because everyone always says, "oh, I just live over in the cemetary road!"  So we looked!  And guess what.... when the sign said "calle del cementerio" it wasnt kidding!  Thats all it is!  and its not even a road.  its a hiking path.  We didnt find what we were looking for... But it was a great experience!  We ended up finding the other road that everyone was talking about. and living people live there, so that was a plus.  But while we were up there, hiking past a cemetary.. my companion says to me, super relaxed, "im going to burry you and tell everyone you went home."  2 or 3 seconds later she laughed so hard at her joke.. I am still working on my spanish humor... it doesnt work very well... 

On Christmas, you asked me what was the scariest of gutziest thing ive done or something like that... well I'll tell you.  Running in the dark to make it home on time... on cobblestone streets!  That is easily the scariest thing I have done.  

Yesterday we had to go to the capital for Hna Aguilars visa and i thought we would be fine because ive gone twice... nope!  I was contacting a guy on the bus and we passed our stop... and then we had to run and turn and run and go up a hill and then i knew where we were again.. and then we found a sketchy red bus and almost took it, but then went another route.  And we got there!  later than i was planning, but we made it.  and you will never guess who i saw there.  Guess... ABRAHAM BURNHAM!  Do you all remember him?  in the 7th grade when he asked me to dance and then after school ended he asked me what my name was.  and then followed me to the bus for like a week straight and then the last day of school too.. yeah, that guy.  Turns out he is serving in Retauleu (no idea how to spell that) another mission in guatemala.  And that was so weird. 

Ok, with Rene... this week he didnt give us bread.. but its totally fine.  because he is still way pilas.  we explained the law of chastity and the word of wisdom to him and he told us not to worry, the last girlfriend he had was 5 years ago... he is 30.  and he had just come from a party where they were passing around some drugs, but something told him to get going and come to our appointment.  What a blessing!  And he told us he wants to get baptized... he just needs to stop working on sunday... he said, "i have worked on sunday for the last 20 years... so this is a little difficult for me... But I hope to change that quickly."  

So cool.  Cool stuff happen all the time here.  And we are trying again to baptize Yessenia and her sister Mayra.  So we will baptize this weekend!  

I love you guys and hope all is well!  

Be safe and happy and I love you!

Love, hna Evans

March 11, 2014

My family!!!! 

I love you guys!!  And guys, Im a chapina.  I have washed clothes, by hand, three times now.  Boom.  And 2 out of those 3 times other gringos have showed up taking pictures of the people washing clothes at the big pila thing to wash the clothes at the park and I have ruined their authentic guatemala pictures.  #fotobomb 

Ok, Do you guys know Renaldo?  did i tell you about him? Well turns out HIS NAME ISNT RENALDO!!!! its Rene.  How awkward?!  But boy do I have a story for you guys.  

We get to the church with him and a member, pilas hna Maria Elena, and we sit down and he tells us, "I havent recieved an answer yet.. and I think your religion isnt for me.  I think this is about it.  It ends here."  My heart was breaking hearing all that.  So I said, "can we still share something right now?" and he said "sure, do what you want".  so we started, we decided to go back to the prayer and teach him about that.  Because guys, there are people here that pray to Jesus... no wonder they arent getting any answers!  So we explained how we pray to Heavenly Father, in the name of Christ. and all that, and he would periodically say, "i get it now!" and we explained how the Holy Ghost answers questions too.  I shared my experiences with him and how I recieve answers, which usually isnt through feelings, its thoughts and peace... and positive answers pretty much dont make me sick.  Negative answers make me want to throw up.  I explained a little more reverently and he just kept saying "i think i get it." and Maria Elena said to him as well about her experience right now.  Her mom is missing and has been for almost 2 weeks now and how every time she prays she is just filled with peace that they will find her, she is fine and that she doesnt need to worry.  AND THEN!!  Rene started telling us about how he has felt an empty hole in his life. In his school and job and he doesnt know why.  And during the closing prayer he asked God to fill the empty hole with the gospel of Jesus Christ!  and then on sunday the other sisters had a baptism, so we invited Rene and he came, and at the end he said, "i dont know if this day will ever come for me." so we said, "have faith, it will come very quickly" and my comp said, "yes, we will baptize you soon."  Hahaha.. :) Very direct. I liked it.  And all he said was, "really?  It really could happen?!" and we said, "Uhh.. yeah!  Have faith!"  Little does he know that his baptism will be REALLY soon... like this month!  

This has been a good week.  A really good week.  Dont even worry, we are dilligent and obedient and we stay out of trouble usually.  ;)  Drunk people like to join us in lessons still... but its all good.  we tell them to go home, read their bible and sleep.  

There have been lots of processions lately as well!  for the holy week.. which isnt a week.. its 40 days.  I dont know why they dont just call it that then. "Holy 40 days".  

Welp, thats about all for now.  I love you!  and I want to hear about Nates progress on his mission papers!  I hope you are all reading your Books of Mormon everyday too! :) 

Be safe and happy and I love you!

Love, Hna Evans

February 26, 2014

MY FAMILY!!

I love you guys!  sorry, we didnt write yesterday.. heres what happened in a nutshell.  We didnt have district meeting yesterday.. we had it today.  Boom.  Thats what happened.  so thats why we didnt write yesterday either.  

Ok, so this week was not super eventful... It has been great though!  Ok, so we found a family from the coast and we taught them, they are married (miracles) and we challenged them to get baptized.  The dad sat for a second.. and said, well have to think about it.. but we do need to get baptized.  so we are really working on miracles over here to reach the missions goal to baptize 400 precious souls in March.  Thats a big goal guys, not impossible, because thats not a word we use, but it is a very big goal.  

Yesterday we were dilligently searching for some people with a member and no one would open their doors... or let us in... but them my companion said, ok guys, watch.  This next door will open and the people will let us in.  and do you know what happened?  THEY LET US IN!!  And the woman said to us when we were asking when we could come back, "well, could it be on a sunday? I want my husband to be here too."  We said, you bet.  We want your husband to be here too.  So the work is moving right along over here!

My companion is doing so great too. Its so awesome.  She is contacting like a mad woman, and she is so happy!  Its great!  She still doesnt like gringo food, but thats ok for right now.  she is learning to like pancakes first.  

Umm... I cant think of anything else to say.. so I will write more in a minute if i can.  I LOVE YOU GUYS!!

be safe and happy and i love you.  Boom. i said it.  we were all thinking it.

Love, Hna EvansOH!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAYLEE!!  I meant to say that!  And also, tell the boys to read Alma 57:27.

ok, ya.  I love you!  Adios!

February 18, 2014

February 18, 2014

my family11

i love you all1 and i got the computer that doesnt do capitals.

but ok, this week has been good1  heck, it was great even1  we had interviews with president brough.  have i ever told you that i have the best mission president in the world and his wife too1 

so we had interviews on thursday morning, they were so awesome.  it is so cool the revelation that pres. brough recieves during the interviews.  and it is so cool how he knows all of our names, he loves each one of his missionaries invidually.  it makes me think about the love that our heavenly father has for us.  and how he knows our names and our needs so perfectly.  he knows how to test us and how not to... he knows what we can handle and what we cant.  and his son knows exactly how we feel because he has felt it.  he knows exactly how hard things can be or how much joy we will feel through obedience.  it is so crazy1  and also, a favorite scripture of mine these days is in mosiah, 24 14.  

we also had some funny things happen, like an investigator named anival, he is a little cooky, wanted us to visit him.. and he told us that he memorized the book of mormon.. first of all, he didnt quite do that... and second, he gave us a ton of leaves and fruit from his garden again.. and he half hugged us when we left, we just stood there stiff as a board... so awkward1  and we left thinking wow... not ever coming back.. but we keep finding him in the street and he still wants us to visit him and his family.. some day i will be able to explain just how funny he is with the faces and sounds he makes.  

quote from my companion when we saw a chubby little kid running ´´little fatties get tired fast´´.  

yesterday we were knocking on doors and a kid answered the door and we asked to talk to his mom, his mom asked who was at the door and he told her ´´the jesus lady´´.  guys, we are the jesus ladies1  what an honor.  

ok, we found a woman the other day, named blanca.. she is pilas.  she also had a child when she was 13.... its a horrible horrible story. she was attacked as a 12 year old by a couple of men and then had the baby at 13.  but she is doing good now and has a husband and 2 other kids too, we are visiting her again soon, but it was soo cool how quickly she opened up to us and told us about her past like that.  

ok, thats all for now.. i hope you are all reading your book of mormon, having fhe, praying lots and lots and being good.  i love you1

be safe and happy and i love you1

love, hermana evans

February 4, 2014

My family!

I love you guys!

Ok, this week has had a few notable experiences... for example, training is just a blast!  From teaching my companion how to use the computer for internet time to helping her pick out groceries to practicing how to contact a bus and what not, it really is just such an experience!  Really quite fun! :)

So we will be having divisions with the training sisters tomorrow and I will learn a ton from them, I just know it.  But also today we had a really awesome zone training!  We watched a part of a talk from Elder Holland, when he just asks, "Do you love me?" from John 21 and then Elder Holland shouts, "THEN FEED MY SHEEP!!"  Guys, I think we outta feed His sheep.  

But heck, I hope you are all ready, this week was fun.  I got a hair cut!  And that was interesting!  Jessie, dont worry, you have way more certificates than the woman I went to.. But I wont complain, I was the one that chose to get a hair cut in Guatemala...

So I was using a bathroom at a members house, a little dangerous, because the bathroom is outside, and the walls are bed sheets and Im tall enough that I can easily see over the walls, all of them, And there obviously isnt a door knob so while I was in there one day a little girl, her name is La Jose, and she walks right in and just looks at me... #awkward.  So I just started saying "OH my! Ok, umm.. Goodbye! It was good to see you! Bye!" but she didnt leave... So awkward... 

Hna Aguilar made fake fingernails with flower petals and everytime she pulled a petal off, she would say "sorry little flower".  But then she kept doing it. Too bad I didnt get a picture!  

I saw a man on a bike on Sunday... and he had it all decked out.  Two flash lights in front for the front lights and a CD disk with the shiny side out as the rear reflector.  Not a bad idea! Why didnt I think of that?  The man is so creative!  

Also, we went to Santa Maria de Jesus again this weekend.. but we went with the old Branch Pres.  Pres. Cubur and his wife... and when we got there, a drunk man got so mad at me!  He started swearing Im pretty sure, I dont know, I didnt know a lot of the words he was using, and he was talking about how I had no right being there... he doesnt like gringos.. so we were walking away when another drunk man walks up to Pres. Cubur and just hugs him.  They are both pretty large Guatemalans and the one that was drunk was just a little bigger.  Pres. Cubur didnt put up a fight, he just went along with it while the drunk one said, "I am so sorry he said all those things about your friend" and things like that.  He hugged him for a good 7 minutes! Not a joke! We left him there and walked into the next house with the wife and started teaching... Then a while later, Pres. Cubur came in with a grocery bag and I was thinking he stopped off at the store first! Almost had a heart attack, but then turns out the second drunk guy felt so bad that he bought us all water and tortrix (chips here). so im not even mad!  It was a good experience!

Do you remember Pilas Jeramias?  Well he hasnt come to church still, and he also is having a hard time accepting that we go to church on sunday.. because he is a 7 day adventista.... so he goes on saturday.. heck, he runs it! He is the leader!  But thats where we are at right now with that one..

Lucy, I hope I have mentioned her, but she is doing good too. still hasnt gone to church... and is planning on getting married and moving to pakistan in March....

We found a guy named Apolinario and he is so pilas... We taught him and he said, " I tried to go to your church once, but it was shut..."  And he told us that the missionaries were going to visit him a while ago, but they never came... it was a thursday, and he waited for them a long time.  So he is pretty stoked that we will actually come back.  I always like finding people that actually want to talk to us... or that are just genuinely interested in the gospel and not just in it to argue.

But guys, thats about it for this week. I love you all a whole mountain, and I hope all is well at home!

Be safe and happy and I love you!

Love, Hermana Evans