Sister Moore in Guatemala

Last week:

Subject: I'm from Guatemala now

   look what I bought!CORTEEEEEEEEEEE. :)

Wow, what an insane week this was!  I feel like I have been in this country my whole life now, it's been a long time!  So long that I am in fact turing into a chapin.  This week I did something I never would have done a year ago.... so I made oatmeal for breakfast, I had already boiled the water and I poured the packet in and even cut up an apple, fancy ooo, and then I sit down at my desk, pray and then look down.  It was apple cinnamon flavored but gee have the cinnamon specs always been that big? and black? and segmented?  Oh no, of course not... because it's not cinnamon,  they are dead ants.... I thought for a second, do I throw it away?... or do I ... eat it?

I ate it.

And that's proof that I've been in a foreign less than hygienic country for almost 14 months. HA!

Another fun Guate thing, the earthquakes. Yikes, we had 8 this week, that we felt.  One happened on Wednesday morning when I was complaining to my comp about earthquakes.  They really scare me and waking up to your entire third floor world shaking isn't exactly fun... so while I was saying "I'm so sick of earthquakes!"... the earth started quaking...... UGH!  No more no more!!!!!!  So pray for my safety, and my sanity!

beautiful sunrise

Let's see, this week was pretty amazing.  We had an incredible ward baptism this week, basically the whole ward attended.  Our sweet Yoseline got baptized.  She is just the sweetest little girl :)  Also Hno. Byron got baptized.  He has been going to church for a year but couldn't get baptized because of divorce issues, but this week he finally got baptized.  It was the most joyful baptism I've seen :)  This man leaves with us all the time, his testimony is incredible.  It was such a joy to be a small part of his conversion process :)

Also this week we set a baptism with this man that we were working with for my entire time here.  His heart changed so much and I have never seen him happier.  Then last night, he told us he changed his mind.  We are kind of really sad, but I know that lord has a plan and will help him accept the truth one day, I hope. :( That's the hard part of being a missionary. 

But there are joyful parts too. Like how the husband of Hna. Ana, who got baptized a few weeks ago, got interviewed and now has his fecha for his baptism.  This family is just a complete miracle. I really feel like we didn't do anything.  We just knocked on their door and gave them the book of mormon and invited them to church.  They have worked so hard to learn everything in this gospel.  I really feel like I just watched them change faster than we could even keep up!  Her dad is Hno. Francisco who got baptized last week.  This week he passed the sacrament!  I didn't even know he got the priesthood!  But this ward is way ahead of us :)  So this week will be pretty incredible because on Sunday we are baptizing a family :)  That's the best thing in the world. IN THE WORLD. :)  I know they'll make it to the temple.  And hear my words, I'm COMING BACK FOR THEIR SEALING NEXT AUGUST. They gotta get sealed so he can be the next bishop, seriously, they are that pilas! :)

Today was basically awesome.  We woke up at 4 am to go to one of our recent convert's farm and make cheese out of the milk they got from their cows!!!!! I love his granja and it was so fun, something my comp and I could both enjoy, me with the cooking and her with the animals!  Then they made us this huge breakfast and we ate the cheese we made!  Ahhh it was so fun, I'm totes mailing it when I get home :)  We took lots of pics :)  It was lovely. 

making cheese!

making tortillas

lunch on the granja

this is how we cook corn...just throw it on the fire!

Oh and my brother turned 25 this week. OLD MAN.  I'll give you a gift or something when I get back. You want a typical skirt that the men here wear right???? ;) jokes jokes :) 

Well I'm sorry if this email is lame, I'm just having fun sending lots of pics. :)  Love you guys, choose the right and oh yeah I learned how to say albino in spanish! "hijo del sol" or child of light!  How lovely right!! :) 

Haha so yeah. Love!

the roads are so muddy.  I ruined my new shoes.

love love love,

hermana moore :)

This week:

Subject: I never want to leave!

Seriously, the mission just gets better and better!  I don't understand why it gets so amazing right before you are about to leave!  I am going to live up these next 4 months because wow, I will never have this amazing opportunity again. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. 

Cute comp ice cream shot.  We got this for free because we finished the other hermanas food when they felt like they couldn't eat anymore.  "and her stomach grew three sizes that day!"  Hahahahahahahahaha, I have eating skills. 

So this week was basically beyond words incredible.  Do you remember last week when I was like really sad because a hermano that was going to get baptized up and decided not to because of his old pastor?  Well persistence works. God is good, and miracles happen once in a while :) 

Sunday night he effectively broke up with us.  I cried.  Monday night he didn't even speak to us.  When I walked out of their house on Sunday night I was so hurt.  I know I shouldn't take these things personally but I was like I never want to come back here!  I know.... how Christlike... but my comp is amazing, she doesn't give up, ever.  So we went back on  Monday and it was still really sad.  On Tuesday we went with the district leader to try to help him resolve his doubts.  He was still very closed off but by the end we got him to have a kneeling prayer with us and in it he asked God humbly if he should be baptized.  He asked us to pray with him from our house during the night time from 1 - 3 am so he could receive his answer.  We were like heck yeah we have nothing better to do!!!  So we set our alarms, multiple ones... for 1 am and we SLEPT THROUGH IT.  The spirit woke me up at 1:45 am and I was like PHILLIPS WAKE UP. PRAYING TIME!!!!  So we started to pray.  I don't know when but I fell asleep and next thing I knew it was 6:30.  So then that morning at 10 we went to Abelino to see if he got his answer.  I remember rounding the corner that goes to their house and I just had knots in my stomach.  I was SO NERVOUS!!!!!  But we went in and started talking.  We brought Hno.  Byron with us - he had to wait a year to get baptized but finally got baptized last week.  He bore the strongest testimony to Abelino and then we asked him, "Abelino, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized this Friday?" 

He looked down and then said, "Ya know hermanas, I had been saying I wouldn't .... but I know now that I should." 

My eyes just filled with tears and I felt surrounded by heaven!  Holy ground I'm telling you!!!!  He asked Hno. Byron to baptize him and he did!  Wow it was just a miracle. Abelino's brother is on a mission in Nicaragua.  I'm so grateful to have been a part of a miracle for this other missionary and I PRAY that I can be a part of the same thing..... hint hint. :)

His baptism was beautiful, and then the next day WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE WITH ALL OF OUR RECENT CONVERTS!  Yeah we filled a bus.... :)  I'm in a very prepared area.  

Rolando at the temple!

It was so incredible to be at the temple again.  The last time I was there was in January.  It was right before I experienced one of the hardest trials of my life and experienced well.... a lot of adversity.  But here I am nearly 7 months later and I was just overwhelmed with God's love.  He loves me enough to give me trials.  He wants me to change and become better.  I am so GLAD there are trials in this life.  I just felt like the luckiest girl in the world.  My converts felt the spirit really strong too.  Hno. Francisco told us that he felt like going to the temple was the last missing piece in his soul, he now feels complete. Ana was having a hard time and being at the temple brought the spirit back to her. Vicenta, my less active family, told me that she had never felt so surrounded by joy then when she was inside the temple with her husband.  They plan on getting sealed in December.  

My familia Pacheco. we reactivated them and baptized their son and they went to the temple with us this weekend.  She told me, "Hermana, we will be back here in December and we will get sealed!!!" SUCH A BLESSING! THIS FAMILY IS MY MIRACLE. :) 

Abelino couldn't go inside because he wasn't confirmed yet but he just sat outside on the grass all day and said he felt surrounded by peace.  He has such faith and wants to "evangelizar" with us ... ha! :)  My sweet niños that got baptized this past month were such angels.  They loved being near the House of the Lord.  Even though they couldn't go inside they felt the spirit.  I'm so proud of them :)

Me and my favorite baby boy! 8 year old Gerson :) 

ALSO while I was at the temple I was blessed to see members from every single one of my areas. I saw my ward from Las Flores.  They were on a temple trip too!  I saw some of my favorite members from San Marcos.  They updated me on some awesome converts and I saw my bishop from Coatepeque!!! All of them gave me reports on my converts and again..... I FEEL SO BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!! MY FAMILY FROM COATEPÉQUE IS DOING GOOD!!!!!!!!!  I love being a missionary. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Then we came back tired and car sick only to get ready for FRANCISCO'S BAPTISM on Sunday morning!  Ana's husband Francisco was baptized and we baptized a FAMILY.  

What a blessing. I literally feel like WE did so little in his conversion process, the spirit did it all.  We just taught him and set up his baptism.  So he was baptized and confirmed and even received the priesthood, all in one day!!!!!!  Super star day!!!  And his wife received a calling to be the second counselor in the relief society presidency that day too!!!!!  Yeah it's pretty cool to sit in ward council with your convert of one month. :)  Swimming, basking and wading in the blessings right now :) 

And wow so much else happened this week but I'm out of time!!!!!

Love you all..... choose the right and wow, serve a mission. there is NOTHING like it. 

love love love,

hermana moore

p.s. I wore corte to the temple. every one thought we looked super cool! I LOVE CORTE. :)  I bought more today.  I'm an addict. :)