Pray for us!

Hey family  and friends!

So me and my companion got to go to the temple in Xela or Quetzakltenago.  The only elders in our mission to do it!!

This week was another week of just cool experiences.

Our baptism last week  

First off thanks dad for the answers. I figured out most of it, but the article from the First Presidency was interesting and about the titles and names as well.

But that's super weird that Braden is driving around now.  Guess he can take me to places when I get back becuase I feel scared to drive now, it's been so long haha.

One year mark!

And with sister Toma that's sweet your training.  Just keep killing it.  The only thing I have to say is make sure your companion thinks you are perfect and to be a perfect example because she will become just like you in everything that YOU do. 

But for this week pray for us we are trying to have 2 baptism this week.  The only problem is that one can't speak Spanish and the other is scared of what the people will say and treat her if she is baptized.  It's just how it is here in Santiago the people judge and treat you like garbage.

Got to ride in a boat 

But we also did something super cool this week for zone pday we went to a place called Bosque de Corazon or (heart of the forest) and it's a crazy place where they have a bunch of swings and games that are made in trees.  We also will be having changes this Wednesday and I'm pretty positive that my companion is leaving so should be interesting (helps when your trainer is the assistant).

You can see that a lot of houses are under water because the lake is getting bigger every year it's crazy!

But love you all see you next week! 

Elder Toma

We are here to declare repentance to everyone

This week has been yet another week of miracles we had another baptism this week. And we are hoping to be baptizing a family also this week. Wahoo. It's so unheard of here in Santiago of the success that we are having but my companion and I know that it is the Lord more than us.  We are just working the way He wants.

Another miracle is that we also found a BUNCH of new investigators in like only one day!! And EVERY single one went to church. What?! That was a first in Santiago history --  9 investigators coming to church.  It's just incredible the miracles and blessing we are having right now.

But for this week we traveled a lot.  We had our meetings as a zone and also a special conference with one of the area seventy Elder Orchoa it was a really good conference and I learned a lot there. 

One thing I learned is that we are here to declare repentance to everyone and for them to know that and to help them to change not just be converted and that's how we are going to baptize more and they are going to stay as well in the church. But it was hard we like didn't sleep the whole week.  We were so dead haha but we received a ton of blessings for it.

So yes if people were wondering I will be complete a year in like 3 days which is just ridiculous and I don't really think about it the time is just crazy fast and it just makes me work even faster because the time is precious but more importantly it isn't my time to begin with it's the Lords.

But is Sister Toma a trainer now?  I didn't really get it in her email.

My time here in Santiago has been amazing and I feel that I have grown and changed the most here in Santiago  and it is just a incredible opportunity to work here and I will never forget it. And one thing that's has stuck out to me is something m president told me in my interview to go here is that you were pre ordained to go to this area and that certain people are waiting for you there. And I feel more blessed to be here then the people I have met its just really hard to explain Santiago you just have to live here haha  but it really is incredible to live with the pure descendants of Lehi and it is EVEN crazier to be learning their language which is really super close to Hebrew I listened to two girls from Israel yesterday and it sounds the same just a little higher pitched its CRAZY.

Love Elder Toma

This week has been a great week of miracles!

Dear Family,

This week has been a great week of miracles.

The first miracle is that our President let us go to the other temple here in Guatemala.   This has NEVER been done before.   We were the very first ones.   So that was just awesome.   We also took some converts with us which was even cooler.  But it was super weird because only the first councilor which has is only  21 years old  came with us with a bunch of women because it was a Relief Society activity.   We had to guide and plan a lot of this activity in Santiago.   We are a part of the Presidency which just puts a lot  more stress on us.    You learn a lot and you get close with the members.    I can't send the pictures this week becuase I am using a bad computer that is super old!!   But next week I'll do it.

 This week we are going to be having a baptism again!!! The sister of the girl that we baptized will be baptized this Saturday and confirmed with her sister the next day which is Sunday.   At first she didn't want to do it becuase she felt alone.    Her mom won't be able to get baptized until the 28.   While we were listening to her concerns an  impression came to me to just be bold and say that she can be baptized this Saturday and confirmed this Sunday and I did and she accepted!!   I can't say how many times the Sprit has helped in my lesson every time really,  and its always the best.   So were looking forward to that this week.

Some weird stuff that is happening is  that I am doing splits with one of the guys that entered with me and is now my zone leader.   That's pretty weird  haha  . And who knows what we  are going to do if I have to teach in Tzutujil.     They haven't done splits here for over a year so it's really weird that we are doing them this time.   But it will be fun. Also a funny thing that happened my companion and I were asked to bless a car haha.   That was a first for the both of us.   We didn't even know how to do it haha.  So we just offered a pray and stuff like that haha.   The things people will ask you to do here.

It's crazy how fast changes are starting to go.  I don't know if my companion has changes,  will have to see.   It's possible but I don't think it will happen.   Its Santiago you have to change your mind to accept that you will be here for the minimum of 5 changes.   It's a crazy assignment but I am happy that I am here and I have changed and grown a lot from it.  Thank you mom and dad for your letters and stories to help me and guide me.

I love you and I hope everything is going good back home. Until next week

Love

Elder Toma

Naq chikela

Dear family!!

Well if you were wondering what the title means it means (who knows) ha-ha

But everything is going great here we had another miracle baptism!! Yeahhh we're catching fire here.

And here name is Dalia she just turned 11 yesterday and we are also hoping to baptize her sister and mom this week so pray for them their names are Jospha and Lorena.

But we also had 7 investigators come to church which is like the first time in like 5 months or more!!! We are just seeing blessing every day. It really is cool. I saw that in one of the photos of Sister Toma that she skyped you is that right? Its super weird that school already starts up again I remember like 4 emails ago it was just getting out.

We are also finding A TON of people positive that are progressing and we are hoping to be seeing a lot of success here in Santiago. it just goes to show that yes there are people out there that are waiting for the opportunity to hear the truth you just have to go out and find them even if it means getting beat up a little bit. One thing I have been thinking about a lot lately is kindness. So the girl that we baptized it was her birthday yesterday right so me and my companion decided to go buy a cake for her and celebrate her birthday for like 10 minutes. We com

e to find out that she has never celebrated her birthday ever in her life and she is turning 11. One thing is that they are very poor and don't have a lot of money and second every time she asked her father if they could celebrate it he would say that yeah sure we will do it but then he never does (because he forgets). That is terrible and really a tragedy to see. And when we brought the cake over and the soda the smile and joy that was on her face was priceless.

What we did was not something over the top or something that was really that big we just should a little bit of kindness and love and that is what made all of the difference.

The Lord does not ask us to have to do many things that are really too big or hard (depending on your attitude) But he does ask and invite us. To show love to one another. And that can easily be done through kindness you don't have to go out and do something ridiculous. But there is always someone that can need your help whatever it might be. Our mission leader is blind so he cannot move around a lot on his own but every Sunday on of the members goes and gets him to go to church and we always invite him to come with us to visit people so that he can complete his calling as a mission  leader.

If everyone was just a little more thoughtful of everyone else around them the world would be different but sometimes we think we have no time or the thing we are doing is more important or that it has to get done right now or the worst excuse someone else will take care of it. But we should always remember there is always time to help someone in need because that time is for the lord like it says in Mosiah 2:17  we are really only in the service in the lord and really the person that is going to get the most out of it is yourself. So I invite everyone this week to go out and to do just 1 act of service or kindness  for someone just 1 thing and you will really see what the lord wants from everyone of us as children and servants of God.

But I love you all everything is cool here in Santiago it's still crazy but you kind of get use to the craziness in a weird way. Hope you all have a good week

Love

Elder Toma