Chapinas, Tooth and Freezing in Guatemala

"the big tooth I found…so cool"

"Who knew that we would freeze to death in Guatemala?  All three jackets."

"we are pure chapinas... this is how the native people carry their things."

December 3, 2013

My family!

Ok, I love you guys a ton.  Just know that. 

But ok, here we go... This week has been pretty good.  JUAN MIGUEL ACCEPTED THE BAPTISMAL CHALLENGE FOR THE 15 OF DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!  guys, this is HUGE!!  He has been trying so hard to stop drinking and he is finally making his way there.  Miracles. 

A bit of news, my companion is awesome.... annnnnnnnd, she will be training someone this next change.. (which is coming up next week! yikes! way too fast!) So do you know what that means?  Me voy... :(  I love San Martin.  I love the members, I love the area, I love the investigators, I love it all.  But the Lord knows better than I do.  Usually we dont know this early when we will have changes, but this time we know. 

Ok, some cool stuff... 

Yesterday was a weird day, but I'll tell you what, hna Yepez is so funny.  Ok, we had a lesson with Telma, saber if I told you about her, but she was saying how the Jehovas witnesses were visiting her too (something competitive struck me when she said that.... but thats not the point) but they never invite them to pray about the message.  They just read the Bible and explain things.  So with that in mind, we were in the house talking about why the Jehovas witnesses dont invite people to pray about these things and why its insanely important that we invite them to pray and all that jazz when Hna Yepez said "If I dont invite, Im a Jehovas witness".  Bahaha... what a jokester... maybe you had to be there.. it was super funny when she said it...

Next week we are going to the waters of Mormon!!!!!! for pday!

OH MY GOODNESS!! I found a tooth guys!  A big one!  I'll send a pic.  But its really cool.

We taught a woman a couple days ago and we challenged her to be baptized and she accepted, but would pray about it.  then she said "I was baptized, but not like you said, with the authority".  So that was pretty neat.  She already knows the importance of the authority.

Lisbeth, a girl we are teaching accepted the challange to be baptized...but still plans of going to her current church.  We are working on that one... She told us how happy she is to be going to church again now that we have been teaching her, the next step is stopping her at our church and not the other one.

Ok, what else has happened... OH!  We had ward conference!  And President Samayoa, the stake pres, held a meeting afterwards with everybody (except the us and the investigators) and he gave a ton of chicote!!  (you will have to look up chicote.. i dont know what it is in english.. something about when someone rips em a new one maybe?  like when they just start busting out lots of things that people should start doing...) And then all of the sudden the members wanted to help us more!  Guys, I hope you are helping the missionaries.  I know you are all pilas, but still, the missionaries need help.  And I hope you are all reading the book of Mormon together and praying and having FHE. 

But ok, things are awesome here.. oh, sweet little hna Yepez fell the other day, dont worry, my pharmacy that I brought with me helped to doctor her up. 

Now that is all.  I love you lots and lots and I will try to send pics today.  LOVE YOU GUYS!!

Love, Hermana Evans

Costume Party

"This was a random party the town had, they dance the whole day in these costumes and then reveal their identity in the night."

November 26, 2013

My family!! 

I love you a lot.  Lots and lots.

Ooooooook.  So we had interviews with President Brough today.  He has a rule that every sister has to cry.  He is obedient with exactness.  Of course I cried.  And of course I learned a ton of things!  Guys, do you know that mission presidents can read minds?  And that they love every one of their missionaries?  At the very end he asked, "Hermana Evans, Do you know that Hna Brough and I love you?"  I have no doubts that I am in the BEST MISSION IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.  And I have the best Mission President in the whole world. 

But ok, this week has been very good. We have recieved a ton of revelation for this area and I am positive that it will work. We are trying to find all the less actives and bring them back.  And we are trying to strengthen the branch here.  I wrote a letter yesterday to you guys, and I'll tell you why i didnt send it in a second. But I know that there are people ready to hear this message that are waiting along side the less actives. 

Ok, yesterday we were on a quest to find somewhere in San Martin that we could send letters.  And we found a couple!  The first one was willing to send them to any place in the world.  But do you know how much they charge?  Lots.  750 quetzales to send something to the US.  And 600 to Ecuador.  Why? They arent normal, thats why.  They get the letters super super fast to the destination.  Super fast.  Normally it costs less than 7 quetzales.  So that didnt work.  The next place sent them only to the US......... but not all of the US.. just New York, New Jersey, Conneticut (how on earth do you spell that?!) aaand... Maryland i think.  So, FAIL.  We didnt send them.  BUT!  While we were working last night we found a place that is normal and will send the letters for a normal amount of money.  So we will send you the letters next week.  :)

We have got some pretty awesome members.  One recent convert really wanted to go to the stake conference we had on sunday, but he had so much to do too. He is a sweet old man, Martin, and he put his face in his hands and said, "What am I going to do?!"  And then he woke up at 4 to get everything done to be able to attend church on Sunday.  I think we can learn a lesson from him. If this old man can get everything he needs to do done to go to church, we can too.  He is always thanking us for visiting him and says how he feels the love of God through us.  What a blessing it is to have him in the branch. 

A man I contacted asked if the church was in Spain yet, and then said, "oh, so you guys are all over the world!"  Yes, yes we are. 

Ok, so i failed to give more details about Carmen.... we did find her again after she got lost at the fair, and everything was all good.  But, she no longer has permission to listen to us... :( BUT! when one door closes, another door opens.  We have found lots of really positive people, and I know that we will baptize soon here in San Martin. 

I know the Lord has His own ways of humbling people and preparing people.  But guys, its becuase He loves us!  And wants us to be obedient and teachable.  And the scriptures are always teaching us to suffer with patience!  The Lord will try the faith and patience of His people, and what better way to make someone more humble than to test the faith and patience?!

Ok, I love you all so so much.  And I hope you are all so happy and reading the Book of Mormon everyday.  And praying together everyday and having FHE every monday. 

Be happy and safe and I love you guys.

Love, Hermana Evans

November 19, 2013

My family!!  

I love you guys a ton.  Just thought youd like to know!

Ok folks, heres the thing, Im going to be honest.... I had a plan to get a six pack in the mission... BUT!  Bad news, i like pan dulce... and now I have fat little chipmunk cheeks.  There I said it.  We were all thinking it.  And thank you for not pointing it out from the pics ive sent home... I needed to realize it for myself.  I dont have any immediate plans to change this problem... So thats where we are at right now.  

OH!!  How did i forget?!  Last monday we went to Ecuador!  Basically.. We went to the embassy of Ecuador or something like that.  I understood very little of what went down.  Lots of words I dont know.  So i just smiled mostly at a grumpy woman and she finally let us leave.  There was a problem with the visa of Hna Yepez.  So we went to the area office building (accidently got there an hour early because we didnt get lost... (I was expecting to get lost)) and we met lots of people!  A few brazilians actually! That are in mission.... uhh... Reu (thats the nickname... who knows what the real thing is called... its a long name) but one was so so black and the other two were so so white.  I didnt believe any of them when they told me they were from Brazil.. actually it was awkward, I asked in english where they were from and they would only respond in spanish.  Turns out they really are from Brazil.  

I witnessed a couple very old women in the native clothes drinking beer a couple days ago... and speaking Kitche I think... 

Hna Yepez is very scared of horses and cows... breaking news:  They are EVERYWHERE here.  

The funniest thing.  We found a woman and her husband and began teaching them.  Her name is Leticia, she has 10 kids.  Why?  Ill tell you why.  We were all sorts of shocked that she has 10 kids because i havent seen a number that high in a long time.  and she told us this.  "We are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth, not sit around and eat candy"  She has a good point ya know.

A woman told me the other day to keep fooling the people with our message and that its the only true church "according to us".  Apparently long ago there was catholic women preaching a bit but they really started a war here in San Martin...  I fear some of the people dont trust us because we could potentially cause a war.  Dont worry, I would never do a thing like that.  

Ok, this week was pretty cool.  I sleep like a stinkin rock every single day.  We were teaching a girl named Lisbeth last night and we got to her house, we asked if she read her pamphlet and prayed and do you know what she said?  She said YES!!  And she just said, "Yeah, I know Joseph Smith was a prophet.  You asked me to read and pray and I did it... and I got an answer.  It was like a fire in my chest, and I know he was a prophet."  Holy mackeral.  Ella me cae muy bien. 

Things are good, Im ruing Hna Yepezs spanish.  Haha..... Ah.. Mission accomplished.  She is so cute.  We made a video yesterday.. it is very very long, but also very funny.  And in spanish... so someday when you are watching it you will need a translater.  

Ok, rollin out, I love you all lots and lots. and be safe and happy and ADIOS! 

Love, Hermana Evans

November 12, 2013

My Family!! 

I love you guys!!  And guess what?!  I turned 20? when did that happen?!  But my goodness do I have lots to tell you.  

Ok, So Mosiah 23, its a good one, a definite must read, also Romans 5:1-5.  

But any who, we had divisions this week, I got to be with Hermana Turley again.  SO AWESOME!  We lost our investigator in a large crowd... little Carmen ran from us... it was really weird.  Its the fair here and she wanted to see the horses.  But thats not the point..  I learned lots from Hna Turley.  Lots and lots.  And then on Sunday we went to pick up Carmen and her family changed their minds... she doest have permission to get baptized... BUT!!! When one door closes, another door opens.  And boy do I have a story about last night.

So we have this one investigator, Jorge, he is 15.  We have been challenging him to be baptized for the 1 of December... but he hasnt accepted... His mom is Sara and she is a member, also, the two sisters, Paola and Claudia. The father is in the States.  Jorge has smoked for 3 years now and drinks and doesnt really care to listen much to us.... but last night, all of our appointments fell through and we had the idea to visit Jorge.  He was smoking when we got there and then tried to go to sleep right before we started the lesson.  But we started, prayed, and began to share something in Mosiah 23 (absolute inspiration).  We were talking about how sometimes the Lord lets us suffer or have trials so we can grow, and become something greater.  Something more.  And out of no where he sat up.  We had been praying that he would listen to us, also.  And then he asked us the question, how has all of this blessed your lives?  The gospel, the Book of Mormon, all of it.  And I shared how its always brought comfort in hard times, but thats not what he needed to hear.  What he needed to hear was what hna Yepez had to say.  She shared from Alma 29:9 and talked about why she is here, and how if she could just help one person come unto repentance, that would be her joy.  He was holding a book of mormon we gave him and just staring at it.  Then he said completely out of nowhere "and what is this thing about baptism?  They say that you can feel completely clean from everything.  I want to know if that is true.  I want to know what is going to happen to me when I die.  What is God going to think of me?  What is going to happen to me?"  So guys, we challenged him to get baptized on the 1 of december... and he sat there a second... asked what the day was (it was the 11) and then said "yes".  He then told us why on earth he sat up in the first place.  He said how something told him to sit up and pay attention.  Then he also asked us "do you know how many missionaries have visited me? you can ask my mom, and i didnt care what any of them said.... until right now.  Something told me that I needed to listen to you.  And I dont know what Im feeling but I feel like I need to keep listening." and then we asked when we could come back and he told us, "when ever is best for you two."   MIRACLES HAPPEN GUYS!!!  When one door closes, another door opens.  

I also wanted to say thank you for all the letters in my package and for all the things!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!! my birthday was great!!  It was a little hard to handle the baptism falling through, but guys, its ok turns out, if she was supposed to get baptized, she would have gotten baptized.  

I love you guys lots and lots and thank you for everything!!  But real quick, 

Mom:  I loved your testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Seriously, I have always wondered why I never had a specific experience to tell me that the Book of Mormon is true, but I your testimony helped me out.  Ive always known it is true!

Dad:  I loved the letters you sent, I like to hear about the things you learn from the scriptures too. I like it a lot, I always learn lots and lots.

Nate:  I love you.  You will be a great missionary, I know it.  Listen to mom and dad and read the Book of Mormon, that will definitely help you.  I love you tons and tons.

Hunter:  You are pretty awesome.  You too will be great on your mission, hold on to what you know and keep building your testimony.

Isaac:  Thank you for keeping a massive hug waiting for me.  And keep reading the book of Mormom... Cada Dia....

Michael:  You are so funny.  And thank you for being awesome.  Read the book of Mormon and keep praying erryday.

Joe!  I will definitely try to give you advice!  Mas que todo, i will just tell you what I have learned and you can take what you want to apply it to your mission.  Anna will be a huge help to you too.  And your other family that has already served.

Aaron:  Thank you for writing me a letter!  I loved it.  You are awesome and I hope you can keep reading the Book of Mormon... with your fam and alone.  You will learn lots and lots.

Ok, that is all for now.  Thank you for everything!  oh! and Terry Bardwell!  Thank you for the note!  :) it made me happy!

Ok be safe and happy and i love you.  

Love, Hermana Evans 

Pictures from Guatemala - November 5, 2013

"This family is awesome, Hermana Lorena, Luky and Luis"

Hermana Yepez, Hermana Evans in a "tuk tuk"

"My comp, me and Paola (a member)"

"The other morning was pretty sweet"

"Hermana Blackmer is my zone again!"