You're a good missionary. . .

Well family this week has been quite busy!

Antigua

First we had our P-day with the Zone and we went to Antigua!! Too bad I have been there like 4 times, but it was fun.  We ate the biggest amount of nachos in my life!! Was delicious! We also met up with some people that I know there and also my companion and hung out with them for a little bit. People are crazy here for the World Cup.  It's all they ever want to watch!!

We then had our very last conference with President Brough.  Just about everyone was crying, especially the sisters and President and Sister Brough. We watched a big slide show that showed all of the photos of the three years that they served here with all of the missionaries and then later we ate really good food (Which will probably be the last since who knows if the new president will do that).  That made me sad. They then shared a little bit of how they met which was an awesome story. And then we said our final goodbyes to President and Sister Brough.

He always seems to know what I need to hear.  He told me, "Elder Toma,  you are a great missionary and you have many great attributes in you and one of them is that you don't ever give up, even when everything seems impossible and too hard.  You just keep going. And I know it has been difficult having to be a junior companion and helping your companions be better leaders and helping them with the same problem to be more diligent.  The truth is, I have been taking advantage of that and you but more importantly the Lord has been taking advantage of that and don't worry, you will get there someday (to be a leader).  You're a good missionary. I love you and please keep in contact with us."

And that's what he said to me and that helped me out quite a bit for different reasons.

We also had a baptism this week!!! And his name is Luis De Paz and we are hoping to have a wedding this week and five more to finish off this change. So please pray that they can make it.

It is crazy that Kinzie is in the same exact town that our family came from.  I hope she is doing alright.  Those first four months are brutal.  I was just talking to my trainer about it.  It's crazy that he is going to finish in 3 more changes.  Time is to fast!

Me teaching English!! Its really fun and pretty funny to listen to these kids try and talk in English but they are getting there!

Oh the Love I have for my companion!! 

I haven't met the new mission president.  We will meet him in changes which is in like 2 weeks, but Pres. Brough is leaving this Thursday!! So the assistants have to run the mission while he is away which is just craziness. But everything is just dandy right now.  It's crazy how much stuff is changing.  It's very weird.

I love you all.  The church is true. I know it! I have studied and prayed about it and there is no question about it.

Love

 Elder Toma

There is nothing better than the mission!

Dear Famiy,

Everything is good here. It's weird how fast everything is going.  Every change is faster and faster.  It's a little scary.  It makes me feel like there is no time for anything. But today I am writing on Tuesday because tomorrow we are going to be going to Antigua as a zone. But last week has been good we had a confirmation and this week we will be having another baptism.  Hopefully the whole district will be having a baptism and then next week we have EVEN more.  I have been really enjoying this area there is a lot of potential and the members are pillas pillas!! 

But to answer your questions one of my weaknesses is to give it my all no matter what.  Be OBEDIENT ALWAYS DO ALL THAT I CAN DO SHOULD DO AND HAVE DONE which is something that I read in the letter that dad sent to me about the apostle which I carry with me always to remind me. I think my problem has been if I see people slack a little especially leaders it gives me an excuse to do it a little bit as well. But I have been learning ALOT to have a eye single to God and what other people do isn't important and so little by little it is becoming my strength and I see it with the recent companions my president has given me. One thing I like about my new companion is that we clicked right away he likes everything that I like and we just have a lot in common and I think he is one of my favorite companions yet.  He told me I was his. We just like to have fun together. Because sometimes you just get those really boring and serious companions sometimes.  So it's nice when you get that companion that you just can have fun with.

Hmmm one of the funniest things that have happened to me on my mission is one time I tried to contact a guy and he totally sprayed water in my face and said AWAY WITH you Satan haha and also one time I was with one of my district leaders on exchanges and these crazy dogs were chasing some guys and I tried to scare them away by pretending to throw rocks at them and then they started to chase me and I screamed in Spanish to run haha and I would hit them with my backpack it was crazy.

One of my strengths that has been growing is to be loyal and obey the rules and work hard but more then that I can get the love and trust of my investigators really fast and I guess people tell me that I have a gift for teaching but I think it's more of the spirit and love that I have for them than how I teach.  Okay there are two foods that I really like here in Guatemala which are Chile Reinos and Platanao Reinos but I like a lot of food here and I have learned how to make just about all of it.

And I don't know if my shoes have arrived yet I think I will get them this Wednesday because we are going to have our last Zone conference with President Brough before President Markham comes. 

It has also been really frustrating this week because everyone is watching the World Cup so everyone is in there dang houses so it's almost impossible to contact and nobody wants to talk right now because there all watching the television!! 

Its weird that we are going to be having changes in two weeks I don't know if we are going to be having changes or not since me and my companion are both new in this area. And especially since the new President is coming this change so who knows.  It's going to be very different here in the mission especially because all of the leaders are leaving especially this summer so there is going to be more changes in the leadership.  But I love you all.  There is nothing better than the mission and not a better opportunity to become more like God wants you to be and that is what I have been learning more and more everyday

Elder Toma

You're just always happy. . .

June 10, 2014

Well everything here is really good.  We are finding a ton of people here and already have two golden familas that we are going to baptize this change. It's been basically raining everyday all day haha. And my other black shoes died. But I bought some shoes in a store and they are pretty nice shoes they only cost me 100 quets! Hah that's like 12 dollars. 

Sounds like Kinzie is doing well 

Guatemala City Central
New Mission President

Me and my companion are having a blast in this area.  The members are all pillas and love to help the Elders and almost all of our investigators are references. This last pday we went to some converts houses and cooked some food.  It was delicious of course. Oh could you send me some recipes of the food from home and the instructions of how to do it.  I forgot haha. But then later we played some fubol (Still don't like soccer that much).

We will be meeting the new president the 2 of June so that will be interesting.  Today we had a meeting as a zone and President has been a little worried that people aren't going to follow the rules because of the new president and he has made it clear that we can't change anything until the new president says so and also that we shouldn't be loyal and say that we are missionaries of President Brough but of the Lord and that we need to have the same loyalty to the new president. I have been reading a lot of the General Conference talks from like 2011 and other years and wow there is a lot of things you can take out of them no matter what year.  I read one from 1990´s in Spanish and I still learned a ton of stuff. And how that it's like the Book of Mormon and the Bible it will always relate to you because it's the words of God.

It feels harder to write.  I don't know why the mission is just weird.  I don't know how to even explain it it's like its own world and you're just always happy even when things are horrible.. it's just weird haha.

But love you all have a good week.  Start asking me questions because it's getting harder to write haha

Love,

Elder Toma

We're just having a good ole time here!

Dear Family,

Well everything is just craziness in the mission.  I had changes like all of you know and now I am in the city still in the zone Villa Nueva and my area is called El Carmen. My companion is another Elder Gonzalez but this one is from the Dominican Republic and we hit it off right away. This change is going to be crazy!! Me and my companion pretty much opened up a area together. He has only been in the area for one more week than me because president doesn't want to close the area so we know absoulutely nothing here but the members here are really really good and there is a lot of potential here.  We had a baptism already haha.

What's even crazier is my trainer Elder Osegera is the new assistant and he is in the same ward as me with all of the other Elders from the office so I got a little bit of contacts now haha. We're just having good old time here.  It was sad saying bye but I'm not that far from Barcenes so it's not as bad.

It's weird that Conner is now a deacon.  What's happening!!

I think Satan has really been messing with me on making me feel that I am not a good missionary or that I am not doing things right and really using what my President said against me. But I talked about it with my companion a lot and what you wrote me Dad helped a ton and everything is good now.

I just found that when you have a eye single to the glory of God everything will be aright and you will find  yourself trying to do all that you can do and just trying to be diligent and obedient.  It really stretches you because you will try to be great at everything.

How did you work mom and dad in your mission?  Were you the types to just run around everywhere and just physically work or were you more willing to work with the people more than just numbers?  

Also our ward mission leader is pretty funny.  I'll tell you more about him later haha. but I hope everything is good at home. Oh  and I haven't received the second package yet just the first but I got some shoes in a place that's like a second hand store haha so right now I am good

Love you all Elder Toma

Also its raining EVERYDAY NOW.  I'm expecting to see a huge ARK with animals in it.  It's raining that hard!! The streets are literally rivers everyday haha

I have changes tomorrow

Pues hay anuncios!!!!  

Well it looks like my time in Barcenas is over I have changes  tomorrow!!

And I will be transferred to who knows where.  I have come to really love Barcenas and it has been very good to me. It's the worst having to say good bye to everyone, especially  when they start crying or ask, "Why do you have to go?  Why can't you just stay/"  But it is what it is.   I have to be somewhere else helping other people and change EVEN more.

 I have learned a lot this change.  I feel like I learn more every change which is weird.  We also had a baptism but only one because the others weren't able to have their darn interview. So it's pretty much a free baptism to my companion and his next companion.

Its weird that Conner is already 12 and that he can pass the sacrament.

Also I think this is the last change with my president so I should be seeing my new one tomorrow.  That will be weird.  I don't really know what to think about that. But I have learned a lot with my new companion even if at times we had hardships.  You know that I'm not one to really be a pain to anybody so we were able to work it out I think it was just hard because my president really believed that I need to help and teach him which is hard when he is your leader.  I  have noticed that just through my example and me trying to be better that has helped him more than any other way especially a lecture from a junior companion.

I have really been learning about becoming the missionary that God wants not what I want and to just remember what my trainers and companions have taught me and to use it not to just learn and that's it. But that's all I got right now.   I really love the mission and it's where I want to be.

Love

Elder Toma